Then, Long Yun and his companions were also drawn into the hectic war preparations of the Sanjinghai star system. The vast fleets of warships spread across the sky and land, rivaling the mighty iron army of the Empire. As a result, the Doomsday-class battleship mistakenly entered the core zone of the Sanjinghai star system and was eventually surrounded by over a thousand warships, mistaken for an aggressor.
Fortunately, Elder Hede appeared and prevented a serious misunderstanding. From Hede’s explanation, Long Yun and his group learned that Yang Hao had already been elected as the leader of the Anti-Empire Alliance and had entered the Divine Realm Trial. Only then did the group feel slightly reassured and decided to temporarily reside in the Sanjinghai star system, waiting for Yang Hao’s return from the Divine Realm.
Of course, Elder Hede did not reveal to them the near-certain peril of Yang Hao’s journey, which was why Long Yun and his companions could stay so calmly. Especially the Hao Sword Corps, under Long Yun’s and Maya’s guidance, experienced a rapid growth in strength, gradually taking on the appearance of a true sword corps.
It goes without saying that the universe is ever-changing, so peace could not last long. While Yang Hao was enduring life-and-death trials in the Divine Realm, a major event occurred in the Sanjinghai star system.
Sometimes, history is fascinating precisely because of its unpredictability and change. Events that seem accidental at the moment may, in hindsight, turn out to be pivotal. Without such an event, history might have taken a completely different course.
Now was such a moment. A seemingly random yet inevitable incident occurred in the Sanjinghai star system, one that would reshape the entire cosmic order. Its occurrence directly propelled the Anti-Empire Alliance onto the historical stage, initiating an extended and protracted war with the Galactic Empire.
One could say that the flames of war across the universe were ignited by this very event.
Though it sounds mysterious, the incident itself was quite simple. On that day, another fleet arrived in the Sanjinghai star system—a fleet belonging to the Empire.
Subsequently, Long Yun and his companions were also startled by the bustling wartime preparations in the Three Crystals Sea Star System. The sky was filled with warships, their scale rivaling that of the Empire’s invincible iron army. In the confusion, the Doomsday Battleship accidentally ventured into the core region of the Three Crystals Sea Star System and was swiftly surrounded by thousands of warships, mistaken for an attacker.
Fortunately, Elder Hade intervened, preventing a major misunderstanding. Under Hade’s explanation, Long Yun and the others learned that Yang Hao had been elected as the leader of the Anti-Empire Alliance and had entered the Divine Realm for trials. This news eased their minds somewhat, and they decided to stay temporarily in the Three Crystals Sea Star System, waiting for Yang Hao’s return from the Divine Realm.
Of course, Elder Hade did not reveal the near-certain death awaiting Yang Hao on his journey, so Long Yun and his group settled in comfortably. Under the guidance of Long Yun and Maya, the Haojian Corps even saw rapid improvement in their combat skills, gradually resembling a true swordsman corps.
However, the universe is ever-changing, and peace never lasts long. While Yang Hao faced life-and-death trials in the Divine Realm, a major event unfolded in the Three Crystals Sea Star System.
History is often unpredictable and full of fascinating twists. Some events seem accidental at the time, but in hindsight, they prove to be pivotal moments that shape the course of history. Without them, the future might have taken a completely different path.
And now, such an event occurred in the Three Crystals Sea Star System—an incident both accidental and inevitable, one that would alter the balance of the entire universe. It thrust the Anti-Empire Alliance onto the stage of history, marking the beginning of a prolonged and brutal war with the Galactic Empire.
One could say that the flames of war in the universe were ignited by this very event.
Though it may sound mysterious, the incident itself was quite simple. On that day, another fleet arrived in the Three Crystals Sea Star System—an Imperial fleet.
