Is Unlocking the Stellaris Tech Tree in Star Rail Really Okay? [293]

The Jarilo Star System Border Outpost—a stellar base that continuously shifted its location as time passed.

No one knew exactly how these space stations came into existence. No one knew where they would expand next.

But one thing was undeniable:

Any star system where these stations appeared would be unconditionally incorporated into the Empire’s territory.

Fully armed fleets, bristling with weapons, would immediately take control—claiming not just planets but the entire spatial domain of the star system itself.

Most civilizations claimed their borders based on the planets they occupied, at most declaring the space stations they had built as part of their sovereign territory.

But the Empire?

The Empire did not play by those rules.

Instead, it declared ownership over entire star systems—using border outposts as central hubs to claim every system within their operational range.

For many civilizations, this was a shock.

This method shattered the conventional understanding of interstellar governance.

Yet, no other civilization dared to copy it.

Because unlike the Empire, most lacked the military capability to project power across vast, unclaimed space.

Simply put—every civilization had its own technological strengths. Some excelled in modular construction, some in advanced materials science, others in armor and shielding, and some specialized in high-powered weaponry.

But convincing multiple civilizations to pool their technologies for large-scale interstellar expansion?

That was nearly impossible.

And that wasn’t even considering the sheer cost of maintaining such a system—the astronomical expenses required for border defense, patrols, and supply chains.

Thus, when the Xianzhou Luofu’s fleet crossed into Jarilo’s border, bringing Fu Xuan and Jing Yuan to a seemingly ordinary border outpost—one that concealed an enormous fleet—both of them were left speechless at the sheer madness of the Empire’s operational model.

Especially Jing Yuan.

After pondering for a few hours, it was as if he had discovered an entirely new world.

The image he had previously held of Jarilo was completely shattered.

Since both Jarilo’s homeworld and its colonies were located within a single star system, strict security measures were in place:

All visiting ships had to dock at border outposts, from where military escorts would personally ferry important guests to Belobog, the Empire’s heart.

Jing Yuan folded his arms, a subtle smirk forming on his lips. He had been woken up abruptly—not even given a chance to fix his hair—before being dragged here by Fu Xuan’s attendants. His disheveled state was obvious, but no one seemed surprised.

By now, everyone was used to the Arbiter General’s laid-back demeanor.

Meanwhile, the outpost staff had received explicit orders from Qlipoth Fort:

If guests from the Xianzhou arrived, they were to be treated with the highest level of courtesy.

Every citizen of the Empire understood that a major collaboration with the Xianzhou was imminent.

So there was no chance of some arrogant official making a fool of themselves.

In fact, the staff were almost too polite—treating Jing Yuan, Fu Xuan, and the delegation of Luofu officials with the utmost respect and deference.

Breaking the silence, Jing Yuan turned to Fu Xuan.

“This method of governance… truly unprecedented. Perhaps the Empire really will revolutionize the old world as we know it. What do you think, Diviner Fu?”

Fu Xuan had been quietly observing his reaction for a while.

Having survived the crisis of the Luofu, she had grown considerably.

With a calm and detached tone, she responded,

"To wield the Six Directions as a grand matrix is to command by law; to fortify the frontier is to allow armies to advance and retreat in perfect order, never losing formation—”

Before she could finish, Jing Yuan raised a hand, exasperation plain on his face.

“Diviner Fu… in plain words, please.”

“…If a conflict erupts, it will unfold far from the Empire’s core worlds, allowing their forces to fight freely."

"With outposts like these serving as fortified military bases, the Empire gains supply lines and strategic depth—they can advance or retreat at will."

"The sheer space between them and their enemies softens the urgency of war."

"And with proper planning, they can keep everything in order.”

Though Fu Xuan had been cut off, she merely shot Jing Yuan a glare before haughtily turning away.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened, and honestly, it wasn’t worth getting upset over.

Jing Yuan chuckled at her reaction.

“Ah, indeed. How could I ever doubt the great Diviner Fu? Always as reliable as ever.”

