He touched his body again; it was warm. He sensed the blood vessels within, the flow of blood normal, the heartbeat steady. He then entertained certain scenes unsuitable for children, confirming the functionality of a certain part remained intact. Only then did Gu Xichen finally relax. He chuckled, "Good, good. Still a living, breathing person. Hmm, it would have been even better if I hadn't experienced that sudden surge of pain earlier."

He surveyed the hundred burly men before him with satisfaction. Since these men were Xin Jia's subordinates, their skills were unlikely to be weak. He resolved to test their combat prowess given the opportunity!

Gu Xichen frowned again. His Boundary Puppets were vastly different from Siren's. Siren and the others summoned puppets devoid of self-awareness—pure constructs that could be dismantled into energy and stored within the 'Boundary' when not needed. However, these men he had summoned seemed to possess distinct, independent personalities. Did this mean he had to parade them around in public?

Xin Jia sensed Gu Xichen's hesitation through their mental link. He narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, and then cautiously offered, "Exalted One, your subordinate has a faint feeling that you might be able to incorporate us somewhere."

"Eh?" Gu Xichen’s thoughts stirred, and the principle suddenly dawned on him. A faint purple light shot out from between his brows, and the hundred men were instantly drawn into the light. Their forms rapidly diminished until they slipped into Gu Xichen's glabella. In the boundless Sea of Consciousness within his glabella, next to the massive, slowly spinning Taiji Qi Vortex, a cluster of purple mist suddenly appeared. The hundred men sat cross-legged upon this mist, observing their surroundings with curiosity. Soon, they joyfully discovered the slowly rotating Taiji Qi Vortex before them.

Without any instruction from Gu Xichen, the entirety of these men's attention became immersed in the trajectory of the vortex.

One hundred Zakla energy crystals embedded in the secret chamber walls suddenly flew out. The purple light radiating from Gu Xichen’s glabella had not yet dissipated when these Zakla crystals were absorbed into it.

Each of the hundred men suddenly found a large Zakla crystal in their embrace. They positioned these crystals near their Dantian and promptly sank into the deepest state of meditative cultivation.

"This..." Gu Xichen stared blankly at Xin Jia, who stared just as blankly back. After an extended moment of mutual staring, Gu Xichen flicked the sleeve of his Daoist robe and gave a dry laugh, "Since we don't understand it, let's simply ignore it. Xin Jia, how long have I been in seclusion? Take me out!"

Xin Jia acknowledged the command. He grabbed Gu Xichen, picked up a pinch of sand and gravel from the ground, and tossed it into the air. A plume of earthy-yellow Qi erupted, and the two instantly vanished.

The arrival of the Earth Federation Army placed immense pressure on the Roman Fleet. Having lost one hundred and thirty Tier-One warships, the Roman Fleet lacked the courage to engage the Federation Army head-on. Tens of thousands of Roman warriors and hundreds of thousands of Spirit race thralls, led by the direct descendants of the Nine Great Electoral Families, began establishing an advance base in a large canyon in the eastern sector.

The Romans still possessed two hundred and ten powerful Tier-One warships, and with the dense arrays of energy cannons, large and small, covering their base, their defense line was formidable.

The newly arrived Earth Federation Army did not immediately attack the Romans; instead, they began constructing bases, much like their adversaries.

Two hundred divisions of the Earth Federation Army organized into seven massive Army Groups—A, B, C, D, E, F, and G—cordoned off seven distinct areas on the largest landmass of Paradise Star, commencing construction on seven advance bases: Pangu, Fuxi, Nuwa, Zeus, Hera, Brahma, and Vishnu.

The unique destructive capacity of human technology upon the natural environment began to manifest. Fleets, like ominous, dark clouds, swept overhead; massive squadrons of fighter jets roared past; large armored integrated units tore through countless trees as they barreled across the ground; gigantic mining machines within transport vessels excavated colossal pits across the terrain; and assembly lines set up in the open air began churning out newly manufactured fighters and vehicles.

In just a few days, Paradise Star became a cacophony of noise and shrouded in thick, noxious fumes.

The Romans and the Humans simultaneously engaged in massive construction, continuously strengthening their base defenses while ceaselessly mining various ores and Zakla energy crystals. Both sides were acutely aware that a battle was imminent; the combined forces of the Nine Great Electoral Families had to engage the Earth Federation Army before the main Roman Kingdom Army arrived.

Had the scale of the Federation Army not exceeded the psychological tolerance threshold of the Romans, the engagement would have begun the moment the Federation Fleet burst from the wormhole.

During these busy days of landing, the Paradise Star Independent Army seemed to have been forgotten by the Expeditionary Force Command. Gu Xichen had received no directives from headquarters. Ever since Gu Xichen handed over the battlefield information chip to the Expeditionary Force Command, Admiral Wagley, greatly alarmed, had terminated communications without offering any comment. Gu Xichen was naturally happy to let matters rest, taking the opportunity to enter seclusion and absorb the three drops of Drought Demon vital essence.

Xin Jia had just escorted Gu Xichen back to the command hall when a disturbance erupted at the entrance. A contingent of regular soldiers dressed in black uniforms, armed with rifles, pushed back the sentries of the Hell Angels Mercenary Corps and stormed into the headquarters, led by Lieutenant Colonel Valery.

Siren, who had been lounging lazily in a corner of the command hall sofa, scrambled to his feet. Just as he was about to open his mouth and reprimand them, Gu Xichen happened to appear, causing Siren to immediately slump back onto the sofa.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gu Xichen glared with irritation at the arrogant Valery.

