The composition of the reinforcements departing from Asteroid Belt A was largely similar to the contingent offered up by Miga and Bensa, comprising newly formed elite units—a force equivalent to a primary frontline fleet: forty Pacific-class battlecruisers, roughly two hundred heavy cruisers, and several hundred smaller assorted warships.

These warships operated on a veteran-newbie structure, with half the crew being raw recruits, meaning their combat effectiveness was somewhat diminished. They carried no specific designation; upon reaching the front lines, they would immediately be absorbed into damaged frontline units. Beyond this group, a second-tier main fleet—the Seventh Fleet—was also integrated into the reinforcement convoy.

Wong Sha-lie might have considered ambushing this Earth military reinforcement force, but surrounded by hundreds of observers, the possibility of executing any covert maneuver was virtually zero.

Therefore, Wong Sha-lie’s final option was limited to either engaging in an outright, head-on battle, or, as before, employing overt tactical deception to separate the Earth fleet, thereby achieving a victory through attrition.

However, the latter path was no longer viable when facing the now highly vigilant Alexandrian component.

Upon learning that the reinforcement fleet was imminent, Alexander felt completely secure. With more leverage in hand, his choices broadened, and his tactics became markedly steady and methodical.

Wong Sha-lie attempted two forms of lure tactics both before and after the reinforcements arrived, but Marshal Alexander preferred to let those supposed "openings" pass rather than risk another engagement.

Consequently, Wong Sha-lie was ultimately forced to choose the path of an honorable, direct, decisive battle—his only remaining option.

In the two days following the victory celebration, sporadic skirmishes flared up between the fringes of the Ancient Legion’s occupied territory and the Earth forces. This friction seemed ceaseless, though the scale remained limited to engagements involving light cruisers or destroyers; the larger capital ships were held in reserve.

At Callisto, Yang Ying frequently heard news of a destroyer squadron commander or a light cruiser captain winning a peripheral engagement and receiving a promotion, or conversely, reports of a certain squadron being routed, its commander killed, and some lifeboats escaping.

Time passed in this manner for two days until the reinforcement fleet safely reached the temporary base at Callisto. From then on, the Earth forces hunkered down at Callisto, integrating the newcomers into their damaged fleets, tending to their wounds, and regaining their strength.

During this period, Yang Ying received a meeting request from a slight acquaintance, which he immediately accepted.

“Howard, issue the order: Master Pang Qian will be arriving shortly. Prepare the main reception lounge on the ship.”

The Seventh Fleet within the reinforcements was the very first Earth fleet Yang Ying encountered when he first arrived at the Titan settlement, Light of Titan. Master Pang Qian currently served as the chief advisor to this fleet.

“As you command, Officer.” After relaying the instructions, Howard turned back and inquired, “Officer, what could Master Pang Qian’s visit be about? I doubt it’s merely to catch up; a simple communication would suffice for that.”

“In Master Pang Qian’s meeting request, he only mentioned several important matters requiring face-to-face discussion. It might be a mission assigned by the Nian Neng Temple. We’ll know the specifics once we meet. In any case, the matters the Nian Neng Temple wishes to discuss with us are few.” Yang Ying replied casually.

An hour later, a dark blue Master-class fighter approached the primary vessel and transmitted a signal. Two seconds later, the hangar doors opened, allowing the blue fighter to fly in.

Yang Ying was already waiting in the hangar. He summoned ten squads of Marines, positioning them in neat, double ranks as an honor guard—all that was missing were the banners proclaiming a warm welcome.

The dark blue fighter descended between the two rows of Marines and settled onto the deck. The canopy hissed open, and Master Pang Qian leaped out of the cockpit.

“Salute!” a Marine major barked. Both rows of Marines snapped their hands up in salute, their movements perfectly synchronized.

“Master, it has been over half a year. I trust you have been well.” Yang Ying stepped forward.

“Young friend Yang Ying, your soldiers have such vitality; your training must be arduous. Truthfully, you needn't have made such a grand display. It feels like you’re wasting your soldiers’ valuable time.”

Master Pang Qian waved a hand at the Marines in return salute, smiling kindly.

Yang Ying nodded. “You may not care for such formality, Master, but as your junior, I cannot afford to disregard it.”

Master Pang Qian was about to say something when his movements suddenly stopped, his eyes widening sharply, as if he had witnessed something utterly unbelievable. “Young friend Yang Ying, you have actually reached the Quasi-Master realm? Six months ago, your psionic power was merely low-tier; I remember that clearly. A year ago, you had only just awakened. How are you a Quasi-Master now?”

