The main base of the Shiesta Expeditionary Force was situated in the Southern Hemisphere of the Kusta Star. Spanning hundreds of kilometers across its territory, this area was originally a place of stunning natural scenery, but since the arrival of the Kustans, forests had been felled, lakes filled in, and every patch of land dedicated to the construction of military installations.

Within the main base, structures crystallized from the high technology of the Kusta Empire stood in dense profusion, rising and falling across the landscape. Millions labored here daily, and the directives issued from this central hub influenced the entire expeditionary force of millions of fleets and hundreds of millions of troops.

At the very heart of the base stood a pyramid that nearly scraped the heavens. Its base spanned over two kilometers, and it rose to a height of approximately fifteen hundred meters—a magnificent, breathtaking spectacle.

The entire surface of the pyramid was a pure, obsidian black, capped by a giant light source that resembled a flickering flame. Beneath this radiance nestled an exquisitely detailed palace. Anyone standing outside the palace, gazing outward, could survey the entirety of the main base below.

This pyramid was the core of the base: the Command Headquarters. And the palace at its apex served as the residence of Kalagunis. Normally, the entire headquarters operated under Kalagunis’s absolute control and protection.

At this moment, Yang Ying and Dao Feng materialized silently two kilometers above the pyramid, their presence entirely undetected by any scanning equipment, and completely invisible to the naked eye—as if they did not exist in this world.

Yang Ying hovered in the air and began to perceive with his mind. The higher-tier spiritual sense, exclusive to beings of the Fourth Level, allowed him to hear countless sounds and witness countless images. These sensory inputs were originally buried deep within the human psyche, but before the Higher Spiritual Sense, the barriers of the mortal mind were merely a transparent film, equivalent to being completely unguarded.

Of course, this was a somewhat abstract description. A more scientific explanation would be that when a person thinks, they generate brainwaves; the fluctuation of these waves forms an external magnetic field. If one understands the rules governing thought, that magnetic field can be translated back into the thought itself.

The psychic power possessed by a Fourth-Level entity was so refined that it could receive and discern these magnetic fields, and the rules of thought held no secrets before the eyes of the Higher Spiritual Sense.

Consequently, within the range of a Fourth-Level being's perception, the thoughts of ordinary people were projected clearly, like a motion picture being played out. Only Awakened ones who had cultivated their mental power to the Third Level—the stage of Transcendent Sanctity—could offer even slight resistance to this level of penetration. However, this offered no more protection than wearing an extra layer of clothing; a Fourth-Level entity could peel that layer off with a mere gesture at any time.

Yang Ying concentrated his perception for several minutes, yet failed to uncover any valuable intelligence regarding Kalagunis's whereabouts. He did, however, intercept a substantial amount of military intelligence concerning the Kusta fleet.

He ceased his probing, thinking to himself, “Kalagunis has truly vanished without a trace. I have scanned the thoughts of everyone in the Command Headquarters, and not a single soul knows where he has gone. Some even believe he is still here. This old fox has simply decided to disappear without a word. He must have sensed I was coming to kill him and fled.”

As an entity who ascended to the Fourth Level ten millennia ago, Kalagunis was indeed formidable.

The universe was vast, but the distances between galaxies and star systems were measured in light-years—a single light-year being nearly ten trillion kilometers. Even with the peak mental power of the Fourth Level, searching for a needle in that universal haystack was impossible.

Unless he knew a precise direction, Yang Ying could not track the deliberately concealed movements of Kalagunis.

“Very well. I’ll check on the Singer people first and meet with their guardian deity, Yaffi. She has been opposed to Kalagunis for millennia and also advanced to the Fourth Level ten thousand years ago. An exchange with her should prove quite beneficial.”

Yang Ying waved his hand, tearing open space, and stepped through with Dao Feng. As for the base spread out beneath him, he could obliterate it at any moment; for now, he would grant them a temporary reprieve.

The main base of the Singer Expeditionary Force was established on a satellite orbiting the capital star of the Flin Kingdom. This planet, with a diameter of only two thousand kilometers, had long been terraformed by the Flin Kingdom to be habitable, making it a perfect location for a major military installation.

The footprint of the Singer main base was no less extensive than the Kusta base. The outer perimeter housed the garrison troops, while the interior contained key departmental offices. The core structure of the Command Headquarters was a cylinder, narrow at the top and broad at the base, like a pillar supporting the heavens, rising over two thousand meters high. Its surface was adorned with spiraling, ascending patterns, making it resemble a static whirlwind from a distance.

At that very moment, the Singer main base was enveloped in the cloak of night. Scattered pinpricks of light shimmered along the surface of the whirlwind cylinder.

“Xinedi, come with me to greet our honored guest.” A voice, so exquisitely beautiful it seemed alien to this universe, resonated within the opulent golden hall atop the whirlwind cylinder. Seated upon the central throne, the sound lingered, a melody so rare, one might say, it belonged only in the heavens.

