Except for Weng Shale, two of the other four stone pillars were empty. The remaining two each held a figure glowing with white light, standing rigidly upright, their forms and faces obscured by a layer of illumination.

Upon Weng Shale's arrival, the two luminous figures turned their heads. A deep, resonant voice spoke, "Lord Weng Shale, you have arrived as well."

Weng Shale nodded slightly, addressing the brighter of the two light forms. "Lord Balomon, I trust your expedition to Kusta Star was fruitful? You seem to be ahead of schedule."

"It concluded early. The Kusta Star people are becoming increasingly wary of us. Extracting anything from them is no longer as simple as it was a few years ago," replied the figure called "Lord Balomon," his tone laced with distinct dissatisfaction.

"Since we secured the Outer Solar System, the Kusta Star people's attitude has grown colder. They likely view a standoff between the Legion and humanity across the Inner and Outer Systems as more favorable to their interests than a single power unifying the entire Solar System," observed another luminous figure.

"Precisely. Lord Helas, if we possessed the Inner Solar System, we could achieve self-sufficiency. Why would we then need the Kusta Star people?" Balomon chuckled twice in agreement.

"It is fortunate that the Legion Commander possessed such foresight. Half a century ago, at the very inception of the war, he anticipated this situation and laid out comprehensive plans for the Legion's development. Over decades of conflict with humanity, we have cautiously managed the war's progression, squeezing out various resources and gradually accumulating them. Today, the secretly stockpiled resources are sufficient to support our conquest of the Inner Solar System!" Weng Shale clenched his fist, his voice betraying an unquestioning reverence for the "Legion Commander."

Balomon nodded. "If not for this goal, we wouldn't have taken the Outer Solar System until six months ago."

Suddenly, from the endless void above the pentagram platform, a blinding column of golden light shot down, illuminating one of the empty stone pillars.

A thunderous voice boomed from the light column: "Are all present?" The voice seemed to descend from the heavens, echoing with the majesty of nature and the authority of absolute control.

"Yes, Legion Commander!" The three peak masters of the ape race saluted the pillar of light.

The light column narrowed, eventually resolving into a single beam that vanished without a trace. In its place, a burly, luminous figure materialized atop the pillar. Though the light veiled his expression, every slight tilt of his head and every gesture of his hand exuded an undeniable aura of dominance.

This was Hardekrongunir, the Legion Commander, leader of the Five Peak Masters of the Ancient Legion!

Hardek surveyed the platform, his gaze locking onto Weng Shale. "Lord Weng Shale, what exactly transpired at Jupiter? With your capabilities, such a defeat should not have occurred. Do you have an explanation?"

"I must accept the majority of the responsibility for this defeat; there can be no excuses. However, objectively speaking, certain factors directly dictated the outcome at Jupiter..."

Weng Shale reported the progression of the battle at Jupiter, concluding, "The new types of weaponry deployed by the Earth military were completely beyond my anticipation, especially those ubiquitous 'eyes,' which rendered many of my tactics useless. Furthermore, the heavy assault mechs, sixty meters tall, appearing on the ground battlefield possessed a revolutionary level of assault power, comparable to the impact of the Earth's tank cluster tactics when they first appeared five centuries ago. The defensive lines we established on the planet's surface could not withstand their penetration. We need to upgrade our defenses, deploy more heavy artillery, or cannons with a higher energy level!"

"Even the Level Six Fortress Cannons couldn't stop them?" Balomon exclaimed in surprise. "The Kusta Star people do possess the manufacturing technology for Level Seven and Eight cannons, but compelling them to provide us with those now, under these circumstances, would be exceedingly difficult. And you say they even developed psychic weaponry, equipping it on their Spectre fighters, reaching the standard of Master-level fighters? Have they received the full support of the Gestar people?"

"The invisible eyes are indeed extremely difficult to counter. Especially since, over the last six months, these eyes have been deployed everywhere throughout the Asteroid Belt. Heaven knows how many there are. I can frequently sense their presence, as if they are constantly patrolling, which has somewhat restricted my movements in the Belt," Helas stated gravely.

"The humans have an old saying: 'When something is abnormal, there is bound to be mischief.' The source of these problems seems to trace back to the Trann Corporation and the Trann Mercenary Group. We must investigate this thoroughly, or this modest reserve we have built up will not sustain many more losses," Hardek turned to Helas. "Lord Helas, all intelligence matters concerning the humans are under your purview. Do you know what needs to be done?"

