Just a moment before Emperor Burke and the other two twisted the keys, Cass finally pierced the fog before his eyes. He saw a portion of the future that Emperor Burke had concealed using the power of the Great Emperor Sarian.

The entire planet was on the verge of becoming an inferno; the planetary core had turned into a furnace, and the ground was splitting apart everywhere. Magma surged from the depths, engulfing the surface of the whole world. Tsunamis swept across the globe—a scene of collapsing heavens and shattering earth, a world's end far surpassing the destruction of Beihu Star.

“The threat originates from the core, then.”

After issuing the retreat order, Cass quietly arrived on the surface. He thrust his mental power deep into the soil, penetrating underground. His gaze effortlessly passed through the tens of kilometers of crust and thousands of kilometers of mantle, finally seeing the egg-shaped devices arranged deep within the core.

“Core Detonation Bombs. What an undertaking.” Cass knew exactly what these egg-shaped devices were with a mere sweep of his mental energy.

Judging by their mottled exteriors, these contraptions, capable of vaporizing the core and turning the entire planet into a bomb, had been resting here for at least two centuries. However, this didn't necessarily mean the Burkean plan to self-destruct the planet had only been conceived two centuries ago. Due to the high temperature and pressure within the core, the lifespan of weaponry would be drastically reduced; the shelf life of these Core Detonation Bombs was clearly only a few hundred years.

It was entirely possible that another batch of expired Core Detonation Bombs had existed here two hundred years prior.

Just then, Cass foresaw a signal about to arrive, one that would activate all the Core Detonation Bombs. The resulting explosion would blast open the mantle, sending all the scorching magma to the surface, while the entire planet simultaneously collapsed.

Every Burkean on the planet, along with the landing troops dispatched by the Mercenary Faction, would be incinerated. Even the aftershocks of such a planetary explosion would affect space, severely damaging their own fleet.

“Planning to blow up the planet? It might have succeeded if I hadn’t noticed. But since it's happening right before my eyes, whether it explodes or not is no longer up to you.”

A split second before the signal arrived, Cass acted. His figure flashed, plunging into the core. With a sweep of his High Spiritual Sense Eye, the internal structure of every Core Detonation Bomb was instantly imprinted upon his vision.

In just half an hour, he had clearly discerned the meaning behind every circuit within. How a single signal could trigger the bombs was already crystal clear to him.

A single thought went out, tearing apart several circuits in sequence. When the signal arrived, all the bombs had fizzled; the connection between the control module and the detonator had been completely severed.

“Your Majesty, the ultimate measure has failed; the Core Detonation Bombs did not detonate!” The Minister of Military Affairs quickly received the news, which filled him with utter dread.

“Impossible!”

The crystal cup shattered into fragments, and Emperor Burke’s eyes blazed with fury. “How can this be! The Core Detonation Bombs are buried deep within the core, far from the surface. How could something have gone wrong! Could it be that being buried for two centuries caused the bombs to fail?”

The Minister of Military Affairs replied, “No, Your Majesty. Even at such depths within the core, the Core Detonation Bombs should remain viable for over five hundred years. The probability of failure after just two centuries is far too small. Moreover, there are over a hundred such bombs buried; even if one or two failed, it is impossible for all of them to have malfunctioned.”

The Prime Minister analyzed the situation. “Given the burial depth of the Core Detonation Bombs, even a master of the Third Level Limit would require at least a week to reach them. Since they haven't exploded, it is likely that a Fourth Level entity from the Protoss has intervened.”

“A Fourth Level entity—always a Fourth Level entity!” Emperor Burke panted, roaring madly. “Isn't the Great Emperor Sarian a peak Fourth Level existence? Didn't the runes he left behind state they could shield perceptions from peers for ten hours? Our decisions here should not have been leaked. How could the other side have detected the bombs deep underground?”

The failure of their last stand sent the Emperor’s mind into disarray.

“We Burkeans simply do not possess Fourth Level entities; it is difficult for us to comprehend the true extent of their power. The runes left by the Great Emperor Sarian are not omnipotent.”

The Prime Minister sighed, having previously voiced subtle reservations about executing the ultimate measure. Now, seeing the plan fail, he felt a slight sense of ‘it’s no great loss anyway.’

“Ah!! I refuse to believe it! I will slaughter the entire Protoss race! I will kill them! I am the King of the Burke-Reck Starfield! Whoever I decree must die, shall die! Aaaargh!!!” Emperor Burke flew into a rage, grabbing whatever was near him and smashing it to pieces.

The two ministers quickly fled, shutting the hatch door behind them. The Prime Minister sighed. “After today, we will be exiles.”

