He didn't return immediately to the Galactic Empire, choosing instead to remain at the "Golden Ruins" for a full three days. Of course, he longed to go back quickly to meet the son he had yet to see. But right now, his wife needed his comfort more.

Three days later, Zhong Yun entered the space jump point and returned home. Yun Qi, however, stayed behind at Base Three, which was the official designation for this base within the "Golden Ruins."

The main headquarters of the Galactic Empire was established at Base Two, now commonly referred to as the Imperial Capital.

In the three years Zhong Yun had been away, the Galactic Empire had made significant strides. Its total population now exceeded one billion, with two hundred million citizens and over eight hundred million preparatory citizens. It boasted a formidable fleet strength, consisting of more than one thousand eight hundred "Quasi-Satellite" class warships and over three hundred "Satellite" class warships.

Zhong Yun was quite satisfied with these achievements, his only regret being that his contribution score had only increased by four million over the three years, leaving him far short of the ten million required for an upgrade.

There was also bad news: due to prolonged destructive attacks within the Star Sea, the area within half a light-year of Base One had become a no-man's land. Furthermore, the nations within the Star Sea had formed an alliance to jointly resist the Galactic Empire's aggression, making it much harder to earn contribution points through conquest.

While there was some disappointment, the impact on the Galactic Empire was not overly severe. After years of rapid development, the Imperial military had grown from possessing a single Mars and a single Mercury class vessel to commanding nearly two thousand "Quasi-Satellite" class warships and over three hundred "Satellite" class warships—a strength comparable to a standard Intermediate Civilization, Phase Three state.

In less than ten years, they had achieved what other nations required three, sometimes even five, millennia to accomplish.

However, this did not mean the Galactic Empire had reached the level of an Intermediate Civilization, Phase Three state. They possessed no natural planets, their population was only one billion, and less than one in a thousand citizens had awakened psychic abilities, among other deficiencies in commoner quality.

Originally, improving these areas required generations of accumulation. But with the continent found within the "Golden Ruins," it wouldn't take long—perhaps only a few years—for the quality of all citizens to undergo a revolutionary change.

The quality of the citizenry was the true foundation of any nation.

Upon returning to the Galactic Empire, Zhong Yun, intimately familiar with the way, proceeded directly to his own palace—though it hadn't been called the Imperial Palace originally. After he proclaimed himself Emperor, the citizens naturally began to refer to it as such.

Initially, there had been considerable opposition to Zhong Yun taking the throne. The dissenters were primarily Dawo people, who had grown up under a republican system and possessed a natural aversion to dictatorship.

But since a large influx of Star Sea people joined the Galactic Empire, significantly diluting the Dawo element within it and severely challenging their political standing, the voices of opposition had faded into silence, greatly aided by the shrewd governance of Regent Minister Zhong Pingjiang.

The palace was outfitted with highly advanced identity recognition systems. As Zhong Yun walked in, he passed through unimpeded. Along the way, everyone he encountered respectfully saluted him. These greeters were uniformly young women; he strongly disliked having other men wandering around his home.

"Brother!" A short figure emerged from the main door. Upon spotting Zhong Yun, the figure shouted and rushed over excitedly. Zhong Yun scooped him up, playfully flicked his nose, and said, "Xiao Yu, you've grown taller after not seeing you for several years."

It was his younger brother, Zhong Yu, now eight years old. His appearance hadn't changed much from childhood, though he was considerably better looking than Zhong Yun.

Zhong Yu’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes sparkling. Despite the separation of several years, he showed no estrangement, hugging Zhong Yun's neck affectionately. "Brother, why did you take so long to return? I missed you terribly."

Zhong Yun chuckled, "Brother had many things to attend to." He then produced a gift he had prepared earlier: a small, fluffy creature the size of a fist, covered in snow-white fur, resembling a rabbit from Earth.

Zhong Yu instantly fell in love with the adorable little animal, clutching it tightly, unable to put it down. After playing for a while, he looked up and asked innocently, "Brother, what is this?"

"This is a rabbit. When I'm not here, let it keep you company." Zhong Yun stroked his brother's hair with profound affection.

"Thank you, Brother," Zhong Yu replied crisply, growing fonder of the rabbit the more he looked at it.

As they spoke, Zhong Yun carried his brother across the threshold. The moment they stepped inside, he saw the slender, delicate silhouette standing before the staircase. Zhong Yun's gaze locked onto that face, unable to look away for a long time.

Yun Rong, standing nearby, observed this scene with deep satisfaction. She stepped forward, gently took her younger son from Zhong Yun’s arms, and led him into the room.

Weiwei’s face had gained a fuller shape, and her eyes were as bright as ever. Cradled in her arms was a perfectly crafted child, about three or four years old, sucking his right thumb, his round eyes curiously observing Zhong Yun.

Zhong Yun walked towards them, step by measured step.

Weiwei lowered her gaze, her heart fluttering uncontrollably.

Zhong Yun reached her, gently lifted her chin, and looked into her eyes, a wave of tenderness surging within him. "You've gotten thinner."

Tears inevitably streamed from the corners of her eyes. Weiwei finally met Zhong Yun's gaze—those deep eyes, swirling with an ocean of emotion—and all the grievances, the resentment she had held inside vanished without a trace in that instant.

