Meanwhile.
Zichen Star, Seventh Star Ring, East Blade Mercenary Corps Headquarters.
It was less a mercenary corps headquarters than a small military fortress.
The towering alloy main building had sleek, austere lines. Its surface was covered in composite armor that could absorb detection waves and some energy attacks, while the East Blade Emblem at its peak reflected the artificial star's light with a cold metallic gleam.
It occupied the finest plot in the Seventh Star Ring, with the richest energy resources. This was one of the special privileges the Purple Gold Star Alliance Executive Committee had proactively granted when Irelia returned to Zichen Star to begin rebuilding East Blade.
A giant holographic screen floated in the grand hall on the headquarters' top floor, broadcasting a live report from the Purple Gold Star Alliance's official news channel.
The camera focused on the private VIP corridor at Zichen Star First Spaceport. A dense crowd had already gathered there. Star Alliance President Ming Luo and a group of senior officials stood solemnly, while media ships hovered at a safe distance like a swarm, their various imaging devices trained on the entrance.
Liu Yuan, Elizabeth, Zhou Yuxuan, and the other earliest core members of the East Blade Mercenary Corps were all standing before the screen.
After five thousand years of war, the faces that had once looked a little green back on Blue Star now bore the marks of time.
Liu Yuan's aura had reached Star Vortex Rank, and he was at the fifth stage.
He stood with his arms folded, his gaze fixed on the tranquil, emerald-green figure beside Ming Luo on the screen.
Elizabeth stood beside Liu Yuan, dressed in the East Blade Mercenary Corps' new dark-blue uniform. Her posture remained straight as she watched in silence, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the