Aola raised her head, casting a complicated look at the Blade Emperor once more before turning her gaze sideways. “Don’t think this means I’ll agree,” she snapped. “What kind of farce is this? You slaughter my husband and now play the part of the sanctimonious?”

“A good sign,” the Blade Emperor nodded. “From your demeanor, your stance has softened.”

“Nonsense!” Aola’s eyes sharpened, her expression hardening again.

“You and I are both Fourth-Level entities. Meaningless pretense serves neither of us.”

The Blade Emperor shrugged. After speaking, he paused for a moment, then continued with profound solemnity. “As for Yingmuli’s demise, that is indeed the greatest stumbling block to this cooperative venture. Very well, let us strike a bargain.”

“What bargain?” Aola asked.

“You complete the task we assign you: lead those races unwilling to war away from the Expeditionary Force, away from the Orion Arm,” the Blade Emperor gestured toward Aola, then himself, slowly stating, “And we will return your husband—to you!”

Aola’s heart hammered against her ribs. Her first reaction was disbelief, followed by a sharp cry: “That’s impossible!” Her voice trembled with shock, yet held a sliver of hope.

“Why impossible?” the Blade Emperor asked dismissively.

Aola clenched her fists, her body rigid, staring intently at the Blade Emperor, clearly stretched to the very limit of her tension. “The death of a Fourth-Level entity is unlike that of an ordinary person. When commoners die, their souls descend to the nether side of the psychic world, and they can still be recalled through special means. But once a Fourth-Level entity perishes, the soul disperses without a trace. No method can recall it, not even searching the entire galaxy; such a violation of nature simply does not exist!”

The Blade Emperor nodded. “Indeed. Even the resurrection agents of the True Human Empire cannot save a fallen Fourth-Level entity. For countless eons, no method for reviving a perished Fourth-Level being has existed anywhere in the galaxy. But, that was the past.”

The Blade Emperor pointed to the other Blade Emperors. “We are the Rulers of the Zerg—the Zergian species. We possess the power to forge new history. And soon, one among us shall ascend to an unprecedented Fifth-Level existence, mastering wisdom and power that transcends every Fourth-Level entity in galactic history. At that time, we will resurrect your husband.”

Fourth-Level entities, utilizing high-level spiritual perception, could glimpse the myriad mysteries contained within the universe. The laws driving cosmic operation were directly visible to them; the stronger they were, the more they saw. By the peak of the Fourth Level, one could basically see through all universal changes.

What wondrous power a Fifth-Level entity commanded, Yang Ying, having not yet reached that stage, could not know for certain, but it was clear that the qualitative leap beyond a Fourth-Level entity must be vast.

Yang Ying, existing at the apex of the Fourth Level, often felt subtle premonitions in the void. Based on experience, the gap between adjacent levels—from First to Fourth—only grew wider, and the chasm between Fourth and Fifth obviously surpassed the difference between Third and Fourth. Fourth-Level power could already be called miraculous; the power of the Fifth Level was utterly unimaginable.

One thing was certain: resurrecting a fallen Fourth-Level entity, even if a mere sliver of Fifth-Level capability proved insufficient, should not be difficult for someone at the absolute peak of the Fifth Level. And what Yang Ying feared least was the accumulation of psychic power.

As for whether he could breach the bottleneck between Fourth and Fifth Levels, Yang Ying was supremely confident for reasons he would not detail here.

However, Yang Ying’s confidence did not translate to everyone else.

Hearing the Blade Emperor’s words, Aola’s expression shifted, and suddenly she burst into a short laugh. It was not loud, filled with an ineffable sorrow. It sounded less like laughter and more like weeping, like a sob. “I wondered what grand claim you’d make. Fifth-Level beings—I have heard the legends. The first Emperor of the True Human Empire allegedly took a half-step onto the path of Fifth-Level promotion, yet even such a great figure never truly crossed that threshold. And you—you creatures of unknown origin—dare to speak such nonsense? I was nearly convinced just moments ago... I truly am a fool.”

The Blade Emperor shook his head. “Aola, tens of thousands of years have granted you profound experience, and experience has brought you wisdom far beyond the mundane. But that same experience also prevents you from seeing novelty, or perhaps, if you see it, you refuse to accept its existence.”

The Blade Emperor advanced until he was right before Aola. “Exert your perception to its absolute limit. Tell me: am I speaking a lie! As a fellow Fourth-Level entity, though perhaps inferior to me in strength, you should be capable of discerning whether my words are utter fabrication!”

