Marshal Joseph was truly a figure of legend. His mastery of warfare was akin to divine intervention. He was the kind of military genius that only appears once in an era, capable of leading his troops to ultimate victory in almost any desperate situation.

Marshal Li Joseph was currently only fifty-one, a few years younger than Alexander, and the youngest of the four Marshals currently serving.

He had served for twenty years in the forward command headquarters of the Twin Star Defense Line, ten of those years as the supreme frontline commander, holding the Ancient Legion at bay and never allowing them to cross the line. In countless battles, large and small, he had created numerous classic tactical examples, many of which were now written into the textbooks of contemporary military academies for countless future generations to study.

This continuous string of victories had propelled his reputation to dizzying heights within the Earth Army, and even among the general populace. Many believed that it was precisely because Marshal Li Joseph was absent from the front lines that the Twin Star Defense Line fell and the Outer Solar System descended into chaos. They maintained that as long as Marshal Li Joseph remained in the Earth Army, humanity would sooner or later reclaim the Outer Solar System and even annihilate the entire Ancient Legion.

As for the reasons Marshal Li Joseph was transferred back to the rear, rumors abounded. Some suggested that because Marshal Li Joseph rose from the common ranks, lacking a powerful background, yet possessing immense talent, he garnered overwhelming support among the lower and mid-level officers, NCOs, and enlisted men. Consequently, various factions within the military became wary of him, recalling him to prevent him from gaining further glory.

Others claimed that Marshal Li Joseph was inherently a pacifist. Having repeatedly requested retirement without approval, he had voluntarily requested a transfer to the rear to rest for a period.

Regardless of the specific narrative, Marshal Li Joseph’s tactical genius was universally acknowledged; the Ancient Legion's decision to launch a full-scale offensive against humanity at this time was also partly attributable to his absence from the front lines.

It was easy to imagine just how difficult it would be for Alexander to pry even a small concession from Marshal Li Joseph.

Rumors concerning the truth behind the assassination of the Ten Ministers did not spread widely; they circulated only within certain intelligence organizations. Those privy to this intelligence were certainly not ordinary people, so while the rumors were detailed and plausible, they failed to affect the lives of the general public.

After several communication hubs were destroyed by lightning strikes, the Ghost Agent Corps continuously relayed the reactions of various parties back to Yang Ying’s secret base.

Regarding the rumors, some factions believed them, others dismissed them, and a few sought to cause trouble for the Tran Mercenary Group, especially some of the major established families in the political sphere. The death of the Ten Ministers evoked a sense of shared tragedy—when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves—as this was an event deeply related to their own well-being. To ensure that similar incidents would not befall them or their descendants in the future, these powerful families adopted a stance of rather killing the wrong person than letting a potential target escape.

However, the downfall of the previous administration had triggered a major political earthquake, leading to a chain reaction that caused many families to retract their tentacles and enter a state of observation, planning to make their next moves only after the current storm had passed.

Therefore, although they harbored hostility toward the Tran Mercenary Group this time, they lacked a cohesive center; they remained scattered and disorganized. The Ghost Agent Corps reported to Yang Ying that at some point in the future, they might launch a coordinated counterattack aimed at weakening or even dismantling the Tran faction. However, this action was unlikely to materialize until after the next government election had concluded.

Until then, even if some sporadic minor issues arose, the Ghost Agent Corps could handle them independently.

“Sir, three days have passed since the last operation. The most pressing issue now is that intelligence organizations, both official ones and those belonging to major powers, are frantically attempting to infiltrate Tran Corporation. Their efforts have intensified several times over compared to before; they are almost openly trying to plant agents within the corporation, regardless of the risk.” Kalia reported.

“It seems they can no longer tolerate our sustained air of mystery,” Yang Ying said with a hint of mockery on his face. “They are desperate to ascertain our true capabilities. If they cannot determine our scale and the location of our main bases, they cannot formulate an effective countermeasure.”

“We have intensified our control over intelligence personnel,” Kalia replied, “ensuring they only receive the information we want them to have.”

“Are your personnel sufficient?” Yang Ying asked after a moment’s thought.

“We have more than enough,” Kalia affirmed. “After all, we still have Kevin. The outside world has no knowledge of Kevin’s existence. As long as the major intelligence organizations have computers connected to the network, no matter how robust their firewalls, they cannot withstand Kevin’s penetration. The names of those spies embedded within Tran Corporation are already in our hands.”

“Excellent,” Yang Ying praised happily. “As long as we keep their attacks confined to the level of intelligence penetration, there is nothing to worry about. The better we hide, the more suspicious and paranoid they will become, making it difficult for them to unify. Once the battlecruisers are commissioned, all these lurking demons and ghosts can be swept away in one clean sweep.”

