Master Sanfeng was like the nuclear deterrent of the 20th century; his mere existence was more impactful than deploying him.

A nation with nuclear weapons waging war against a nation without them clearly held an overwhelming advantage, but when two nuclear powers clashed, the resulting devastation was immense.

Today, the status of Master Shufeng in the solar system is much like that of the atomic bomb back then; they roam the battlefield irresistibly, able to eliminate whomever they wish. Slaying a commanding general amidst a million troops is as easy as plucking something from one's own pocket.

The only force capable of stopping them is another Master of the highest level.

When the Trant Mercenary Group's three Face cruisers arrived at the rendezvous point in the Calcimouth star sector, over a hundred large, even extra-large warships had already gathered there, with countless smaller and medium-sized vessels in attendance.

The flagship of the Mercenary Joint Fleet had been designated as the Laurel, a Laurel-class battlecruiser belonging to the Caesar Mercenary Group—the very first vessel of its class and the proud symbol of the Caesar Mercenary Group.

Yang Ying stood before the viewport, gazing out at the densely packed warships. Based on their sheer numbers, they clearly held an absolute advantage compared to the enemy pirate joint fleet detailed in the intelligence reports.

Even the scale of the main fleet belonging to the Nine Dragons Mercenary Group alone was not inferior to that of the Pirate Joint Fleet.

Within the asteroid belt, the combined strength of the mercenary faction surpassed that of the pirate faction by more than tenfold. The Mercenary Joint Fleet had established a gap the moment it was formed.

If it weren't for the elusive and ruthlessly effective Hlaras commanding the Pirate Joint Fleet, the mercenaries would likely have been unable to restrain their urge to wipe out the pirates entirely long ago.

Yang Ying turned his gaze back to the Laurel. The Shufeng Master of the Nianeng Temple, Merlin, was currently aboard that warship.

"When will my Duanlan possess power like theirs?" Yang Ying quietly asked himself.

On the battlefields of the 26th century, the numerous engagements between humanity and the Ape-men had thoroughly proven one principle:

Master-level experts and standing armies each have their necessary role; the absence of even one creates a vulnerability. And expecting the enemy not to exploit one's weaknesses is utterly unrealistic.

Yang Ying stared into the void of space for a long time until Howard approached and said, "Colonel Blade, it's nearly time. We should prepare to depart."

"I'm coming." Yang Ying spared one last glance outside, then turned from the viewport, following Howard toward the bridge.

At this moment, the entire fleet was under strict communication silence. This was not due to fear of the Pirate Joint Fleet detecting their signals—the two forces were still too far apart for the pirates to ascertain the Mercenary Joint Fleet's location merely through transmissions.

The fear lay in the possibility that someone within the Mercenary Joint Fleet might be signaling information to the pirates!

If a fleet of such immense scale and complex composition contained no spies working for the pirates, no one would believe it.

Currently, almost all communication frequencies throughout the fleet were jammed; only a few secure lines remained operational, held by individuals holding positions of extreme importance within the fleet structure.

Colonel Blade, as the personal representative of the Trant Mercenary Group's leader, possessed one such secure line.

As for the fleets arriving from the larger mercenary groups, they had been briefed on the route before departure, but the specific operational plan had been withheld from them.

Their task was simply to rendezvous here and await orders from the Joint Fleet Commander, Royd. Royd would dispatch liaisons to assign duties to each captain.

Now, everything was ready; they only awaited the signal to depart.

Yang Ying and Howard arrived on the bridge. Howard issued his command to the assembled staff officers: "Engines ignite, prepare for departure!"

"Yes!" the staff officers responded.

The Mercenary Joint Fleet, adhering to the timetable, ignited their drives and set course for the objective almost simultaneously.

"Something isn't right. We've been monitored for too long. I fear the Human military or the mercenary faction will react," Hlaras suddenly stated, standing up on the bridge of the Pirate Joint Fleet's flagship, addressing Ulysses. "Have you found any trace of a tracker yet?"

Ulysses shook his head. "Nothing."

By now, four staff officers had already died for failing to locate the trackers. The fifth officer was trembling uncontrollably, while everyone else on the bridge looked ashen, as if they had lost the will to survive.

"Forget it," Hlaras said coldly. "After the initial tracker appeared, I sensed the presence of more trackers during this period. They are surrounding us."

With the eleven Observers previously dispatched by Yang Ying now in position, nearly the entire Pirate Joint Fleet was enveloped, leaving no movement in any warship hidden from their view.

Hlaras rose, paced a couple of steps, then looked out at the stellar void and stated, "Things are amiss. I do not sense danger approaching. Either humanity is reacting too slowly, or there is a Master of Fanfeng masking them, preventing me from sensing it."

"Such a thing is possible?" Ulysses looked up, surprised.

Hlaras closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, then commanded, "Disperse immediately. We cannot wait here to be wiped out in one blow."

