The sheer disparity between the Seventh Point, forged by a Rank Six expert, and the Back-to-Back Point created by a Rank Four existence was astronomical; one was nothing more than a speck compared to the other.

The seven stellar monarchs produced throughout the thousand-year history of the Flynn Royal House paled in comparison to the ninety-nine distinguished emperors birthed by the Luo Ya people across their empire spanning tens of thousands of years. They simply could not be mentioned in the same breath.

The Song Star Kingdom, the Kusta Empire, the Luo Ya Empire, the Sakeruo Federation, and the Galan Republic—these five sovereign nations, established by the five most powerful races in the Orion Arm, had each endured for over ten millennia, with civilizations tracing back a million years. Their very existence was an anomaly in the galaxy, a breeding ground for countless prodigies over countless ages who authored epics so brilliant they were etched into posterity.

Within this vast galaxy, what did one's own fleeting existence, the traces one left behind, truly amount to?

And viewed across an even longer temporal expanse, did the marks left by the five great races even register?

Since the very first life ignited in the galaxy, countless eons—hundreds of millions of years—had passed, a time when profound silence reigned supreme over the cosmos.

Would life in the galaxy persist for millions of years more? Would it inevitably recede back into that deep, silent stillness? Would anyone even recall the faintest mark left today?

Yang Ying’s thoughts drifted far afield; he perceived brilliant nebulae flowing past him, dazzling starlight flashing into existence. Stars evolved over the immense spans of billions of years, proving that within the boundless universe, any single entity was infinitesimally small.

Suddenly, a question struck Yang Ying: what transpired a million years ago? Why had he never heard of any intelligent life forms with a history exceeding one million years?

Consider that the dinosaurs on Earth perished just sixty-five million years ago, having ruled the planet for two hundred million years prior. Surely, during that vast expanse of time, one lineage of dinosaurs could have evolved intelligence?

After prolonged contemplation, Yang Ying found no answer. Returning to the present, he saw Xinnidi still waiting quietly beside him. She had noticed his deep reverie but made no sound, knowing that many deep thinkers disliked interruption.

A thought sparked in Yang Ying’s mind. Through his other avatars, he knew he had been lost in thought for over five minutes. He managed a slightly embarrassed smile. “Apologies, I drifted off for a moment.”

“No need for apologies,” Xinnidi chuckled. “In fact, you must cherish moments like that. Grandmother always said that meditating to the point of celestial wandering is the finest way to understand oneself and the world. Each time one enters that state, it brings progress, drawing one closer to the Dao of Rank Four. Though Rank Four remains tantalizingly out of reach—one can approach infinitely close, but without that final breakthrough, it remains ultimately in vain.”

“This final breakthrough—what does it entail?” Yang Ying asked, following her thread, though he instantly checked himself. “Forgive me, if it’s inconvenient to discuss—”

“It’s nothing, really,” Xinnidi replied, shaking her head slightly. “It’s like the transition from Rank Two to Rank Three. If that feeling could be articulated, then Rank Three masters would be commonplace. The difficulty of advancing from Rank Three to Rank Four is exponentially greater; it cannot be compared to the jump from Two to Three. One must walk that path alone.”

Yang Ying offered a wry smile. “Fair enough. I suppose I should have expected that answer.”

If merely explaining it to Yafei could elevate her to Rank Four, then Song Star would not have only one Rank Four entity in Yafei.

Yang Ying recalled Hardek next, the first Rank Four entity he had ever encountered—even if it was only the superficial shell of a Rank Four, he was undeniably of that level.

Yang Ying’s perspective now differed vastly from when he assaulted the ancient legion’s main base. He understood with far greater clarity how rare it was for a Rank Four existence to materialize. Had Hardek not been killed, he would have been the twenty-seventh Rank Four entity in the Orion Arm, out of a total sentient population numbering over twenty-seven trillion!

Yang Ying quietly clenched his fist. If Hardek could reach Rank Four, so could he! And he absolutely must achieve it!

“Master Xinnidi, why have you come to see me this time? Surely it wasn't just to discuss art,” Yang Ying asked with a slight smile.

“Certainly not about art,” Xinnidi gently shook her head. “Then I’ll get straight to the point. Master Yang Ying, do you realize the profound impact the assassination of Singler had on the battlefield?”

Noticing the extreme seriousness in her expression, Yang Ying pondered: Could this have disrupted the Song Star people’s planning? He asked, “Master Xinnidi, did my actions cause you trouble?”

Xinnidi nodded slightly, then shook her head again. “Your action scrapped our previously established schedule for the overall plan, drastically accelerating the pace of the war. While some of our sisters in the relevant departments on the Song Star side complained, as they had to rush to revise subsequent strategies, however—”

She suddenly broke into a silvery, tinkling laugh. “—but do not worry. Overall, it’s a good thing, because the Kusta Star people’s plans will certainly need revising too, and their modifications will be far more drastic than ours. It was excellent timing. Even the President of the Pseudo-Republic was assassinated in the Presidential Palace! And you intercepted that shipment for Lansear—the Kusta Star people lost face spectacularly.”

