[Destroy a sizable Taotie Fleet: +200 Disaster Deterrence Points!]
[Successfully destroy "Earth Civilization" and occupy the Solar System: +115 Disaster Deterrence Points!]
[Successfully destroy the "Demon Legion": +1,000 Disaster Deterrence Points!]
[Disaster Deterrence Points: 11,315+]
Chen Yu was surprised.
After the entire Solar System had been brought under the jurisdiction of the Human Federation, the Disaster Deterrence Points on the Civilization Template had unexpectedly made a significant leap.
Wasn't "Star Sea Heavenly Punishment" supposed to have only five stages?
Each stage unlocked new technologies. Once the Disaster Deterrence Points in the Starry Universe were full and it reached the fifth stage, they stopped accumulating.
Could there be further stages to unlock, with new technologies?
Were there technologies even more powerful than the Aether Phase Engine?
Chen Yu decided to wait and see.
The Disaster Deterrence Points were rising quickly, since the Federation's 150 fleets had launched a grand expedition across the entire Milky Way.
He had led the First Federal Fleet in conquering the Solar System and destroying this universe's native Earth Civilization.
Meanwhile, the other 149 fleets were also wiping out the other native civilizations across the Milky Way with remarkable efficiency.
Destroying a civilization added 100 Disaster Deterrence Points.
Occupying a Star System added 10 Disaster Deterrence Points.
Conquering a habitable planet added 5 Disaster Deterrence Points.
The Milky Way was about 160,000 light-years across and contained approximately 400 billion Star Systems.
Those Star Systems contained a staggering trillion planets and moons!
Even if only one in every 10,000 star systems had a planet capable of supporting life, and only one in every 10,000 such planets developed a native civilization of comparable standing, the Milky Way should still have at least 10,000 native civilizations.
According to the latest figures tallied by the Federation's Sentry Array, however—
In this universe's Milky Way, precisely 156,893 planets had seen life emerge and evolve.
Of those, 38,498 had developed native civilizations of comparable standing to Earth's!
"Life is truly scarce in this universe," Chen Yu remarked as he looked over the figures.
In the Starry Universe, the number of Alien Species was simply beyond belief, nearly enough to fill the entire Milky Way.
Almost every time the Human Federation expanded there, it had to fight a brutal war against another civilization.
The Milky Way in this universe was comparatively feeble.
Still, that was a good thing. It was precisely why the Federation's grand expedition here had gone more smoothly than ever before.
There were simply fewer Alien Species for the Federation to slaughter. No matter.
Conquer the entire Milky Way, occupy every Star System, and enslave or destroy every native civilization!
With a grand expedition on this scale, the Human Federation would fulfill its Manifest Destiny!
Their civilization would sweep across the cosmos like a natural disaster, cleansing it from end to end!
Chen Yu expected the Disaster Deterrence Points on the Civilization Template to soar to an unimaginable level after this grand expedition.
Turning his attention back to the present, Chen Yu looked gently toward Planet Earth.
Even in another universe, Earth was still the planet the Federation longed for.
As the birthplace of human civilization, it held a place in every Federal Citizen's heart equal to that of the Federation's capital, United Star.
In the other universe, they had failed to reclaim Planet Earth from the illegitimate Earth Alliance regime...
Under that regime's pro-alien rule, Planet Earth—the sacred birthplace of humanity—had become a playground for alien vermin.
A bunch of human traitors who had forgotten their roots had fought a bloody war against the Federation rather than give up their defense of the aliens' rights.
In the end, a disastrous command led to Planet Earth and the entire Solar System being accidentally destroyed by the Federation's interstellar strike weapons.
In that universe, the destruction of the Solar System and Planet Earth had become an everlasting source of grief for every Federal Citizen.
But they had never regretted it.
As the sacred birthplace of humanity, they would rather see Earth destroyed than watch it polluted by bizarre alien vermin.
Now, in this universe, they had finally made up for that loss, reclaiming the Solar System and Earth Civilization.
It was cause for celebration.
After the war in the Solar System ended, Chen Yu's first order was to have the Federation engineering ships accompanying them build a Stellar Outpost in the system, asserting the Federation's sovereignty.
They also rushed to build a Faster-Than-Light Communication Forum on Planet Earth.
The projects were immense, but thanks to the Federation's formidable engineering capabilities, they were completed in just one day.
Then a grand ceremony began.
Aboard the Da Ming Palace command ship, Chen Yu wore his formal military uniform, with Gray Wind at his side.
Thousands of Federal captains had gathered. They watched solemnly, and the entire scene was profoundly grave.
The communications channel was connected to every planet, every Stellar Outpost, every ship, and even the communication devices carried by every citizen across the Milky Way under Federation control.
"My fellow citizens, this is a momentous occasion."
"On behalf of the First Federal Fleet, and in my capacity as Grand Marshal of the Federation, I bring you an exhilarating announcement!"
"After 930 years, the Federation has finally fully reclaimed Planet Earth, the sacred birthplace of humanity and human civilization!"
"This is a celebration long overdue..."
"930 years ago, our ancestors carried the future of humanity with them as they traversed a wormhole, endured the trials of life and death, and reached United Star, where they founded the Federation..."
"For 930 years, we have fought side by side amid our enemies' blood and ashes, slaughtering and conquering countless alien species, all to prove one thing..."
"That our existence is worthy of humanity's future—and worthy of our ancestors!"
"Now, let us stand together at this moment in history and speak for the human pioneers who once journeyed aboard the Autumn Chrysanthemum to reach United Star—"
"Let us salute Planet Earth and welcome them home!"
Across the Federation's 500 star systems, some 300 trillion citizens gazed toward the broadcast.
At that moment, they all shared in the glory.
Countless people wept.
For a moment, it seemed they could hear the spirits of countless ancestors crying.
Without the pioneers who had once left Earth aboard the Autumn Chrysanthemum, the Human Federation would not have prospered, nor would humanity have wrought the wonders of the stars they now enjoyed.
Once, the pioneers who had left their homes had gazed toward the Solar System again and again, dreaming that one day they might return to the homeworld they had left behind for so long.
The Human Federation of old had been weak. The pioneers had faced prejudice from Alien Species and struggled to survive.
Now, we stand tall amid the boundless sea of stars. We no longer fear those specks of dust from beyond our world.
Alas... In its earliest days, the Human Federation had possessed technology too limited to greatly extend the human lifespan.
The pioneers, already frail with age, could only carry their regrets and disappointment with them into their long sleep on United Star.
When the imperial army reclaims Earth, do not forget to tell your father at the family sacrifice.
In the Federation's Manifest Destiny to conquer the Milky Way, reclaiming Planet Earth and letting the pioneers' spirits rest was an indispensable step.
Now, that step had been fulfilled in another universe, deepening the sense of purpose in the hearts of Federal Citizens.
At that moment, across every Federal world and aboard every Federal warship, they cried out in unison in the human language:
"Long live humanity! Long live the Federation!"
"Long live the pioneers! Long live the Grand Marshal!"
True unity could only be achieved when a civilization and its people shared the exact same goal.
When brothers quarrel at home, they unite to repel outside aggression.
At that moment, the Federation was united as one, and the strength of their solidarity could overturn anything.
Before you continue