Year 413 of Dawn.
Under Ji He's guidance, the military department welcomed a major reform.
First, the various battle groups in the western supply zone of Star City were disbanded and merged into the military department.
Thanks to the groundwork laid over the previous years, the integration of the battle groups into the military department went smoothly, with the only resistance coming from the Battle Group Council.
When the council raised concerns, Ji He couldn't even be bothered to respond.
One of the Five Great Cities, Future City, had already disappeared. Now, aside from the spatial teleportation array link with Winter City, Star City's connections with Old Day City and even Victory City were gradually being severed.
The connections between cities would inevitably deteriorate, leading to a complete disconnection as the surrounding environment continued to worsen.
Ji He no longer cared about how other cities felt.
For the military department, this was a monumental year. Once focused on protecting the city, it had once again become the sharp sword of Star City in external affairs.
The small-scale combat strategy of the battle groups became a thing of the past.
But Ji He's reforms for the military didn't stop there.
This year, Ji He also announced a new policy.
Starting in Year 413 of Dawn, all members of the new generation of humans who turned 18—whether male or female—would be required to serve in the military for three years.
In the past, only a few of Star City's residents had the chance to become soldiers.
To join the frontlines, one had to pass multiple exams and only those who attended military academies with combat departments had the right to step onto the frontlines and be trained as qualified soldiers.
Ordinary people had no opportunity, nor could they access the frontline.
This was tied to the state of the world at the time.
Back then, the policy of elite soldier cultivation was introduced because training soldiers who mastered cultivation techniques was costly. If the entire population were trained as soldiers, Star City's foundation couldn't support it.
So, the plan was to focus on training elite soldiers.
Soldiers who joined combat academies received resources ordinary citizens couldn't access. However, upon graduation, they faced the brutal realities of frontline service, something civilians could never imagine.
Times were changing, and Ji He believed it was time for a shift.
Star City now had sufficient resources to support a universal soldier cultivation program.
This would enhance Star City's overall combat strength and lay the groundwork for improving the next generation's bloodline potential.
To push this policy, Ji He took drastic actions—arresting and imprisoning those who stood in his way.
He showed no mercy to anyone obstructing his reforms.
For the next three years, Star City would, under Ji He's leadership, enter a new era where every citizen would become a soldier.
Year 415 of Dawn.
Ji He began laying the groundwork for the construction of the new Dawn City.
The construction plans for the new city were relatively well-established, but significant resources hadn't been invested, and the project remained in the preparation phase.
This delay was due to early resource shortages, which had pushed back the progress of the new city's construction plan.
The new city represented Ji He's vision for the future of humanity.
But to build the ideal, grand city, Star City still had many problems to resolve.
The most pressing issue was manpower.
Star City's population now stood at 83 million, with steady, modest growth over the years.
But building a new city required a vast workforce.
After all, this would be a cultivation-based city, making the construction much more complex than a regular city.
To address this, Ji He established the Birth Management Department and required all citizens to actively procreate. Any man or woman over the age of 22 was mandated to participate in pairing activities and find a partner as soon as possible.
Ji He issued strict orders that, as long as there were no physical defects, all Star City residents must have at least two children, if not more.
Ji He's actions sparked strong opposition from Star City's residents and many members of the Supreme Council.
While they understood Ji He's reasons, they couldn't accept his near-totalitarian orders.
They saw no warmth in Ji He, only cold policies.
Behind his back, Ji He earned labels such as dictator and even tyrant.
What was most unacceptable to the people of Star City was Ji He's refusal to participate in the annual commemorations of Feng Qi.
In past years, Feng Qi commemorations had been like a New Year's celebration in Star City. The streets would be packed, and members of the Supreme Council would join the people to honor Feng Qi.
But Ji He never participated.
He had fully exposed his lack of belief to the citizens of Star City.
This made both the people and the high-ranking officials who had once followed Ji He realize that he had been hiding his true self all along, with the sole aim of gaining control of Star City.
Nevertheless, there was no doubt that under Ji He's leadership, Star City was developing at a rapid pace, heading toward a brighter future.
And Ji He was well aware of his image in the eyes of Star City's citizens.
But he did not manipulate public opinion in any way.
As long as it didn't interfere with the reforms he was pushing for in Star City, he didn't care if he was labeled a tyrant or dictator.
Year 416 of Dawn.
Ji He sat in his office, listening to a report from his staff.
When the staff finished their report and left, Ji He's brow slowly furrowed.
During the report, it was mentioned that, according to feedback from the department responsible for liaising with the Silver Moon Clan, the clan was about to undergo a change in leadership.
However, Ji He wasn't particularly concerned by this.
What mattered was the attitude of the candidates for the Silver Moon Clan leader, particularly one named Yin Tong.
Yin Tong was one of the two main candidates and was highly respected within the Silver Moon Clan. He had once served as the commander of the Silver Moon Clan's supply zone.
But his attitude toward humanity was quite complicated.
In recent years, the Silver Moon Clan had grown rapidly, its overall strength now surpassing that of Star City.
