Over the years, the Empire had shifted the focus of its expansion southward.
All the member states of the Sea of Stars Community lay in the northern part of the Milky Way. Vast unexplored star regions remained to the south, with still more empires out there.
Thus, when Xi Yan realized that the northern regions had all but been divided up, he immediately changed course and prepared to expand into the southern star regions.
Repeated wars had kept the pace of expansion below expectations, but at least he had managed to seize the important transit junctions ahead of everyone else.
The southern star regions lay close to the Galactic Center Black Hole. There, Xi Yan discovered a Marauder tribe and a Gaia Planet that shone with golden light.
Connecting to the sensors in a southern star system, Xi Yan arrived there in an instant. Even from far away, he could see a Gaia Planet freely radiating sacred golden light through the dim universe.
Gaia holy world: Prophet's Retreat.
These holy worlds were what the Holy Guardians protected, and every one of them was a Gaia Planet.
These were genuine Gaia Planets, brimming with immense psionic power that made the entire planet glow gold.
Any species could enjoy 100% habitability on such a Gaia World. That was the divine power of psionics.
Colonizing a holy world would deeply enrage the Holy Guardians. If someone destroyed one with a Colossus, the Guardians would immediately awaken as the Resurgent Holy Authority and launch a holy war.
Walled Garden, Pristine Jewel, Garden of Exile, Prophet's Retreat. Those were the names of the four holy worlds.
Xi Yan glanced at Prophet's Retreat, then looked away.
Judging by the name, the great prophet Zarqlan might once have lived on this planet...
The Sea of Stars