The self-destruction of Planet Xyphar! Following this event, countless individuals within the Allied Fleet heard the invitation from Yaphie in their ears, and Daofeng arrived at the Joint Command Headquarters.

The council hall buzzed, filled with laughter and noise, as the supreme commanders of every splinter fleet gathered. Seated there, besides the Stargazers, were more than a dozen of their allies: the Ekans, the Jariad, the Wen, the Montais, and others. These were all advanced civilizations who had united to counter the expansion of the Kustar. Each race sent anywhere from seventy or eighty thousand to four or five hundred thousand ships, depending on their strength.

It is worth noting that Daofeng, representing the two hundred thousand battlecruiser fleet, stood for the Terran Mercenaries, not for Earth itself, which had never joined the Stargazer military alliance. Of course, in the eyes of the other alliance members, whether Earth joined or not was immaterial; having the Terran Mercenaries was sufficient.

Given their standing, they had all, to some degree, heard the accounts of Earth's ascension to an advanced civilization, yet they did not equate the Terran Mercenaries with Earth.

Judging by those present, most attended via holographic projection. However, Daofeng, with his capabilities, needed only a thought to appear in the Joint Command Headquarters, which was fractionally faster than using a virtual image. Planet Kustar had been utterly shattered, and Yaphie appeared to be in excellent spirits, her eyes narrowed slightly, the corners of her mouth turned up in a perpetual smile. Upon seeing Daofeng arrive, she gave him a slight nod and uttered a soft call, silencing the hall.

"Esteemed colleagues, this is a historic day. This exhausting war has finally reached its conclusion. With the annihilation of Planet Kustar, the Kustar Empire, as a political entity, has ceased to exist!"

As Yaphie’s words faded, the surroundings erupted in cheers. The commanders of every race celebrated using their own species’ unique customs.

Yaphie waited for the celebration to subside before continuing, "We can now be certain that Emperor Sauka of the Kustar Empire perished with his planet. There is also intelligence suggesting that Sauka’s five sons fled sometime earlier. If this information is accurate, it is conceivable that they will inevitably gather forces everywhere in an attempt at restoration. Within this sector, forty-six inhabited worlds and two hundred and twenty-seven mineral worlds remain under the control of the surviving Kustar."

"Excellency Yaphie," boomed a Montais, towering over three meters, "The remaining worlds are mere trifles! We will certainly conquer all remaining Kustar Imperial territory within two standard months. Let the Kustar go to hell!"

"Indeed!" a chorus of agreement followed.

Yaphie smiled. "I had worried that everyone might grow complacent after taking Kustar Prime. But seeing morale this high assures me. Shortly, you will each select your targets and report them to the Joint Command’s junior staff, who will draft the operational plan. We will divide our forces and conquer the rest of the Kustar Empire’s holdings, bringing this war to an end."

"Excellent!"

"Splendid!"

"I concur!" the others voiced.

Seeing no opposition, Yaphie nodded and smiled, "Since we are all in agreement, it shall be so. I assume you have arranged victory feasts aboard your respective fleets, so I will not detain you further. The meeting is adjourned."

"Yes!" The commanders rose in unison and deactivated their holographic projections.

"Lord Daofeng," Yaphie called out. After the other alien delegates had departed, she took a data chip from one of her disciples and handed it to Daofeng, "This is the specific timeline for the agreement between us. Review it; if you have any concerns, we can discuss them later."

Daofeng wore an Imperial-issue cranial interface device, exquisitely ornate yet possessing a unique style. It was clearly not crafted by an ordinary artisan. This was a specialized optical computer designed for Level Four entities. Due to the scarcity of materials for its core components, only a handful of optical computer labs across the entire Empire could custom-make them; they were simply unavailable on the open market. Daofeng, holding the title of Imperial Beneficiary, had managed to acquire one from an optical computer laboratory subordinate to the Royal Academy of Science. Yang Ying also possessed one.

The crimson crystal at the center of the headpiece emitted a red light, scanning the data chip. It instantly read all the data and channeled it directly into Daofeng’s mind.

Even a Peak Level Three master, faced with this instantaneous, high-volume flow of information, would become overwhelmed and struggle to comprehend it. It surpassed the limit of their processing speed.

However, for a Level Four entity, understanding this degree of data flow was routine.

According to the prior agreement between the Terran Mercenaries and the Stargazer Kingdom, the Dida Star Sector, one of the two secondary domains of the Kustar Empire, was to be ceded to the Terran Mercenaries for disposition.

Yang Ying had no desire to occupy the territory of the Dida Sector, as the cost would outweigh the benefit. During the Kustar rule, the native inhabitants of the Dida Sector had never ceased resisting; they possessed an inherent spirit of rebellion. Unless they controlled their own destiny, they would never be docile.