“Don’t worry. This ship, serving as the Royal Family’s final retreat, has thorough logistical preparations. Many resources can be recycled. As long as we continuously supplement solar energy, it can sail forever. Our families are already aboard, so you have nothing to hold you back. Even wandering for decades won't be an issue. If all else fails, we can enter stasis for a few centuries. I refuse to believe the Protoss will still rule in a few hundred years,” the Minister of Military Affairs clapped the Prime Minister on the shoulder.

“That is also acceptable.” The Prime Minister’s psychological resilience was clearly extraordinary; having just lamented, he now appeared refreshed and spirited. “Our destination is the Perseus Arm, correct?”

“That’s right,” the Minister of Military Affairs nodded. “The Perseus Arm has already been crippled by the True Human Empire. Many planets were annihilated, leaving spaces open. If we are lucky and secure a planet, perhaps with the people we have here, we can breed a new Burkean race in the future.”

“I see. I was wondering why you advised His Majesty to bring so many court ladies before setting sail. Now I understand it was for this purpose.” The Prime Minister gasped slightly.

After disarming the bombs, Cass circled once more in the core, taking in the sights of the boundless magma sea, before returning to the surface.

He felt the gloom hanging over the planet dissipate, knowing that Emperor Burke and his faction could no longer influence the world. He then contacted Gaberhe: “You can proceed with the advance. Tell the mercenaries to give it their all. Their contributions will certainly be rewarded.”

“As you command, Speaker,” Gaberhe relayed Cass’s orders.

Instantly, all the mercenaries surged forward as if injected with powerful medicine, their fighting spirit igniting. They charged toward the major cities on the planet.

Several thousand Arbiters descended onto the surface, opening numerous wormholes to release the ground forces stationed on Ai’er. The Protoss warriors, wielding their blades of light and photon swords, swept into city after city.

Millions of Zealots, Templar, and Dark Templar—some relying on superb martial arts, others on powerful psionic abilities, or stealthy assaults—reaped the enemy down in swathes. Undeniably, in terms of individual combat prowess on the battlefield, no one could surpass the Protoss.

Immortals, Dragoons, and Stalkers were present in equal numbers. They all utilized exoskeletal weapons of the same type, manipulating the Photon Cannon, Phase Disruptor Cannon, and Particle Beam Cannon for ranged attacks. Regardless of the weapons’ names or principles, their core function was singular: immense destructive power. The spheres of light, beams, light arrows, the Dragoon’s balance, the Immortal’s defense, and the Stalker’s blink ability—all undoubtedly delivered the most terrifying memories to the enemy.

Tens of thousands of High Templar, Dark Archons, and Dawn Archons formed the elite strength of the Protoss, acting as battlefield commanders. Psionic power in their hands had become an art form, manifesting as brilliant lightning, or transforming into great vortices that bound all thought, along with various other arcane spells unknown to others. Coupled with their forms existing between the tangible and intangible, their mere appearance shocked all allied and enemy forces.

There were also hundreds of thousands of Carriers and Colossi, serving as the best fire support units on the battlefield, providing overwhelming firepower. Those with weaker defenses simply could not survive the explosions of the bombs spat out by the Carriers. As for the Colossi, the thermal cutting beams they fired were almost comparable to the blades of light; being struck meant certain death.

In the low altitudes, hundreds of thousands of Scouts and Corsairs zipped through at extreme speeds, engaging the Burkean fighters while simultaneously supporting the ground forces. The Scouts’ photon machine guns strafed the ground, while the Corsairs used their disruption webs to snare defensive turrets, preventing them from firing, allowing external firepower to eliminate them unhindered. Even superior to the Scouts and Corsairs were the fifty-plus thousand Phoenix fighters. Though fewer in number, their utility was high; they could attack air and ground with ionic cannons, or instantly concentrate energy to unleash devastating storms that tore enemies to shreds.

Of course, those with the highest combat records were the one hundred thousand Carriers soaring in the sky. Possessing an infinite supply of Interceptors, they could effortlessly suppress an entire city. A combined squadron of Carriers could flatten an ordinary military base.

However, when it came to siege warfare, Carriers could not compare to a new type of vessel: the Void Ray. These ships had only recently begun rolling off the production line, numbering only about ten thousand. They utilized a weapon called the Prism Beam. The longer the beam focused on an enemy, the greater the attack power. Virtually no hardened fortifications could withstand the Void Ray; focusing for just one minute was generally enough to pierce any shield or defensive wall.

In the high atmosphere, beyond the sight of ordinary eyes, several thousand Arbiters patrolled back and forth, cloaking ground and air forces with their stealth fields. While their offensive power was not high, their value to the battlefield was essential.

Faced with countless unseen enemies, the Burkean army collapsed within a single day, surrendering across the board to the Protoss. After twenty-four hours, only a few military fortresses, those with the most stringent defenses and most advantageous terrain, managed to maintain any semblance of resistance.