A few months earlier, this would have been the most routine occurrence. Given the vastness of the Galactic Empire, two major technological hubs had been established, both centered around Earth-born humans. One was the Milky Way, the Empire’s core dominion, while the other was the Three Crystals Sea Star System. Thanks to its abundant silicon-based resources and generations of top-tier scientists sent by the Empire, the Three Crystals Sea had evolved over the past century into a colossal technological hub—the largest shipbuilding and supply base outside the Milky Way and the strongest stronghold in the outer territories.
In fact, the Galactic Empire used the Three Crystals Sea Star System as a boundary—regions within it were considered part of the Empire’s inner dominion, while those beyond fell under outer dominion.
Due to its strategic importance, most Imperial fleets operating in the outer territories would dock here for resupply. Only after replenishing at the Three Crystals Sea could the Empire’s formidable fleets continue their journey back to the Milky Way.
For a century, such resupply operations had been routine and unremarkable. But now, things had changed.
The first change was in the Three Crystals Sea Star System itself. Over the past hundred years, the descendants of Earth’s technological immigrants had integrated deeply with various outer-space races. Unaware of their ancestral homeland’s true state, they increasingly felt abandoned, their loyalty to the Galactic Empire turning to resentment. Meanwhile, the Empire’s attitude toward the Three Crystals Sea remained exploitative—viewed as nothing more than a colony to be plundered, with no intention of sharing power.
Steve, the current governor of the Three Crystals Sea, was a third-generation immigrant. Having witnessed the Empire’s brutal exploitation of outer-space civilizations, he was deeply pained by his star system’s role as a waystation for oppression. The military forces of the Privy Council, the envoys of the Senate, and even the merchant fleets treated thousands of star systems like slaves, with the Three Crystals Sea serving as their pit stop.
Steve, a man of vision and talent, recognized that despite the Empire’s outward strength—its advanced technology, vast fleets, and powerful cultivation families—it was rotting from within. The infighting between the Senate and the Privy Council had grown so intense that even the Emperor struggled to mediate. Meanwhile, the rise of resistance movements and the depletion of expeditionary forces, especially after the loss of the Saint Bear Star military base, meant the Empire would soon face a severe manpower shortage in the Milky Way.
Diplomatically, the Empire was also in crisis. Decades of suppression and military occupation had rendered civilian officials obsolete, pushing many into merchant factions. These merchant groups had grown so powerful that they now controlled entire star systems, territories, and even private armies. Once the vanguard of the Empire’s expansion, they had now become a new political force—one that, if left unchecked, could become a major threat.
Steve believed the Galactic Empire was already beyond saving, presenting the perfect opportunity for the Three Crystals Sea. By joining the Anti-Empire Alliance, the star system could become its core force, leveraging its technological and manufacturing prowess to multiply the alliance’s strength tenfold. Even if the alliance couldn’t overthrow the Empire outright, it could carve out its own dominion, elevating the Three Crystals Sea to a status rivaling the Milky Way.
With this in mind, Steve had spent years organizing scattered resistance groups across the outer territories into a cohesive alliance. Though they had remained dormant, he now believed the time had come to challenge the Empire openly.
But just as the Three Crystals Sea was fervently preparing for war—and Yang Hao was enduring his trials in the Divine Realm—an unexpected Imperial fleet arrived.
To most, this fleet might have been unfamiliar, but to Long Yun and his companions, it was all too recognizable—even painfully so. Not long ago, they had encountered and clashed with it, witnessing one of the most spectacular and brutal displays of fratricide in the universe.
The Sunset Fleet!
Once the most formidable force in the outer territories, this elite fleet of the Privy Council now limped into the Three Crystals Sea in disgrace.
A month earlier, the Sunset Fleet had still been the terror of the outer territories. Its commander, Luo Dongjie, had boasted that no combined force in the outer regions could match its might. With a Titan-class flagship and thousands of well-equipped warships, he believed his fleet was invincible—at least outside the Milky Way.
Yet this “invincible” fleet had suffered devastating losses in its assault on Saint Bear Star, nearly annihilated despite teaming up with the elite Heavenly King Fleet. To Luo Dongjie’s humiliation, their opponent had been a technologically backward agricultural planet.
