Zi Yuan and Green Bird exchanged glances. Green Bird spoke up first, "What about us? Those tin cans from the Adjudicators will definitely be back."

Bai Cheng looked at them, her gaze like starlight.

"Your mission remains the same, but you need to be more proactive. Expand the dawn's cruising range to actively search for and pin down small raiding forces of the Judgment Legion. If you encounter the main force of the Adjudicators, do not engage them head-on; focus on harassment to force them to scatter their attention."

Zi Yuan's long blade vibrated slightly as she replied coldly, "Understood."

Green Bird grinned, lightning dancing at her fingertips. "So just cause them some trouble? I'm good at that."

The orders quickly spread to every force within the Starfire Archives.

The fleet formation shifted quietly like scattered stars, weaving a flexible and flowing net around the perimeter of the nebula. The dawn turned into a silver-purple bolt of lightning, vanishing into the deeper void.

Meanwhile, Bai Cheng took Lu Duo and Yu Nian back into the depths of the nebula.

The faith source was no longer a simple sphere of light; fine patterns had emerged on its surface, like an interwoven map of the dreams of seventy-three civilizations. Every line throbbed gently, transmitting the fantasies of children, the wisdom of elders, the persistence of craftsmen, and the distant thoughts of poets.

Lu Duo turned the Emerald Network into countless tiny rootlets, gently connecting to every pattern. "They are afraid, but they are also learning to unite."

Yu Nian's pure heart vine spread like a warm morning mist, soothing those dreams trembling from the flames of war.

"I feel a new resonance gestating. It's not passive protection, but active understanding."

Bai Cheng pressed her palm lightly against the surface of the faith source.

The light of the oath of starlight was no longer just an infusion; it became a gentle guide, helping those scattered dream patterns interweave and reinforce themselves, forming layers of natural resonance shields.

"The reason faith cannot be harvested is that it is born from the heart's choice and grows from the soul's resonance." Her voice flowed through the resonance into the depths of every civilization's dream. "Guard the light in your hearts, for that is guarding the very meaning of this nebula's existence."

Time passed in silence and tension.

Outside the nebula, the silver fleet completed its reorganization, and the Judgment Legion surged forward again like a silver tide.

But this time, the Archive's fleet no longer held a fixed line. Instead, they broke into smaller units, using high-speed maneuvers to intersperse and harass. Mirror reflections were everywhere, causing the Judgment Legion's fire to miss repeatedly.

The dawn appeared like a ghost on the enemy's flank. With every flash of Green Bird's lightning and Zi Yuan's blade intent, a small vessel would lose power or an Adjudicator squad would be forced to fall back and defend.

They were not greedy for combat and did not linger; they struck and vanished, pushing harassment tactics to the extreme.

Inside the nebula, the throbbing of the faith source grew more powerful.

The patterns of those civilization dreams had interwoven into a glowing net, and deep within the network, a new form was faintly gestating.

It was no longer a passive sphere of light, but a slowly unfolding tree of light, its roots deeply embedded in every heart and its leaves swaying with common prayers.

Inside the command room of the World Government flagship, cold observational data constantly refreshed.

A high-ranking commander stared at the increasingly clear tree of light at the nebula's core, the red light of the electronic eyes beneath his metal mask flickering slightly.

"The manifestation of faith... they are catalyzing the source to mature early. We can't wait any longer."

He raised his hand, about to give the order for an all-out assault.

At that moment, deep within the nebula, that tree of light suddenly burst forth with an incredibly soft yet resilient glow.

The light was not blinding, but it rippled outward like water. Wherever it passed, the nebula's mist became solid, actively coiling around the approaching silver fleet as if it had a life of its own.

Simultaneously, the dreams of the seventy-three nascent civilizations spoke collectively for the first time.

It was not through language, but through the resonance network, transmitting a clear and firm wave:

"What this heart believes in, you cannot take."

As the wave swept across the battlefield, the spirits of all Starfire Archives members were bolstered, while the Infinite Emblems of the World Government fleet dimmed in unison for a moment, as if suppressed by some more primordial power.

Bai Cheng withdrew her palm and looked at the majestic, unfolding tree of light before her, galaxies swirling in her eyes.

"It is done. The faith source has preliminarily manifested and completed a deep binding with the civilization dreams."

"Now, even ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) if it were forcibly stripped away, all that would be left is a soulless husk."

She turned to look out the porthole. After a brief period of chaos, the silver fleet began to retreat, but it was not a rout; they were regrouping in a more distant orbit, as if waiting for new orders.

"They won't stop here," Leng Ningxue's voice came through. "Hyperspace fluctuations detected; higher-level units may be on their way."

Bai Cheng nodded slightly as the book of commonality automatically flipped to a new page. She took up the pen formed by the oath of starlight and wrote at the top:

The heart tree is First Established

"Record: The second act of the Faith Tribunal, the heart tree is First Established. The source has achieved symbiosis with the civilizations; plunder has lost its meaning. Yet the Scepter of the Domain is not broken, and the Eye of Judgment still hangs. Let the starlight bear witness: this tree shall remain evergreen, and this heart shall remain bright."

She closed the book and looked at her returning companions. Every face bore signs of exhaustion, but the light in their eyes had not diminished.

"Return to the Archives. We need to rest and prepare. The World Government's next move won't be long in coming."

The dawn slowly turned its course and sailed out of the nebula. Behind them, the tree of light shone quietly at the center of the nebula, its roots deep in the dreams of every civilization and its branches spread wide, as if declaring an inalienable existence to the Star Abyss.

The Starlight fleet withdrew along with it, receding like a tide into the warm light of the Archives.

Meanwhile, in the distant dark depths, a new hyperspace rift was slowly opening.

Behind the rift, the cold glow of the Infinite Emblem was more grim than ever before.

The journey is not over, and the tribunal has not rested.

Starlight burns in the heart of faith, and the river of light remains bright, illuminating the deeper undercurrents of the path ahead.

The light of the Faith Nebula receded behind them as the dawn passed through the stable channel of the river of light, heading back toward the Archives.

Inside the bridge, everyone sat in silence, adjusting their breathing and resting. Although the brief confrontation outside the nebula hadn't escalated into a full-scale war, the grim metal array and the unresolved conflict hung over everyone's hearts like invisible pressure.

Lu Duo slowly withdrew the Emerald Network and spoke softly, "The dreams of those civilizations are more resilient than when we left; the roots of the heart tree have struck deep into their collective consciousness."

"Even if we leave, they have gained a preliminary power to protect themselves."

Yu Nian's pure heart vine glowed softly as she looked at Bai Cheng.

"But they are still afraid. The World Government's fleet hasn't withdrawn; they are just waiting."

"Waiting for a stronger force, or more direct orders."

Bai Cheng stood before the main control console, the light of the oath of starlight flowing quietly at her fingertips.

The book of commonality floated by her side, its pages open to the chapter of the heart tree's establishment, with starlight seemingly flickering deep within the ink.

"Fear is rational," her voice was as calm as deep space. "But they have taken the first step, moving from passive endurance to active protection."

"This is the true sprouting of faith—not something bestowed, but something grown from within one's own soul."