"I understand," Helas nodded. "I will immediately elevate the intelligence concerning the Trann Corporation and the Trann Mercenary Group to a strategic priority. If necessary, I will personally go out to gather their intelligence."

Hardek grunted, turning back to Weng Shale. "Lord Weng Shale, you lost considerable forces at Jupiter..."

"The loss of troops is a common occurrence in warfare. When you conquered Kusta Prime earlier, you received no significant commendation. Therefore, we will let this failure rest for now. You will remain in the orbit of Saturn during this period to reorganize defenses, modifying our lines based on the Jupiter experience. You must ensure the Earth military's heavy assault mechs do not move about as if in an empty field."

Weng Shale bowed deeply. "As you command, Legion Commander."

Suddenly, Balomon interjected, "Legion Commander, it has been some time. Your power appears even greater. I wonder how close you are to that higher-tier realm..."

"Your perception is sharp. While I have taken another small step forward, there remains a qualitative gap to that higher realm," Hardek replied.

"Truly worthy of the Legion Commander. If it were you, reaching that next level might indeed be possible, and then no one in the Solar System would be your match," Balomon praised.

"Don't speak too certainly. Kong Li of the Nian Neng Temple is no less formidable than I am. Who will cross that threshold first is yet to be determined."

Hardek’s words cast a sudden silence over the assembly; the name Kong Li clearly unsettled them.

After a moment, Hardek turned his attention to the last, empty stone pillar, letting out a soft hum. "Argen has been absent for quite some time."

Helas immediately responded, "Legion Commander, I have discovered Argen's whereabouts. He is in the Asteroid Belt, colluding with the Caribbean Pirate Fleet. I have been tracking him these past few days and have already uncovered some promising leads."

Hardek raised a hand, his voice chillingly detached. "I am not reminiscing about him. That fool, blinded by human sentiment, betrayed his own race, lingering on in this miserable existence. As a peak master, he utterly disappoints me." He turned to Balomon. "Lord Balomon, your Kusta expedition clearly concluded early. Why not assist Lord Helas and eliminate this traitor? Can you manage that?"

Balomon bowed respectfully. "I would be honored, Legion Commander. I shall depart for the Asteroid Belt immediately."

Hardek nodded, clasping his hands behind his back. "Finally, I have a few words for you all."

The three peak masters spoke in unison, "We await the Legion Commander's instructions."

Hardek swept his gaze over the three figures and slowly began. "Though our Ancient Legion was born as biological weapons, now that we exist in this universe, we, as life forms, possess the right to strive for survival. Natural selection is impartial and unforgiving; the survival of the fittest is a universal truth applied to all beings. Pressure is imposed upon us: either we fail to adapt and are eliminated, or we adapt and survive. The only path open to us now, the only way to shed the fate of being mere weapons, is to acquire a true environment suited for our existence! The Solar System is too cold; only the Inner Solar System is the homeland for our future growth and propagation."

The three peak masters responded in a single voice, "For the great cause of the Legion, we would gladly face ten thousand deaths!"

Hardek nodded and continued, "Looking through human history, we find their society undergoes a transformation roughly every few centuries, tearing down old orders to establish new ones. This is because order, like life, is subject to the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death. A rule that solved problems a few hundred years ago becomes the problem itself after centuries, once external conditions change, necessitating replacement by a new one. However, once a rule is established, there will always be those who benefit from it, and any change in the rule will harm their interests, causing them to spontaneously protect the existing order. This is the power of conservatism, a force that obstructs societal progress."

Though the three peak masters did not know where Hardek was leading, they listened intently. This was the first time Hardek had ever addressed them on the topic of human society.

Hardek's voice grew increasingly impassioned. "The current human society has enjoyed peace for hundreds of years; many old rules have become rotten, unconsciously draining the lifeblood of humanity and hindering its development. It is like a late-stage tumor; the cancer cells have spread throughout the body. The current human upper echelon is rife with infighting and obstruction. Capable individuals are suppressed by those with status—these are concrete manifestations of the tumorous rules. In my estimation, human society as a whole has reached a state of 'old age,' weak in vitality, filled with stagnation. Most of their strength is wasted on decaying regulations. While human technology has advanced, fundamentally, they are weaker now than they were half a century ago!"

"Destiny caused us to be born as biological weapons, but destiny has also prepared a way out for us—it has weakened humanity, giving us the perfect opportunity." Hardek's voice suddenly rose an octave. "Therefore! You must believe in our inevitable victory, and you must employ every means necessary to guarantee that victory. Do not squander this rare chance!"

"Yes!" the three peak masters answered in unison.