The power of the Sea of Origin cannot be self-renewing." The Empress Dowager subtly turned her head to watch the direction where the Empress and Bai Bai had departed.

"Cannot sustain itself indefinitely?" Yang Ying frowned. With his considerable understanding of the spiritual world, he already suspected what this development might entail. "Does this imply that for the Sea of Origin to continue serving as the power source for the evolution of the True Human race, spiritual energy must be expended?"

"You are entirely correct." The Empress Dowager turned back to face Yang Ying. "After the Great Calamity, a small number of people still maintained a connection with the Sea of Origin. In order to preserve these last True Humans, the Emperor at the time decided to sustain the continuation of the True Human lineage by feeding spiritual power into the Sea of Origin. This decision received the support of the majority of the nobility."

Although the True Human population plummeted due to the Great Calamity, the total number was still considerable. It was impossible for the Emperor alone to supply the necessary spiritual power. After much deliberation, many high nobles who had reached the Fourth Level contributed their own power to the Sea of Origin, in exchange for partial authority over it—including Sandwort.

Originally, before the Great Calamity, the Sea of Origin was firmly held in the hands of the Imperial Emperor. However, after the calamity, the nobles who provided spiritual power to the Sea of Origin formed the Senate and began interfering with its operation. The Sea of Origin is the foundation of imperial power; no emperor would willingly share it if they could avoid it, but at that time, for the sake of the True Human continuation, there was no other choice. Now, with the royal family in decline and the feudal lords carving up the realm, the seeds of this disaster were sown at that very time.

Hearing this, Yang Ying sighed faintly. The complete history of the Sea of Origin, the legends of Atlantis, and why humanity existed on the Earth Core, and why Earthlings forgot their origins—it all finally became clear. As someone who was once an ordinary Earthling, Yang Ying felt a complex mix of emotions stirring within him.

After a moment of silence, Yang Ying spoke, "I heard Sandwort always wanted to marry the Empress. Is that also..."

"Yes, it is a responsibility the royal line cannot evade," the Empress Dowager interrupted Yang Ying, frowning slightly. She clearly disliked this topic. "The lesson learned the last time the Sea of Origin lost an heir was too profound. To prevent such a situation from recurring, the high nobles at the time demanded the Emperor establish a covenant before they would acknowledge his throne."

"In that covenant, the Emperor commanded all his descendants to maintain the stability of the Sea of Origin by every means possible. This meant that every emperor had to secure at least one crown prince who met the inheritance rules of the Sea of Origin, to avoid loss of control over it should he meet with an accident."

"I see now." Yang Ying thought to himself. "Without an heir, and with her sister absent, it’s no wonder the Empress has to endure Sandwort's arrogance. That ancestral covenant makes it difficult for her to refuse him with righteous authority. Sandwort uses his authority to oppress her, and the Empress, being in her position, must bear this responsibility. Viewed from this angle, she is practically a prisoner of the Sea of Origin."

"Brother Yang Ying, are you finished talking with Mother?" Just then, Bai Bai came skipping back from the distance, her older sister following slowly behind her. Though she appeared slow, no matter how fast Bai Bai ran, she couldn't shake her. Yang Ying could see a radiant smile blossoming on the Empress's face, as if accompanying Bai Bai's play was a source of pure, earthly delight.

"I rarely saw her smile like this before Sophie returned," the Empress Dowager also revealed a look of gratified relief, and she said thank you to Yang Ying once more.

Bai Bai ran up to Yang Ying, her face completely free of sweat, her large, bright eyes seemingly holding tiny stars, shimmering with hopeful brilliance.

"Brother Yang Ying, come play with me! All the flowers in this garden are so strange. I saw a flower on the two levels below that was this big!" She drew a large circle in front of her with both hands, stretching her arms to their absolute limit, even rising onto her tiptoes.

"Alright, alright, I'll play with you." Yang Ying stood up and took her small hand, leading the way toward the flower gardens below. As he passed the Empress, Yang Ying nodded to her—a simple acknowledgement. The Empress returned a gentle nod as a reciprocal gesture.

The Empress sat beside the Empress Dowager, gazing at the departing figures of Yang Ying and Bai Bai. Once they were far enough away, the Empress Dowager picked up the delicate little cup from the small table and took a gentle sip, asking, "Aili, what do you think of him?"

"Think of what?" the Empress asked, confused.

"Don't play coy with me." The Empress Dowager tapped her daughter's forehead. "We just discussed the responsibilities of the royal family with him. This is something you cannot evade. Sooner or later, you will have to marry and bear children."

The Empress's face instantly flushed crimson. "Mother, Sophie is back. Is there no need to rush this matter?"

The Empress Dowager chuckled lightly. "I'm not suggesting you marry right now; even if you wanted to, I couldn't bear to part with you. I am asking what you think of Yang Ying as a person."

