Daofeng had his secretary bring two jin of premium tea to Master Garcia, then walked him to the door of the Yinmao Yin Heart Office. Master Garcia murmured, "No need to see me off," took two quick steps, and vanished with the Suodi Li technique.

After Master Garcia departed, Daofeng retrieved a reader and began downloading all the data from the disk.

Upon finishing the ring's instruction manual, Daofeng possessed a reasonably complete understanding of how to manipulate it. He fed a sliver of (Nianli/mental power) into the ring. Instantly, the ruby blazed with light, and a curtain of crimson energy spread outward. The glow soon dissolved, and the office transformed into a forest.

Sunlight dappled through the canopy, creating shifting shadows all around. Birdsong and floral scents filled the air—a scene of perfect tranquility.

This kind of simulacrum ornament could render flawless images and sounds purely through thought. No enterprise on Earth could replicate a device operated by Nianli with such exquisite realism.

Daofeng tested a few more scenarios before exiting the simulation. He returned to reading the data disk, focusing this time on the information concerning the Kexing people.

The Kexing Civilization was the first alien race humanity had contacted. They possessed over a hundred planets capable of supporting biological life, half of which were naturally suited for intelligent beings, much like Earth. The remainder were terraformed planets, though often, their environments post-terraforming were hardly inferior to the naturally favorable ones.

Furthermore, there were hundreds of other celestial bodies that, while not ideally habitable, could serve as sites for colonies, mining operations, or industrial production hubs.

The Kexing people’s national strength dwarfed Earth’s by a hundredfold, and their technological advancement meant humanity would need a century of catch-up even with their support. Following the establishment of diplomatic ties, Earth, with Kexing technical assistance, colonized the entire solar system, enabling the harvesting of its vast resources, alongside tens of thousands of space cities accommodating humanity’s surging population.

To this day, the Kexing-Earth United Industrial Group remained the most powerful economic, political, and industrial entity in the solar system. They permeated every aspect of solar system life, boasting a scale more than thirty times that of the Caesar Group!

Space cities were their monopoly product; if they hadn't avoided the arms trade, the Caesar Group would likely have been crushed into bankruptcy long ago.

As for the Kexing themselves, their physical constitution was significantly superior to that of humans—in strength, endurance, coordination, and resistance—a result of their longer evolutionary timeline.

Every Kexing was a born musician; their voices sounded like celestial harmony, and their compositions flowed like water, capable of making listeners forget all earthly troubles.

Among the Kexing populace, the proportion of (Awakened Ones) was slightly lower than on Earth. However, given their massive population base, the total number of Kexing Awakened Ones vastly outnumbered those on Earth.

Their cultivation methodology was remarkably unified, known as “Ge Yin” (Song Sound)—much like the Holy Light of the Holy Light Knights—a highly mature power system.

This power was fundamentally based on sound, pushing the Kexing musical aptitude to its absolute limit. In combat, Ge Yin could shake an enemy’s will, damage their physical body, or bolster allies' strength and morale. Moreover, its propagation through sound allowed for an extremely wide sphere of influence.

Simply put, Ge Yin possessed potent offensive and auxiliary capabilities. Consequently, Kexing Awakened Ones mastering Ge Yin invariably occupied leadership positions within their government and military.

The data disk recorded some history. Three hundred years prior, during the Kexing first visit to Earth, the diplomatic meeting became a profound embarrassment for the human side. Earth's diplomats became echoes of the Kexing diplomat, nodding assent to everything she said as if her every utterance were absolute truth.

This was because the Kexing diplomat was a Master-level Ge Yin controller whose voice naturally carried an irresistible charm that was impossible to resist. Ordinary people would instantly fall into a bewildered state, subconsciously accepting everything she said as correct.

At the time, society was consumed by a wave of paranoia hunting down Awakened Ones. Not just the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but seemingly the entire government lacked anyone immune to the Kexing diplomat's influence.

Eventually, high-ranking officials in the Earth government recognized the issue and lodged a formal protest, demanding the Kexing recall that diplomat and replace her with an ordinary Kexing who had not cultivated Ge Yin.

This incident was suppressed by the government at the time, fearing they would become a global laughingstock.

Only after the Nianli Temple was established was the problem finally resolved. The Nianli Temple dispatched Master-level experts to staff the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who finally managed to use Nianli fields to shield the ordinary diplomats from the seductive effects of Ge Yin.

In addition to Kexing data, the disk also mentioned the Ancient Legion and the Kusta people.

