Once the meeting concluded, Sandover proceeded to the rear courtyard of the official residence, where Yasuwen had been waiting for some time.

"You did well this time; the intelligence you brought back successfully persuaded five of those old fossils," Sandover nodded slightly to Yasuwen. "Otherwise, they would have remained entirely detached from worldly affairs; it’s no easy task to draw them out." He seemed to be musing aloud, "I can hardly believe that Yang Ying and Dao Feng were only at the Third Level Limit recently. How on earth did they advance to the Fourth Level Limit in such a short span?"

Yasuwen had been dispatched to the Orion Arm to scout the background of Yang Ying and Dao Feng. He dared not venture into the Solar System; that small star system gave him an overwhelming sense of danger, making it clear that the moment he showed his face there, he would be discovered by either Yang Ying or Dao Feng, possibly even losing his life.

Fortunately, gathering intelligence did not require a Fourth Level existence like himself to take direct action. He easily located several intelligence organizations within the Orion Arm and purchased information concerning Yang Ying, Dao Feng, and the Teran Mercenary Group from them.

Ever since Yang Ying and Dao Feng killed Kalagunes and subsequently attacked the Kusta Empire alongside the Kosei, their names had spread throughout the entire Orion Arm, making them hot commodities in the intelligence world.

Although Yang Ying had previously taken advantage of the Earth upheaval to have his Ghost agents clean up the traces he left behind, erasing almost everything prior to his promotion to the Third Level.

After this erasure, the only ones who retained knowledge of his past were the Elders of the Nian Neng Temple, along with a group including Kinzeller and others.

Even so, many of his deeds had a wide-ranging impact, with numerous eyewitnesses. Especially after he left the Solar System, he had registered at the Vida Star Mercenary Guild, tested his strength, and participated in the Flinn Civil Strife, accepting the mission from the Royal Family to rescue the King and Queen. Consequently, intelligence organizations, with their far-reaching capabilities, quickly unearthed his situation.

Just a few years ago, Yang Ying and Dao Feng were mere experts at the Third Level Limit, yet a few years later, they had both suddenly become beings at the Fourth Level Limit and slain Kalagunes, the Kusta Guardian God who had stood for ten thousand years. This intelligence was unbelievable to every agent who handled it, but no matter how many times they confirmed the data, the result remained the same.

They were stunned, frantically seeking the reason but finding nothing. In the end, they could only accept the reality; after all, two beings at the Fourth Level Limit were not something any single intelligence organization could afford to provoke. Even considering foul play, they first had to count how many lives they possessed.

However, for Yasuwen, the intelligence obtained from these organizations was more than sufficient. Advancing from the Third Level Limit to the Fourth Level Limit in just over two years was theoretically impossible. Even during the Empire’s most glorious era, when geniuses emerged in droves, no one achieved such rapid cultivation speed.

To speak nothing else, Sandover himself was a rare genius in the Empire's history, taking only twelve thousand years to cultivate from the initial stages of the Fourth Level to the Fourth Level Limit.

In this regard, the holder of the fastest historical record was the Empire's Founding Emperor, who took nine thousand eight hundred years, and he remains the only person in Imperial history to advance from entering the Fourth Level to reaching the Fourth Level Limit in under ten thousand years. How long did Yang Ying and Dao Feng take? Two years! For anyone else, this time would barely be enough to familiarize themselves with the realm, still fumbling at the surface of its rules!

After Yasuwen transmitted this news back to the Empire, it immediately garnered high attention from Sandover, leading him to draw out five elders who had long since ceased significant involvement. These were the first batch of senators who had experienced the Extragalactic Influx over ten thousand years ago, the chaos of the Force Sea, its subsequent reorganization, and had contributed mental energy to it. Though they spoke little now, they still commanded vast networks and influence capable of easily swaying the Senate's direction.

The following morning, at the imperial court session.

The ministers of the Cabinet arrived early at the Grand Assembly Hall, exchanging greetings at the entrance. However, several among them had a glint in their eyes, appearing quite expectant about this morning's proceedings.

The other ministers had also heard whispers about the banquet held the previous night at the Regent's residence; after all, too many nobles had attended for the news not to trickle out.

Entering the Grand Assembly Hall, they observed that the Empress on the central throne and the Empress Dowager seated below her both wore displeased expressions.

Sandover also entered the Grand Assembly Hall and settled firmly into his seat, one rank below the Empress Dowager, displaying an air of absolute control.

"For this routine court session, do any ministers have important matters requiring reporting?" the Empress inquired from her high seat.

"I do!" Sandover rose to his feet.

"Regent," the Empress's tone was indifferent. "What is your concern?"

