The collapse of the Hysen Fleet, like a colossal avalanche, quickly caused a general retreat among their allies, allowing the Brain Bugs to seize the opportunity and launch a full-scale swarm assault.

The swarm descended, drowning the Hysen Fleet in a tide, aiming to prevent any spatial jumps. However, the fleeing ships scattered without formation, darting about blindly like headless flies. This was the expression of utter loss of will to fight, yet it also created significant obstacles for the bug blockade. In the end, a small fraction managed to escape the battlefield, initiating spatial jumps to vanish without a trace.

Half an hour later, the entire fleet was shattered, communications were chaotic, and coupled with a crisis of trust, they were reduced to fighting as isolated units, with only a meager few warships still making futile resistance.

On the side of the bug swarm, as the battle tipped in their favor, the spore infection process became much easier. The number of converted suicide attackers grew, as they captured ship after ship, even forcing vessels to turn their cannons against their former allies.

The supreme commander’s flagship was surrounded by dozens of Ravagers. Under the barrage of acidic spores, the entire warship was more than half-dissolved. Although the commander managed to escape into space, he met his demise in the vacuum of the cosmos under the ceaseless assault of hundreds of Fliers; his light-saber proved useless against the winding worms.

The Fleet Commander fired three signal flares in succession—the universal unconditional surrender signal used throughout the Orion Arm. But Vaeda rejected it without hesitation.

A joke—did the swarm still need captives?

Vaeda had already earmarked the entire fleet as organic nourishment. In this battle, Vaeda’s swarm losses exceeded a million, and they urgently needed to replenish their forces.

Two hours later, Vaeda led the swarm in a withdrawal. Behind them, the Hysen Fleet resembled a landscape ravaged by locusts. The swarm took everything portable, using the most primitive method: eating! Even some alloy armor plating on the warships was pocked with dents and craters, gnawed away by bugs reinforcing their carapaces with needed metallic elements.

Leaving with the swarm was a contingent of ships numbering around seventy to eighty thousand. This fleet comprised every vessel in the armada still capable of spatial jumping, piloted by suicide attackers already converted into bug soldiers.

The fate of the Hysen Fleet quickly spread via the few ships that managed to escape. The entire Orion Arm Expeditionary Force was shaken. While expressing condolences to the Hysen survivors, the other expeditionary fleets grew secretly apprehensive.

Mysterious creatures, a mysterious virus, a mysterious Tier Four entity—these developments suggested that this expedition would not proceed as smoothly as they had initially presumed.

Soon after, not far from where the Hysen Fleet was annihilated, the main fleet of the Davasi people was ambushed by the mysterious creatures. They were even less fortunate than the Hysen, resulting in total annihilation.

When this news spread, it served as a dire warning to everyone. For the following period, no one approached the star sector where the incident occurred; it was universally designated a forbidden zone by all races. Even the main fleet of the Hysen Federation, eager for vengeance, temporarily stood down. However, they dispatched numerous unmanned reconnaissance drones into the sector to execute scouting missions. Judging by this posture, they would not send their main fleets for retribution until the true situation within the star sector was clearly ascertained.

Shifting focus back to the Orion Arm, the battle between the Protoss and the Burke Empire in the Berkeley Sector was finally drawing to a close. The remaining high nobles collectively offered unconditional surrender to the Protoss, which Kas accepted.

However, the war was not entirely over. Within the Berkeley Sector, many Burke individuals refused to surrender, forming numerous liberation organizations that continued to resist. In response, Kas promulgated a series of edicts targeting the Burke population.

Firstly, the Burke Empire was abolished and reorganized as a Grand Duchy. Kas selected a Duke, one willing to serve as a Protoss puppet, subjected him to mental control, and enthroned him as the Burke Grand Duke, subsequently forming a cabinet.

The cabinet members of the Burke Grand Duchy fell into three categories: first, Protoss individuals; second, pro-Protoss politicians—even among the arrogant Burke people, such politicians were not scarce, making the formation of a cabinet manageable; third, mercenaries who had responded to the earlier call from the Protoss.

The war was over, and due reward was due. Kas had promised from the very beginning of the war that high-ranking figures in the major mercenary groups who had rendered meritorious service during the conflict would secure a position within the newly established Burke Grand Duchy.

This had been the established strategy from the war's outset. Under Protoss pressure, the Burke Grand Duchy dared not exclude these mercenaries and had to accept them.

This strategy benefited both the Protoss and the mercenaries. The mercenaries elevated their status, establishing roots in the developed Berkeley Sector and gaining territory. To maintain their newfound status, they were compelled to help the Protoss suppress the rebellions by the Burke liberation organizations. This meant their massive forces were indirectly available for Protoss use, allowing the relatively small Protoss population to focus their primary energies elsewhere.

