In the territory of the Regent, a middle-aged man dressed as a steward found Sangdetai sitting serenely in the heart-dispersing Huayuan Pavilion, and said, "Your Grace, the Regent, we have confirmed intelligence: Duke Anlke is not dead."

If one looked closely, it could be discerned that the steward was enveloped by a surge of profound mental power resonating with the entire world, subtly twisting the very rules around his body—a level that surpassed the Third Tier, reaching the threshold of the Lower Fourth Tier.

For someone of the Lower Fourth Tier to serve as a mere steward under Duodewu hinted at the unfathomable depth of Sangdewo's strength and influence.

"Oh? Milliam failed as well," Sangdewo remarked lightly. "What exactly transpired? Milliam reported to me that he had already harvested Anlke's soul. Could it be that DUNEIHao and Yang Ying, who were present, devised some method to drag him back from the shadowy depths of the spiritual plane?"

"Your guess is precisely correct, my lord," the steward replied, bowing deeply. "Yang Ying provided a component for the Potion of Resurrection, which DUNEIHao then synthesized into the draught, successfully saving Duke Anlke."

Damn it, that good-for-nothing Milliam, who messes up everything he touches, actually let a man he murdered come back to life. This failure will inevitably be pinned on His Grace the Regent; he deserves severe punishment," Fimud, whose hair was the color of flame, approached from a distance, speaking with obvious schadenfreude.

The steward ignored him and continued, "Duke Anlke is currently hosting a banquet to celebrate his own resurrection. Many nobles from the upper echelons of society have graciously accepted the invitation."

"Heh, I knew it," Fimud scoffed, his expression one of disdain.

"Say less," Sangdewo’s voice betrayed little emotion, but Fimud immediately clamped his mouth shut, daring not to utter another word. "Milliam's failure was merely stumbling upon a once-in-ten-thousand-year anomaly. This opportunity has now been seized by Anlke, and others will only grow more fearful of having their lives taken. Milliam's objective was to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys; this cannot be counted as a complete failure."

"Yes," Fimud responded respectfully, showing no inclination to argue.

The steward performed a polite bow to Sangdewo and retreated backward.

At that moment, behind a distant white wall, the silhouette of a figure in a black cloak was cast upon the plaster. The figure possessed almost no palpable presence, completely concealed. Hearing Fimud's slander, he let out a silent curse that dissolved back into the shadow, vanishing without a trace.

Fimud remained entirely oblivious to the shadow behind the wall. He turned and departed with an air of indifference. Sangdetai glanced towards the white wall, his brow deeply furrowed in contemplation.

Suddenly, the steward reappeared before Sangdewo, having returned mere seconds after his departure.

"What happened?" Sangdetai looked toward the steward, knowing that the man did not normally behave with such urgency.

"My lord, a major event occurred at Duke Anlke's banquet. Yang Ying displayed ten sets of the Resurrection Potion components to all the guests!"

"What!" Sangdewo’s eyes snapped open, his gaze, sharp as a drawn blade, locking onto the steward's eyes.

The steward blinked rapidly, nearly closing his eyes, before repeating his words, adding certain details for emphasis.

After listening, Sangdewo’s face turned ashen. One of his hands rested upon the exquisitely carved Galaxy Stone table beside him; his palm sank deeply into the surface, leaving a distinct imprint. A wave of invisible psychic fluctuation pulsed outward, shoving the steward back several steps.

The reason Yang Ying released those ten sets of Resurrection Potion components was to reassure the nobility. Sangdewo was undefeated on the battlefield, commanding countless fierce generals. Although his defeat in the Solar System caused him heavy losses, his remaining strength was still sufficient to dominate the Empire. Since his return to the capital, the conflict between the Royal Family and Sangdewo had rapidly intensified, reaching the point of attempted assassination. If left unaddressed, this situation risked causing widespread panic among the nobles loyal to the Royal Family, who feared being targeted or even annihilated for standing with the Crown.

By presenting ten sets of Resurrection Potion components at this critical juncture, Yang Ying was assuring them. With Duke Anlke as the precedent, they would all understand: as long as they stood with the Royal Family, even if killed by Sangdewo, they could be instantly revived.

If necessary, Yang Ying would not hesitate to release ten, or even a hundred, sets of the Resurrection Potion. At this moment, he possessed enough power to safeguard everything he held dear; his position in the Galaxy was unshakeable. Let others question the unusual origins of the draught; Yang Ying cared little for their speculation!

Undoubtedly, the Duke’s banquet achieved its intended effect. The news of Yang Ying casually displaying ten sets of Resurrection Potion components quickly spread throughout the Empire’s upper society, causing a tremendous stir.

