Chapter 44: The Cruel Law: The Sole Light

The military might of Tianyi is the ultimate deterrent used to maintain hegemony, not a cleaning service meant to clean up the messes of vassal civilizations.

If a puppet government is incapable of even resolving its internal conflicts, it ceases to have any right to exist.

"Nok, Dema." Hufeng's gaze shifted to the two young legion commanders seated in the front row.

"Your Majesty!" Both men rose instantly, their movements crisp and decisive.

Nok had short black hair, a gaze as sharp as a blade, and carried an aura of silent, ruthless determination.

Dema had brown curly hair, a resolute facial structure, and a much more extroverted demeanor.

Their Su-silver armor was visibly superior to that of the others, shimmering with faint, flowing energy runes that clearly indicated special reinforcement.

Both were over two thousand years old, and in Hufeng's eyes, they were prime material for cultivation. Hufeng had personally handpicked them from within the legions, frequently providing them with direct guidance on tactics and troop management in their day-to-day training.

"Your legion is the sharp blade of the Tianyi Civilization."

Hufeng's voice carried a hint of testing. "Our territory is vast, and our forces are dispersed. How do we maintain effective deterrence and control over the Three Great Walls and hundreds of superclusters with a limited legion? Especially at a time when infrastructure development lags behind."

Nok spoke first, his voice low and clear. "Reporting to Your Majesty! This subordinate believes we should center our strategy on 'node deterrence' and 'rapid purification'."

"We shall select one to three critical strategic nodes within each supercluster—such as resource planets, transport hubs, and civilization concentration zones—establish permanent fortresses, and station elite detachments there, each including at least one second-generation super soldier."

"These fortresses will be equipped with high-performance reconnaissance, high-grade communications, and heavy firepower, such as deploying 'Star-Shatter' orbital cannons."

"Under normal conditions, they will monitor the entire sector. The moment any sign of illicit intent is detected—such as a civilization attempting to breach technological limits, mobilizing armed forces on a large scale, or breeding rebellious sentiments—"

"Without needing to request authorization, the main force of the nearest legion shall immediately launch a 'White Protocol' or 'Purification' strike with maximum force and maximum firepower! We shall nip the threat in the cradle with thunderous methods and use the most brutal public executions to cow all vassal civilizations into submission!"

"Let fear become our most loyal sentinel!" His proposal was filled with high efficiency and iron-blooded resolve, emphasizing preemptive strikes and terrifying deterrence.

Dema followed up immediately. "Your Majesty! This subordinate has an addition! Alongside node deterrence, we should establish several highly mobile 'hunting strike groups' composed entirely of elite veterans."

"Equipped with the latest high-speed assault ships, they will not be bound to fixed garrison duties. Instead, they will conduct irregular, high-intensity armed patrols and assault drills across the vast stellar domains of the Three Great Walls."

"Their routes will remain classified and their whereabouts unpredictable, ensuring that all vassal civilizations constantly feel the presence of a suspended sword hanging over their heads, never knowing when it might fall!"

"At the same time, the hunting strike groups themselves will serve as a potent rapid-reaction force. Upon receiving distress signals from the node fortresses, they can arrive in any stellar sector at maximum speed to coordinate a devastating strike!"

"Let the shadow of the 'Wrath of Tianyi' shroud every single inch of our territory!" His proposal placed greater emphasis on psychological deterrence and mobile might, acting like an invisible, razor-sharp sword.

Listening to the insights of the two young legion commanders, a trace of imperceptible approval flashed within Hufeng's molten-gold eyes.

Nok's ruthless precision and Dema's mobile oppression were both effective methods for maintaining control over such a vast expanse of territory.

He nodded slightly. "The reasoning is acceptable. The specific plans shall be led by the Ministry of Conquest, formulated in consultation with the two of you and the Chief of Star-Charts, and submitted within ten days."

