While the Dassen Battle was being discussed and prepared for, far away in the Orion Arm, a conspiracy was brewing. Perhaps.

When Yang Ying had allowed the Zerg to spare the Galan and the Galan Star people, and instructed Aura to take those races unwilling to continue the expedition back to the Orion Arm, Aura completed this task without the slightest hesitation.

Among the hundreds of races in the expeditionary force, quite a few were disappointed with the venture, deeming the expenditure of lives against the Zerg not worthwhile.

They flocked to Aura’s fleet, preparing to return home.

Surprisingly, the Cygnus people and the Loya people also answered Aura’s call. Shalu, taking the entire Cygnus Expeditionary Force, and Emperor Salian along with the entire Loya Expeditionary Force, all embarked on the return journey to the Orion Arm.

This clearly aligned with Aura’s prior expectations.

In her view, a significant number of races within the expeditionary forces would still choose to continue confronting the Zerg, driven by motives such as adventurous spirit, strong self-confidence, or sheer ambition.

Especially the Cygnus and Loya people, whose fleets almost possessed the capability to flatten an entire Perseus Arm. Even setting aside other considerations, the Cygnus's hundreds of thousands of Star Destroyer main cannons, with just one firing, could exterminate all life on every inhabited star in the Perseus Arm ten times over!

It seemed unlikely that they would abandon the expedition plan over such minor setbacks.

However strange it seemed, Aura had no grounds to refuse these two races returning to the Orion Arm; after all, the proposal had originated with her.

The other races within the expeditionary force had initially intended to remain and continue exploring the Perseus Arm, but upon seeing the Galan Star people, the Cygnus people, and the Loya people withdrawing together, they immediately lost their nerve and altered their original intentions, deciding to return with the main contingent instead.

The current situation in the Perseus Arm was that the three most powerful races from the Orion Arm were retreating, the fourth-ranked Solarian race hadn't even arrived, the fifth-ranked Kustar people had already been wiped out by the K'tharr, and the remaining races lacked the strength or prestige to command respect. If the expeditionary force were to stubbornly persist, it would merely be a collection of scattered sand.

If they didn't leave now, when would they?

Only about a third of the races, along with explorers primarily operating in small teams, remained in the Perseus Arm. In their view, the fewer competitors there were, the higher the risks, but also the greater the potential benefits they could reap. Although the Zerg occupied numerous planets within the Perseus Arm, many worlds remained untouched.

According to scientific statistics, there were over one million habitable planets in the entire Milky Way, averaging about 250,000 inhabited stars per arm across the four spiral arms (most of which remained undiscovered, as the galaxy was vast indeed). The planets occupied by the Zerg numbered only a few thousand, less than ten thousand. In their assessment, they still had boundless opportunities!

Of course, shortly thereafter, they were all consumed by the Zerg as sustenance. While a small minority did indeed discover new planets, by then the Perseus Arm had entirely become Zerg territory, and the races of the Orion Arm were unwilling to risk incurring the Zerg's wrath by venturing in.

Furthermore, after the expeditionary force returned to the Orion Arm, Aura intended to simply disband the force on the spot, allowing everyone to return to their respective domains. However, Shalu proposed convening a general assembly; he had a specific proposal he wished to announce to all the races.

There was no hierarchical relationship between Aura and Shalu; despite the Galan Star people's formidable strength, they held no jurisdiction over the Cygnus people. Nevertheless, Aura was curious about Shalu's reason for calling the meeting and thus attended.

At the assembly, Shalu presented an exceptionally enticing proposal.

"Esteemed colleagues, you are aware of my background, Shalu. Tens of thousands of years ago, I served in the military of the Atlantis Galactic Empire—what is now the True Human Empire. In fact, even today, I maintain contact with those old friends."

"What! The True Human Empire has been isolationist for over ten millennia, yet you, Lord Shalu, still have connections with them?" A wave of discussion swept through the assembly hall.

"Indeed," Shalu stood at the podium, surveying the room, and continued slowly, "I have an old friend who holds a considerable position within the True Human Empire. I saw him recently; he entrusted me with a task, a task I am willing to share with all of you."

"What task?" A voice immediately called out from the audience. "What reward is offered upon completion? A dignitary of that magnitude in the True Human Empire would surely not be stingy." Another added, "Since Lord Shalu requires assistance, this task must not be easy. Let him state it first so we may deliberate collectively on the best course of action."

Shalu smiled faintly. "As I understand it, one race in the Orion Arm has offended that dignitary. Since it is inconvenient for him to act directly, he has asked me to handle the matter."

The faces below exchanged glances, all eyes turning towards Aura, because aside from the Galan Star people, no other race would necessitate Shalu seeking allies to deal with them.

Aura frowned, demanding, "Shalu, what is your intention?"

Seeing this, Shalu gently shook his head. "The one who offended him is not you, the Galan Star people."

"Then who could it be?" All eyes shifted toward the Loya people.

"Stop guessing," Shalu revealed the answer. "It is the Protoss."

"What!"

This answer stunned everyone present. Although the Protoss had been making waves recently, defeating the Burkeans and taking over the entire territory of the Burke Empire, they were, after all, an emerging race. How could they have possibly offended the True Human Empire?

"Have none of you ever considered where the Protoss obtained their extraordinarily advanced technology?" Shalu prompted, or perhaps misled, "Surely it wasn't something they were born with?"