"This... he... his origins are unclear," the Empress sounded flustered. "Although Sophie encountered him in the Solar System, the Solar System... I need to investigate carefully. Yang Ying's rise from obscurity to the Fourth Level, everything about his ascent—it's all strange. First, he has four, perhaps more, friends who are Fourth Level limits. Second, he saved your sister. Third, he is willing to help us." The Empress Dowager shrugged. "If you need more, I could easily list six, seven, eight, nine, and ten."

"Well... um..." The Empress still avoided the direct question, showing no inclination to answer straightforwardly.

The Empress Dowager pressed a few more times, but seeing her daughter remained tight-lipped, she let it go. Her sharp eyes fixed intently on her daughter. The Empress felt uneasy under the scrutiny, wishing only to leave the small table quickly and escape her mother's examining gaze.

Suddenly, the Empress Dowager laughed twice. "I understand. You've been like this since you were a child. We'll put this topic aside for now and talk about it later."

A while later, Yang Ying brought the wildly playing Bai Bai back, exchanging a few words with the mother and daughter trio. Yang Ying sensed, however, that the Empress Dowager's attitude toward him had undergone a subtle shift during his absence.

The Regent's residence was situated in the northern hemisphere of the capital planet. Unlike the palace in Sandwort's territory, this was a secondary residence granted to him by the Royal Family on the capital.

At the gate of this residence now, the area was bustling. Noble figures, clad in opulent attire, possessing commanding presences, and arriving with great fanfare, were flooding toward the entrance.

Sandwort had announced his return to court that morning and was hosting a banquet that evening, inviting the vast majority of his faction members and allies.

As dusk fell, the guests had all arrived, and Sandwort declared the feast open.

After three rounds of drinks, Sandwort approached the dais. He surveyed the banquet hall with a sweep of his gaze, and the previously noisy hall immediately fell silent.

"Gentlemen, you have likely all heard. Her Majesty the Empress Dowager and Her Majesty the Empress have invited two Apex Experts of the sub-human race back from the Solar System." Sandwort held a wine cup in one hand, his expression seemingly unconcerned, merely stating a fact.

Bringing up this matter, which might otherwise have been ignored, instantly caused the atmosphere in the hall to freeze. The guests present were all figures whose slightest movement could shake the upper echelons of society; how could they not know about this? In the upper society of the Empire, such a tumultuous situation had not occurred in a long time.

"Hmph!" Sandwort scanned the faces, taking in everyone's expression, and let out a cold snort. "It seems some of your confidence in me has waned."

"Regent, some unpleasant matters have indeed occurred recently. You hosted this banquet today, presumably, to discuss something. There is no need to beat around the bush."

The speaker was a Duke of the Empire, known to others as Duke Honey. He was one of the Great Feudal Lords of the Empire and a member of the Senate, a Fourth Level existence whose cultivation had reached the peak of that level. While not equal to Sandwort, he certainly did not fear him. They had been allies in the past, but ever since news spread of Sandwort's defeat in the Solar System, he had not been as deferential to the Regent.

"Duke Honey." Sandwort shrugged. "You are entirely correct. I gathered everyone here because there is indeed an important matter to discuss. Tomorrow, during the Imperial Council meeting, I intend to undertake a major action, and I hope to have your support."

"Oh? And what is that?" Duke Honey inquired.

"Before discussing that matter, I wish to show everyone something—or perhaps, a few things."

Sandwort raised his right hand, and his palm suddenly glowed. Five spheres of light, multi-colored, flew out from his palm, dancing above his hand, appearing vibrant with sentience.

"Eh! Could that be..." Duke Honey trembled. "You actually secured the assistance of those old fossils?"

"Old fossils? Must you phrase it so crudely, Duke Honey? Do not think that just because your family is an ancient noble lineage stretching back to the Empire's founding that you can afford to offend those seniors. You would not fare well if you did," Sandwort said, retracting the spheres of light. Duke Honey clearly understood the implication and immediately clamped his mouth shut, becoming silent.

As for the others, they were already staring in stunned silence. Some among them also recognized those light orbs; they represented credentials, tokens issued by the most senior, Fourth Level Apex existences among the Imperial nobility. A simple sweep of spiritual power could reveal the information contained within the orbs. Clearly, during this time, Sandwort had successfully persuaded five of these 'old fossils' and gained their backing. This support came not only from their raw power but also from their deeply entrenched influence.

"Lord Regent, what assistance do you require from us during the council session?" a middle-aged noble asked.

Sandwort slowly exhaled several words: "Purge the court of impurities!"

Diamond left early today and only returned at 9:00 PM. I will manage one chapter for now; there's still 08 tomorrow.