Even the Titan’s reverse-light weapon, meant to turn the tide, had backfired when a mysterious ship disrupted its control, causing the devastating weapon to ravage the Sunset Fleet itself.
By the battle’s end, only a few hundred ships remained, forcing Luo Dongjie to retreat to the Three Crystals Sea for resupply before facing the Empire’s wrath.
And so, the great trouble in the Three Crystals Sea began.
Several unsuspecting individuals—Long Yun, Maya, XII, and their closest companions—were summoned to the governor’s residence. Having waited days without seeing Yang Hao, they had grown impatient, hoping this meeting would finally reunite them with him.
Instead, in the azure-domed chamber, they found an unexpected gathering.
The moment Long Yun entered, he froze, then swiftly approached one figure, kneeling and kissing their fingertips. “Great Empress Ming!”
Empress Ming smiled, her noble aura undimmed despite her pallor. “General Long, you are no longer a minister of Raymon Star. There is no need for such formalities.”
Rising, Long Yun scanned the room, recognizing Elder Hade but offering only a nod—he had never liked the old bear.
Empress Ming introduced the others: “Elder Hade of Saint Bear Star, whom you know. This is Governor Steve of the Three Crystals Sea Star System, and the armed man standing aside is Captain Lei of the Outer Mongolia Third Brigade.”
In fact, the Galactic Empire used the Sanjinghai star system as a boundary arc—territories within were considered the inner domain, while those beyond were classified as outer domains.
Because of Sanjinghai’s strategic importance, most of the Empire’s outer domain fleets would dock there for resupply. Only after refueling at Sanjinghai could the Empire’s mighty fleets travel from the outer domains back to the Milky Way.
Such routine resupply missions had long been standard practice, nothing particularly significant—until now, when things had changed.
First and foremost, the Sanjinghai star system itself had changed. Over the past century, Earth’s technological immigrants had multiplied across generations, increasingly integrating with the various alien races of the outer domains. They no longer felt connected to their ancestral homeland, instead feeling abandoned, and their love for the Galactic Empire had begun to turn into hatred. Meanwhile, the Empire’s attitude toward Sanjinghai remained deeply passive. From the Emperor down to the Privy Council and the Senate, they regarded it merely as a colony, continuing to exploit it without ever considering sharing power.
The current Sanjinghai governor, Steve, was already a third-generation tech immigrant, raised and shaped entirely within Sanjinghai. He had witnessed the Empire’s brutal exploitation of the outer domain star systems. The Privy Council’s military, the Senate’s envoys, and even the fleets of the Ling Fei Star Sea and the merchant caravans treated thousands of star systems like slaves.
And their midway rest and supply station was Sanjinghai. This deeply pained Steve. He refused to let his star system, the world he led, become an accomplice to slaughter and exploitation—especially since Sanjinghai itself was among the exploited.
Steve was a man of both talent and vision. He understood that although the Galactic Empire appeared mighty, technologically advanced, and supported by countless fleets and powerful cultivation families, its internal organs had already rotted. Infighting between the Senate and the Privy Council grew increasingly fierce, to the point even the Emperor could hardly mediate. With the rise of resistance forces, the Empire’s expeditionary forces were becoming increasingly stretched thin. Especially after losing the great military base of Sun Bear Star, it was easy to imagine that for a long time to come, the Empire would have to recruit new soldiers from the Milky Way itself—an even greater burden for the population-limited core region.
Diplomatically, the Empire was also in a crisis. The long-standing system of military suppression had rendered civilian officials almost useless. More and more officials joined merchant groups, rapidly increasing the merchants’ power until they had their own star systems, territories, and even armies. Once the Empire’s pioneers and spies a century ago, these merchants now, with the Empire having expanded as far as it could, used political resources to become a new rising force. If left unchecked, they would soon become a major threat.
