Zhong Yun was genuinely overjoyed to unexpectedly acquire Base Two. He had been contemplating how to settle the people from the spaceship. Some were needed in the Dead Zone for mining operations, but he didn't want to bring everyone, especially children, women, and the elderly, who would be of no use there.

Now, settling them here, managed by his father, was perfect.

This base was immense; the First District alone could comfortably house hundreds of millions. The previous raid on Vian's supply ship had netted Zhong Yun a massive fortune. Even after deducting the energy blocks required for the jump, nearly a hundred billion units of energy remained, more than enough to sustain six million people.

Zhong Yun settled the majority of the people here, leaving behind the Mars spaceship, one million optical brain mechs, and half of the military forces. With these assets, even if someone attempted mischief after his departure, Zhong Pingjiang could handle it.

Zhong Yun took only one million people with him: fifty thousand seasoned miners and fifty thousand novices. Since there were more than fifty thousand capable miners, Zhong Yun implemented a rotation system; people are not tools and cannot be pushed too hard.

Handing over one hundred billion units of energy to the system caused Zhong Yun significant pain. Fortunately, this huge sum was only needed to open the jump point; future entries and exits would only require a few hundred thousand. Otherwise, the cost of a hundred billion units for every transit would be unsustainable, even for the wealthy Lansen Empire.

Returning to the base once more, Zhong Yun felt a pang of emotion, surprised to be back so quickly.

With the jump points on both sides opened, direct teleportation between the bases in the two planes/universes would be much more convenient in the future.

After Zhong Yun left previously, Base One had continued its operations. The Mercury landed in the First District, disembarked everyone from the spaceship, delivered a briefing, and immediately set them to work.

The mining teams had already been grouped: half veterans and half rookies in each. The veterans, familiar with the routine, led the curious newcomers onto the mining vessels. They departed.

Zhong Yun went alone to the control room of the First District and addressed the control optical brain. "Connect to the Main Brain."

"Yes, Your Excellency," the familiar voice of the control optical brain responded.

A few seconds later, the base Main Brain’s voice sounded. "Your Excellency, you sought me?"

"Mhm. I need to undergo the Ability Assessment." Zhong Yun stated.

Ten seconds later, the Main Brain’s voice resumed. "Assessor: Zhong Yun. Level Four Authority. Meta Level Five aptitude. Assessment commencing."

As before, the scene before him shifted, revealing an immensely vast, empty space. With Zhong Yun's current spiritual sense, he couldn't discern whether it was real or simulated.

Thanks to the World Tree, Zhong Yun’s Meta had surged forward dramatically, leaping from Level Two, skipping Level Three, straight to Level Five, crossing a threshold unattainable in a lifetime for countless others, positioning him among the high-tier echelon.

In cosmic civilization, Meta Levels One and Two are generally categorized as Beginner, Three and Four as Intermediate, and Level Five and above as Advanced.

Level Five already qualifies one to be called a Master, highly valued and courted even within advanced civilization states.

A silhouette appeared ahead. Zhong Yun's gaze sharpened, and he mustered his utmost focus. Once Meta reached Level Five, the style of combat completely changed. At this degree, the Meta condensed into tangible substance, its density comparable to high-strength alloy. Moreover, it could form any shape, making it incredibly difficult to guard against.

A duel between Level Five experts often hinges on a single move; the physical body has its limits. A single misstep, being struck by concentrated Meta, means certain death.

However, Zhong Yun possessed the Gālan’s ultimate martial art technique, the 'Shǎn' (Flash) Mantra, which allowed him to move without a trace, granting him a significant advantage.

Zhong Yun completed the ability test with a perfect winning record. The test required facing ten enemies; defeating the first one was sufficient to pass, and each subsequent opponent was slightly stronger than the last.

"Flawless victory, assessment passed. Score: Ninety-nine thousand and thirty-five points. Overall Rank: Eighty-third. Promoted to Level Five Authority. Furthermore, due to ranking in the top one hundred of the assessment scores, you are awarded the Eight-Star Mech, 'Linglong'."

The illusion vanished, and Zhong Yun stood once more in the control room of the First District. Listening to the Main Brain, he was slightly taken aback; he had expected a perfect score this time, having defeated all ten opponents without a scratch. Yet, he had lost so many points and only ranked eighty-third. This meant eighty-two individuals had scored higher than him in this stage.

In reality, Zhong Yun should have been satisfied. The Lansen Empire was the most powerful nation in ten thousand years; scoring in the top one hundred among the assembled Level Five elites in the Lansen Empire was already an astonishing achievement. Of course, assessment scores did not perfectly equate to actual strength, as there were variations in the competency of those participating.