Regarding the exchange of that batch of rare minerals, Yang Ying and Xinnidi had reached an agreement. The Tran Mercenary Group received a cache of rare minerals provided by the Song Star people that were unavailable in Flynn territory. In return, Yang Ying gave the Song Star people the surplus of the minerals he had captured.

Both sides traded goods they had in excess for things they desired—that was the essence of trade: a win-win.

Xinnidi continued, “My primary purpose here is to warn you, Master Yang Ying. If our suspicions are correct, the Flynn Civil War is about to enter its next phase, wherein the Kusta Star people will intervene directly. We, in turn, will stand firmly by the Flynn Kingdom.”

Yang Ying pondered. “How soon?”

“No more than one standard month,” Xinnidi replied. “When this stage arrives, the fighting will intensify a hundredfold. Fleets the size of the Tran Mercenary Group will no longer be suitable for the main theater of war; the Kusta Star people’s main fleets will be arriving.”

Yang Ying asked, “Do you mean you want me to return to Earth?”

Xinnidi slowly nodded. “You have already contributed enough to this war, far exceeding our initial expectations for the Tran Mercenary Group. However, since Earth has not joined our Song Star military alliance, staying longer might expose you to danger, and that danger could potentially reach Earth.”

Yang Ying understood her meaning. The Kusta Star people were currently operating behind the scenes supporting the rebels, but when they stepped into the open, the nature of the conflict would change drastically. Contending with the Kusta Star home fleets could very well bring disaster to Earth.

Although, by mercenary convention, the employer hired the unit solely for combat, not responsibility for political fallout, the Kusta Star people were immensely powerful and might not respect such customs. If their pride were truly wounded, they might launch an unthinking attack on Earth.

Yang Ying knew well that after the fall of the ancient legion, the Kusta Star people had refrained from attacking Earth because he had eliminated the Rank Four Hardek using methods unknown to the outside world, successfully deterring the Kusta Star high command.

But that deterrence had its limits. Yang Ying was not confident he could face Karagounis, who had cultivated power for ten thousand years. If the Kusta Star people became truly serious, the Tran Mercenary Group might be forced into exile in the Perseus Arm.

Xinnidi’s suggestion was entirely for his own good. Otherwise, even without those 320 battlecruisers, his thirteen visible masters alone could exert significant power on the battlefield; they held considerable value, yet she was willing to sacrifice that advantage. This left a very good impression on Yang Ying.

Considering the mountain of resources acquired through plunder and trade, along with the mineral planets he had staked out around the Sol System, Yang Ying mused inwardly: It is not yet time to confront the Kusta Star people. However, in two years, once my 200,000-ship fleet is complete, I will have sufficient self-preservation capability against them. After all, the Kusta Star people’s primary enemy is the Song Star race; they won't commit their entire civilization against me alone. Very well, I have already harvested substantially in the rebel rear; it is time to go home.

Having made his decision, Yang Ying told Xinnidi, “Good. I agree to return to Earth.”

“Then I am relieved,” Xinnidi said, rising. “There is still time. You can send the fleet back first. Before the next phase of the war begins, you can tour the Capital Star for a while. Consider it a farewell trip. You might not return to the Flynn Kingdom in your lifetime.”

“I will take your advice under serious consideration,” Yang Ying nodded.

“I have said what I needed to say; I must leave now.” Xinnidi turned, waved a hand, and walked toward the door.

After escorting her out, Yang Ying returned to his room, thought for a moment, then summoned a servant to request the latest intelligence reports from the various battlefronts, which he forwarded to the staff headquarters for discussion.

The results confirmed Xinnidi’s assertion: if the Kusta Star people failed to intervene soon, the victory of the Royal Army would be inevitable. Thus, Yang Ying issued the order for the 319 battlecruisers to return to Earth, leaving only the Behemoth hovering above the Flynn Capital Star.

In the following days, Yang Ying toured the Capital Star's attractions under the guidance of the servant, and incidentally helped Xinnidi repel an assassination attempt at the temporary palace.

The rebel leader had been assassinated, and the remaining high command, losing all direction, made a desperate gamble, sending a contingent of master assassins to kill the royal family in a tit-for-tat retaliation.

But they were detected by the Observers tens of kilometers outside the palace perimeter and ran straight into Yang Ying. They were naturally met with a thunderous Psychic Storm. After a fierce battle, Yang Ying and his thirteen associates annihilated every intruder, further cementing the infamous reputation associated with the number thirteen.

The plan for catching up on yesterday’s missed two chapters is as follows: three chapters today, and three chapters tomorrow. For future developments, please log on to [website address], where more chapters are available to support the author and genuine reading!