What an atrocity! The Royal Family is shamelessly disregarding justice and the long-standing contributions of the lower classes to the Empire, are they truly planning a sordid purge?" "Empress Dowager! What has made you so audacious as to launch an army against the Senate?

Do you truly believe a single new Awakening Potion can pit you against the entire Noble Class?" "Has the Royal Family truly reached the point of recklessness? Do you intend to provoke a civil war within the Empire? This is utter folly!" "Empress Dowager, I advise you to halt immediately and offer your apologies to the esteemed Senators.

Before too much damage is done, there is still a chance for the Senate to grant you forgiveness!" "Forgiveness? We have given them far too many chances—so many that they have spawned unwarranted ambition! Now is the time for them to face reality.

If they desire war, then we shall give them war! Let them be the culprits who ignite a civil war within the Empire!" Yang Ying and his entourage arrived near the Senate building just as several thunderous voices boomed forth from within. The few Senators speaking clearly possessed formidable mental strength; their voices descended like divine judgment, carrying boundless fury that spread in every direction.

Yang Ying knew those voices were potent enough to resonate across the entire Capital Star. "That must be Prince Tie Guxin, Duke Latolas, Duke Gou Luobali, Duke Bilingdeng, and Duke Shakhalovi—all staunch opponents of the Royal Family." Yang Ying glanced up at the sky. Noting the sun's angle, he saw the Royal Guard fleet fully deployed, arrayed in a solemn and imposing formation.

He inwardly acknowledged the Royal Guard's rigorous training. "Esteemed Senators, today I do not act out of mere obstinacy, but because the current state of the Empire compels me to take action. Since the Great Calamity ten thousand years ago, the Sea of Primal Force was damaged, causing the Royal Family to gradually weaken.

The Noble Class, freed from constraint, allowed many nobles to forget the responsibilities they owe." "After the late Emperor's passing, the new Empress, Elemia, is still young and lacks the necessary prestige. Under the leadership of Regent Sandvo, this trend has escalated, becoming an entrenched force that is difficult to manage today." "Many of you attained your Senatorial seats before the Great Calamity. I must ask you: Do you still recall what the Senate looked like before the Calamity?

What about the Empire’s Noble Class? Compare that to the current situation—do you feel no shame?!" The Empress Dowager's sharp, resounding condemnation echoed through space. "Shame?

There is absolutely no need for it! Since the Great Calamity, the Empire suffered severe damage, but it also ushered in a new era. The internal and external environment facing the Empire has changed.

You are still clinging to ancient history from ten millennia ago; it is utterly obsolete!" Sandvo's voice emerged from the Senate and carried far toward the horizon: "If reality demands that your Royal Family weakens, even retreats, then that is the will of fate. The Royal Family should rationally accept its destiny, not stubbornly stand in its way and obstruct the course of history!" "You should understand, before the Empire was founded, we Atlantean humans experienced various political systems. If the Empire could be born, why can it not die?

All sentient beings in the universe experience birth, aging, sickness, and death; nations and organizations are no different. The Empire has endured for hundreds of thousands of years; even if its chapter truly closes, it will not have been in vain!" "Regent Sandvo, how can you utter such words?" Before the Empress Dowager could speak, Duke Yingkuoer, the Chief Senator renowned for his impartiality, raised an objection. "Hmph," Sandvo scoffed at Duke Yingkuoer's remark.

"Look at the Royal Family's current actions, threatening the Senate into dissolving itself—what else might they attempt? Their actions betray the Empire and undermine its very foundation; they are courting their own destruction!" "Even if the Royal Family is at fault, you, as the Regent of the Empire, should not be speaking words that subvert the Empire!" Duke Yingkuoer held his ground. "Sandvo!" The Empress Dowager's furious voice swept across the expanse of space, "These words have clearly been rooted in your heart for a long time.

Ever since you assassinated the late Emperor, you have been plotting to overthrow the Imperial rule. It's surprising you only admit it today!" "What!" Duke Yingkuoer appeared deeply shocked. He looked up and shouted, "Empress Dowager, are you telling the truth?

You must realize what a serious accusation this is." "Absolutely true! The late Emperor indeed died at Sandvo’s hand." The Empress Dowager commanded, "He also dispatched Milleram to hunt down Sophie Mialia, who was then the Second Princess. That is why she had to flee for ten years before she could return to the Empire!" "This..." Duke Yingkuoer immediately turned, sharply demanding of Sandvo, "Regent, what defense do you offer against the Empress Dowager's accusation?" "At this juncture, you are still obsessing over these trivial details, Yingkuoer.