Of course, the most critical positions within the Grand Duchy were reserved for the Protoss, and even all external affairs of the Duchy were entrusted to Protoss management. It could be said that ever since the establishment of the Burke Grand Duchy, the Berkeley Sector had become a Protoss colony.

Many nobles from the former Burke Empire were deeply dissatisfied with the current state of affairs. Although they knew they could not defeat the dominant Protoss, they were unwilling to remain in the Burke Grand Duchy. Consequently, many chose to flee to other nations or even organize their own expeditionary fleets, hoping to try their luck in the Perseus Arm and re-establish an idealized Burke nation.

Regarding these nobles, the Protoss adopted a policy of non-interference, even announcing that if members of the liberation organizations chose self-exile, their acts of rebellion would not be pursued. Kas foresaw that the departure of these expeditionary fleets would carry away many destabilizing elements, presenting disillusioned Burke rebels with an alternative path.

After all, rebellion meant risking one's life. If a safer option was presented, very few people would still choose to rebel.

Indeed, as waves of expeditionary fleets departed the Berkeley Sector, the intensity of the internal rebellion within the Burke Grand Duchy significantly lessened, making the Protoss rule increasingly stable.

Turning attention back to the Kusta Star people, since the Dida Sector had fallen, the Kusta Empire was left with only the Kusta Star Sector, where they concentrated their remaining five million ships for a final stand.

The Kusta Star Sector was the birthplace of the Kusta Star people and the place where their strength was most concentrated. To minimize their own losses, Yafei proposed a cautious, steady advance, seeking opportunities for battle as they progressed.

Yang Ying had no objections, nor did Daofeng, and the Gexing people were likewise in agreement. Thus, it was decided; clearly, the battle for the Kusta Star Sector would take a considerable time to conclude.

On this day, the Allied Fleet once again captured three Kusta Star planets, pushing the battle line forward by two hundred light-years. Yang Ying ascended to the observation deck of the Minotaur and extended his Higher Spiritual Sight into the future, attempting to foresee what was to come.

After a long while, he retracted his gaze, his heart sinking. He had glimpsed certain scenes in the near future that plunged him into deep contemplation.

"It seems Bai Bai’s cultivation is nearly at Tier Three, she should break through soon," Yang Ying mused internally. "From the future visions, this breakthrough will bring her considerable trouble. People from the Empire are likely to use this opportunity to seek her out; Regent Sandover probably won't let this chance slip by. Should I intervene?" No, he decided, let Bai Bai consider it herself. Having reached Tier Three in cultivation, she should possess the ability to make her own choices.

He continued to ponder for a while longer, analyzing the causes and consequences of the situation with his Higher Spiritual Sight. However, due to the involvement of other peak Tier Four entities, there were too many unpredictable factors; even the Higher Spiritual Sight could not entirely pierce the fog of the future.

Nevertheless, at this juncture, Yang Ying had little left to worry about; his level of existence had reached the zenith of the galaxy.

Yang Ying sent a psychic message to Yafei: "Lady Yafei, Daofeng and I must return to Earth."

"Is there anything I can assist you with?" Yafei responded immediately.

"No need, it's just a small matter we can handle," Yang Ying replied, then waved his hand, tearing open a wormhole and stepping through. Simultaneously, a streak of electrical light flashed, and Daofeng entered the wormhole as well.

"Safe journey to you both," Yafei called out.

The wormhole opened directly into the Solar System. Yang Ying and Daofeng materialized within Manor City, surrounded by lush greenery and the scent of blooming flowers. Not far from them, Bai Bai sat in meditation on a large slab of bluestone, while Langdon stood guard beside her.

Bai Bai was currently just a ten-and-a-half-year-old girl. Seeing her innocent appearance, who would have known that she was so close to mastering the realm of Psionics?

A ten-year-old master was unprecedented in the history of the Psionic Temple, Yang Ying knew. Of course, he himself, under thirty, having already attained Tier Four existence, was likely a rarity even across the entire True Human Empire.

"Lord Yang Ying, Lord Daofeng, why are you back?" Langdon asked curiously upon seeing the two emerge from the wormhole.

"Bai Bai is approaching Tier Three," Yang Ying stated. "We came back to check."

Langdon nodded and glanced at Bai Bai. "She is very diligent, and her talent is exceptional. It's only natural she has reached this level through hard work."

His Highness is royalty of the True Human Empire, Langdon kept that thought firmly in his mind.

In her meditative state, Bai Bai’s spiritual power was steadily increasing, nearing Tier Three, though she would not reach it that day.

A short while later, Bai Bai opened her eyes and immediately spotted Yang Ying and Daofeng. A look of sheer delight crossed her face, and she launched herself toward them, crying out, "Brother Yang Ying! Brother Daofeng!" If you wish to know what happens next, please log onto [website address], for more chapters, support the author. Support genuine reading! D

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