The road trip still stretched over three days. During this time, besides occasional conversations with Huo Kong, Sebastian diligently adjusted the flow rate of Greater Terra.
Over the past seven days, several years had passed on Greater Terra. Lando had also reached retirement age, yet he stubbornly held on, preparing to carry his old bones through the final stages of the Glorious Conquest.
The Astra Militarum had expanded to a million soldiers. Half a million were regular troops, while the other half remained in reserve.
Because the Silence Missile had demonstrated impressive power in the last battle against Huo Kong, the Imperium had invested heavily in its production over the years, building more regardless of cost. Many weapons were gradually upgraded, with some new types developed to enhance their arsenal.
Learning from the experience of the preliminaries, the Astra Militarum was now better prepared for the upcoming Glorious Conquest.
After days of travel, the ship's speed finally slowed. Sebastian and another individual let out a collective exhale. Though the starry sky outside was breathtaking, gazing at it for too long quickly became monotonous.
The spaceship turned a corner and sped toward a colossal light gate ahead.
"This should be the headquarters of the Star Council," Huo Kong said, eyes fixed on the massive light gate with curiosity. "Inside is a special space called the 'Domain of the Stars.'"
Soon, the ship approached the light gate and moved directly through without hesitation. On the other side, a new scene unfolded before their eyes: a vast, boundless land covered in dense green vegetation.
"Welcome to the Domain of the Stars," an ancient voice echoed in their minds.
Everyone was momentarily startled, then quickly adapted. They recognized this as the same kind of spiritual communication as with the planet spirit.
"I am the Star Spirit of this place, and your future best friend," the voice continued. "You may call me Martin Görder. Over time, you'll come to know me better."
"Attention!" the voice of the Lord rang out immediately after. "From now on, you must abide by the rules here: never do anything illegal. If Martin marks you, even a high ranking won't guarantee your safety."
As the ship continued its journey, the crowd watched curiously below. Soon, an enormous square materialized in front of them, surrounded by towering buildings. The ship docked at a designated area next to the square.
"Everyone, disembark," the Lord ordered.
Once on the ground, Sebastian surveyed the scene. Several other ships already docked nearby caught his eye.
"Quite a few from other regions," Huo Kong remarked.
Under the Lord's guidance, the group moved forward into the square, where many others had already gathered.
Sebastian glanced around. Like them, these were qualifiers from various star areas, each with the same number of participants.
"Honestly," Huo Kong said, "the rules of the Star Group Council favor smaller regions. Big powers are fighting fiercely for just this one quota, only a thousand spots, after all."
Over the past days, everyone had gained some understanding of the pre-selection process across different star regions.
"You're free to wander around, but stay within this square," the Lord warned. "No going outside its boundaries."
He then strode toward a nearby building. The others, overwhelmed, hesitated and simply stood in place, observing the increasing influx of competitors from other star areas.
"Do you know anyone from other zones?" Sebastian asked Huo Kong.
"How could I?" Huo Kong shook his head. "I haven't been outside our area yet, nearest ones are far away. If not for this Star Competition, many of us would never have had the chance to visit other star regions, let alone the Star Council headquarters."
"But," Huo Kong added after a pause, "I've heard about some popular contestants from other regions."
He pointed to a team diagonally across the square.
Sebastian looked and noticed that the members of this team had unusual features, particularly their long, pointed ears.
"That's an elf from the Elven Star District," Huo Kong said, excitement in his voice. "Rumor has it they're all stunningly handsome. Today, they truly live up to their reputation."
"Elves?" Sebastian regarded the group with added interest.
"These elves are blessed by the universe," Huo Kong continued, secretly observing. "Their success rate in awakening planets is nearly 100%, and most are high-level elves. They represent the pinnacle of a super civilization."
"Though few in number, they consistently rank highly in every star region competition," he enthused.
He then focused on two elves, a man and a woman standing at the center of the team, whose striking appearances drew attention. As he was about to comment further, the pair suddenly turned their heads and looked directly at Sebastian and Huo Kong.