That is what I cannot stand about you," Sandvo looked at him askance, his dismissive tone instantly enraging Yingkuoer. "Sandvo! Assassinating the late Emperor—is that a trivial matter in your view?" Yingkuoer roared.

"Compared to the Empire's distant future and the imminent civil war, are those past events not merely footnotes?" Sandvo waved his sleeve. "You need say no more. I did not do this, and this matter is never to be mentioned again." "According to Imperial law, Sandvo, such a defense is unacceptable," Duke Zuma, the Principal of the Royal First Academy, stepped up beside Duke Yingkuoer.

"A civil war is about to erupt, and you still cite Imperial law?" Sandvo pointed to the sky. "Take that up with the Empress Dowager; she has already brought her fleet right over the Senate!" Behind Duke Yingkuoer and Sandvo, the assembled Senators, hearing the arguments, exchanged glances and gradually split into two factions: those on the left siding with Yingkuoer, and those on the right with Sandvo. It was evident that Sandvo commanded a larger following.

From a distance, Yang Ying observed this and shook his head. "It seems Sandvo's cultivation over the years has been quite deep; he has too many adherents." "A civil war..." Landon clenched his fists. Yang Ying smiled lightly and transmitted via telepathy, "While the Empress Dowager's actions appear drastic, they are still somewhat merciful.

If it were me, I would simply seal the doors of the Senate and execute every Senator supporting Sandvo's faction, including Sandvo himself. Then, who would remain to oppose us?" Yang Ying's telepathic message reached everyone beside him, except for Bai Bai. Yang Ying felt that such cold-blooded matters were best left until she was a couple of years older.

Landon, seemingly understanding Yang Ying's thoughts, replied telepathically, "Such a move might not be easy to execute. The Empress and Empress Dowager do not control overwhelming strength. Senators supporting our side might not agree to strike against those supporting Sandvo.

Persuading them would be difficult." Yang Ying nodded. In truth, with the power he currently commanded—thirteen Fourth-Level Limit avatars—even deploying all of them would make it difficult to purge the Senate according to his wishes. One had to remember that those old relics were all Fourth-Level Limits who had existed for at least tens of thousands of years.

Sandvo was the youngest, yet he was already over twenty thousand years old. Their combat experience far surpassed his. To decisively defeat them would require at least two against one, and to truly eliminate them, a three-to-one ratio would be needed for sufficient certainty.

Coupled with dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Fourth-Level Senators who had not yet reached the Limit, their combined strength was slightly superior to all of his avatars. Yang Ying calculated inwardly: if he were to confront those Senators himself, he would likely need to wait longer—waiting for the Zerg and the Divine Race to develop further, allowing him to create more Fourth-Level Limit avatars, accumulating enough strength for a decisive blow to wipe them out in one fell swoop. At the Zerg's current maximum reproduction rate, achieving one hundred Fourth-Level Limit avatars would only take two or three months.

Of course, contemplating this now was useless; the confrontation between the Empress and Sandvo was unfolding before him. The Empire's civil war had begun, and perhaps only two or three days remained before actual combat erupted, certainly not two or three months. "Today, Elemia and I intend to dissolve the Senate, but once the purge of the Noble Class is complete, we will reconstruct it, and everything will return to how it was before the Great Calamity.

Very well! I give you ten standard seconds. If you do not vacate the Senate building, I will order the fleet to fire!

Ten, nine, eight..." The Empress Dowager began her countdown in space. The Senators supporting Duke Yingkuoer and Duke Zuma showed expressions of helplessness. They glanced once more at Sandvo's faction, shook their heads, and quickly vacated the Senate building.

"Five, four, three... one!" With a powerful gesture, Sandvo tore open a wormhole and stepped through with the Senators following him. The main cannons of the Royal Guard fleet had already begun charging, their muzzle flashes radiating a light brighter than the sun.

Seeing Sandvo's faction depart, the intense light in the cannon barrels gradually dimmed. The Empress Dowager was unwilling to bombard the Capital Star without cause. The Senate building, after all, was an ancient site.

Though not as old as the Grand Palace, this structure had stood in place for over one hundred thousand years, dating back to before the Great Calamity. A ground contingent arrived from nearby. They stopped before the Senate building, and a group of people in Royal Guard uniforms disembarked.

They carried various pieces of equipment and surrounded the Senate building entirely. Soon after, a large, multi-colored protective shield rose, a spiritual rune appearing at its apex. Yang Ying recognized the symbol; it meant "Seal." "The show is over," Yang Ying nodded, leading his group away.

After a moment, he added, "No, this is just the overture. The real performance is about to begin." (To be continued)H