The demise of the Second Young Lady sent shockwaves not only through the Andu Empire but also caused considerable upheaval in the Red Feather Federation.

The Red Feather Federation’s embassy reacted swiftly, dispatching their most accomplished physicians in a desperate bid to save her life. Should someone from the Andu Empire be allowed to perish on Red Feather soil, it would undoubtedly become a scandal.

Among the advanced civilizations, interactions between nations of the same tier were far from the insular nature seen in intermediate civilizations.

Qin Liuxing was beside himself, refusing anyone access to the room housing his sister's remains. Anyone who dared approach, save for Zhong Yun, was met with aggressive swings of a club. When the delegation from the Red Feather Federation arrived, his eyes immediately bled crimson, and he roared, brandishing the stick at them, startling the assembled doctors.

Zhong Yun rushed to restrain him, primarily fearful that he would suffer repercussions; after all, they were on the Red Feather Federation’s turf, and conflict here was deeply unwise.

“What are you here for? You are not welcome here,” Zhong Yun stood before Qin Liuxing, his gaze icy as he addressed the newcomers.

The group from Red Feather was clearly unnerved by Qin Liuxing’s ferocity and hesitated to advance. It was Hong Yuting who stepped forward to explain, “They are doctors from the Red Feather Federation, here to see Second Young Lady Qin.”

Zhong Yun’s eyebrows rose, just as he was about to speak, when Qin Liuxing’s shout ripped from behind him: “Get out, you hypocritical trash!”

Zhong Yun turned and placed a firm hand on Qin Liuxing’s shoulder, looking intently into his eyes. “Let them examine her. The civilization of the Red Feather Federation must always be seen as the more advanced one.” Seeing the unwillingness etched on Qin Liuxing’s face, Zhong Yun’s tone hardened, “Even if there is only a one percent chance of saving your sister, we cannot afford to abandon it.”

Qin Liuxing’s expression shifted violently. “I apologize, Brother Yun, I…” The realization that his temper had nearly cost them a chance to save his sister filled him with shame and remorse.

“Say no more,” Zhong Yun patted his shoulder, then turned toward the Red Feather doctors. “Follow me inside.”

Qin Liuxing attempted to follow but was blocked by one of the physicians, who spoke with stiff formality, “Please do not enter and cause a disturbance.”

Qin Liuxing instantly bristled, on the verge of an outburst, but managed to rein it in, settling instead to wait nervously by the side.

Half an hour later, the doctors emerged. Without sparing a glance for Qin Liuxing standing at the door, they walked straight past him.

“How is my sister?” Qin Liuxing tried to pursue them, but Hong Yuting pulled him back, having already noted the grim expressions on the physicians' faces. Fearing what Qin Liuxing might do upon hearing bad news, Hong Yuting urged, “Go ask Ah Yun inside.”

Qin Liuxing hurried into the room. “My sister, she…”

Zhong Yun stood with his back to the door, facing the window. Hearing Qin Liuxing’s question, he turned, his face heavy with sorrow, and slowly shook his head.

Qin Liuxing’s heart plummeted instantly. The room spun around him, and he collapsed, unconscious.

Once Second Young Lady Qin’s death was officially confirmed, a minor tremor rippled through the Red Feather Federation. The epicenter of this ripple was the young master who had been utterly determined to possess her.

This was, after all, no small diplomatic incident. His rivals seized upon the matter, quickly leading to his disgrace within his own clan. In a family so vast, countless ambitious and capable members vied for ascendancy, and he was swiftly overtaken by peers of his own age, sinking into obscurity.

This young man, once full of promise and poised to claim the summit in a few decades, had thus ruined his own brilliant future. The regret and hatred he felt were profound, and he grew to loathe the people of the Andu Empire down to the marrow of his bones.

Of course, the incident’s impact remained limited. Beyond the forced resignation of several ‘inactive’ officials under public pressure, the family sustained a notable loss but suffered no crippling blow.

The civilization level of the Andu Empire remained one tier below that of the Red Feather Federation, preventing any major repercussions.

The young master’s fall from grace resulted in the lifting of restrictions placed upon the Andu embassy. Yet, the people of the Andu Empire felt no sense of elation.

Not only had they failed to forge better relations with the Red Feather Federation, but they had also incurred the enmity of a prominent family holding significant sway within the Federation. Dealing with the Red Feather Federation henceforth promised to be fraught with difficulties.

The greatest losses were borne by the Qin family: they lost the most valuable member of their younger generation, the Second Young Lady, and they alienated countless admirers of the Second Young Lady—the promising young elites from various other families. Furthermore, due to Qin Liuxing, a rift had formed in their relationship with the grand master, Yun Zhongyu.

“I want revenge.”

This was the first sentence Qin Liuxing spoke upon waking.

Zhong Yun showed no surprise at his words, responding only with a measured tone, “Have you thought this through?”

“I want revenge.” Qin Liuxing’s eyes burned brighter; the former traces of idleness and profligacy vanished, replaced by shadow and hatred.

Sensing the absolute resolve in his voice, Zhong Yun nodded silently. “I can help you, but the revenge must be yours to exact personally.”

Qin Liuxing sprang from the bed, crossed to stand before Zhong Yun, and abruptly knelt, striking his head against the floor several times with resounding thuds.

Watching Qin Liuxing prostrate himself at his feet, Zhong Yun felt a surge of emotion; the boy’s tenacity was truly commanding of respect. He helped him up. “We need to leave this place.”