Regardless, Zhong Yun’s strength was undeniably among the foremost of the Level Five practitioners.

When he heard he was receiving an Eight-Star Mech, Zhong Yun was truly astonished. Eight-Star Mechs were legendary, existing only in lore.

Mechs above Seven Stars were already considered mythical. Even for advanced civilizations, a Seven-Star Mech was an exceedingly rare masterpiece.

He recalled data from Zero’s archive: Eight-Star Mechs were the standard equipment for Level Five powerhouses. Only an Eight-Star Mech could truly unleash the full power of a Level Five expert—a terrifying entity capable of tearing apart 'Satellite-Class' warships.

Zhong Yun felt as if he were dreaming; he never imagined he would actually obtain an Eight-Star Mech. The value of this machine was incalculable. Forget intermediate civilizations; even advanced ones would find acquiring such a mech nearly impossible.

Of course, with his current strength, if he truly reached an advanced civilization, defecting to a major power would easily grant him an Eight-Star Mech. But the price would be his freedom, a cost he would never accept, even unto death.

While his mind was still reeling, a blue, crystal-clear, crescent-shaped crystal floated before him, its gentle, pale blue hue dazzling and mesmerizing.

Zhong Yun reached out and took the mech key, an object resembling a piece of art, and felt as if his heart might explode. He nearly started dancing with excitement.

He rushed out of the control room to an open area and impatiently deployed 'Linglong.'

True to its name, this mech was slightly smaller than standard models, entirely a near-transparent blue, emitting a faint, ethereal glow.

Linglong seemed to be forged from an unknown material, resembling a sapphire. Its lines were slender and flowing, and the bone spurs extending to the elbows possessed a captivating beauty.

Zhong Yun approached, touching and examining it everywhere, loving it more the longer he looked. Although the design leaned toward the delicate, its destructive capability would certainly not be as gentle as its appearance suggested.

"Hatch open."

Zhong Yun could hold back no longer, eager to test it personally. Following his command, Linglong’s chest cavity opened. He leaped lightly, vanishing into the cockpit in a flash.

The hatch sealed quickly. Upon entering, Zhong Yun experienced a strange sensation; he felt his body extending outward, growing immensely large.

After sensing for a moment, he realized with a start that he had completely merged with the mech—a truly marvelous feeling, as if the machine had become an extension of his own body.

He wished to look outside; the moment the thought formed, all surrounding scenery materialized within his mind, with no blind spots. His consciousness extended further and further. Normally, his mental reach peaked at ten thousand kilometers, but now it extended to one hundred thousand kilometers without any sign of attenuation. It was only at five hundred thousand kilometers that he felt a slight strain, and his consciousness retracted.

Zhong Yun was ecstatic. The Eight-Star Mech was truly miraculous, amplifying his spiritual sense by fifty times! This feature alone made its value inestimable.

Next, he moved. His movements were completely natural, indistinguishable from walking normally.

I wonder how far its capabilities stretch? Zhong Yun thought, his actions becoming more complex: running, jumping, flipping, spinning, and more.

Linglong’s massive body felt in no way cumbersome; such a giant moved with the lightness of a dancer, yet it felt entirely organic, without the slightest sense of incongruity.

Linglong's speed increased, soon surpassing what the naked eye could follow, transforming into a streak of deep blue shadow.

Suddenly, with a hum, a beam of blue light materialized from its wrist, five meters long, like a greatsword. This was its close-combat weapon. Even better, this weapon was activated by Meta.

Zhong Yun had impulsively tried to see if he could execute his learned Meta techniques. To his surprise, this attempt activated its weapon. The killing power of this sword was several hundred times greater than an ordinary ion vibratory blade. The hull of a spaceship was like soft tofu before it.

Linglong’s speed continued to accelerate, already exceeding twelve times the speed of sound, and still increasing. When Zhong Yun attempted to execute the 'Shǎn' Mantra, the seamless sense of integration finally fractured. Linglong's motion hitched momentarily; at such high velocity, losing control was catastrophic.

With a boom, Linglong slammed into a wall, creating a deep indentation in the metal, its massive body sinking deeply into the structure.

After a moment, Linglong's hand braced against the wall, pushing forcefully to extract itself from the dent. It humanely shook its head, as if dazed by the impact.

Linglong's chest hatch opened, and Zhong Yun leaped out, retracting the mech back into the key. He tossed the blue mech key in his hand, revealing a satisfied smile.

Even if he couldn't use his Meta techniques through Linglong, it was more than enough. Linglong was built for speed, capable of reaching ten times the speed of sound within a second. Coupled with its indestructible energy sword and Zhong Yun’s martial arts skills, it was an absolute golden combination, the king of close combat.

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