As time slowly slipped by in the frigid mountains, more and more teams returned from their missions, and soon enough, Wen Yang and Sean also brought their group back to the assembly point. {First published here.}

Master Pang Qian mentioned nothing of the small box to anyone. Yang Ying understood that secrets of the magnitude of a list of spies developed by humanity within the Ancient Legion over half a century were not something anyone could know, not even those on the expeditionary force.

Those qualified to know this secret mission were likely only the four Psionics leading the teams and the four captains, and as for who completely understood what was inside the box, perhaps only Master Pang Qian among the four Psionics.

Of course, now Yang Ying had to be added to that list.

After Master Pang Qian’s swordsmanship lesson concluded, Yang Ying remained where he was, allowing the newly acquired knowledge to settle. The basic swordsmanship had opened a vast door for him, and the more he contemplated it, the more he realized the technique held infinite possibilities, stirring an intense competitive spirit within him to completely internalize this set of skills.

He leaned back against an ice-crag, his mind saturated with images of the various movements, especially the standard forms of the thirty-six Basic Swordsmanship stances as demonstrated by Master Pang Qian, visible before his eyes with crystalline clarity, down to the smallest detail.

Just as he was resting to regain his strength, Bal’s unctuous voice reached his ears.

“Calling Master, Master, please respond.”

Yang Ying snapped back to attention: “What urgent matter requires me?” This was the first time Bal had contacted him actively since obtaining the Star in the Palm, so it must be important.

“Great Master, you instructed Bal to monitor the lights atop the central tower of the continent. The third light has just ignited. The continent’s area has increased again, by the same amount as when the second light ignited.”

“That means an increase from two hundred square kilometers to three hundred square kilometers. It seems slightly less than I had hoped for.” Yang Ying had expected the continent's area to double when the third light appeared, but the reality was disappointing.

Bal added, “Furthermore, your humble servant has made another observation, which may be connected to the lighting of the lamps.”

“Speak quickly.”

“Your spiritual power has just reached three hundred! Three hundred spirit power, three hundred square kilometers of land, the third light—there seems to be a connection hidden within these numbers,” Bal said with a slight uncertainty in his tone.

“Indeed, all these numbers are three. If there were no connection... no, there must be one.”

Yang Ying had long suspected a connection between the tower lights and himself. If spiritual power was what ignited the lamps, that would provide a clear explanation.

If he followed this line of reasoning, when the numbers reached four hundred, five hundred... up to nine hundred, all nine lower lamps could be lit.

“I must raise my spiritual power to four hundred as soon as possible to see what happens next,” Yang Ying decided.

He knew his current spiritual power of three hundred was the result of repeatedly overdrawing his psychic energy for cultivation over the last two days. This method yielded rapid initial progress but would slow down increasingly over time.

Relying solely on himself to cultivate his spiritual power to four hundred would undoubtedly take a considerable amount of time. Fortunately, there was still the Zerg within the Star in the Palm that could aid his progress.

“Bal!”

“Master, what are your instructions?”

“When can you establish a satellite base?” Yang Ying asked.

“We can start anytime,” Bal replied assuredly. “The resources from the last period were used for constructing barracks and producing Marines. Now, we have also added Firebats and Medics, but we still have sufficient resources to build one satellite base. Murphy’s suggestion was to report to the Master before beginning construction.”

“Immediately begin constructing the Zerg satellite base. In the future, if we develop satellite bases, prioritize those in the Zerg territories first. Moreover, when establishing satellite bases in the territories of the other two races, the workers should first be selected from the Zerg Drone population.”

This was Yang Ying’s thinking: the Zerg offered tribute in the form of spiritual power. If there were one hundred workers, they could provide one hundred units of spiritual power. Furthermore, Zerg production was different from cultivation; it started slow but accelerated rapidly. As the number of Hatcheries increased, the rate at which the Zerg contributed spiritual power would increase exponentially!

“Oh, wise Master!” Bal’s voice instantly became resonant and rhythmic. “Your favor fills Bal with strength. Your humble servant, representing the entire swarm of Drones, expresses the highest reverence to you! You are the light of the Zerg, you are the Overlord of the Zerg, you...”

“Stop!” Yang Ying immediately halted Bal’s fervor. He continued, “Protoss workers are more efficient in construction, one being equivalent to many, so we can build fewer. However, we cannot reduce the Terran SCVs; we must maintain enough for construction and repair at a minimum. Decide the exact numbers through discussion with Murphy and Odin.”

“As you command. Bal regards the Master’s orders as absolute truth; please entrust this task to your humble servant,” Bal’s energy level soared.

“One more thing,” Yang Ying continued. “The Protoss Nexus is the least utilized structure among the three main bases. Since Protoss development only requires Pylons, if we establish a satellite base in the Protoss territory, a Terran Command Center can be used instead.”

“Great Master, why not use a Zerg Hatchery?” Bal wished to contribute more to the expansion of the Zerg forces.

“The Zerg Hatchery spreads Creep in all directions, which affects the surrounding ecological environment, preventing the construction of buildings from the other two races. Just manage the area designated for your own kind,” Yang Ying rejected the idea.

Zerg Creep was the purple, organic carpet laid on the ground by Hatcheries and Creep Colonies (the precursor to Zerg defensive structures). It was converted from mineral resources and was rich in the nutrients required by the Zerg. Just as the human body supplies nutrients to various organs through blood, the Creep transmits nourishment to Zerg structures growing and developing upon it. Without Creep, Zerg structures could not be built.

“Understood, Master. But the Protoss territory is going to be quite amusing in the future—the main base will be Terran, the workers Zerg, and the other buildings Protoss. A true melting pot,” Bal chuckled.

“I command three races, and we must utilize the inherent strengths of each. This kind of mixed development should become common in the future. Discuss this matter with Odin; I believe he will agree with my view.”

“Naturally,” Bal confirmed. “The great Master is the leader of the Protoss, and your commands are manifestations of truth for both the Protoss and the Zerg!”

Yang Ying smiled, then turned to ask, “You mentioned Firebats and Medics earlier; what is their progress?”

“The first Firebat completed training this morning, and the first Medic emerged from the barracks not long ago,” Bal briefly reported these two milestones.

“They’ve already appeared. It’s a pity I didn’t witness those historic moments.” Yang Ying’s mood was now a mix of pleasant surprise and regret. “If I had known, I should have gone up to the Floating Continent to see.”

However, he was currently close to Master Pang Qian. Yang Ying knew intimately how acute the senses of a Master-level expert were. If his consciousness had wandered off at that moment, Master Pang Qian might have sensed something. The Star in the Palm was his greatest reliance, and maintaining secrecy was paramount.

Yang Ying glanced toward the Master. Master Pang Qian simultaneously turned his head, nodded once at Yang Ying, and then started walking over.

While nodding in acknowledgment, Yang Ying immediately commanded Bal mentally: “Go now. Deliver my orders, and remember to produce many more Drones. Igniting the remaining lights will depend on you.”

“As you command, insightful Master,” Bal’s voice gradually faded away.