After Kalia departed, Katerina entered.

“Sir, Baibai has been missing you again. When will you have time to go see her?” Katerina asked with a smile.

Yang Ying patted his head and chuckled, “Lately, I’ve been entirely focused on breaking through to the Master realm with my Blade techniques, I suppose I neglected Baibai a bit.”

“She’s definitely a little unhappy,” Katerina feigned distress, adopting a strange tone. “‘Sister Katerina, does Brother Yang Ying not want me anymore?’”

She was clearly mimicking Baibai’s mannerisms.

“You…” Yang Ying shook his head helplessly. “I’ll go see her shortly—no, I’ll go right now.”

Yang Ying left a clone to handle the unfinished business and went with Katerina to visit Baibai.

Baibai was overjoyed by Yang Ying’s arrival. She then performed for him with the four-dimensional Rubik’s Cube again, which spun fluidly before her, showing marked improvement from the last time he observed it.

Moreover, Yang Ying noticed that Baibai’s psychic energy intensity had surpassed one thousand, reaching the Apprentice level.

After praising Baibai profusely, Yang Ying and Katerina spent the entire afternoon playing with her before leaving.

Back in the command center, Katerina skillfully prepared and handed Yang Ying a cup of tea, asking, “Sir, how has your cultivation been these past two days? Has that light you saw last time appeared again?”

“It has indeed appeared a few times,” Yang Ying replied, accepting the cup. “But just like the first time, it was vague, seemingly right before my eyes, yet it vanished without a trace the moment I reached out. Other than making this light appear more easily, there has been absolutely no progress. Even if I could freeze the light before my eyes, what use is it if I can see it but not touch it?”

Yang Ying took a sip of tea, savoring the subtle fragrance hidden beneath the bitterness, and smiled faintly. “Perhaps something is still missing.”

Katerina lowered her head and said, “It’s a pity that I can’t help you with anything regarding these matters of cultivation.”

Yang Ying gently raised Katerina’s chin with his fingers, gazing into her eyes, and said, “Don’t be so sentimental. Regarding cultivation, I have the entire Protoss behind me; nothing will go wrong.”

“Yes, cultivation has nothing to do with me anyway,” Katerina smiled, though to Yang Ying, her smile seemed forced.

A thought struck Yang Ying, and he instantly understood what she was contemplating. Awakened beings, equipped with the psychic body-shaping method, could generally expect a lifespan exceeding two hundred years, and Yang Ying himself could achieve immortality by continually transferring to new bodies.

Katerina, however, was an ordinary person who would eventually reach the end of her lifespan, answering Time’s summons. This was why she worried—worried that one day she would leave him.

“Don’t worry. Leave everything to me,” Yang Ying grasped her hand. “I will definitely find a way for you to awaken and cultivate as well, or find an alternative substitute. We will definitely be together forever. Even if this universe collapses, I will find a way to reverse time or open a passage to a parallel universe.”

Katerina’s face flushed crimson, and she appeared bashful, unsure whether it was because Yang Ying saw through her inner thoughts or because she was intoxicated by his promises. She twisted her hands together, clearly uneasy.

“Sir, those two methods you mentioned... even the Protoss’s technical reserves don’t possess them, do they?” Her voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

Yang Ying was full of confidence: “Technology is developed. Technology that doesn't exist now does not mean it cannot exist.”

Just as the two were growing close, their intimacy deepening, the communicator on the desk suddenly beeped loudly.

The atmosphere in the command center froze instantly. Katerina jumped back a step like a startled fawn, and Yang Ying clenched his fist, nearly unleashing a bolt of lightning to shatter the communicator.

“Sir, perhaps you should answer it,” Katerina urged. “It might be something urgent.”

Yang Ying nodded. “If someone doesn’t have an urgent matter to contact me about, I’ll strike them down.”

Approaching the desk, Yang Ying pressed the answer key.

Kalia appeared on the holographic screen: “Sir, trouble has erupted! The branch office in Ruberen was suddenly attacked by the Ape Worship Cult, resulting in heavy casualties.”

“What!” Yang Ying’s eyes instantly sharpened.

Ruberen was the industrial city they had seized from the Giant Mercenary Group long ago. Its infrastructure was relatively advanced among the industrial cities in the planetary belt. Later, under the guise of Tran Corporation, Yang Ying invested in building an advanced armaments factory there, installing several production lines for the first-generation Phantom fighters—the stripped-down versions—which were sold to the Earth Army.

Similar to Ruberen were the two industrial cities of Hammer and Neff, but their foundational infrastructure was inferior to Ruberen’s; the output of both cities combined could only match Ruberen’s alone.

Now, the Ape Worship Cult had attacked the Ruberen office—Hallas had finally made his move!