A floating continent spanning a square kilometer; even with the keen eyes of Yang Ying and Bu Zhoujichuan, the edges of the landmass were still visible against the horizon.

Yang Ying drew a deep breath, simultaneously drawing the spiritual power from all his clones into his main body. This influx shattered the bottleneck of three hundred million, the limit of the Fourth Level, and sent his spiritual power rocketing upward!

The lights on the seventh floor of the central pagoda on the floating continent, previously lit to the third lamp, instantly blazed to full illumination!

Mountains rose higher, seas expanded, the sky hummed low, and the earth trembled—the floating continent was undergoing another massive transformation!

The lighting of the first lamp on the eighth floor signified the floating continent's expansion to one billion square kilometers; the second lamp meant two billion!

Several supercontinents, each ten times larger than Eurasia on Earth, began to appear. As the lamps continued to light, they kept growing!

The lamps on the eighth floor were swiftly ignited up to the ninth!

Then came the first lamp of the ninth floor: ten billion square kilometers! This equaled the total land and sea area of twenty Earths!

A peak soaring over thirty-five thousand meters high manifested—a true colossal spire! It was the equivalent of four Mount Everests stacked upon each other!

The second lamp on the ninth floor caused the appearance of colossal new continents on the southeast, southwest, northwest, and northeast shores of the floating continent. Some inland seas within these continents alone spanned a billion square kilometers, equaling three times the total surface area of Earth's oceans!

Next came the third lamp, the fourth, and so on…

As the lights continued to blaze, continental masses far exceeding human imagination materialized one after another. These continents were brimming with silicon ore deposits. Even the oceans held numerous small islands rich in silicon ore, and towering silicon ore forests rose from the seabed. At a glance, they were crystalline and beautiful to behold.

Although Yang Ying had established robust channels for raw materials, reducing his dependence on silicon ore to nearly zero, this versatile mineral remained his most crucial strategic reserve.

When all eighty-one lamps on the nine-story, nine-cornered pagoda were fully lit, language failed to describe the sheer vastness of the land. Forests, grasslands, lakes, high mountains, rivers, hills, deserts, swamps, plains, plateaus—nearly every conceivable terrestrial feature could be seen here, alongside landforms unknown on Earth.

The character Tian (Field) at the apex of the pagoda suddenly radiated brilliant light, and Yang Ying understood countless things in an instant.

Looking again at the nine-story, nine-cornered pagoda, Yang Ying smiled and shook his head. Katerina asked in confusion, "What's wrong with that tower?"

"It's the same as always."

Yang Ying suddenly pointed downwards towards the grassland. Instantly, herds of wild horses appeared, followed by lions, wolves, and other creatures of the plains.

"My sight can now penetrate all the mysteries of life. Creating life from nothing is as simple as lifting a hand for me." Yang Ying mused, then pointed toward a massive silicon ore cluster in the distance. Air, soil, and water converged, a burst of fire swept through, and an embryo was formed.

"All elements that constitute life can be gathered from nature," Yang Ying stated, making small gestures with his fingers.

The embryo instantly began to develop. In mere minutes, it became an infant. A few minutes later, the infant grew to the size of a mountain, and the creature inside burst forth—a Brain Bug!

Yang Ying casually dispatched a host of Zerg units to serve the Brain Bug, granting it the Fourth Level Peak spiritual power.

Yang Ying commanded, "I want this Brain Bug stationed on the silicon ore. It will consume the ore and then let seven rivers flow out, leading to seven lakes."

As the words left his mouth, seven openings instantly appeared on the Brain Bug's body, and the earth shifted, carving out seven riverbeds, each corresponding to an opening on the Brain Bug and flowing toward depressions in the ground the size of lakes.

"In the first river flows the Wisdom Potion. Those dull-witted, upon taking a sip of the river water, will unlock their intellect and become sharp!

"In the second river flows the Awakening Potion. Those latent subhumans, upon taking a sip, will awaken!

"In the third river flows the Rejuvenation Agent. Those wishing to escape senescence, upon taking a sip, will remain eternally youthful until their natural demise!