Yang Ying’s cultivation speed was beyond the imagination of Master Pang Qian, who had previously taught and mentored disciples. He had guided hundreds, perhaps thousands, but had never seen such rapid advancement.

“Diligent practice, coupled with a bit of luck.” To avoid causing too much shock, Yang Ying had already suppressed his total psionic strength from ninety thousand down to sixty thousand, temporarily storing the remaining thirty thousand in other avatars.

The total psionic energy provided by the Hive allowed the main body plus eleven avatars to reach the peak of ninety thousand. However, the Hive continued to reproduce. A few days prior, upon maxing out at twelve entities, Yang Ying had cleaved off a twelfth avatar to accommodate the new influx of power, preventing waste.

That thirty thousand was transferred to the twelfth avatar, leaving Yang Ying with sixty thousand to present to Master Pang Qian, as the actual growth rate was hardly a secret to be hidden.

“Diligence, luck, and innate talent—those are essentially the three factors required for success,” Master Pang Qian affirmed.

“Master, let us not stand here in the hangar. Please accompany me to the reception lounge for a cup of hot tea.” Yang Ying gestured invitingly, and the two walked past the formation of Marines toward the lounge.

As an aside, the hangar was a vacuum, necessitating the Marines to wear full powered armor. Yang Ying and Master Pang Qian’s conversation was conducted via telepathy.

The reception lounge was modest, centered around a rectangular tea table surrounded by sofas. Neither the table nor the sofas had legs; they floated directly in the air, giving a slight jiggle when one sat down.

On the armrest of the sofa was a button that activated a touch-sensitive screen to control the sofa’s movement mode. It could lock into place or drift freely in the air—a convenience of the new era, especially for those with physical disabilities who could manipulate the furniture with just a single finger.

Yang Ying and Master Pang Qian took their respective seats. Katerina entered, pushing a service cart, and set down two cups of hot tea and some small pastries on the table before departing.

“Master, please.” Yang Ying picked up his tea and took a sip, immediately savoring the full aroma. Though the liquid was hot, he felt a cool, refreshing sensation. He thought to himself, As expected, Katerina's tea is always the best.

Setting down his cup, Yang Ying asked, “Master, what important matters bring you to me today?”

Master Pang Qian also took a sip, nodding. “Excellent tea, excellent tea.” He placed his cup down and continued, “There are primarily two matters. The Council asked me to inquire about two things. First, regarding the demise of the Ape Masters Miga and Bensa. You recovered their staves, did you not? Two silver staves signify four silver focusing crystals, which can be recast into four silver light swords. You must now understand the scarcity of light swords. If your mercenary group has no immediate plans for these four silver light swords, could the Nian Neng Temple exchange some resources for them?”

Focusing crystals were substances not found on Earth; they were crystalline bodies capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures of a light sword, making them incredibly rare even within the galaxy, forming only in certain extreme environments, none of which existed in the solar system.

Even if the raw crystal ore was located, the success rate for polishing it into a focusing crystal was far from guaranteed. Furthermore, a silver light sword was a special variant, appearing perhaps one in a thousand common light swords. The total number of silver light swords within the entire Nian Neng Temple did not exceed five, half of which were acquired during confrontations with Ape Masters.

The Ancient Legion had a larger base of high-ranking apes and the support of the Kustar people, meaning they possessed significantly more light swords and staves than the Nian Neng Temple. Now, Yang Ying had suddenly captured two staves, accounting for nearly one-tenth of the Nian Neng Temple’s entire supply of silver focusing crystals. Naturally, the Council of the Nian Neng Temple needed to take action.

“That is certainly negotiable.” Yang Ying possessed more silver light swords than the Nian Neng Temple did, so he had no intention of being stingy with these two staves. It was a rare chance to extract something from the conservative Nian Neng Temple.

Two minutes later, Katerina returned with the service cart. This time, it held not tea and pastries, but the wreckage of the two staves.

Miga’s staff had shattered into fragments, exposing the two silver focusing crystals lying bare. These crystals could withstand the intense heat of a light sword; a second-tier Uranium Pulse Cannon certainly couldn't harm them.

Yang Ying picked up one crystal, handed it to Master Pang Qian, and stated, “Master, this crystal is a gift from me.”

“Why is that?” Master Pang Qian paused his inspection of the crystal, asking in surprise.

Yang Ying recounted, “My very first light sword was taken from a high-ranking ape at Light of Titan. I didn't use it much afterward. My second, and the first one I actually used, was a gift from you, Master. Now that I can afford to reciprocate, I must do so.”