Looking back now, when he was preparing to depart for the Flinn Kingdom, the moment Landon mentioned how fragile Katerina was on the battlefield, this very trade must have begun to take shape in her mind.

Landon was silent for a moment, but from the look in her eyes, Yang Ying received an affirmative answer.

Landon’s expression shifted to one of recollection as she replied, "It has been a long time since I brought Your Highness away from the Empire. Over these years, two main desires have resided in my heart. The first, to find the lost Prince, has now been fulfilled. The second is to know the current state of the Empire—whether Grand Duke Sandtai's madness in seeking the Prince's life has been discovered by His Majesty, and if so, what choice the Emperor would make."

Yang Ying asked, "Why don't you go back and see for yourself?"

Landon gave a wry smile. "If I could, I wouldn't be coming to you now."

Yang Ying pressed further, "If you are able, could you tell me why?"

Landon nodded. "There is an impenetrable surveillance network within the Empire. From the moment every True Human is born, their soul is linked to this network."

"Wait," Yang Ying interrupted. "You say the soul is linked to a network? What does that mean?"

He had never heard of a network capable of linking with a soul.

No, he had heard of it.

Not only had he heard of it, but he possessed something similar. Deep within Yang Ying’s core lay a network matching this description: the Khala, which connected the collective spiritual worlds of the Protoss.

Landon frowned. "It means exactly what it says—that network exists within the spirit world. I don't know how to explain this to you; it might be too esoteric for a subhuman. For instance, humans can reshape the material world with their hands, creating all sorts of strange and wonderful objects. The Empire’s research into psychic power is so advanced that this manipulation extends into the spirit world, and that surveillance network is its concrete manifestation."

Speaking of the technology behind this network, Landon seemed immensely proud, yet her condescending attitude toward Yang Ying—treating him like a primary school student—displeased him greatly. After all, through his avatar, the glorious Executor Kas, he possessed profound knowledge of Protoss technology. In terms of research into the spirit world, the Atlanteans might not surpass the Protoss.

Landon, naturally, was unaware of Yang Ying’s internal thoughts. She continued, "The moment either I or Your Highness steps back onto Imperial soil, our presence will be instantly exposed. The surveillance network is controlled by the Imperial Senate, and Grand Duke Sandtai is the Chairman of the Senate. I cannot take that risk."

Yang Ying was surprised. "Can the True Humans of the Empire truly accept living under constant surveillance?"

"It’s not a matter of acceptance or rejection," Landon shook her head. "The surveillance network maintains a very low profile during normal times, and in terms of personal privacy, it is completely trustworthy. Many True Humans may never interact with the network in their entire lives. True Humans accept the monitoring network much like Earthlings accept the household registration system—every person has an identity card, registered with the government from birth. Those without one cannot enjoy various social benefits and are severely constrained in everything they do."

"I see. The surveillance network can be viewed as an identification system within the spirit world," Yang Ying nodded, then asked, "So, if I go, will I also be taking that risk? You mentioned earlier that anyone without proper identity is severely constrained."

Landon shook her head. "You are not a True Human, so you do not fall under the network’s scrutiny."

"The existence of the surveillance network should be intended to restrain psychics, right?" Yang Ying frowned. This was obvious; ordinary people had zero sensitivity to the spirit world, so how could the network monitor them?

"Yes. According to Imperial decree, powerful subhumans are also included in the surveillance network," Landon confirmed.

Yang Ying pointed to himself. "I am at the peak of the Third Level; I surely count as a powerful individual. Does the True Human Empire simply ignore the emergence of a powerful expert who evades their surveillance network?"

Landon inwardly nodded at Yang Ying's caution and smiled. "Regarding that, you need not worry. Everywhere, there is always a gap between the law and reality. Incorporating all experts into the monitoring system has long been a goal for some high-ranking officials, but achieving it remains a distant goal. Although the ruling class of the Empire consists entirely of True Humans, the general populace is still predominantly subhuman. The conflict between subhuman experts and True Humans has persisted for ten millennia. This issue is chronic, and quite a few subhuman experts successfully evade the surveillance network. If you act as a subhuman expert, as long as you don't behave too outrageously, you should be fine."

Yang Ying nodded. He had previously learned from Landon some details about the True Human Empire: its immense population and long history meant it was teeming with masters across half the galaxy. Every True Human there awakened at birth and could easily cultivate to the Third Level; their talent was no less than that of the Protoss. There were also many beings at the Fourth Level, far surpassing those in the Orion Arm and the Perseus Arm. In short, Atlantis was the most technologically advanced and culturally brilliant nation in the Milky Way.