As long as he is by my side, I will forgive everything.

Zhong Yun’s eyes shifted to the child in her arms, and a strange emotion surfaced. "He is..."

Seeing his gaze fall upon her son, Weiwei wiped her tears. "His name is Zhong Shan; Father gave it to him." The "Father" she referred to was, naturally, Zhong Pingjiang.

"Shan Shan, this is your father." She smoothed Zhong Shan's hair. "Do you want to give him a hug?" She offered the boy forward.

"Ah!" Zhong Yun took the child awkwardly, looking down at the little one whose black, gem-like eyes were sizing him up. A faint joy arose in his heart. "Come, call me 'Papa.'"

Zhong Shan suddenly raised a tiny fist and struck Zhong Yun lightly on the chin, squeaking out, "Bad man! Mama, cry!"

Zhong Yun was momentarily stunned.

Weiwei also froze, then burst into a soft giggle, taking back her combative son. "Good boy. If your father bullies me in the future, Shan Shan will help me uphold justice." With that, she shot Zhong Yun a coquettish, sidelong glance.

Zhong Yun rubbed his nose, speechless.

Zhong Yun stayed home with Weiwei and their son for three days. During this time, he exhausted every strategy he possessed until he finally heard Zhong Shan call him "Papa"—a joy that was simply indescribable.

Three days later, amid Weiwei’s misty tears and his son's soft calls of "Papa," Zhong Yun parted from them, promising to return in a year.

He desperately wanted to stay with them, but he could not. The nation was still too weak in this era dominated by advanced civilizations; even their security was not guaranteed. He had to make the nation strong enough to better protect his people and his family.

"Shan Shan is so cute," Yun Qi said, waiting for him back at Base Three. She stepped forward and linked her arm with his upon seeing him approach, voicing her admiration. There was no trace of jealousy in her eyes, only a slight wistfulness.

Zhong Yun stayed there for another three days. The base was beginning to take shape. The first contingent to arrive was the Royal Guard, who would be stationed here on a rotational basis for one year.

Three days later, Zhong Yun said farewell to his wife and friends and flew to the base of the Andu Empire on the opposite side of the continent.

After a day and a night, Zhong Yun retraced his route back to the Andu Empire base. The communication device Gu Yi had given him was still functional, and upon activating it, someone soon came to meet him.

The Andu Empire base had transformed drastically, bearing no resemblance to its crude beginnings—the difference was like mud versus clay.

Second Miss Qin, her brother, Gu Yue, Lan Ling, and others had left three years prior. When follow-up personnel arrived, they continued onward to the Red Feather Federation to maintain a low profile.

Zhong Yun's main purpose for this return visit concerned Qin Liuxing. Hearing they were still in the Red Feather Federation, he requested passage there.

He, Qin Lianbai, and Lan Yuling had forged an exceptionally deep bond over three years of surviving life-and-death situations in the trial space; it was no exaggeration to call them sworn brothers. Any past friction with Qin Lianbai had long since dissipated like smoke.

Qin Lianbai naturally could not refuse Zhong Yun's simple request. In fact, the Andu Empire was experiencing some trouble in the Red Feather Federation, and Qin Lianbai, Lan Yuling, and a few others had been dispatched to provide support.

Zhong Yun’s departure was actually a welcome development for the Andu Empire. Even after acquiring Andu citizenship, Zhong Yun’s rank was far too low to gain access to the highest secret of the "Golden Ruins." Not only did he belong to no major family, but he wasn't even a native of Andu.

Originally, the high command of the Andu Empire favored eliminating him as the safest measure to prevent the base from being exposed. However, Qin Lianbai and Lan Yuling strongly objected. They had witnessed the terrifying strength Zhong Yun possessed.

The three years spent constantly brushing against death in the trial space, though extremely perilous, were not without benefits. Their strength had advanced by leaps and bounds. The 'Heaven and Earth Vital Energy' within the trial space was far richer than on this continent. Over these three years, they had broken through several bottlenecks, achieving the realm of a sixth-level Grandmaster, thus ascending to become the most powerful figures in the Andu Empire.

As for that Yun Zhongyu, his progress in strength was even more terrifying. His initial power level already surpassed theirs, and now he had undoubtedly left them far behind. Only those who had experienced it firsthand truly understood his dreadfulness.

The two of them knew clearly that without Yun Zhongyu, they could absolutely not have left the trial space relying solely on themselves.

Therefore, they vehemently opposed the proposal for elimination, suggesting appeasement instead. With their current standing, their opinions carried significant weight, which was far from what it used to be. After consideration, the other high officials agreed with their counsel.

A sixth-level Grandmaster might seem negligible before an Advanced Civilization state, but they posed a lethal threat to any single individual. Not every high official had a sixth-level expert protecting them; in fact, every sixth-level expert was a powerhouse unto themselves, hardly inclined to serve as a mere bodyguard.

Yun Zhongyu might not have the capability to destroy the Andu Empire, but he could certainly kill a few individuals. No one wanted to provoke such a formidable power, especially since he was inherently a solitary adventurer—the hardest type of person to deal with.

First Publication