"In the fourth river flows the Supreme Healing Agent. Those tormented by various illnesses and wounds, upon taking a sip, will instantly regain perfect health!

"In the fifth river flows the Life Extension Elixir. Those desiring to ward off death, upon taking a sip, will attain immortality, unless killed by external force!

"In the sixth river flows the Resurrection Draught. Those who have died, provided it has not been seven days, upon taking a sip, will awaken from their long slumber!

"In the seventh river flows the Sacred Revelation Potion. Those aspiring to walk the path to ascension, upon taking a sip, will advance to the status of a Fourth Level existence!"

After Yang Ying finished speaking, the Brain Bug began automatically devouring the silicon ore. Soon, seven distinct streams of water flowed from the seven openings on its body.

This was analogous to the Empire's spiritual processing. This Fourth Level Peak Brain Bug, through the metabolism of its various organs and the influence of its spiritual power, processed the silicon ore—which could transform into various substances—into the seven aforementioned potions. Watching the Brain Bug begin its work, Yang Ying sighed and said to Katerina, "Even though I can now distill the path to Fourth Level advancement into a Sacred Revelation Potion, the nine-story, nine-cornered pagoda in the center of the continent remains unchanged, just as it was before. It looked this way at the Fourth Level, and it looks this way at the Fifth Level."

"Does this perhaps imply that the pagoda exists on an even higher plane of being?" Katerina inquired.

Yang Ying nodded. "When the Tian character flashed, it transmitted a great deal of information to me. I now understand why this floating continent became what it is, and why the Human, God, and Insect races appeared here."

"And why is that?" Katerina asked.

"It is just as I once speculated," Yang Ying replied. "There is a saying: 'Form follows mind.'"

"Meaning everything we see here is actually generated from within the mind, rather than being inherently what it is," Katerina deduced.

"Precisely," Yang Ying nodded. "Back then, the moment I obtained this Tian character, my mind was fixed on interstellar matters. Consequently, this floating continent molded this world based on my internal landscape. Had I been thinking of Warcraft then, the four races from Warcraft would likely be what emerged when I awoke."

"Then what about the Xel'Naga?" Katerina asked. "The Xel'Naga race never appeared in the history of the galaxy, existing only in fiction. Why is there a lineage of Xel'Naga knowledge here? Those technologies align perfectly with reality, even surpassing the True Human Empire, the hegemon of the galaxy for hundreds of thousands of years."

"Are the Human, God, and Insect races any different? The Human race possessed technological data from the outset, and that data is undeniably real," Yang Ying countered. "The appearance of the Xel'Naga, like the other three races, was due to my thought, which this world then perfected. As for why the fictitious Xel'Naga technology surpasses the True Human Empire, it is because the cosmic truths embedded within this world far exceed those known to the True Human Empire, encompassing everything they know. Even the Xel'Naga born in this world are merely tapping into a fraction of the mysteries this world itself holds."

"The Xel'Naga knowledge already contains the method to break through the Fifth Level. Does this world imply a need to surpass even the Fifth Level?" Katerina exclaimed, astonished.

Yang Ying nodded, pointing to the Jiu (Old) character at the pagoda's apex and then to the ground beneath his feet. "In truth, our world is a creation existing at a structural level as high as the Twelfth Level!"

"Twelfth Level!" Even Katerina, having reached the limit of the Fourth Level, gasped at the terrifying altitude.

The galaxy had never seen a Fifth Level existence, let alone a Twelfth!

Yang Ying stated, "Alright, it's time to conclude some matters that need finalizing. Come with me."

Katerina nodded and smiled, "Mm."

T'ar, the provisional capital of the Atlantean Alliance, was currently hosting a meeting of paramount importance to the Alliance, intended to determine its strategy toward the Empire for the coming period.

Most high-ranking Alliance officials were gathered there today.

At that moment, the sky seemed to rip open with a vast maw, and Yang Ying stepped out with Katerina, remarking, "The killing intent originating from the Fifth Level—it seems the Fourth Level existences cannot sense it."