“Hmph.”

Fu Xuan scoffed.

“Of course. When have I ever been unreliable?”

“You are absolutely correct, Diviner Fu!”

Jing Yuan, as per routine, effortlessly humored her with the perfect amount of diplomatic insincerity.

Yet, deep down, his mind remained fixated on his recent conversation with Chen Lin.

The two of them had long since tested each other’s intentions.

Neither had any reason to play mind games anymore.

Their ten-minute call had focused on one thing:

"The Empire will not tolerate the existence of a ‘state within a state’ in its core territories. If necessary, the Jarilo Star System will use military force to remove such threats.”

That was Chen Lin’s exact wording.

And it was exactly what Jing Yuan had already predicted.

Before Chen Lin had even left the Luofu, Jing Yuan had already obtained a detailed star map of the Jarilo Star System through his personal channels.

Two foreign civilizations within its domain stood out like a sore thumb.

Even back then, Jing Yuan had known that these two civilizations wouldn’t last long.

Because he knew his brother’s nature too well.

Chen Lin would never allow uncontrolled elements to exist within his star system.

It didn’t matter how much they preached peace—

Their fate was already sealed.

And when the time came—

There would only be two choices:

Submit.
Or die.

…As for defeating the Empire?

…

Comparing the technological disparity between the Empire and those primitive civilizations was giving them too much credit.

Jing Yuan had personally witnessed the warships that had once aided the Luofu.

Even if he himself were to take action, he wouldn’t be able to break through their shields and armor in a short time—let alone those two low-level civilizations that lacked Emanators, autonomous spaceflight, or even the ability to leave their homeworlds.

If those two civilizations somehow managed to defeat the Empire—

Jing Yuan swore he would go back and eat the entire Luofu ship by himself.

So, in truth, he actually supported Chen Lin’s decision to eliminate internal threats.

And if necessary, there were bound to be plenty of Luofu warriors who wouldn’t listen to his warnings, who would insist on flying some rusty, scavenged warships, wielding weapons that were probably dug out of the ground, and rushing in as "volunteer forces" to help the Empire wipe out those threats.

Among everything discussed in their ten-minute call, what caught Jing Yuan’s attention the most was the presence of something resembling Phantylia within those two civilizations.

Even the IPC’s envoys, sent to negotiate business deals, had been forced to retreat in an emergency evacuation.

It was chaos over there.

A lingering shadow from the past.

Jing Yuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

In his mind, Phantylia must have harbored a grudge against the Empire after Chen Lin thwarted its plans on the Xianzhou.

That’s why it had slithered into Empire-controlled space, waiting for the perfect moment to launch an ambush.

This is all the Luofu’s debt to pay…

His gaze shifted to Fu Xuan.

She stood with her arms crossed, staring out into space, lost in thought.

Her expression flickered between hope and unease—and that single glance told Jing Yuan exactly what was on her mind.

He sighed inwardly.

Just then, a military officer approached, saluting.

"Honored guests, the psionic-grade cruiser bound for Jarilo-VI is now ready."

Jing Yuan offered a polite smile.

"Thank you, General. We’ll be there shortly."

The border system lay 50,000 light-years away from Jarilo’s homeworld.

To reach it, they would have to traverse 17 supermassive star systems, 4 large systems, and countless mid-to-small systems.

A journey that would take the Xianzhou several months to complete.

And yet—

Barely ten minutes later, the all-clear for arrival was received.

Jing Yuan, somewhat stunned, turned to the ship’s navigator for an explanation.

This cruiser, he learned, had been constructed in a psionic shipyard and equipped with a [Psionic Warp Drive] from the moment it left the factory.

With this drive, the ship could precisely jump to any location within a 2-million-light-year radius—instantly.

As for the cooldown time between jumps?

The fleet officer refused to disclose that information.

A single cup of tea had saved them months of travel.

Even if the Empire’s normal starship drives could cover that distance in a matter of four or five days, experiencing a psionic jump firsthand was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

Jing Yuan's thoughts raced.

