Chapter 362: Struggle Under the Thought Steel Seal

The Karash Star System in Andromeda, a resource planet designated G-37.

This planet contains a key rare metal needed for the armor of Divine Might‑class battleships, making it one of the first planets listed for top‑priority mining in the Great Silence plan.

However, the planet's indigenous people, the Karash—a Tier 4 civilization—have refused the Yanhuang Civilization's conscription order.

They have blockaded the star system and declared that any fleet attempting to force entry will be regarded as an act of invasion.

At the First Administrative District Governor's Office, Bijalie gazed at the report without a flicker in his eyes.

"Your Excellency Governor, the Karash Civilization has activated its star‑system defense system and mustered about three billion warships, preparing for a fight to the death."

A deputy officer reported.

"Their technology is only at mid‑Tier 4; a single Standard Fleet of ours could easily crush them."

Bijalie's gaze fell on the red‑blinking coordinate on the star map.

"Who should we send?" he asked calmly.

The deputy officer replied: "According to the plan, the Second Administrative District Fleet of Governor Ke Huang will handle it."

But Governor Ke Huang's side seems to have run into some uncooperative civilizations and cannot spare forces.

"Then we'll go." Bijalie said without any change in tone.

"Yes. Please issue the order, Your Excellency Governor."

Bijalie fell silent for a moment.

In his mind, the Thought Steel Seal laid out a perfectly clear logic:

【Mobilize three Standard Fleets with thunderous force to completely crush the Karash people's will to resist, kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and pave the way for subsequent resource integration.】

This is the most efficient, and also the most "correct" choice.

However, just as he was about to issue that order,

deep in his mind, the suppressed "self" flashed a completely different thought.

"They just want to defend their homeland…"

That thought was extremely faint, like a candle in the wind, flickering and gone in an instant.

Yet it caused Bijalie's action to pause for a moment.

He recalled how, long ago, when the Bijalie Civilization was still weak, it too had faced bullying and oppression by a stronger civilization.

Back then, they too gathered all their strength,

clinging to a resolve to die rather than surrender, to defend their homeland.

That feeling…

"Governor?"

Seeing the governor delay the order, the deputy officer ventured a cautious reminder.

Bijalie's eyes turned icy again.

The logic of the Thought Steel Seal instantly overwhelmed that faint emotional ripple.

"Order: First, Third, and Seventh Standard Fleets, depart immediately for the G‑37 star system."

"Any resistance will be met with no mercy."

"Yes!"

The deputy officer received the command and left.

Bijalie stood alone before the massive star map, motionless for a long time.

He didn't know why, but that brief hesitation,

caused a tiny sting to prick his spiritual core.

……

Three days later.

Outside the G‑37 star system.

A vast fleet of over one hundred million warships tore through space and arrived here.

Their black hulls bore the insignia of the original Bijalie Empire, though everyone knew they now fought solely for the Yanhuang Civilization.

On the bridge of the flagship Adjudicator, Bijalie personally took command.

On the holo‑screen, the Karash fleet appeared, arrayed and ready.

Three billion warships looked tiny and pathetic before the warships of a high‑Tier 4 civilization.

"Your Excellency Governor, the enemy has sent a communication request."

"Put it through."

On the screen appeared an image of a Karash individual.

He was tall, his skin a stone‑gray, his eyes filled with anger and resolve.

"Bijalie! You lackey of the Yanhuang people! We Karash, born here and raised here,

"even in death we will never let you invaders defile our homeland!"

Bijalie stared at him, expressionless.

"This is your last chance. Lay down your weapons, accept reorganization, and your civilization may continue."

"Never!"

The Karash chief roared, "We would rather die standing than live on our knees!"

"Then go die."

Bijalie cut off the transmission, his voice icy.

"Fire."

The order was given.

The muzzles of a hundred million warships simultaneously lit up with the light of destruction.

The next second, countless spatial torrents crossed the void and instantly submerged that tiny resistance fleet.

There was no fierce battle, no stubborn resistance.

This was a thorough massacre from start to finish.

Three billion warships were completely vaporized in just a few minutes, leaving not even a decent piece of wreckage.

Inside the bridge, there was utter silence.

All the officers watched this scene with blank expressions.

Under the control of the Thought Steel Imprint, their minds held only one thought: 'Execute the order.'

However, deep inside Biajie, that stabbing pain grew ever clearer.

He saw that, after the fleet was destroyed, countless cities on the G-37 planet lit up with light,

shields rose one after another, and the planetary defense turrets began to turn, aiming at the massive fleet in space.

Those Karash people had not yet given up.

"Governor, should we carry out an orbital strike on the planet?" the aide asked.

According to the logic of the Thought Steel Imprint, the most efficient method,

was to directly destroy this planet, then have the engineering fleet move in to collect metal from the ruins.

"No."

Biajie, however, inexplicably uttered a word of negation.

He himself was taken aback for a moment.

Why?

Why would he refuse?

The Thought Steel Imprint immediately issued a warning, judging this decision as 'inefficient.'

But Biajie this time did not immediately correct it.

He looked at the azure planet on the screen, at the futilely rising shields and turrets,

and in his mind, the suppressed voice sounded again.

"They… are merely defending their home."

"Just… like we once were."

A feeling not his own, complex and sour, welled up in his heart.

It was a mixture of sorrow, anger, and a hint… of admiration.

"Ground assault."

Biajie heard his own voice, calm, yet with a barely perceptible tremor.

"Deploy ground forces to eliminate all resistance nodes. As much as possible… preserve the planet's integrity."

The aide stared, stunned.

This order completely violates the principle of supreme efficiency.

A ground assault would cause unnecessary casualties and waste time.

But he dared not question it, and could only reply at once: "Yes!"

Biajie leaned back in the commander's seat and closed his eyes.

A fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

The Thought Steel Imprint was frantically correcting his logic, a sharp pain exploding in his mental core.

But this time, he did not yield.

He forcibly suppressed that correcting force, stubbornly maintaining his order.

He did not know why he was doing this.

Perhaps it was only because of the last words of the Karash leader.

"I would rather die standing than live kneeling."

Those words echoed in the deepest part of his soul.

He, Biajie, former emperor of the galaxy, now… is he standing or kneeling?

He could no longer tell.