Fortunately, Landon only required intelligence; she didn't need him to confront powerful figures. If he couldn't even manage a small task like infiltration, then Yang Ying, a peak Third Level master, would be living up to a false reputation.

"Very well, I'll make the journey." For the sake of the gene activation serum, Yang Ying agreed to Landon's bargain. "Tell me the specifics. I need to know everything required for infiltration, and exactly how detailed the intelligence you seek needs to be for you to be satisfied."

"The more detailed the intelligence, the better," Landon said, a great weight lifting from her chest now that Yang Ying had agreed. A breathtaking smile bloomed on her face. "As for the knowledge needed to infiltrate the Empire, well, let’s start here."

Landon used telepathy to directly transmit images and data concerning the Empire to Yang Ying. This was far more accurate and swift than speaking, though it still consumed the better part of an entire night.

During this process, whenever Yang Ying found a point of particular interest, he would pose his questions. Through this exchange of inquiry and answer, Yang Ying’s understanding of the True Human Empire deepened.

It wasn't until a beam of artificial sunlight rose in the east, driving away the night, that this communion of the spirit world finally concluded.

Yang Ying glanced at the artificial sun climbing outside the window. "Unconsciously, a whole night has passed." He was now speaking a language he had never used before, one that sounded exceptionally complex and beautiful. As he spoke, his voice seemed to cause a resonance in the surroundings, giving the impression that his words carried inherent law.

"Master Yang Ying grasping the Imperial Common Tongue and the Imperial Noble Tongue in a single night is truly beyond my expectation."

Landon looked somewhat fatigued. Although telepathy wasn't excessively draining, it still depended on the volume of information. The mental energy expended for a sentence or two was negligible for a peak master. However, over the course of this single night, Landon had transmitted an amount of data to Yang Ying equivalent to the total information an ordinary person might encounter in a lifetime. Even for a peak master like Landon, she felt a sense of spiritual depletion.

This was especially true for the Imperial Noble Tongue, a spiritual language only accessible to those who commanded psychic power.

This form of speech possessed immense inherent power. According to Imperial scholars, it was not invented by the Imperial Nobility but predated the True Humans, aligning with the cosmic consciousness. Speaking and writing in this language could communicate with the universe, generating profound power. Constant use cultivated spiritual strength, bringing one closer to the universe. While this 'closeness to the universe' sounded abstract, this state was immensely helpful for subhumans in breaking through the bottleneck between the Second and Third Levels.

Of course, breakthrough stages only applied to subhumans; True Humans faced no bottleneck between the Second and Third Levels. Furthermore, the Imperial Noble Tongue offered no assistance for breaking through from the Third to the Fourth Level. Consequently, this language held the least value for the nobility.

However, due to its complexity, beauty, and difficulty for ordinary people to master, the language was highly sought after by the nobility as a means to differentiate themselves from subhumans. Moreover, in conveying intent, the Noble Tongue was far more potent than the Common Tongue.

The majority of the effort Landon expended was dedicated to imparting the Imperial Noble Tongue to Yang Ying, as it was also the common language among experts in the Empire, including high-level subhumans, who used it as their primary mode of communication.

"I have told you everything, Master Yang Ying. When do you plan to depart?" Landon inquired.

"As soon as possible. Once I settle matters here, I'll make preparations. In total, I should be ready to leave in three days."

It seemed to Yang Ying that leaving the Sol system for the Empire now was perfectly timed, as the three races under his command all required time to develop.

The Protoss had only recently occupied Aiur. They needed time to continue expanding, claim more territory, and grow their numbers. Populating the entire planet with Protoss cities would take at least two years. The Zerg were similar; Zerus was not yet completely conquered. Fully claiming the planet and transforming it into a massive Zerg hive would also require approximately two years.

The Humans were in the same boat. After receiving vast resources and machinery from the Flinn Kingdom, they needed about two years to convert them into a powerful fleet.

The Gelf and the K’starr had both been drawn into the Flinn civil war. Two years would certainly not be enough time for that conflict. During these two years, both races would be tied up in Flinn territory, unable to focus on the Sol system. This precious window was exactly what the three races needed for their development.

The development plans for the three races were set; they just needed to be executed step by step. Calculated this way, Yang Ying himself was the least occupied. A journey to the Empire was timely!

One chapter for today, the rest tomorrow.