He raised his hand, and a massive lightning net instantly materialized, sweeping across the entire globe, enveloping the planet.

Then, Yang Ying and Katerina flashed across space, appearing directly inside the Alliance's supreme council chamber.

The chamber was immense. Tens of thousands of floating platforms were arranged in orderly tiers, sloping upwards from front to back, encircling the central presidium.

Every single platform was occupied by high-ranking Alliance officials, who were also the former nobility of the Empire.

There were thousands of Fourth Level existences among them, evidence of the Alliance's deep accumulation of power. Their gazes turned, instantly recognizing Yang Ying, and they erupted in shock.

"How are you here!"

"Not even a trace, the River of Time remained placid as usual!"

"Hmph, Yang Ying, you've walked right into our trap, saving us the trouble of hunting you down."

"Lord Yang Ying, surely you haven't come to surrender?"

The nobles pointed accusingly at Yang Ying.

Yang Ying surveyed the room without answering, raising his hand to condense a lightning javelin. Some of the weaker Alliance leaders, only at the Third Level, began to waver; the contest between Fourth Level Limit experts was beyond their scope. But when they attempted to leave, they found the exits blocked by a thin membrane. No matter how hard they pushed, they could not pass through; they were trapped!

Inside the council hall, the Fourth Level existences on the Alliance side prepared to strike upon seeing Yang Ying's lightning javelin. Yang Ying threw the javelin, and in mid-air, it multiplied—one became ten, ten became a hundred, instantly becoming countless bolts of lightning that slammed down!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The protective shields on the Fourth Level existences barely managed to register any resistance before being pierced. Those struck by lightning instantly dissolved into ash! This was even more true for the Third Level members.

In an instant, every single high-ranking official present was killed by this single move! Even several Fourth Level Limit experts failed to survive the assault!

"Sandor isn't here; he must still be commanding the operations in the Dassen Star Field," Katerina observed.

Yang Ying nodded. Sandor was absent from this meeting. Yang Ying then took Katerina and flashed away to the Dassen Star Field.

Releasing his spiritual power outward, Yang Ying immediately located Sandor. He was in the command center of the Alliance army, accompanied by dozens of Fourth Level entities—the very core elite of the Alliance forces!

Yang Ying stepped into the Alliance Command Center, which was also established on a planet, with Katerina following.

With a sweep of his hand, Yang Ying unleashed a vast, boundless torrent of lightning that engulfed the entire command structure!

The sky and the ground were covered by Yang Ying’s lightning. The command center instantly evaporated into gas, and even the Fourth Level entities within it could not escape. The gap between a Fifth Level Limit and a Fourth Level Limit far exceeded the gap between a Fourth Level Limit and a Third Level Limit.

Under such circumstances, no one could possibly survive Yang Ying’s initial attack.

Thus, the Alliance high command was wiped out in one fell swoop. The Atlantean Alliance was virtually extinct, meaning the Empire's civil war was essentially concluded!

However, Yang Ying observed a flash of dark light enveloping Sandor below, momentarily piercing his lightning net before vanishing into the void—gone without a trace.

Yang Ying raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. That is not Fourth Level power." He turned to Katerina. "Go back to the floating continent and wait it out. This is no ordinary opponent."

Katerina nodded, and with a flash of golden light, Yang Ying sent her back to the floating continent.

Then, Yang Ying flickered, giving chase to the dark light.

Near a massive vortex deep within the galaxy, Yang Ying caught up to the dark light.

The great vortex spanned tens of thousands of kilometers in diameter. Countless runes shone at its center, which Yang Ying immediately recognized as a seal. His own light effortlessly penetrated the seal, allowing him to see the other side.

"So that's how it is. You've controlled Sandor for over ten thousand years," Yang Ying addressed the dark light. "You are from the extra-galactic race responsible for the Great Catastrophe ten thousand years ago."

"I didn't expect," the dark light replied, its voice as cold as a northern gale, "that the galaxy would produce someone like you. You should still be at the Fourth Level Limit. How is it that in just a few months, you've become a Fifth Level existence? Such a thing should not happen in this galaxy."