Therefore, Steve believed the Galactic Empire was already terminally ill, and this was Sanjinghai’s greatest opportunity. If Sanjinghai joined the Resistance Alliance, it could immediately become the Alliance’s core force. With Sanjinghai’s technology and manufacturing capabilities rivaling the Empire’s, the Alliance’s strength would increase tenfold. Looking ahead, whether or not the Resistance Alliance could overthrow the Empire, at the very least, it could carve out its own territory. Sanjinghai would become the core of another empire, standing equal to the Milky Way.
For this reason, Steve contacted the previously scattered resistance groups across the outer domain star systems and organized them into a tightly-knit structure. This organization had existed for many years, though it had not taken major action until now, when Steve believed the time was ripe for the Resistance Alliance to openly challenge the Empire.
But just as Sanjinghai was feverishly preparing for war, and Yang Hao was enduring life-and-death trials in the Divine Realm, an imperial fleet suddenly appeared.
To others, this fleet might have seemed unfamiliar, but to Long Yun and his companions, it was all too familiar—painfully so. Not long ago, they had encountered it, fought against it, and witnessed one of the most spectacular and brutal spectacles of self-destruction in the cosmos.
The Sunset Fleet!!
This was the elite fleet directly under the command of the Imperial Privy Council, the most powerful and arrogant force in the outer domains. Yet now, it arrived in Sanjinghai battered and disgraced.
A month earlier, the Sunset Fleet would still have been arrogant and domineering in the outer domains. Its commander, Lordon Jie, had even believed that all the military forces of the outer domain star systems combined could not rival the Sunset Fleet. He had a Titan-class flagship, over a thousand well-equipped warships, and coordination capabilities that, while perhaps not at the peak of the Empire’s military might, were unmatched in the outer domains.
Yet no one could have imagined that this seemingly invincible fleet would suffer devastating losses attacking Sun Bear Star, nearly being wiped out entirely. Even more humiliating for Lordon Jie was the fact that they had allied with the Heaven King Fleet, one of the top ten family armies, to fight against Sun Bear Star—an almost entirely backward agricultural world with virtually no technological capabilities.
Yet Lordon Jie still lost, and lost disastrously. The Heaven King Fleet was nearly annihilated, the King’s Swordmasters’ Corps was reduced by half, and even Wang Mu, the top martial expert of the Wang family’s rising generation, was killed.
Lordon Jie had originally believed that the Eclipse Weapon aboard the Titan-class flagship would turn the tide of battle. But unexpectedly, a strange warship appeared and caused the Eclipse Weapon to malfunction. The weapon, powerful and unmatched, ended up devastating the Sunset Fleet itself.
In the end, only a few hundred warships remained from the once-mighty fleet. Unable to remain stationed in the outer domains, they retreated under Lordon Jie’s command to the Sanjinghai star system for resupply before deciding how to face the Empire’s top officials and explain their failure.
However, Sanjinghai’s greatest troubles had just begun.
Several people, still unaware of the storm brewing, were summoned to the governor’s mansion in the Sanjinghai star system—Long Yun, Maya, XII, and those closest to them.
They had already grown impatient after days of waiting without seeing Yang Hao, assuming this meeting would finally bring them face to face with him. But to their shock, several unexpected figures awaited them inside the room with the sapphire-domed ceiling.
As Long Yun entered, he was momentarily stunned, then quickly approached one figure and knelt on one knee, kissing their fingertips: “Great Empress Ming!”
Empress Ming smiled, though her complexion was pale, her noble aura still undiminished: “General Long, you are no longer a minister of Remon Star. There’s no need for such formalities.”
Long Yun rose and glanced around the room. Among those seated, he recognized Elder Hede, though he had never liked that old bear, so he merely nodded.
Empress Ming introduced the others one by one: “You already know Elder Hede of Sun Bear Star. This is Governor Steve of the Sanjinghai star system, and the man standing by with a rifle is Captain Lei of the Third Column from Outer Mongolia.”
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