The remaining two hundred and ten Juggernaut-class battlecruisers of Yang Ying’s fleet mingled with the three hundred and twenty other hungry beasts, all heading toward the capital planet. However, their exit point from hyperspace differed from that of the other warships; they jumped out alongside Yang Ying’s Juggernaut. After all, Yang Ying preferred commanding his own fleet and had no intention of entrusting it to the Second Prince.

Approximately thirty hours later, the three hundred and twenty battlecruisers warped out of hyperspace, appearing outside the star system containing Flynn’s capital planet. The fleet carefully avoided the surveillance systems of the star system, positioning themselves within a dense asteroid belt for concealment.

The monitoring range of this system had also been mentioned in the intelligence provided by the First Prince. The rebels, after capturing the capital, had not made significant changes to the system's defensive architecture. The documents clearly stated the maximum surveillance range and the available hiding spots—much like having a walkthrough guide for a game, making it effortless. Yang Ying's fleet simply followed the provided information and slipped right through the rebel monitoring net.

After mooring the fleet, Yang Ying piloted a Ghost fighter out of the Juggernaut, activating stealth mode to slip into the star system. The reconnaissance grid deployed to detect hyperspace incursions blanketed the entire system; any detection of energy waves caused by jumping into or out of hyperspace would trigger an immediate alert. To avoid tipping their hand, they could only enter using conventional flight mode. Fortunately, Yang Ying’s fighter was equipped with a sub-light engine, allowing it to fly nearly as fast as the speed of light.

The Flynnians’ technology had not yet reached the point where they could detect stealth craft. Although the intelligence mentioned that the Kingdom had imported advanced reconnaissance equipment from other high-level civilizations to protect the royal family, the General Staff analysis concluded that it could achieve stealth detection capabilities. However, these devices were imported only for the defense of critical areas like the Royal Palace, the secondary residence, the Cabinet, and the Ministry of Defense. Judging by the equipment’s power output and total import volume, it was evident they would only be encountered indoors—meaning the vast expanse of space throughout the entire star system was safe.

The Ghost fighter flew into the capital planet unnoticed. From space, the planet’s surface was a vision of vibrant green life, with immense stretches of forests and grasslands instantly captivating any observer.

The Ghost fighter continued its descent, arriving above a city. This metropolis was nestled against mountains to the east and bordered by water to the west, a grand avenue cutting through from north to south, dotted with soaring architecture infused with alien character.

At the heart of the city lay a massive complex of palaces, with a towering citadel dominating the highest point. From the citadel's spire, one could survey the entirety of the city’s layout.

This was the capital where the Flynn royal family had resided for generations, and that palace complex was one of the most ancient structures in all of Flynn history: the Royal Palace.

The Ghost fighter landed in a grove of trees on the outskirts of the city. The forest canopy was incredibly dense. Yang Ying found a small clearing surrounded by foliage, stabilized the fighter, cast an invisibility spell to cloak himself, then unsealed the cockpit, jumped to the ground, and, with a flash of golden light, recalled the fighter into his floating continent.

Yang Ying was waiting. To coordinate this rescue operation, the royal family’s inside contacts on the capital planet had dispatched a liaison officer specifically to meet him and relay the latest intelligence. This patch of woods was the designated rendezvous point.

Not long after, Yang Ying sensed someone approaching.

"They've arrived?" he looked in one direction, hearing faint sounds echo from that way. A slender figure pushed through the underbrush and emerged from the woods.

She wore the uniform of a female official from the Royal Palace—tight-fitting and embroidered with various patterns, lending her an air of noble elegance. Yet, she was very young; her delicate features were offset by fine scales dappling her skin, creating an unusual, intensely captivating beauty.

"Why haven't they arrived yet?" She reached the clearing, glanced around, saw no one, and a shadow of disappointment crossed her face as she muttered to herself in a voice barely audible.

Suddenly, she felt someone speaking directly beside her ear: "I've been here for ages!"

The voice instantly put her on high alert. She spun around, scanning the surroundings, but saw no sign of anyone.

"Who is it?" she demanded tensely. "Who's trying to scare me?" She adopted an air of fear, her expression fraught with anxiety.

Yang Ying inwardly praised her. With his mastery at the peak of the Grandmaster level, he could instantly discern that her expressions were entirely feigned. He immediately understood this was a tactic to conceal her identity and purpose. Since he hadn't revealed himself, she couldn't be certain he was the one she was waiting for, and naturally, she would maintain her pretense until she trusted him.

So, Yang Ying used his mind-link ability again, whispering a prearranged passphrase near her ear. After a brief exchange of seemingly illogical dialogue, the Flynnish girl clearly became convinced that Yang Ying was her contact.