After all, the Silver Moon Clan's bloodline potential far exceeded that of humans, and with ample resources, the new generation was growing at an astonishing rate.
The relationship between Star City and the Silver Moon Clan was no longer the subordinate one it had been in the past.
This shift had given rise to differing opinions within the Silver Moon Clan, and Yin Tong was one of its representatives.
He believed the Silver Moon Clan's future potential was far greater than that of humanity, and that for the better development of his own people, they should sever ties with humanity.
These views were never openly stated, but Ji He's intelligence network had already obtained the information.
If Yin Tong became the leader of the Silver Moon Clan, the relationship between humanity and the Silver Moon Clan would inevitably move towards complete disconnection.
This was something Ji He could not accept.
Star City had spent years cultivating the Silver Moon Clan, and now it was finally starting to gain resources from the Silver Moon Clan, aside from just technology. If the Silver Moon Clan decided to end its alliance with humanity, it would be a huge blow to humanity's future.
Yin Tong, now a candidate for the Silver Moon Clan leader, had become a thorn in Ji He's side.
But Ji He couldn't yet figure out how to stop Yin Tong from becoming the leader.
Assassination was obviously not an option.
Yin Tong had long since stepped down from managing the Silver Moon Clan's supply zone and was now residing in the heart of Silver Moon City. Attempting to assassinate him there would have a very low chance of success. Moreover, if he were discovered, humanity and the Silver Moon Clan would become mortal enemies.
Trying to interfere in the Silver Moon Clan's leader election by supporting another candidate wasn't feasible either.
Getting caught interfering in the internal affairs of an allied race would be an unpardonable act.
Even if the issue were temporarily suppressed, it would create an irreparable rift between the two races, and they would inevitably split.
How to handle this, Ji He fell into deep thought.
Three days later, while reviewing the materials about the Silver Moon Clan's leadership selection ceremony, Ji He began to form a plan.
He began laying the groundwork for this plan.
That evening, he sought out the military's commander-in-chief, Lin Zhengyuan.
The two of them sat together in the military office, talking in detail. Ji He explained his plan to handle Yin Tong.
To Ji He, Yin Tong was a thorn in the side of the alliance.
The best outcome would be for Yin Tong to disappear permanently. Otherwise, even if the election for clan leader failed, Yin Tong's influence would still impact the future direction of the Silver Moon Clan.
As long as Yin Tong remained, the stable development between humanity and the Silver Moon Clan would eventually be disrupted.
But dealing with Yin Tong without letting the Silver Moon Clan realize that humanity was behind it was a difficult task.
Ji He had considered going to Fate City to hire an assassin.
But as soon as the Silver Moon Clan discovered that the assassin came from Fate City, they would immediately associate it with humanity.
Only humanity possessed the Tortoiseshell Jade that could be used to travel to Fate City, and that fact couldn't be hidden.
Such actions were too risky. Ji He didn't want to take steps that would harm the relationship between humanity and the Silver Moon Clan unless it was absolutely necessary.
His plan, however, had a higher chance of success, but it required a high-ranking sacrificial pawn.
That was why Ji He had approached Lin Zhengyuan.
That night, Lin Zhengyuan drank heavily. After hearing Ji He's proposal, his eyes showed no anger or sadness—only calm acceptance. He looked at Ji He, nodded solemnly, and said,
"Old Ji, I support your plan."
"You're not angry with me?" Ji He asked.
"Why would I be angry? The day I joined the military, I pledged to the Dawn flag that I would sacrifice myself for humanity. If sacrificing myself would bring humanity's progress, then why not? Besides, I'm almost ready to retire. If I can make a big impact before I go, this life will have been worth it."
Looking at Lin Zhengyuan's calm expression, Ji He stood up and patted Lin Zhengyuan on the shoulder.
"Old Lin, on behalf of Star City and humanity, thank you for your sacrifice."
Lin Zhengyuan heard this, swatted Ji He's hand off his shoulder with a laugh, and scolded him playfully,
"Don't try to butter me up. Let's go for another round of spiritual chess. This time, I'm sure I'll win."
...
After leaving the military department, Ji He began preparing for the plan.
Two days later, a piece of shocking news spread, causing a huge stir in Star City.
Military Commander Lin Zhengyuan had been assassinated by a mysterious life form. Thankfully, he only sustained minor injuries, and his body was unharmed.
The news quickly reached the Silver Moon Clan, and they immediately inquired about the details, expressing their condolences to Lin Zhengyuan.
For the next six months,
As people began to forget about Lin Zhengyuan's first assassination attempt, he was targeted again by a mysterious life form. This time, he only suffered light injuries once again.
Three months after this, Lin Zhengyuan was once again targeted for assassination.
With these repeated attempts, the Silver Moon Clan inquired once more and offered their full support to humanity should they need any help.
Ji He personally replied to the Silver Moon Clan, stating that the assassin likely mastered psychic energy technology and was most probably from the Psionic Tribe. He also rejected the Silver Moon Clan's offer of support, stating that the investigation into whether the Psionic Tribe's power had infiltrated Star City to target Lin Zhengyuan would continue.
