Chapter 1311 - 365: Half a Year_3

They began to pay renewed attention to the existence of Zuo Jing.

Even though the actual location of the mind-control psychic has not yet been uncovered, the resurgence of Zuo Jing was somewhat anticipated.

The Empire is no longer in the stagnant phase it was before.

The Empire absolutely cannot allow Zuo Jing to emerge and cause trouble at critical moments.

Of course, there have been bad developments over the past six months.

Namely, the two cataclysms that Chen Ming mentioned might occur in the future.

The situation with the Mechanical Race is still uncertain, but the spatial rift within the Mechanical Race Star Realm is indeed real.

Although the rifts leading to the three dimensions are under the Empire’s surveillance, they could collapse at any moment.

Therefore, Chen Ming’s current project related to the Phase Giant Beast and Phase Space is considered a key project of the Empire.

Even though the relationship between the Empire and him is currently somewhat delicate, the Empire has given the green light to Chen Ming’s research in all areas.

After all, other findings from this research could also be applied to issues related to dimensional rifts.

Aside from funding Chen Ming’s research, the Empire has also been dedicated to research in this area.

Attempting what Bai Quan had previously proposed with Chen Ming, to move the entire Empire into Phase Space to avoid the aftereffects of the Crimson Dimension invasion.

However, regarding this matter, Chen Ming still has an inexplicable strange feeling, making him somewhat resistant to allowing the Insect Race to also develop in Phase Space.

There’s not much more to say about it.

Additionally, the Empire is attempting to send out adequate reconnaissance fleets, possibly one-way trips, to try to confirm the movements of the Mechanical Race outside.

But this project may take even longer than Chen Ming’s project.

Overall, these are the major events that happened in the past six months that Chen Ming can recall.

And today.

Chen Ming just received some good news.

His Pioneer Fleet completed six jumps in half a year, bringing the total number of jumps to thirteen.

It can only be said that efficiency in pioneering and jumping had a qualitative leap after the integration of the Insect Race.

The next jump, the fourteenth jump, is to reach the objective set by Chen Ming three years ago, and it can begin today, at this moment.

Chen Ming returned directly to the Pioneer Fleet.

He boarded the Supreme Point, the ship he hadn’t visited in some time due to the Main Ship duties.

The Extraordinary had also been brought to the headquarters by Chen Ming, as he placed the Main Ship’s laboratory there.

Thus, only the Brilliant was waiting for him on the Supreme Point.

"Begin."

Without saying much, Chen Ming arrived at the captain’s cabin and gave an order to the Brilliant.

Upon receiving the order, the Brilliant immediately dispatched the first batch of reconnaissance fleets to the destination of this jump.

After confirming that there was no danger post-jump.

A small fleet carrying basic construction materials followed the Supreme Point, resonating with its engine, beginning the official jump.

Of course, neither this jump nor the initial reconnaissance jump was made directly to Chen Ming’s target planet.

Because Chen Ming obtained these coordinates from the Mechanical Race.

Who knows? There might be trouble awaiting him from the Mechanical Race at the destination.

Even though the star chart obtained from the Mechanical Race shows no presence nearby, and the Mechanical Race might not be able to fight him, he still needs to prepare thoroughly.

Caution is paramount.

Thus, the destination of this jump was set at a certain distance from the actual target, in a nearby star system without apparent issues according to the Thousand Faces’ astronomical observations.

The jump concluded swiftly.

The jump endpoint was still some distance from the outer part of this nearby star system, a precautionary move to ensure safety.

After confirming no danger was near, Chen Ming piloted the Supreme Point toward the star system’s interior.

Upon nearing the outermost planet of the system.

Chen Ming activated the Supreme Point’s star-system-level sensors to scan the star system.

He did not detect any Mechanical Race presence within the system.

However, he did discover some intriguing phenomena.

Within the star system, there were several moving objects.

And in the distant regions outside the star system, an unknown space signal fluctuation was detected.

The entities within the star system, based on Chen Ming’s understanding of the Mechanical Race, were definitely not them.

As for the unknown space signal fluctuation outside the star system, its direction was precisely at the star system where Chen Ming intended to head this time.

Chen Ming did not rush to the neighboring star system immediately; instead, he increased the power here to scan the specific details of the moving entities within the system.

The scan results.

The objects moving within the star system were all some combination of spacecraft and engineering machinery, likely drones.

Chen Ming even felt these drones looked quite familiar, as most of their machinery was related to mining but more advanced and automated.

They seemed to be mining drones.

From the current scan results, they appear to be roaming the star system persistently.

Mining minerals within the asteroid belt of the star system, as well as exposed minerals on the surface of some non-hazardous planets.