The power-holder raged, "This is my planet! Everyone must obey my commands! The Goddess is my woman, and I absolutely forbid anyone from taking her away!"

Faced with an overwhelmingly powerful legion, the ruler of a trash planet was less than nothing; everyone simply ignored him and carried on with their business.

The power-holder became furious, resorting to his usual trick. He waved his hand, summoning his entire mech contingent, intending to teach An Junlie a harsh lesson.

But when the pilots appeared before the escort vessel with their rusted heaps of junk mechs, they were instantly struck with shock.

—It was obvious they stood no chance against the escort vessel!

Compared to that warship, they were like ants beneath a snail, one careless move away from being crushed to dust.

And so, they retreated without a shred of backbone.

The power-holder demanded repeatedly, but not a single mech would respond to his call. Frantic, he rushed forward himself to block the way, shrieking, "You can't take her! She's mine!"

An Junlie stepped before him, radiating an aura of pure majesty. "She must be my woman. Men!"

Immediately, two figures emerged from behind him, flanking the power-holder and seizing him.

Struggling uselessly, the power-holder could only watch as ten youths boarded the escort vessel. Then, An Junlie, with Ziye looped elegantly on his arm, ascended as well.

The hatch hissed shut right in front of him.

Moments later, the escort vessel spat out a powerful jet of energy and shot toward the heavens at light speed.

Watching the Goddess depart, the power-holder's heart shattered.

Refusing to give up, he bribed the men holding him captive. "He abandoned you! Here on this planet, as long as you obey me, I'll forget everything! We'll snatch the Goddess back later!"

The two men glanced at him as if he were an idiot. Simultaneously, they produced their mech storage buttons. Then, both mechs blasted off the ground and rocketed into space.

The power-holder stared dumbfounded as they vanished, then collapsed onto the ground, rolling about. "Aaaah! Their weapons are far superior to mine! How could they do this to me!"

After rolling around for a while and finding no one paying him any mind, he slowly got up. Hmph, even without the superior weapons, I am still the ruler of this planet! My mechs can still awe everyone here!

Thinking this made him feel significantly better, he let out a little whimper and trudged back home.

Inside the escort vessel, the ten youths, aside from Xiao Cheng, were seeing something as miraculous as a warship for the first time. They poked and peered at everything curiously, eventually starting to chase each other and roughhouse.

Everyone else was busy with their own affairs and paid them no mind, allowing them free rein.

Ziye settled onto a sofa in the escort vessel’s main cabin, watching their antics while yawning incessantly.

She couldn't sit still; idleness always brought on drowsiness.

But this was a rare chance to be back in space, and she desperately wanted a break, so she collapsed onto the sofa to rest.

Suddenly, she noticed the noise had died down. She looked up to see Tang Wen and Blan walking toward her.

The youths had fallen silent, awed by his imposing presence.

Tang Wen reached Ziye, gently pinching her cheek. "What are you thinking about?"

Ziye instinctively batted his hand away, but before she could speak, a voice drifted from behind her. "Don't cause trouble unless necessary!"

It was unmistakably An Junlie's voice.

Tang Wen, instead of getting angry, chuckled. "So, if there is a reason, then causing trouble is permitted?"

An Junlie’s expression darkened.

Tang Wen affectionately took Ziye's hand. "Come with me."

Ziye looked from An Junlie to Tang Wen, unable to fathom what game the alien was playing. She instinctively felt he just wanted to provoke An Junlie.

Yet, Tang Wen’s expression was genuinely serious.

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alien, wait for me."

Tang Wen shot An Junlie a victor's smile and led Ziye away by the hand.

Once inside the room, Tang Wen closed the door and sat on the sofa. He didn't ask for tea. "Do you know the current situation in space?"

Ziye answered without thinking, "Is the Interstellar Federation causing trouble, or is Fia causing trouble?"

Tang Wen leaned back into the sofa. "They're both causing trouble. The Interstellar Federation and Fia have allied."

Ziye’s heart jumped. "Aren't they mortal enemies?"

Tang Wen smiled faintly, a hint of mockery in his eyes. "There are no eternal enemies, only aligned interests. They share a common goal now."

Ziye worried, "Does that mean the other legions are doomed?"

Tang Wen didn't reply, instead smiling and asking her, "Guess what the current state of space is?"

Ziye stated matter-of-factly, "Since they've allied, they must be trying to dominate space."

Tang Wen nodded. "So, only a month into the war, dozens of legions have already fallen."

Ziye shot up from her seat. "War?"

Tang Wen merely nodded, not offering the specific reasons.

If she knew she was the catalyst for the war, she would surely bear an immense psychological burden, just like Bobo, who felt responsible for the incident. He only wished for Ziye to live happily, unburdened by any pressure.

Ziye murmured, "How could war break out so suddenly?"

Tang Wen explained, "War was inevitable. Space has developed to this point; smaller legions feel powerful enough now and deserve a greater say in space affairs, while the larger legions are unsatisfied with the status quo and are desperately trying to expand. War is the best way to resolve such contradictions."

Ziye had returned to space hoping to go home, but Tang Wen's words suddenly left her breathless and anxious. "Is Wolf's Den okay?"

Tang Wen asked, "Do you not trust your Combat Director?"

Ziye panicked, "This is too serious, stop joking with me!"

Tang Wen, unable to tease her further, said, "It was fine when I left, I don't know about now."

Ziye's heart remained suspended in mid-air. "Wolf's Den has grievances with both Fia and the Interstellar Federation; they will surely target us first for revenge!"

Tang Wen gave her an approving nod. "You know the situation quite clearly."

Ziye paced anxiously, wishing she could sprout wings and fly back immediately. Tang Wen didn't try to comfort her. After watching her pace for a while, tiring her out, he stopped, took a sip of water, and asked, "Where are we now?"

Tang Wen looked out the window. Just then, the escort vessel's broadcast issued a warning: "The escort vessel is encountering severe atmospheric turbulence. All passengers, please secure your positions and avoid unnecessary movement!"

Outside the window, the turbulence was a blinding white expanse; nothing could be seen clearly.

"We should be nearing the Tuba Star System," Tang Wen soothed. "Wolf's Den will be safe because it has allied with the Tang Clan, and the Tang Clan provides the best and strongest warships in space."

Ziye’s eyes widened in surprise, then comprehension dawned. "Thank you."

Tang Wen smiled slightly. "For you, I am willing."

Ziye’s heart skipped a beat, and she hurried to say, "Teacher, don't say things like that. The alien will get angry."