"You haven't answered my question," Yang Ying pressed.

The dark light laughed heartily. "You are correct! Ten thousand years ago, this naturally formed super-wormhole behind me suddenly appeared in our star system. I was engaged in a battle with a rival and couldn't spare the resources, so I sent a subordinate with a vanguard force here. At that time, the True Human Empire used all its collective strength just to eliminate that vanguard force and seal this wormhole."

Yang Ying stated, "Therefore, you believe this galaxy is too weak to withstand your invasion?"

"Precisely!" the dark light declared. "A galaxy with so many resources, yet lacking even a single Fifth Level entity—it's a grotesque waste of the heavens! It should be ruled by me. Don't you agree?"

"There is no 'should' or 'should not.' This world operates on survival of the fittest. If the Empire cannot repel your invasion, then regardless of what should have happened, can the facts be altered?" Yang Ying countered.

"Indeed!" The dark light clearly agreed. "When I finally dealt with my rival and turned my attention here, the wormhole was sealed. But a seal at the Fourth Level—how could it possibly stop me?"

"It did stop you, at least partially," Yang Ying pointed at the dark light. "If you could pass through the wormhole completely, why bother possessing Sandor? No wonder the former Sandor was regarded as an honorable man, while the current one... his obsessions have clouded his judgment. By the way, those obsessions must have been supplied by you as well."

"Hmph. Sandor was a war hero back then. My subordinate was killed directly by his hand. How could I not offer some reward?" the dark light sneered. "He coveted the current Empress Dowager, but she married the former Emperor. So, I planted the thought in his mind: kill the Emperor and marry the Emperor's daughter instead. He craved greater power, so I told him the Sea of Force might hold the secret to advancing to the Fifth Level. It's laughable that this fool doesn't know which thought is his and which is mine!"

"Instigating the Empire's civil war must have been to weaken its strength, and the seal's duration must be nearly up. You've told me all this, haven't you, simply to use your current strength to erode the seal so that your waiting subordinates—a total of two hundred thousand Fourth Level entities—can arrive in the galaxy?" Yang Ying concluded.

"You can see through the seal and observe the situation on the other side. It seems your strength is greater than I imagined," the dark light remarked. "Fifth Level Lower Tier... no, that doesn't fit. The lightning magic you just unleashed, and your ability to see through the wormhole seal, indicates your power is beyond that. Fifth Level Middle Tier? No, stronger than that—Fifth Level Upper Tier! You managed to advance from Fourth Level Limit to Fifth Level Upper Tier in just a few months?"

The dark light was clearly astonished. "I knew there was something wrong with your Terran Mercenary Group, with its endless stream of Fourth Level Limits. The Zerg and Protoss races here also seem problematic. It appears all these issues converge on you. You... are not from this galaxy either, are you?"

"No, I am a native of the Milky Way," Yang Ying replied. "Very well, the seal is almost worn thin. I shall send you on your way."

Yang Ying casually waved his hand, sending a string of runes toward the wormhole. The dark light roared, "You intend to reinforce the seal? Dream on!" It unleashed a wave of dark light, attempting to intercept Yang Ying's runes.

However, the runes instantly dispersed the dark light and shot into the center of the wormhole, merging with the existing runic structure. Instantly, the seal expanded by more than a hundredfold, shining with dazzling light—clearly, it was now unbreakable!

"You!" The dark light raged.

Yang Ying condensed a lightning javelin and flung it toward the dark light. The entity hastily dodged, only to find the lightning javelin tracking him like a shadow, impossible to evade!

"Impossible! I am a Fifth Level Upper Tier existence! Although the power I can control is limited to Sandor's Fourth Level Limit, you shouldn't be able to lock onto me this easily! You are Fifth Level Peak—no, Fifth Level Limit! You dared to lie to me!" the dark light shrieked as the lightning javelin struck it. The black aura surrounding it burst apart, revealing Sandor, his body suffused with death energy.

Yang Ying brought Sandor back to the Imperial Capital Star.

One year later, the entire Empire began celebrating the first anniversary of unification. Empress Elimiya stood at the window of a tower in the palace, waving to the celebratory crowds in the plaza outside.