Aola turned her head, fixing her gaze directly into the Blade Emperor’s eyes.

“I will say it again, listen carefully!” the Blade Emperor commanded. “Someone among us will become a Fifth-Level entity! When that happens, we will resurrect your husband, Yingmuli. Do you understand me?”

Aola stared at the Blade Emperor. After a long moment, her gaze began to subtly change. “You are not lying. You actually aren’t lying! How is that possible?”

The Blade Emperor stepped back two paces and casually dismissed the deep-red Great Vortex spell. “Now, do you believe us? Do you agree to carry out the mission we’ve set for you?”

What other choice did Aola have now?

“I... I agree,” Aola nodded.

“Good,” the Blade Emperor affirmed. “With your reputation and status, persuade as many races as possible to depart the Orion Arm. We, the Zergian species, are claiming this territory. We give the races one month. After one month, any who have not decided to withdraw will be designated as enemies invading our domain, and the Zergian species will launch a full assault against them.”

Originally, Yang Ying had not planned to seize the Orion Arm so quickly, but now that the Swarm had expanded to cover nearly the entire spiral arm, taking the entire arm in one sweep was certainly logical.

Aola said nothing more, only nodding. “I hope you adhere to the agreement made just now.”

Having concluded the arrangements, the Blade Emperors flashed and vanished from the core space of the War Star. One of the Blade Emperors descended onto the planet’s surface.

The fighting on the surface was nearing its end. The allied defense forces of the Joint Command had been routed across the board. Their multi-functional combat fortresses, relied upon as shields, were mostly destroyed. The Zerg armies were wantonly hunting down the soldiers of various races, capturing fortress after fortress.

In the sky, Zerg units flew in swarms—Spore Pods, Acidics, Parasites, and Whirligig Worms raining down everywhere, smashing defenses and killing any exposed soldiers. On the ground, Detonation Soldiers rushed about, latching onto any target without hesitation before detonating. The violent blast wave swept everything within a hundred meters, sending fire and smoke billowing toward the heavens, making even the earth tremble.

Some Detonation Soldiers even formed small platoons, or even larger detachments, charging toward underground fortifications. They blasted through walls and blasted down doors. Weaker obstacles were cleared by a single Detonation Soldier; thicker barriers were demolished by a small squad. If they encountered defenses too strong for Detonation Soldiers to breach, Lords and Overseers, responsible for observation and command, would summon fire support. Sometimes, even Cerebrates would intervene directly, tearing open the ceilings of these strongholds in an instant.

From high altitude, the Blade Emperor observed the overwhelming advantage on the ground. His expression was neither pleased nor displeased. He descended to the surface and issued a psychic wave ordering all Zerg to assemble. Then, he sent them back to the Floating Continent in several waves.

Looking around, nearly half the planet was engulfed in flames. Though the Zerg armies retreated, the battle had left deep scars: ruins and rubble lay everywhere, survivors were few. More than half of the Joint Command headquarters had been annihilated here, and the Blade Emperors’ task was complete.

In space, ten Blade Emperors watched the War Star pull away. A magnificent surge of spatial energy erupted from within the star, tearing open a colossal wormhole ahead. This was Aola’s work. The War Star possessed no such inherent function; only by using the Godhead technology could Aola, controlling the star, borrow its energy to expand the wormhole to this magnitude. Without either component, this super-massive wormhole could not have formed.

Watching the War Star disappear into the central passage of the wormhole, and seeing the wormhole shrink and vanish, the Blade Emperors shifted their gaze to the side.

Where their focus landed, a wormhole suddenly swelled from small to large right before them.

“Just sent one wave off, and here comes another. This place has certainly been busy today,” one Blade Emperor remarked.

At this moment, the Blade Emperor who had recalled the Zerg army on the planet also ascended into space. All eleven Blade Emperors gathered together.

From the passage in the center of the wormhole, an elegant and stately figure emerged. She was dressed in formal attire, possessing a composed aura. A magnificent crown rested upon her head, and her eyes held a faint impression of majesty and solemnity. The newcomer was none other than the Empress Dowager of the True Human Empire, followed closely by Yang Ying, Katerina, and Blade.

“Greetings,” the Empress Dowager approached the eleven Blade Emperors. “It is my first meeting. My name is Doria Ang Atlantis, Empress Dowager of the True Human Empire.”

The Blade Emperors exchanged glances, and one stepped forward to reply. “Greetings, Empress Dowager of the True Human Empire. We are the Rulers of the Zergian species. What brings you to us?”

My condition hasn't been great lately, so today it will only be one chapter D.