Time moved to Year 417 of Dawn.
The Silver Moon Clan's leader election began.
Ji He, Lin Zhengyuan, and other top members of Star City were invited to attend, to witness the birth of the new leader of the Silver Moon Clan.
On this day, Silver Moon City was bustling with activity.
The sky was dotted with countless silver-white energy particles, and the city buildings displayed the emblem of the Silver Moon Clan—a silver moon.
The election process for the new leader was overseen by the Silver Moon Clan's Elder Council.
The Mist Clan, also an ally, was invited to attend.
Although the Lord of the Mist Clan did not arrive, nearly half of the Elder Council from the Mist Clan showed up with gifts.
Ji He also prepared a grand gift of resources for the Silver Moon Clan.
That day, the Silver Moon Clan treated their guests with the highest honors and arranged for them to sit in the front row for the leader's coronation ceremony.
At 8:40 PM, the election ceremony was nearing its end.
The two Silver Moon Clan leader candidates began walking around the coronation stage, thanking the Elder Council members for their support.
One of the candidates was Yin Tong.
At that moment, Lin Zhengyuan, sitting not far away, suddenly looked up at Ji He, who was seated across from him on the stage.
Ji He said nothing, his face expressionless as he sat in his seat.
Their eyes met, and a bright smile appeared on Lin Zhengyuan's face.
He then turned to face Yin Tong, who was approaching. A determined look flashed in his eyes.
Before attending the ceremony, he had swallowed a small psychic energy nuclear bomb.
This technology came from the Shadow faction that once controlled Future City. The small psychic energy nuclear bomb was incredibly powerful. Ji He had spent half a year and mobilized vast resources to create it.
As the smiling Yin Tong reached Lin Zhengyuan, he looked at him with visible disdain.
It was the deep-seated contempt he had for humanity.
But Lin Zhengyuan smiled brightly and extended his right hand to Yin Tong.
Though Yin Tong was displeased, he had no choice but to extend his right hand in return, as everyone was watching.
At that moment, Yin Tong was horrified to see Lin Zhengyuan's body swell up, as a terrifying surge of psychic energy burst from him.
Time seemed to freeze. He could clearly see the blood vessels on Lin Zhengyuan's body as it inflated.
Boom!
A deafening explosion followed, and the entire area was filled with white light and psychic energy waves. A violent hurricane blew apart the coronation stage, and a psychic storm suddenly formed.
The wind howled in his ears, and several psychic energy barriers appeared in front of Ji He, placed by the Silver Moon Clan's elders sitting next to him.
Ji He's gaze passed through the transparent energy barriers and looked towards Lin Zhengyuan's position moments before.
A faint trace of sorrow flashed in his eyes.
But this emotion quickly vanished, and he squatted down, curling his body under the protection of the Silver Moon Clan's elders.
This was Ji He's assassination plan.
He had first set up the background with Lin Zhengyuan being "assassinated" to normalize such events, so the Silver Moon Clan would be prepared.
Next, he implanted the psychic nuclear weapon inside Lin Zhengyuan.
Then, he informed the Silver Moon Clan that the assassination likely came from the Psionic Tribe.
From the start of the plan, Ji He had already decided to sacrifice Lin Zhengyuan to achieve his goals.
Only by having Lin Zhengyuan die in martyrdom could Ji He avoid raising suspicion from the Silver Moon Clan and prevent them from thinking that humanity had orchestrated the assassination.
The Silver Moon Clan lost a leader candidate, but humanity lost a top leader who had been in charge of the military for decades.
To ensure the success of his plan, Ji He had left no escape route for himself.
He gave up his own protection. If a Star City soldier had shielded him during the explosion, it would have aroused suspicion from the Silver Moon Clan, leading them to believe it was a premeditated act.
So, Ji He entrusted his protection to the Silver Moon Clan's elders sitting beside him, facing the possibility of his own death.
When the dust settled, Ji He stood up with the help of the Silver Moon Clan's elders.
Looking at the ruined election site, the figures of Lin Zhengyuan and Yin Tong were gone, leaving only a deep crater.
The wind, mixed with dust, struck Ji He's face, and he squinted his eyes.
"Old Ji, you really can't be relied on. Are you really going to make a move on Old Hu?"
"Old Ji, the more I get involved, the more I admire you. Maybe you really can take Star City to new heights."
"Old Ji, Commander Li has been imprisoned. I suddenly wonder—do you think I might become your sacrifice in the future? If that day comes, just let me know directly. Don't play any tricks. If it's for the greater good, I'll sacrifice myself without hesitation."
"Old Ji, let's play another round of chess. This time, I'll definitely win."
…
What was once a joke had now become reality.
This old friend, who had always stood by his side, fought against all odds, and worked tirelessly to push his reforms, had now become the sacrifice to stabilize the racial alliance.
After more than twenty years of companionship, memories from those times flashed in Ji He's mind.
He buried the sadness deep inside his heart, knowing that the journey was far from over. He couldn't stop yet.