The cold encounter at Nanxiang Marquis's side did not come as a surprise to Ren Zhong.

Ren Zhong was not very certain about the value of the Divine Level Spirit Demon Race, nor did he clearly understand that what attracts Nanxiang Marquis might actually be military achievements.

He instinctively felt that the fleet shouldn't expect much support.

He was merely following the application procedure of the colonial fleet as a formality.

Just as Nanxiang Marquis Liu An said, no matter how extraordinary Ren Zhong and the other Source Star people might think they are, they couldn't change the fact that the Source Star Fleet hails from a mere C-level Tracer colony.

Furthermore, low-ranking nobles like Ying Feng and Ma Zhongfei from the Empire had already been wiped out, and the most valuable 6,000 starship embryos were utterly lost.

Currently, everyone in this fleet remains insignificant civilians before reaching the Empire.

As for whether it was possible that South Nine Star's Governor Sosgate Augustus was impeding because of casualties among the Augustus family descendants under Ren Zhong's command?

Ren Zhong thought it unlikely.

No matter what Sosgate's intentions might be, absolute control within Nanxiang Star Cluster was in Liu An's hands.

These decisions had to be made by Liu An himself or the military-political complex of Nanxiang Star Cluster.

Sosgate didn't have that authority.

...

In the Throne Hall, Ren Zhong sat alone on his Iron Throne, addressing the more than three hundred below.

"Mercury, transformed into the physical core of the 'Net,' has joined with the fleet alongside the Star System Level Main Cannon. The fleet is also about to enter a stable cruising speed of thirty thousand kilometers per second. This is our marching formation, drafted by Vincent, with some modifications by me. Besides the vanguard fleet and the rear fleet formation, the four directions: up, down, left, and right also require attention."

The Vincent Fanhuoyi that Ren Zhong referred to originally came from the Association's Military Department, being its original Minister.

Back when attacking the Tracker Spaceship, most officers from the Military Department, including Vincent Fanhuoyi, were ruthlessly overthrown; they played minor roles, merely observing commanders from the Ren Corporation and Source Star Military Industry.

Originally, Vincent thought his career had come to an end, unexpectedly he was reinstated and entrusted with important duties, becoming the acting military affairs officer.

He felt both excitement and some regret.

Ren Zhong: "Next, I will address arrangements concerning frozen dormancy and the fleet's daily plan. I know most of you are yearning and longing for life within the Empire. But I must regrettably inform you, it's not that easy. Survival is paramount, and where you live is secondary. I am not threatening you; this is determined by objective reality. It's the special situation we both face. The potential threats I've mentioned earlier will not be repeated now."

"In typical massive migrations, most can enjoy frozen dormancy, with only a certain number rotated on each Armed Ship. However, due to our special circumstances, changes must be made. With the complete annihilation of the Ice Sealing Army, we now only have warships, creating a significant gap in specialized combat capabilities."

"This is our return star map, along which we will head towards South Nine Star. If all goes well, we can arrive at South Nine Star in over forty years. But you must pay attention to the areas marked in red on the star map. Tenglong Nebula, Black Mist Zone, Shattered Star Ring…According to intelligence provided by the Empire's Intelligence Bureau, these areas may host enemy patrols. We might face attacks at these locations. The most likely encounters will be with patrol teams from the Ascendants."

"Ascendants eligible to be patrol team members, even the weakest ones, are stronger than our superior-tier Armored Soldiers. They can traverse the universe physically without relying on frozen storage, becoming akin to water bears in space, lurking under the cover of debris, black zones, and cosmic auroras. Any one of them can tear open the defenses of the Tracker Spaceship, infiltrate here. Destroying transport ships and Armed Battleships is no challenge."

"Thus, we must prepare. First, all personnel with combat talents, those related to military science, and those connected to core basic science must not enter frozen dormancy."

"We need to restore military might and become stronger, so we must advance technologies while increasing military prowess. I demand more powerful main cannons, stronger warships, more warriors, tougher alloys, better Mecha. If you are a warrior, continue training and train until every ounce of potential is squeezed out. Only after giving everything, and reaching the edge of life's limits, can you indulge in the privilege of freezing. Naturally, I will also provide the best training conditions and all training materials. If you are a researcher, you must continue working and laboring."