The audience quickly grasped the implication: "Lord Shalu means that the Protoss stole technology from the True Human Empire, or perhaps they are refugees from the Empire..."

Because the emergence of the Protoss was undeniably dramatic, and their rate of development was nothing short of a three-level leap, the representatives of various races easily accepted Shalu's misleading narrative. Even those harboring doubts temporarily set them aside.

Shalu nodded. "According to my friend, the Protoss possess technology far surpassing that of all other races, and they possess many hidden strengths that cannot be countered by the power of just one or two races."

"So Lord Shalu intends to share this task; now it makes sense," the representatives of the various races nodded in agreement.

"Relying solely on Lord Shalu's word to unite various races against a single Orion Arm race—this likely doesn't adhere to protocol," Aura mused before speaking.

"Indeed," Shalu replied, raising his hand and tossing a crystal chip, allowing it to hover suspended in the void. "This is an official decree issued by the Senate of the True Human Empire. It declares the Protoss race an enemy of the Empire, bearing the personal seal of the Imperial Regent. Those among you who are Fourth Level entities should all recognize the official document format from the era of the Great Galactic Empire ten thousand years ago. You are welcome to examine it yourselves."

Before the words faded, several streams of spiritual energy encircled the chip, reading the information within. Emperor Salian laughed, "Indeed, this is the most authentic and highest-grade official document from the Empire. It contains numerous anti-counterfeiting measures. Even if you, Shalu, attempted to forge it, it would be impossible. Si—"

Xidilun added, "As is widely known, the Burkeans are a friendly race to us Loya people. In the matter concerning the Burke Empire, the Protoss have already incurred our enmity. If Lord Shalu intends to deal with them, count the Loya people in."

"Excellent!" Shalu exclaimed. "The Loya Empire is willing to lend me a hand; that is certainly welcome. Once this task is completed, I shall certainly share the technology of the Protoss with all races that participate in the operation." Upon hearing Shalu’s declaration, the representatives below erupted in joy. They had all heard rumors of the Protoss's superior technology—it was something they deeply coveted. It was just that when the Protoss rose to prominence, the Perseus Arm was under attack by the True Human Empire, and every race was focused on preparing the expedition, none could spare the energy to strike at the Protoss.

Now that the expedition was forcibly concluded, and the races had failed to achieve their expected results, they would likely face censure from their populace upon returning. Their failure would be etched into their racial history, remembered by descendants forever—a legacy of disgrace.

But now, here was an opportunity for redemption. The Protoss seemed far less formidable than the ubiquitous, hyper-prolific Zerg. If they could secure the Protoss's impressive technology as a substitute, it might at least mitigate some of the criticism they faced from their people.

The representatives of the various races began communicating through glances and mental links. They all held considerable influence within their respective expeditionary forces. Even if they couldn't make a final decision on the spot, they would relay the news to the high-level figures capable of doing so.

"The Protoss in the Orion Arm are merely a group of nouveau riche. To wipe them out with the combined strength of our entire expeditionary force is like taking a detour on the way home to watch the scenery—victory is practically guaranteed!" A dictator emperor from one of the races stood up and addressed the surrounding representatives. "I don't know what you are hesitating about? Does such a simple matter require discussion?"

He turned to Shalu, "I am Hado, Emperor of the Xoyaka Empire. On behalf of the Xoyaka race, I join the crusade against the Protoss!"

"His Majesty Hado indeed shows courage," Shalu nodded approvingly, then turned back to the representatives. "Time is limited. Races that have not given a definitive answer within two standard hours will be counted as abstaining."

The representatives immediately grew tense. The voices requesting consultation, debating, persuading, and arguing all intensified.

"I will not be joining," a clear, cool voice caused the surrounding noise to instantly cease. It was Aura of the Galan Star people. "Our race requires recuperation now. Furthermore, attacking a race with whom we have no feud does not align with our customs."

"As you wish," Shalu displayed a flash of sharp glint in his eyes that vanished instantly. He shook his head, appearing deeply regretful.

After two standard hours, most representatives had reached a verdict. Including the Loya people, over forty races joined Shalu's punitive expedition force, totaling nearly fifteen million warships!

Because it took considerable time for the various expeditionary forces to regroup from their dispersed locations, and due to the tens of thousands of light-years separating the Perseus Arm and the Orion Arm, the time when the combined forces returned to the Orion Arm and Shalu convened this meeting coincided almost exactly with the impending start of the Dassen Battle.

The reason Shalu set this deadline was that he had recently received corresponding intelligence from Sandor, learning that the Terrans, allied with the Protoss, were being tied up in the Empire, and both Limit Supremes, Yang Ying and Blade, were unable to support the Protoss. This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate the Protoss.

While Sandwor led the Allied Forces in the Dassen Battle, he was simultaneously plotting against the Protoss in the Orion Arm. This move was a gambit he had set up a month prior by bribing Shalu.

Even Yang Ying, upon learning of it, could only commend the sheer depth of the scheme.

However, Shalu remained unaware of much that Sandor concealed from him. For instance, Yang Ying had suddenly acquired more than a dozen Limit Supremes of unknown origin. Sandor not only failed to inform Shalu of this but also blocked Shalu's perception of the matter and severed Shalu's intelligence network within the Empire, leaving him completely ignorant.

Ultimately, Sandor merely viewed Shalu as a high-level cannon fodder.