During the banquet, someone had attempted to purchase a set of the components from Yang Ying, driving the bid up relentlessly to fifty billion Imperial Credits. If one life could command such a price, one would surely lose their sense of proportion. However, Yang Ying ultimately refused to sell, and furthermore, he made it clear through his envoys: the Resurrection Potion was not for sale!

Not for sale! This phrase was generally persuasive. If given the choice, nobles holding a single set of the components would never sell them, regardless of the price offered. As high-ranking aristocrats, they lacked nothing in wealth, and a life was infinitely more valuable than a string of digits.

But the problem was that Yang Ying possessed ten sets—and those were just the ones revealed!

In the eyes of the assembled nobles, someone capable of producing ten sets so easily could logically produce another ten, or even more.

Possessing so many materials yet refusing to sell them was tormenting the nobles. Combined with Duke Anlke’s example, they quickly arrived at a singular conclusion: this Mr. Yang Ying, who hailed from the Hunter Quadrant, intended to utilize these Resurrection Potions as exclusive benefits for the Royalist faction.

One side dealt death; the other guaranteed life. When these two forces clashed, the outcome was swift: the side guaranteeing life held the absolute advantage.

After all, there were countless ways to die in this world. Besides targeted assassination, there were lingering illnesses, accidental mishaps, and even the ultimate demise of old age. Even those who perished from natural causes could be saved by the Resurrection Potion and be granted the opportunity to start anew in a young, eighteen-year-old body. For the aging nobles, whose feet were already positioned on the threshold of the grave, this was an irresistible temptation.

Yang Ying had subtly implied at the banquet: join the Royalist faction, and whether killed by the Sangdewo faction's assassins or by any other means, your life would be insured by the Resurrection Potion.

Consequently, in the days that followed, the Royal Family received an avalanche of loyalty pledges. Not only did the nobles who already supported the Royalists earnestly swear in the most fervent language that they and their families would stand with the Crown under any circumstances, but even those who had intended to remain neutral until the upheaval ended now petitioned to join the Royalist ranks.

These letters of allegiance were no longer the flowery, empty rhetoric of the past. They were genuine pledges, full of sincerity. They demanded that the Royal Family send representatives into their estates and family councils, promising those representatives ample authority. They even offered high-ranking heirs to serve as attendants in the Imperial Palace—a clear parallel to giving up hostages.

"As of now, no loyalty pledges have arrived from the Regent’s faction, but judging by the current momentum, they won't be able to hold out much longer."

Landon had been visiting Yang Ying almost daily to report on the progress of events. Neither of the Two Supremes had been privy to Yang Ying’s plan initially. The assassination attempt on Duke Anlke, and the subsequent unveiling of the Resurrection Potion, had all been the result of unforeseen circumstances; Yang Ying had not consulted them beforehand.

However, the benefit to the Royal Family was undeniable. Therefore, the Empress immediately ordered Landon to set aside all other duties and focus entirely on liaising with Yang Ying’s faction.

"Judging by the pledges already received, the appearance of the Resurrection Potion has swung nearly a quarter of the seats in the Imperial Senate toward us. Coupled with the families already loyal to Her Majesty the Empress, she now commands a majority in the Senate. This means we can move to pass the motion to reduce the Regent's military authority. If that passes, soon after, we can propose stripping him of his Regent title."

Landon spoke excitedly. In truth, the Empress desperately wanted to strip Sangdewo of his Regent title immediately and remove his seat from the Grand Council Hall.

However, the Empress Dowager raised an objection. She argued that since Sangdewo had just returned victorious from the Perseus Arm campaign with towering prestige, directly proposing to remove his title would first confuse the populace and undermine the authority of the Crown.

Secondly, it would pressure the newly defected families to immediately declare open hostility toward the Regent. Acting too hastily might cause them to waver again, potentially leading to the failure of the motion and further erosion of the Crown’s authority.

In contrast, initiating the reduction of Sangdewo's military power, citing the end of the Perseus Arm expedition as justification, appeared logical and reasonable; it would not provoke a massive backlash. It would allow the neutral families time to grow accustomed to standing with the Royalist faction and simultaneously serve as a litmus test for Sangdewo.

If he refused to relinquish military control, his reputation could be damaged to some extent. If he agreed, the Royal Family's authority would soar, strengthening their cohesion with the allied families, making it much easier to strip him of the Regent title later.

The Empress agreed with her mother's advice and was beginning the execution of this plan.

Landon summarized the situation briefly, then asked, "What countermeasures do you predict the Sangdewo faction will take to respond to this move?"