“Yes, Master.”

In the hall, before the throne, more than ten graceful Singer women stood in two lines, serving. All of them were peak masters of the Third Level, including Xinedi herself.

Hearing her teacher’s voice, Xinedi started, exchanging glances with her sisters. She mused, I wonder which distinguished visitor merits the title ‘Honored Guest’ so late at night. And why does the Master want me to accompany her? Could it be…

“The rest of you may withdraw,” the beautiful voice commanded again.

“Yes, Master.” All the other Singer women exited the hall.

Yang Ying and Dao Feng emerged from the wormhole, hanging high in the air. After casting a glance downward, they began their descent toward the whirlwind cylinder, sensing that the Yaffi they sought was located there.

Suddenly, Yang Ying noticed two figures emerging onto a balcony atop the cylinder.

Of the two, Yang Ying instantly recognized Xinedi, but he focused the majority of his attention on the other figure.

It was a woman who appeared entirely composed of musical notes, radiating beauty to an extreme degree. Every movement, every subtle change in expression, possessed a peculiar rhythm, making it seem to the observer as if a clear, distant celestial song was sounding in their ears.

A confounding of the senses! Not in the conventional sense of deception, but the blending of sight and sound—one could hear with their eyes and see with their ears!

From the first instant he beheld this Singer woman, Yang Ying knew that if she spoke, her voice could effortlessly plunge listeners into an illusionary state. To call black white, or a deer a horse, would be trivial matters for her.

This was not an illusionary technique but an instinct, requiring no infusion of psychic power—as natural as breathing. Even a Third-Level master, if careless, could fall victim to this woman’s presence.

She was the sole Fourth-Level entity among the Singer people: Yaffi.

Yang Ying and Dao Feng suppressed the fluctuations of their mental energy, concealing their cultivation at the peak of the Fourth Level, and landed on the balcony.

“Welcome, both of you. Greetings, Lord Yang Ying, Lord Dao Feng.” Yaffi spoke. Indeed, her voice possessed a power that struck directly at the heart. Yang Ying had guessed correctly, but for him, having already reached the peak of the Fourth Level, it was merely a beautiful sensation.

Yang Ying thought inwardly, This is the Fourth-Level manifestation of the Singer’s Song. Truly extraordinary. When the Singers cultivate the Song to its zenith, they manifest this trait—their words become law, toppling all beings, without expending a sliver of psychic energy. Jiyouna, Xinedi, they are all like this, but their voices can, at most, influence ordinary people. Compared to Yaffi, the difference in mastery is immense—truly a case of a mouse meeting an elephant.

With this thought, Yang Ying stepped forward and said, “Lord Yaffi, your voice is as eternally youthful as your beauty; it truly astounds me.”

Dao Feng added, “We often heard Jiyouna speak of you, Lord Yaffi. She called you ‘Grandmother.’ We had assumed your appearance would be somewhat older.”

“Heh-heh,” Yaffi smiled faintly. “Grandmother? Of course. I am an old woman who has lived for over ten thousand years; why would I fret over youth?”

Yang Ying replied, “To maintain eternal youth across ten millennia, Lord Yaffi would naturally not be concerned with the issue of youth, because for Your Excellency, youth is simply not an issue.”

Yaffi was clearly pleased by this, her smile unwavering.

At this point, Yang Ying turned to Xinedi. “Xinedi, it has been nearly two years since we last met.”

“Yes, it is my great honor to see both of your Excellencies again,” Xinedi replied. Though she had interacted with both Yang Ying and Dao Feng before, she was acutely aware that they had both achieved the Fourth Level, which made her demeanor noticeably reserved.

“The same habit as Jiyouna. You are already a peak master of the Third Level, yet you remain so timid?” Dao Feng looked at her and asked directly, “What exactly are you afraid of? Is there anything about us to fear?”

“Ah!” Xinedi felt as if she had been struck by a sudden, sharp awakening. “That’s right. What am I afraid of? Is there anything to fear? Should I be afraid?” For a moment, she stood frozen, lost in thought.

“It seems this child has a chance for further advancement, to draw closer to the limit of the Third Level. I thank you both on her behalf,” Yaffi said with satisfaction. She gestured toward the entrance. “Please, come in. Let this child remain here to sort things out.”

“That would be best,” Yang Ying and Dao Feng nodded, following Yaffi inside. Xinedi remained standing where she was, seemingly lost in a state of profound self-immersion.

Yaffi did not perceive the true extent of Yang Ying and Dao Feng’s power, believing them to be recent Fourth-Level entrants who had barely grasped the surface of its capabilities. The inability to discern their strength could be explained away by some forgotten art of concealment—the universe was vast, its rules infinite, and it was perfectly normal for even Fourth-Level entities not to know every esoteric technique. For the subsequent events, please log onto [XinHanBa Chapter] for more. Support the author, support genuine reading!