"Can you show yourself?" The girl looked around again nervously, still unable to locate Yang Ying, and impatience began to set in. She directly asked him to materialize.

"Certainly. I am right behind you." Yang Ying manifested his form behind her. The girl whirled around only to find herself staring at a figure shrouded completely in black robes, making it seem as if he were not there at all. She pouted slightly, clearly annoyed.

"What is the current situation?" Yang Ying ignored her reaction and cut straight to the point.

Seeing a hooded figure whose face was completely obscured also made the girl a little apprehensive. Hearing Yang Ying's question, she dropped her petulance and pointed toward the palace complex. "Both Sovereigns are currently held in the castle dungeons. There are three levels, and both are confined to the innermost small chamber on the lowest level, the third floor."

Yang Ying then asked, "Are they in good condition? Have they been tortured?"

"Tortured? With the likes of those rebels, they wouldn't dare!" Anger flashed across the girl's face before she managed to suppress it, followed by a sigh. "Someone did propose that, but the leading figures of the Pseudo-Republic discussed it and decided such an act would tarnish their image. The Sovereigns hold lofty statuses and have wide connections. Executing them could be spun as a necessary political realignment, but subjecting them to inhumane abuse while imprisoned would be an act of undeniable barbarism."

"Several monarchist high-level civilizations are currently monitoring the Sovereigns' welfare, and a significant number of pro-royal sympathizers remain throughout Flynn. If a scandal involving the abuse of monarchs broke out now, it would severely weaken the Pseudo-Republic's rule and damage their reputation across the galaxy. The direct consequences would be lower-ranking officials passively disobeying orders, guerrilla activities erupting everywhere, and the Kingdom’s military receiving greater interstellar aid, and so on."

Yang Ying said, "That sounds like good news. If both Sovereigns are healthy, our chances of extracting them increase significantly."

"Really?" The girl's eyes brightened. She swiftly produced a palm-sized holographic projector—it looked like a small mirror—and activated it, casting a miniature model of the Royal Palace.

Using this model, the girl meticulously detailed the castle’s layout, troop distribution, trap placements, patrol frequencies, and the locations of surveillance devices. She also proposed several potential routes for assault and retreat. After finishing, she looked at him with an expression clearly hoping for commendation.

Yang Ying instantly recognized that the proposed attack and escape routes were her own conception, explaining her eagerness for approval. He recalled the five contingency plans formulated by his own staff; one of them bore a resemblance to the girl’s suggestion, though it was far more rigorously detailed than her proposal. Nevertheless, that was the product of collective wisdom. For her, alone, to conceive a plan to this extent was highly impressive.

"The methods you described are highly feasible," Yang Ying praised her highly, which brought the girl immense pleasure and greatly improved her favorable opinion of the hooded man before her.

"Alas," the girl sighed, "It’s just that in gathering this intelligence, many people were captured by the rebels. I sincerely hope you can rescue the Sovereigns and not let their sacrifices be in vain."

"That goes without saying," Yang Ying affirmed.

As they spoke, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed from the distance. Yang Ying and the girl turned to look and saw nearly ten colossal armored vehicles, each five stories high, bearing down on the woods. These armored vehicles advanced in a line, crushing the trees beneath them with an air of unstoppable force, startling countless birds and beasts into a frantic scattering.

"Oh no, my position might be compromised!" The girl’s heart sank, and she began to fumble in distress. "This is bad. The Palace probably knows I’m gone—how could this happen? Everything was arranged perfectly!"

"The rebels’ plan to execute the Sovereigns was intended to lure the Kingdom’s forces into a rescue attempt, so increased vigilance around the Palace is entirely normal," Yang Ying said, appearing unconcerned by the approaching behemoths. He told the girl, "You follow him and find a place to hide. Since you show no mastery of spiritual power, your combat capability is negligible. I will handle the rest."

"What do you mean, my combat ability is negligible?" the girl retorted indignantly. "And who is 'him' that you mentioned? Is there someone else here besides you and me?"

"Indeed," Yang Ying pointed behind her. "Isn't that him?"

The girl spun around sharply once more, and an uncontrollable shriek escaped her lips. Standing directly behind her was another person completely enveloped in a black robe, just like Yang Ying, whose face was equally obscured!

This was a clone Yang Ying had summoned. The clone swiftly scooped up the protesting girl, ignoring her weak punches, and with a flicker of movement, vanished instantly.

Yang Ying turned back, willed his stealth technique, and his body instantly faded into the air, as if ceasing to exist. Then, with a quick shift of his feet, he used Suo Di (Shrinking the Ground) to race toward the castle. If the girl’s disappearance had indeed been discovered, the King and Queen of Flynn might already have been moved. Now, every second counted; immediate action was paramount.