"Remember, deterrence relies on precision and cruelty, not on senseless attrition. Every single one of our soldiers is precious."

"Understood, Your Majesty!" Nok and Dema responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with the excitement of recognition.

Following this, several other officers in charge of logistics, equipment, and training reported on the progress of the legions' equipment upgrades (the deployment rate of the Swords of Thunder stood at 100%), training conditions (focused primarily on squad-level assaults, decapitation strikes, and planetary pacification operations), and logistical support (which relied on the vassal civilizations' networks to basically meet current demands, though the pressure on long-distance supply lines remained immense).

All the reports centered around a single core objective: how to maintain the high-speed operation and absolute deterrence of the Tianyi military machine in the face of vast territory, relatively limited core forces, and lagging infrastructure.

The White Protocol and the Purification Edict hung like the shadow of death over the heads of countless vassal civilizations, serving as the most effective tools for maintaining the surface peace of this massive empire.

The meeting drew to a close. The Hall of Conquest was permeated with the cold, hyper-efficient atmosphere of a wartime machine.

Hufeng slowly rose from his primary seat.

His deep black administrative jacket bore not a single wrinkle under the cold light, and the collar of his pure white shirt was as clean as new.

He walked up to the colossal central star-chart and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

His figure was not particularly towering, but in the eyes of the Su-silver-armored officers filling the stern hall, he resembled a pillar capable of holding up the heavens.

He extended a finger, his fingertips wreathed in a faint, golden micro-glow of energy, and gently touched the massive blue territory covering a horrifying span of 1.2 to 1.5 billion light-years.

"This place," Hufeng's voice was not loud, yet it was imprinted into the depths of everyone's soul like a universal law, "is the territory we have seized from the chaotic unknown by means of sword, fire, order, and will."

"It is the land illuminated by the Order of Light."

His fingertip moved slowly, gliding past the sparse green infrastructure nodes on the star-chart, sweeping across the countless microscopic specks of light representing vassal civilizations.

It passed the Grul homeworld, which had just been marked as a "purification" target, and finally came to a halt on the marker of an unknown late-stage astronautical civilization codenamed "Seaside."

"A vast territory is both power and a burden."

"Our core population is insufficient? Then let every single citizen of Tianyi become the sharpest blade!"

"Infrastructure is lagging? Then concentrate resources and prioritize opening up the lifelines!"

"Resource conversion is slow? Then squeeze out every last fraction of potential from the vassal civilizations!"

"These problems are challenges, but even more so, they are the driving forces urging us onward! In the dictionary of Tianyi, there is no such word as 'impossible'!"

His voice abruptly turned cold, carrying a resolute defiance that looked down upon the sea of stars: "Our pace of expansion may slow down, but our control over our territory and our deterrence over the vassal civilizations must never slacken by even the slightest fraction!"

"The White Protocol is order! The Purification Edict is law! The approach taken by Nok and Dema is excellent. Fear and mobility are the twin wings that rule a vast domain!"

"We must make all entities bathed in the Order of Light—whether they are vassal lambs or potential jackals—understand a single truth—"

Hufeng whipped around abruptly, his pitch-black pupils like cosmic abysses as they swept across the assembly, his gaze seemingly capable of freezing souls:

"The universe on this side of the Boundary Sea requires only one voice, one will, and one overlord!"

His words rang through the Hall of Sharpened Blades like a chilling declaration:

"That is the Tianyi Civilization! That is the Order of Light!"

"That is I—Hufeng!"

An invisible, suffocating pressure instantly expanded outward. Every officer present, including Nok and Dema, felt their breath catch, instinctively straightening their postures and slamming their right fists heavily against the Su-silver armor over their left chests!

This produced a neat and thunderous echo of gold and iron!

"Eternal glory to Tianyi! Eternal life to Your Majesty!" The roaring, tidal wave of oaths made the hall hum and vibrate.

