Zetian flies through the smashed gateway and finds a battle raging in a vast hangar: weaponized transport ships crewed by Melian pilots are pursuing the vessel Qin Zheng and Yizhi commandeered. She passes a dead pilot whose spinal brace contains multiple types of spirit metal joined together, exposing yet another lie used to suppress Huaxian abilities. Using the corpse as a shield, she boards their ship, the Stinger Dame, and confirms to Yizhi that Shimin is gone.

Zetian peels back her spinal brace to plug into multiple spirit metal types, gaining mental control over the ship alongside Qin Zheng and Helan. Together they tear through the blockade and ram the Hive Queen, a King-class husk vessel. By assimilating its hull through the Yellow Dragon's configuration, they drive spikes through the spines of its dozen pilots, killing them instantly, then steer the massive ship out of the hangar into open space.

Once outside, Helan reveals their true agenda: they want Qin Zheng to negotiate a better contract with Vivasi Minerals, leveraging the captured ship to extract more Melian knowledge in exchange for continued orichalite production. Helan promises the Unity Party will treat Huaxia more fairly than the Prosperity Party. Qin Zheng and Zetian recognize this as another trap that preserves the system enslaving them.

Spotting the trade station evacuating, Qin Zheng and Zetian decide to act decisively. When Helan tries to revoke their access, Yizhi triggers a spirit-metal restraint that gags and pins them. Holding hands and reaffirming that neither fear nor gods will rule them, Qin Zheng and Zetian unleash their combined qì in a devastating blast across the Heavenly Court trade station.