"By order of the Earth Federation Military Department, we are taking over all command authority of the Paradise Star Independent Army." Valery casually waved a document in his hand, smiling at Gu Xichen with that detestable, condescending air. "The Military Department decrees that all military merits earned by the Independent Army will be rewarded upon return to Earth. While on Paradise Star, the Independent Army... must obey my orders!"

Valery flicked his wrist, sending the document sailing across several meters toward Gu Xichen. The seemingly light sheet of paper created a faint sound as it sliced through the air, reaching Gu Xichen almost instantaneously upon leaving his hand—a clear indication that Valery possessed no weak martial skills.

Gu Xichen caught the document and scanned it in a single pass. Valery, hands clasped behind his back, was already admiring the command hall, circling it with self-satisfaction. "A very fine location," Valery praised. "Deep within the mountain belly, capable of withstanding continuous attacks from multi-megaton nuclear bombs, at least. Hmm, and this location happens to be right in the salient of our Group A Pangu Base, less than five hundred kilometers from the Roman advance base. It will serve perfectly as the headquarters for our 98th Armored Brigade!"

Commanders like Bonnyan and Maha rushed over upon hearing the news. These defiant men, hardened by years in the mercenary world, glared menacingly at Valery. Maha, by nature the most ferocious, had already clenched his fists. This deep, mountain-protected command post had been excavated with painstaking effort by Maha and the others, using the mercenary corps' engineering battalion. According to mercenary customs, this was private property, yet Valery dared to intrude?

The soldiers Valery brought sensed the strange atmosphere around them and raised their weapons—all standard Federation 5.56 caliber assault rifles.

Maha burst into loud laughter upon seeing the assault rifles. He pounded his highly defined chest muscles and roared, "You little runts, are those toys meant for killing chickens? Heh heh, come on, let Maha test if they can scratch Maha's hide?" Ordinary firearms, and even small-caliber machine cannons, had little effect on Xiantian-level Fighters, and high-level Fighters like Maha could withstand heavy bombardment. Valery's soldiers, in front of Maha, weren't even an appetizer.

Maha's shout infuriated and shamed Valery. He pointed at Maha and snapped, "Insolent! What are you attempting? I order you to shut up! Or face charges of military insubordination."

Gu Xichen had finished reading the document. It was nothing more than standard official prose: first, it praised the remarkable achievements of the Paradise Star Independent Army on the planet, then it emphasized the paramount significance of Paradise Star to Earth humanity, concluding that—for the benefit of all mankind—the Independent Army must operate under the unified command of the Expeditionary Force Command to fight the Romans and drive them completely off Paradise Star!

The end of the document specifically stated—requesting Mr. Evil Dragon Gu Xichen, First Deputy Commander of the Hell Angels Mercenary Corps, to consider the greater good and hand over command authority to Lieutenant Colonel Valery.

Valery approached Gu Xichen, practically nose-to-nose, and grinned smugly. "Mr. Gu Xichen! Look, I gave you several days for rest and recuperation! A full five days! I am extremely generous. You asked for rest, and I granted you five days! Now the order from the Federation Military Department is here. Are you willing to obey the command?"

Valery leaned close to Gu Xichen’s ear and whispered with a sneer, "You hooligans, riffraff, a bunch of lucky trash—do you really think you'll get even a tenth of the mining rights on Paradise Star? Dream on! Who do you think you are? The Chairman of the Federation Council? Or the Speaker of the Upper House? Perhaps the Speaker of the Lower House is your dear old dad? Obediently follow my orders, fight hard against the Romans, and maybe we'll toss you a few crumbs at the end! If you disobey, you will all be dealt with by military law!"

Gu Xichen turned his head to look at Siren and Aredia. Both Siren’s and Aredia’s ears twitched slightly; it was clear they had heard Valery's whisper perfectly.

Gu Xichen pursed his lips and smiled. Smiling, he asked Siren, "Siren, how broad is the scope of legal immunity for Boundary Masters?"

Siren also smiled, delicately flicking his silver hair. He chuckled softly, "Complete... For any Boundary Master, all Federation laws are useless to us! Military law, naturally, is useless to us as well."

"I absolutely love that regulation!" Gu Xichen burst into loud laughter, kicking the utterly astonished Valery flying.

The kick was heavy, precise, and venomous. Valery, sent flying over ten meters, clutched his lower body and let out a few agonizing 'oww's before foaming at the mouth and passing out.

Gu Xichen stood with his hands behind his back, stating calmly, "I am a peace-loving person, so... Maha, same old rules—don't hit their faces!"

Valery had brought two hundred soldiers, but there were over four hundred Fighters present from the Hell Angels Mercenary Corps.

Four hundred Xiantian-level Fighters ganging up on two hundred regular soldiers...

Gu Xichen turned away, unable to bear watching. The scene was simply too horrific to behold.

Amidst piercing screams and pleas for mercy, Gu Xichen, who had turned away, spun back around and commanded, "I am a peace-loving person... but this time, don't hold back! Hit them hard! Damn it, trying to take advantage right under our noses?"

Stomping his foot heavily, Gu Xichen barked sternly, "Bonnyan, dispatch a transport ship to set up our own communications satellite. Do not use the military channels."

"We need to ask Uncle Beard what's going on. That tenth of the mining rights—that giant piece of fat meat... If we want a share of this meat, we need to bring leverage to the table!"