Hufeng raised his hand slightly, pressing down the wave of sound. His voice returned to a calm state, yet it carried an even deeper, future-directed chill:

"Ministry of Conquest, Department of Star-Charts."

"Continue your mission. Do not halt your exploratory gaze."

"March forward into the more distant, darker, and more unknown deep space."

"Search."

"Search for those… potential sparks of civilization that might exist."

"Especially…" Hufeng's fingertip seemed to pierce through the star-chart, pointing toward the endless, unlit dark regions, "those that are about to touch the threshold of god-hood… or those that have already stepped into the late-stage astronautical era…"

His gaze was as cold as ten-thousand-year glacial ice:

"Once discovered, maintain tight surveillance and evaluate their threat level."

"Do not harbor illusions; do not attempt communication."

"Await the final evaluation and command of the General Command."

"Once their potential to slip out of control and threaten Tianyi's hegemony is confirmed…"

Hufeng paused for a fraction of a second, whispering like the Grim Death as he clearly uttered the chilling strategic directive:

"Prioritize the execution of the 'Dark Forest Strike' contingency plan!"

"Mobilize sufficient forces to carry out large-scale, multi-wave, indiscriminate, and devastating military deployments!"

"Target: Completely, cleanly, and without a trace, erase their existence! From homeworld to colonies, from fleets to populations, from matter to information… reduce it all to nothingness!"

"Ensure no spark escapes and no trace of civilization information remains!"

"Bury this threat, along with the very traces of its existence, into the eternal darkness!"

"Remember! This universe needs only one overlord! Any sapling that might grow into a towering tree must be crushed into dust beforehand, utterly and completely!"

The chilling words echoed to the extreme within the Hall of Conquest.

The Dark Forest Strike!

This was an extermination policy far more extreme and thorough than the White Protocol and the Purification Edict!

It was the naked law of cosmic survival under Hufeng's philosophy of the "Sole Overlord"!

"Understood, Your Majesty!"

Mirega and the Chief of Star-Charts accepted the command with solemn expressions, their eyes free of hesitation, holding only absolute obedience to the command and a profound understanding of the royal will.

"As for those who have already surrendered, or are about to surrender…" Hufeng's gaze swept over the dense cluster of lights representing vassal civilizations on the star-chart.

His tone was indifferent. "Continue executing the White Protocol. Implant viruses and control the upper echelons."

"Squeeze out their value and maintain their stability. They are fuel, miners, shields… but they can never be a threat."

"Dismissed." Hufeng said no more. He turned around, his deep black administrative jacket cutting a rigid arc, and walked steadily out of the Hall of Sharpened Blades.

The officers maintained their rigid postures until Hufeng's figure completely vanished at the end of the corridor, only then slowly relaxing. Within the chilled air, the frost brought by the ruler's ruthless declaration still seemed to linger.

Nok and Dema exchanged a glance, each seeing the burning fighting spirit and the grave weight regarding the "Dark Forest Strike" reflected in the other's eyes.

Mirega had already begun speaking in low tones with the Chief of Star-Charts, discussing the details of monitoring "Seaside" and planning deeper space explorations.

The massive star-chart in the Hall of Conquest continued to operate silently, with three cold Great Walls spanning across the blue sea of stars that represented Tianyi's territory.

And beyond this blue domain lay the endless, unexplored darkness.

Hufeng's will, like an invisible net, was quietly casting itself into the depths of that darkness alongside Tianyi's detection waves, searching for any possible speck of light, and then… preparing to ruthlessly extinguish it.

Peaceful development?

No, this was merely the calm before the storm.

Tianyi's war machine never ceased its roar; its blade was being honed, its gaze cast toward deeper darkness, and it practiced the most ruthless law of the universe—submit and prosper, resist and perish; potential threats must be uprooted completely!

The universe on this side of the Boundary Sea could only accommodate one supreme voice—the King of Tianyi, Hufeng!

And his iron curtain was silently and firmly advancing into the broader darkness.