The Kusta people and the Kexing were mortal enemies, locked in conflict for a millennium. The original cause of their feud was now untraceable. Both sides claimed the other was at fault, leading to countless theories. Over a thousand years of intelligence manipulation and opportunism, the true casus belli had been buried beneath layers of obfuscation, leaving behind a mess so bewildering it could drive a history professor mad for a lifetime, and his students researching for generations afterward.

Kusta skin was gray, angular like raw stone. Their physical prowess surpassed even that of the Kexing, and they possessed formidable technological strength coupled with a natural predilection for warfare. Upon learning that the Kexing had forged an alliance with a faction called Earth, they immediately turned their hostile gaze toward humanity.

The Kusta people were arrogant; they deemed Earthlings unworthy of direct engagement. Therefore, by harvesting resources across the regions bordering Earth, the Kusta successfully manufactured the Ancient Legion—a force composed entirely of biogenetically resurrected ancient creatures.

The Ancient Legion lacked a complete industrial or agricultural system; their entire populace was militarized, sustaining themselves through conflict. By competing with humanity in the solar system for resources, and then mining those seized materials, they exchanged them with the Kusta for weapons and supplies.

It could be said that the Kusta merely created the Ancient Legion initially, providing the ape-men with initial aid, and then began ceaselessly draining the solar system for profit—a truly one-sided and highly rewarding endeavor.

Although the Kexing intended to help humanity resist the Ancient Legion's aggression, they too were being pinned down by the Kusta. Furthermore, Earth was not their only ally; the Kexing had vast commitments requiring considerable maintenance power. Thus, beyond technology, they could offer Earth little further assistance.

The Kexing and the Kusta were the two largest races near Earth and among the leading powers in the galaxy. After reviewing the information on both races, Daofeng immediately dispatched personnel to transmit the data back to the base.

Meanwhile, in the command center, Yang Ying met with Bor.

“Sir, the analysis report for that particle cannon is here. Please review it.” Bor pulled a data disk from his pocket and handed it to Yang Ying.

Yang Ying inserted the disk into the reader, and lines of data immediately appeared.

Bor began his explanation beside him: “This particle cannon functions by integrating Nianli with high-energy chips to launch charged particle attacks imbued with tremendous energy. The speed of the charged particles is adjustable, ranging from the standard speed of sound up to near light speed. The Nianli also allows for precise directional control of the particles.”

Yang Ying nodded, signaling him to continue.

Bor placed the captured bracelet-type particle cannon on the desk and continued, “The energy level of this cannon is equivalent to a Tier Two Hamer-Fire Cannon. Clearly, there is still room for improvement…”

He then retrieved another ring, this one inlaid with an emerald, from his pocket and handed it to Yang Ying. “This is the ring-type particle cannon we designed after fully analyzing the bracelet cannon. Its power reaches the standard of a Tier Three Hamer-Fire Cannon, and because the projectile is in a particle state, it avoids being reflected by energy fields like light sabers, making it quite practical.”

Yang Ying took the ring and noticed it possessed a distinct presence, similar to the red ring Daofeng had acquired, but its functions were worlds apart.

“Two rings in one day, with technology sourced from the Kexing and the Kusta respectively. What a coincidence,” Yang Ying murmured, turning the ring over in his fingers.

“What did you say, Sir?” Bor asked, confused.

“Nothing,” Yang Ying shook his head. “You’ve done excellent work. Analyzing this particle cannon and creating a replica in just over two days. Have you tested its performance?”

“We have,” Bor confirmed. “The Research Institute invited a Light Executor to conduct the testing. It’s perfectly usable, and the power output met expectations. Furthermore, the energy consumption is actually three percent lower than the original. Sir, you can use it with confidence; with your current strength, you should be able to unleash more than ten shots. The full documentation of that test is also recorded on the data disk.”

Because the base was equipped with a Star Gate connected to the Floating Continent, movement between the base and the Continent was not difficult for personnel.

Yang Ying grunted his acknowledgement, closed his hand around the ring, then ejected the data disk from the reader, clutching it as well. He transferred both items simultaneously back to the Floating Continent.

Quickly, they materialized in Daofeng’s hands via the Continent’s relay.

Yang Ying reasoned that Daofeng, who was more frequently away from the base, would encounter more situations where such devices would be useful.

Afterward, Yang Ying exchanged a few more words with Bor and dismissed him.

Once Bor was gone, Callya entered. He approached Yang Ying’s desk and placed a document upon it. “Sir, the General Staff has produced a preliminary outline for the punitive action against the Caesar Group that you requested.”

“As expected of the General Staff, highly efficient,” Yang Ying nodded, picking up the document. After reading only two lines, he placed it back down and smiled. “It suits my intentions perfectly. There is no time to waste; let the action commence now.”