The scars of war seemed to have faded from the Empire’s people. With the widespread distribution of the new Awakening Potion, glimmers of the glory from millennia past could already be discerned across the Empire.

Because the tower window only framed her upper body, the citizens below could not see that their Empress now carried a large belly. Katerina stood nearby, also heavily pregnant.

"He said," Empress Elimiya gently stroked her abdomen, "that this child will be a natural Fifth Level existence. Is this true?"

Katerina smiled. "Of course it's true. Mine is too."

"I can hardly believe it's already been a year since he suddenly became a Fifth Level existence then. Looking back, it's still somewhat unbelievable," the Empress murmured reflectively.

Katerina smiled and asked, "He also said he would repair the Sea of Force for you, restoring it to its original state, perhaps even making it stronger. Why didn't you agree?"

The Empress sighed. "What good would repairing it do? The Empire has existed under the Sea of Force's protection for hundreds of thousands of years. Many things, just as Sandor described back then, have become rotten to the core, relying solely on the Sea of Force to hold things together. The Empire needs change. Now, the populace can awaken without relying on the Sea of Force, then advance to the Third Level, and even the Fourth, through their own efforts. Isn't that much better? If society develops to a point where the monarchy is truly unnecessary, I will abdicate."

"That's not a good way to think," Katerina stepped forward and placed a hand on the Empress’s belly. "If you plan to abdicate, you'll have to ask this child first! He will be the heir to the Empire."

“We can discuss that later,” the Empress said, shaking her head, then suddenly asked, “Are you truly not going to see him off?”

“He said I should focus on taking care of the child and stay put,” Katerina replied with a soft smile. “Besides, he’s going into battle; he doesn't want me involved.”

“Won’t there be danger?” the Empress inquired.

“No,” Katerina assured her. “The Blades infiltrated covertly and conducted thorough reconnaissance. Yang Ying already has the entire power structure of that galaxy mapped out in his mind.”

The door to the room quietly swung open, and a pair of bright eyes appeared in the crack.

“Sophie, skipping class again! Duke Zuma has warned you several times not to skip!”

“I’ve learned everything I need to for now; it’s free-activity time,” Bai Bai chirped, pushing the door open and hopping out. She held a small, gray cat in her arms, looking around with an utterly charming expression.

“The rules at the First Royal Academy are incredibly strict; don't do anything that violates school regulations, okay?” Katerina said with a gentle laugh.

“Okay,” Bai Bai smiled and nodded, stroking the back of the small gray cat as she spoke.

The little gray cat sighed, remarkably humanely, thinking to itself: To think I, the great Nangu the Mind-Borer, possessing the strength of a Fourth-Tier Limit, must amuse myself with this young girl, even pretending to be that… ‘cat’! It’s such an insult to my status! Alas, the Master commanded it, so so be it.

Meanwhile, at the location of the super wormhole, Yang Ying waved his hand, forming a series of intricate runes that dissolved the seal.

Instantly, thousands of Fourth-Tier entities—grotesque beings resembling the demons of myth—roared out of the wormhole.

Yang Ying unleashed a broad-spectrum psychic storm, and the invaders from the outer galaxies screamed as they were disintegrated into particles by lightning, falling one after another.

Clearing the immediate threats, Yang Ying waved his hand: “Follow me! We march to conquer the outer galaxies!” He transformed into a colossal bolt of lightning thousands of kilometers long, plunging into the center of the wormhole!

Behind Yang Ying stretched an endless army of the three races—Humans, Gods, and Bugs.

Led by the Protoss Mothership, the massive host, numbering in the hundreds of millions—Human Battlecruisers, Protoss Carriers, Void Rays, Zerg Ultralisks, Mutalisks, Hive Lords, and countless others—followed Yang Ying’s charge into the super wormhole!

Yang Ying intended to lead the tripartite army to conquer the universe.

End of Book. Thank you for reading, and a Happy New Year to all! For what happens next, please log in to Jī, where more chapters await. Support the author and read the official version!