“I will follow your lead. Wherever you take me, I will go,” Qin Liuxing’s eyes showed not a flicker of hesitation.

Zhong Yun nodded, then paused, deep in thought, grappling with a difficult matter. He murmured to himself, trying to find a solution, “How can we obtain the raw Orichalcum stones?”

This private utterance was perfectly overheard by Qin Liuxing, who blurted out, “Rob a bank.”

Zhong Yun was momentarily stunned, then his eyes brightened, but after a moment of consideration, he regretfully dismissed the idea. If they were in a nation of intermediate civilization, he could certainly plunder whatever he wished without fear of reprisal.

But here they were in a nation of the second stage of advanced civilization. Who knew how many masters capable of threatening him, or how much high-tech defense, were hidden here? Though he desperately desired the Orichalcum, he was unwilling to take such a staggering risk.

He had already formulated a plan for acquiring the stones before leaving, so there was no need to rush. He shelved the matter for the time being.

Zhong Yun’s preference was to depart the Red Feather Federation as soon as possible. After sending Hong Yuting to inquire, they received unwelcome news: the Red Feather Federation refused to provide an additional vessel for their departure.

Zhong Yun was thus forced to remain for the time being, intending to leave alongside the Andu Empire delegation.

Gu Yi and the others had no desire to linger either. The death of the Second Young Lady had created a chasm between the two nations, and coupled with the Red Feather Federation’s dismissive attitude, they had no appetite for enduring further scorn. He instructed everyone to prepare their belongings; they would depart in three days.

They would soon regret waiting those extra three days.

Three days later, just as they finalized preparations for departure, a notification arrived from the Red Feather Federation: “Effective immediately, no one is permitted to leave this planet.”

The people of the Andu Empire were thrown into an uproar, assuming this was deliberate retaliation from the Red Feather Federation, an attempt to place them under house arrest. Righteous indignation flared among them, and questions were hurled in protest.

However, the Red Feather Federation’s representatives adopted an extremely rigid stance, even hinting at the willingness to use force.

When one is under another’s roof, one must bend the knee. The Andu contingent quickly yielded, retreating back into their embassy. Fortunately, while the Red Feather Federation restricted their departure, they made no further moves. Otherwise, the Andu delegation would surely have fought to the last man.

This sudden turn of events caught Zhong Yun entirely off guard. He racked his brain, unable to fathom why the Red Feather Federation would act this way. Was it merely to vent anger? It seemed hardly worth the trouble.

Though few in number, the power of the Andu Empire could not be underestimated. Aside from Zhong Yun, they possessed two Level Six Grandmasters, Qin Lianbai and Lan Yuling, and beneath them were eleven Level Five experts, including Gu Yi. Of the rest, excluding non-combat support staff, no one was below Level Four.

If pushed to the brink, the threat of even one individual escaping and sowing chaos within the planet’s infrastructure was devastating. Particularly the two Level Six masters; outfitted in mecha, they would be capable of sweeping the entire planet clean.

The abrupt shift in the Red Feather Federation’s demeanor left the senior members like Gu Yi deeply unsettled. Soon, Qin Lanbai and Lan Yuling were dispatched as representatives of the Andu Empire to inquire with officials from the Red Feather Federation they had previously maintained friendly ties with.

Experts command respect everywhere. Even the proud Red Feather officials treated the two Level Six powerhouses with significant deference.

Qin and Lan returned shortly with news that stunned everyone into silence.

The Nortan Empire had attacked.

The Nortan Empire, another nation in the second stage of advanced civilization, occupied a star system adjacent to the Red Feather Federation. These two nations shared a history bordering on that of sworn rivals.

They began as two unremarkable primary civilizations, then advanced to intermediate civilization simultaneously, and every subsequent leap in development occurred at the same moment, culminating in their parallel rise to advanced civilization status.

Their strength was considered nearly equal, as was their pace of progress. They were once known in the H Star Field as the ‘Twin Stars.’

Logically, their powers should have been evenly matched, yet the Nortan Empire had launched this sudden offensive, striking the Red Feather Federation by surprise. Their advance was like a hot knife through butter; they captured fifteen natural stars in quick succession, displaying formidable military prowess. The Red Feather Federation seemed utterly incapable of resistance.

Although it was a case of the prepared striking the unprepared, losing fifteen natural stars in a single day was a crushing blow to the Red Feather Federation.

Following the previous round of the Hunting Action, the entire star system now fell under Red Feather control, nominally granting them over a thousand natural stars. But this time, the losses were not newly claimed worlds, but core planets intrinsically belonging to the Red Feather Federation.

These core worlds formed the very foundation of the Federation, totaling just over four hundred; losing nearly a third of them in one go sent tremors throughout the entire Red Feather realm.

After a brief period of stunned silence, the Red Feather Federation immediately issued orders: the entire nation was to enter Level One wartime status. The entire country was sealed, permitting no ingress or egress.

The people of the Andu Empire were merely caught in the crossfire of war, temporarily barred from leaving.

This news deeply shocked the Andu delegation. This might well be the first full-scale war between advanced civilizations since the collapse of the Great Universe Federation.

Those with foresight felt a growing weight in their hearts. Following the recent period where advanced civilizations hunted the lower and intermediate ones, was the galaxy now facing a bloody melee among the titans?

P: This is the catch-up post for yesterday. First Publication