Sandover shifted a few paces forward on the dais, positioning himself directly before the Empress. His gaze was sharp as he stated, "I petition Your Majesty to immediately revoke the appointment of Yang Ying and Dao Feng as subhuman Enshrined Officials. Their origins are obscure, their conduct suspicious, their motives unknown. They represent extreme danger. Allowing them to serve as Imperial Enshrined Officials is reckless."

"This is alarmist talk!" The Empress Dowager stood up. "Both Enshrined Officials have rendered immense service to the Empire. They protected the missing Grand Princess in the Orion Arm, ensuring she grew up safely and returned to the Empire. They are, arguably, benefactors of the Royal Family. I will not tolerate such baseless slander directed at them."

"That does not change the fact that their origins are unknown," stated a voice filled with magnetism.

Accompanying this voice appeared a powerfully built middle-aged man, emerging from a wormhole at the hall entrance, accompanied by four other figures.

"It is Grand Uncle-Ancestor Tiergusin, along with Duke Latolas, Duke Gulobali, Duke Billingdon, and Duke Shakhalovich," the Empress named them one by one, then added, "Attendants, prepare seats for these esteemed elders."

"No need; we are not frail," the robust middle-aged man waved off the Empress's offer. This was Prince Tiergusin. In terms of seniority, he was of the same generation as the Empress's great-grandfather, who was the Emperor that had stabilized the Force Sea and ascended the throne after the direct line of succession had died out.

At that time, Tiergusin had a chance to contend for the throne with his brother, but during the Force Sea upheaval, his contribution was less than his brother's, causing him to miss out on the throne.

Subsequently, he never displayed any ambition for the throne, content merely to bear the title of Prince and enjoy his life.

The other four dukes had each dominated a period of Imperial history; their respective achievements had already become legend. Now, the living subjects of these legends had all assembled in the Grand Assembly Hall. "Are you all here to make things difficult for me as well?" the Empress asked, displeased.

"You brought this upon yourself," Prince Tiergusin, as the Empress's elder, rebuked without hesitation. "You trust two alien subhumans over true humans? I cannot believe you can govern the Empire. A joke! Know this: you are the Empress of the True Human Empire. Your central consideration should be the welfare of true humans. Now, knowing that those two subhumans possess secrets of immense value, you refuse to investigate them for the benefit of true humans, instead trying to use their assistance to suppress the true human nobility. This is putting the cart before the horse, utterly foolish."

The Empress and the Empress Dowager frowned upon hearing this. The current situation was that without Yang Ying and Dao Feng maintaining order, Sandover and his allies would have already devoured them whole. Should they now accommodate those who schemed against them?

"He speaks the truth," Duke Latolas, to his left, stepped forward. "That these two subhumans advanced from the Third Level Limit to the Fourth Level Limit in just over two years—do you dare claim you are unaware?"

"Aware or unaware, their secrets are ultimately theirs, aren't they?" the Empress countered. "If exploiting or stealing secrets of value is permissible, what difference is there between that and space pirates?"

"The interests of true humans supersede all else, and if necessary, one must employ the methods of space pirates. As a ruler, you should not indulge in sentimental weakness!" Prince Tiergusin thundered. "The secret held by those two subhumans is so potent that it should not be possessed by individuals; only the Empire is qualified to command such a secret!"

"Precisely. The Empire is the Empire of true humans. True humans rule subhumans and have the right to enjoy everything subhumans can possess. All subhumans are vassals of true humans, even those outside Imperial territory," stated Duke Gulobali. "Their possession of this secret without voluntarily yielding it to the Empire constitutes overreach! They must be severely punished!"

"Duke Gulobali, your assertion is too absolute," the Empress Dowager rebutted. "They are not merely subhumans; they are beings at the Fourth Level Limit. According to Imperial law, regardless of whether they are true humans or subhumans, they are entitled to treatment equivalent to that of a Prince."

"Using these useless doctrines and hollow arguments, you seek to evade your sworn duties? Do you honor your supreme status?" Prince Tiergusin roared.

"Grand Uncle-Ancestor, in this hall, I am supreme, not you!" the Empress retorted, displeased.

"Hmph, if you believe your status as Empress allows you to act wantonly, you are mistaken!" Prince Tiergusin raised his eyebrows, angered.

"Who exactly is acting wantonly?" The Empress also became irate.

The few 'old relics' pressed aggressively, quickly inciting debate within the Grand Assembly Hall. Both sides were beings at the Fourth Level, possessing vast reserves of knowledge, citing classics and drawing analogies, speaking with such fervor that the flowers of the earth seemed to bloom.

Sandover watched the unfolding situation coldly, immensely satisfied with the turn of events.