"No wonder the IPC is obsessed with getting its hands on the Empire’s spacefaring technology. The strategic and economic implications of this are far too valuable."

To make ships of this size move at the speed of light itself—

Who wouldn’t want a piece of that?

After all—

"In warfare, speed is paramount."

If the Xianzhou could mount [Psionic Warp Drives] onto their warships—

Then, in any space-based conflict, the Empire would hold absolute superiority.

Because no one would know where a fully assembled fleet might suddenly emerge—

Crushing their enemies before they could even react.

One moment, they’d be engaged in a heated battle.

The next—

News would break that the enemy had jumped across dozens of star systems and was now bombarding their homeworld into ruin.

Or worse—

Imagine spending months carefully setting up an ambush—only for the entire enemy fleet to vanish in an instant, appearing somewhere else entirely.

Even the greatest military tactician would be forced to their knees, begging them not to flee.

"Malicious intent… always devours itself in the end."

Jing Yuan couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

Hearing this, Fu Xuan frowned slightly.

She had seen how some unscrupulous Xianzhou media outlets had been mimicking foreign conspiracy theorists, spinning wild stories about the Empire’s "hidden agenda."

She assumed Jing Yuan had started feeling uneasy about the [Psionic Warp Drive]—

And that displeased her.

(Though she herself had been utterly stunned by the technology.)

"General, what do you mean by that? Are you having doubts about my beloved junior?"

Don’t let her casual attitude fool you—

When Fu Xuan got serious, she had a formidable presence.

Otherwise, Qingque wouldn’t be so terrified of her.

Jing Yuan smiled easily.

"You misunderstand, Diviner Fu. If I truly had doubts about the Empire, you wouldn’t have received that agreement, now would you?"

"Agree— ahem!"

Fu Xuan quickly corrected herself.

"Then why did you laugh just now?"

Jing Yuan chuckled again.

"I simply recalled a pathetic fool—someone who thinks they’re in control, yet is completely unaware they’re being played by my dear younger brother."

"…I see."

Fu Xuan was no fool.

She understood exactly what Jing Yuan was implying.

It didn’t take long for a certain corporate logo to surface in her mind.

The Interastral Peace Corporation had been loudly promoting its partnership with the Empire—boasting that, under the IPC’s guidance, the vast distances between planetary civilizations would shrink, uniting the universe as one family.

While still en route to Jarilo, Qingque had already reported that Chen Lin’s most trusted aide had been in close contact with her.

They had been discussing strategies to help the Luofu break free from the IPC’s economic control—and had already made significant progress.

All they needed was one final confirmation from Jing Yuan.

Once he gave the green light—

The Empire and the Luofu would launch their counteroffensive immediately.

Fu Xuan was intimately familiar with the dangers of IPC economic influence.

The largest crisis had unfolded thirty years ago.

Back then, the IPC had monopolized the Xianzhou’s consumer goods industry—and had begun infiltrating the real estate market.

At the time, the Xianzhou had not yet entered its Third War against the Abundance Cultists.

With a relatively stable economy and stringent trade laws, the Luofu had managed to maintain a trade surplus with the IPC—barely holding its ground.

Then—

The war began.

With an impending financial collapse at home, and war raging on the frontlines, the entire Xianzhou Alliance found itself trapped.

The IPC stepped in, uniting over a hundred civilizations under the guise of "stabilizing trade" and "supporting the Xianzhou against the Abundance Cult."

Secretly, they manipulated the currency market and poured massive capital into the Xianzhou economy—allowing them to survive the war.

But at a cost.

By the time the war ended, the Xianzhou was in ruins.

And their currency—once independent—was now worthless.

The IPC had completely absorbed them into the Credit system.

And the Xianzhou’s own currency?

A relic of the past—lost to history itself.

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This is a fan translation of 在星穹铁道点群星科技树真的没问题吗? by 杏雨诗韵 All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!