"Yes, Ul—"

At that moment, another person dressed similarly to Ulysses stood up and interjected, "Lord Cult Leader, we haven't even seen the enemy, and we are to scatter and flee? Isn't that a bit too cowardly?"

Ulysses frowned and said coldly, "Number Two, do you dare question the Cult Leader's decision?"

Number Two immediately bowed low. "Your subordinate dares not, my lord. I merely offer an opinion for the Cult Leader's consideration. All is subject to your final judgment."

"Hmph!" Hlaras let out a soft. It felt like a bolt of lightning splitting Number Two's brain. Number Two felt a splitting headache and fell to the floor screaming.

Only after several seconds did Number Two feel slightly better. He realized that in that brief moment, he had broken out in a cold sweat. The fact that Hlaras’s mere hum could render him completely defenseless sent a chill down his spine.

Hlaras then stated, "On the battlefield, there is only victory and defeat; there is no such concept as cowardice. You allowed your subjective thoughts to influence objective judgment, causing you to lose grasp of the developmental trajectory of events. I am deeply disappointed in you."

Number Two turned deathly pale, kneeling there unable to raise his head.

Hlaras didn't spare him a glance and said, "Ulysses, notify the other Emissaries. Have them disperse their fleets."

"Yes!" Ulysses bowed.

On the other side, Yang Ying also received news of the pirates splitting their forces.

The Pirate Joint Fleet reorganized into six separate fleets. Four major pirate groups each commanded one fleet, while the original Somali Pirate Group was split into two fleets.

Yang Ying transmitted the news, along with radar and visual data, to the flagship Laurel. Royd reacted instantly, convening a virtual meeting with several key figures in the fleet to discuss countermeasures.

It was during this virtual meeting that Yang Ying saw Master Merlin, the Pinnacle Master, for the first time. He was an old man with a flowing white beard; although Chairman William of the Mercenary Alliance also sported a beard, it was insignificant compared to Merlin's.

Merlin's beard reached a full meter in length, cascading down to his abdomen. His deep blue eyes were set deep within their sockets, occasionally flashing with a glimmer of profound wisdom. Dressed in a monastic robe, he gave the impression of a prophet who had witnessed all past and present ages.

Yang Ying knew that Nianeng Masters could reverse aging, maintaining their peak physical condition until natural death. However, Merlin was clearly not so. He allowed the years to carve deep traces upon him.

Yet, Yang Ying believed that the moment Merlin entered combat, the terrifying power wielded by that frail body would surpass even that of the Emperor Blade in his transformed state!

The ten Pinnacle Masters in the solar system were all well over a hundred years old. After more than a century of Nianli body sculpting, even the frailest body could unleash earth-shattering power.

"As expected of Hlaras, choosing to divide his forces," Master Merlin stated in a mournful voice.

"Could it be that your surveillance was discovered by Hlaras?" Royd asked Blade with a cool demeanor. In Royd's view, Yang Ying, as the leader of the Trant Mercenary Group, showing up yet sending a representative instead of attending personally, was a sign of disrespect. Furthermore, Royd simply didn't take Blade seriously.

"If Hlaras discovered the surveillance, given his methods, he would have completely eradicated the observer or the means of observation, rather than passively splitting his forces. In my opinion, even if Hlaras detected he was being watched, he wouldn't be able to discover the source of the surveillance," Saint Ladis commented.

"I agree," Master Merlin added. "At the level of cultivation I share with Hlaras, merely being looked at or having thoughts directed at us results in psychic resonance. Shielding such resonance is nearly impossible. Hlaras must sense he is being monitored, but he cannot locate the source. In fact, yesterday, I would have told you it was impossible to monitor a Pinnacle Master without them discovering the source of the observation."

Master Merlin turned toward Blade, his eyes holding layers of meaning, and said, "I must admit, the capabilities of the Trant Corporation's reconnaissance equipment are astonishing."

"Master Merlin's praise makes this subordinate deeply humbled."

Yang Ying could not fathom the meaning behind Master Merlin's gaze. Master Merlin himself was a Pinnacle Master; normally, when moving through the solar system, he wouldn't need to worry about being spied upon. Now, the Trant Corporation had developed technology capable of monitoring Pinnacle Masters. Yang Ying suspected only the ancients knew how these elder Masters would interpret this.

"No need to worry," Master Merlin said with a slight smile. "Humanity is constantly progressing, and technology develops accordingly. Even if your Trant Corporation hadn't developed this technology, as long as its principles exist in the universe, someone eventually would. I am fortunate that this technology did not fall into the hands of the Ape-men."

Yang Ying noticed Royd's eyelid twitch and a subtle darkening of his expression as Master Merlin spoke those words. If Yang Ying hadn't possessed a near-photographic memory, he might have missed the minute change in his expression.

This, perhaps, could be called jealousy.