If the Terran Mercenaries treated these natives as conquerors, it would only fuel their fierce resistance. Yang Ying would then be compelled to station elite troops there to suppress the rebellions and purge dissenters.

This would significantly tarnish the reputation of the Terran Mercenaries. The poor reputation of the Kustar had two main causes: their military aggression and the brutal suppression of resistance movements in the Dida Sector.

Yang Ying did not wish to tread the same path as the Kustar; thus, his methods needed to be more conciliatory. He did not require direct rule; he only needed the Dida Sector to provide a continuous stream of resources. There were numerous ways to achieve this; the Terran Mercenaries, having developed to their current state, commanded plenty of specialists capable of devising plan after plan for this.

Daofeng had a substantial understanding of the specific steps for planning such matters. The timeline Yaphie provided was the result of multiple negotiations between his subordinates and Stargazer personnel. Daofeng reviewed it, found no issues, and nodded to Yaphie, signaling his assent.

Simultaneously, on the capital world of the True Human Empire, Yang Ying and Katerina were taking Bai Bai out for an excursion. They visited the famous institute of higher learning on the capital world: the Royal Academy.

The Empress Dowager and Empress Elimiya were both exceedingly busy, especially after the debut of the new Awakening Potion. They were occupied almost every moment, becoming busier by the day, leaving less and less time to spend with Bai Bai.

Under these circumstances, Katerina, who adored Bai Bai, frequently went to keep the little girl company, sometimes taking her away from the palace to alleviate her boredom.

Since both supreme leaders knew Katerina possessed the strength of a Peak Level Four, and Yang Ying inevitably accompanied her whenever she left, they did not object. If an issue arose even under the protection of two Peak Level Four powerhouses, then there would be no truly safe place in the cosmos.

Naturally, Katerina did not take Bai Bai far from the palace. The capital world had developed over hundreds of thousands of years to a state of exquisite perfection, almost beyond improvement. Especially around the palace grounds, nearly every step revealed a vista, or even several vistas; to see them all would take far longer than a short outing. Today’s visit to the First Royal Academy confirmed its title as the Empire’s premier institution of higher learning. As a Level Four entity and the Grand Apothecary of the Ten Leaves, Marquis Du’neihow was the Dean of the Potion Science College here. Moreover, fifteen other Level Four entities were among the faculty, each a leading figure in their respective fields.

“Your sister mentioned that you will begin studying here next year, correct?” Katerina asked, leading Bai Bai down a tree-lined avenue. Yang Ying walked on Bai Bai’s other side, with Landon following behind them.

The paths were flanked by dense forests, and occasionally, one could spot students between the branches—some deeply engaged in conversation, others in deep thought, and groups playing unique Imperial pastimes. Technological advancement ensured that the light and sound effects of these games provided comprehensive sensory enjoyment.

“Mm-hmm,” Bai Bai replied softly upon hearing Katerina’s question, lowering her head slightly. “Mother Empress and my sister both said I should come here to study. I need to decide which courses to take.”

“Landon,” Katerina turned back, “You studied here, didn’t you? Tell Bai Bai what it’s like.”

“Certainly,” Landon laughed. “I earned four degrees here, one of which was in Potion Science. Marquis Du’neihow of the Potion Science College was once my mentor.”

Because they had made specific prior arrangements, the Academy’s high command had not sent any official welcoming party. Otherwise, the arrival of the Imperial Eldest Princess would have necessitated a welcoming ceremony of at least a hundred people at the school gates, followed by the Principal escorting her throughout the tour. Instead, the group traveled incognito. Since Landon had studied there previously, he took on the role of tour guide. Bai Bai’s face had been subtly altered by Katerina using advanced illusion magic; her hair, eye color, and even her facial structure were changed. No one would suspect she was the Imperial Eldest Princess.

However, Yang Ying could still sense several Level Four minds watching their group from within the campus, clearly still harboring residual concern for the Eldest Princess’s safety.

As they listened to Landon’s descriptions and admired the campus scenery, Yang Ying easily perceived that the academic atmosphere here was significantly more intense than at the Central Glacier Academy—not by a margin of tens of percent, but by several times, and in certain specialized areas, perhaps tenfold. The spirit of scholarship was deeply ingrained in this ancient campus, inspiring generations of students to dedicate themselves to their studies and radiate the brilliance of knowledge.

Just then, a figure approached from ahead—a face everyone knew well. It was the current luminary of the Empire, the inventor of the new Awakening Potion, the one who nearly sparked sharp confrontation between the Imperial House and the Regent: the genius Grand Apothecary, Igor.D.