The World Is Shaken, Reactions from All Sides / The Holy City Investigates, A Fusion Is Born

The 100,000 Stardust Magic Tool, even at cost, would amount to 500 billion. The Zhao family, with their vast wealth, would likely be heartbroken. Failure would severely damage their resources, causing their various industries to shrink by one-fifth.

Zhao Manyan laughed and scolded, "You're one to talk! You're crazy too, with the Servant Essence Soul!"

Lu Jun smiled, unconvinced. One hundred thousand Servant Essence Soul correspond to at least two million undead. Even with the resources of the Undead Empire, it would be severely weakened. But the calculation wasn't like that. The conversion of General-level, Commander-level, and Monarch Level Servant Essence Soul offset part of the damage.

The main source is those few new undead Undead Monarch.

In addition, the hundreds of newly awakened Undead Mage under Lu Jun's command all have the means to collect Remnant Soul and condense them into essences, which saves a lot of money in this regard. In addition, the number of Demon Beast that die naturally every day and are hunted by human hunter necromancers regularly is more than enough.

Besides, Stardust Magic Tool. Cutting off a third of the Servant Essence Soul will reduce the artifact's durability, but isn't that just right? It gives the artifact a longer lifespan, preventing it from being passed down through three generations and going on for decades without being replaced.

Lu Jun simply didn't believe that the Egyptian side hadn't cut corners; they might have reduced the timeframe by half, or even set it at twenty years, or even ten!

They just monopolize the business and never admit it.

He reminded Lao Zhao, "Your crude approach might provoke the anger of various factions. Wouldn't it be better to boil the frog slowly?"

Zhao Manyan sneered, "But it would take five or even ten years to gradually gain market share. Now that the Sea Demon Empire has invaded, can Kyushu wait that long? They'll have to double the number of Stardust Magic Tool in Magic High Schools before they can do it."

That's true. Stardust Magic Tool are of great significance to magic high schools; these newly awakened teenage mages are the future.

Lu Jun used the Nebula Magic Tool to lay a solid foundation for becoming a monster. He believes that if the magic high school had the Nebula Magic Tool, it would be no problem to create a weaker version of himself, that is, one without the Calamity Talent and without the Emperor-level Origin.

In other words, he's a genius of Zhao Jing's caliber.

If the number of Stardust Magic Tool doubles, then the number of geniuses like Mu Ningxue and Mo Fan will also double. In ten or twenty years, the number of Forbidden Spells will double.

Lu Jun teased, "Tsk tsk tsk, Old Zhao, you're something else. I never thought a fat, pot-bellied scion of a noble family like you would have the world on your mind?"

"Heh." Zhao Manyan said with dissatisfaction, "What do you think we are? Going up to the elite families, it's not something any family can do. You have to be tightly bound to the government, share the fate of the country, think about the needs of the country, and be there for the country's urgent needs."

"The greater one's contribution to the Nine Provinces, the more secure one's position will be."

Zhao Manyan added, "I had no choice. The Yangtze Academy Alliance often places orders for Egyptian Stardust Magic Tool with contracts that are ten, twenty, or even fifty years long. Otherwise, they simply wouldn't have a chance to buy them."

"Breaking their monopoly now would be the biggest loss for them. They might not act hastily like they're being slowly boiled, but this process of elimination is destined to be long and could even involve a blockade."

"You've come to the right person for this matter. Other slightly weaker aristocratic families, such as the Dongfang, Mu Clan, and Bai Family, can only sell within their own sphere of influence, and even then, they have to adhere to internal regulations. Only our Zhao family has the channels to withstand the pressure and sell our products nationwide."

Zhao Manyan and said, "As for the international situation, it's not good. Actually, there is some, but we will have to face a full-scale counterattack from Egypt afterward. The full force of a regional power is too much for my Zhao family to handle."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun nodded in agreement; the power of a nation should not be underestimated.

"So this is my plan: since we can't rely on the international community sooner or later, we might as well give up on it and concentrate our efforts on cultivating the Nine Provinces market, directly crushing the forces related to Stardust Magic Tool, and unifying the Nine Provinces market."

Zhao Manyan said confidently, "So what if the international community blocks us? I have my own base, producing and selling our own goods. We'll observe the international situation and expand step by step."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jun agreed, as this would also help to avoid pressure from various forces.

First, deal with the Yangtze Academy Alliance's influence. Once it expands into Asia, then consider dealing with Su Lu. Only when it truly becomes a bestseller internationally should we confront the power of Egypt alone.

Otherwise, if all these forces were to unite and attack at once, Lu Jun was unsure if he could withstand it.

The two talked for a while and decided on a strategy. Zhao Manyan left excitedly, saying that they would see the results in three days.

Lu Jun still held out hope. Once this deal was completed, he would be financially secure. He would buy some rare metals and have them analyzed by Taiyi Golden Light to forge the Tai'a Sword, a divine weapon.

After talking with Zhao Manyan, he went to check out various projects, especially Feng Zhoulong's Fusion Magic, which was said to have made a breakthrough.

Chapter 561 International Shock, Reactions from All Sides

Three days later.

Lu Jun sat in front of the television, watching the Zhao Clan's promotional event for the Ancient Capital- standard Stardust Magic Tool produced by the Bing Ce Fu, with international unified shipping.

Well, the name is very ordinary, but the meaning is very important. All the mages of Jiuzhou International are paying close attention. Leaving aside foreign countries for the time being, the mainland is overjoyed. In the past, Stardust Magic Tool were monopolized by Egypt, and mages often faced difficulties when trying to purchase or repair them.

Now they've finally gotten their revenge and vented their anger.

They don't care about the price; as long as it's the same price as in Egypt, they'd rather buy products from Kyushu.

"Damn it, Jiuzhou has finally broken through the technological blockade! Even if the quality is a little worse, I'm still going to buy it, just to support domestic products."

"That's right. Moreover, I saw at the Zhao Corporation's press conference that the patriarch personally stood up to vouch for it, and its performance in all aspects has indeed caught up with Egypt's. I don't think we'll lose money."

"Have you heard? The products of the Bing Ce Fu are from the forces of that Lu Jun who killed the Emperor."

"Then I definitely have to buy it; the quality is guaranteed."

Although Lu Jun did not witness the heated discussion among the Nine Continents Masters, he had anticipated this scene.

He looked at Zhao Manyan expression on the TV, and even heard the exhilarating background noise of "far ahead," and couldn't help but smile. He turned off the TV; the great undertaking was accomplished.

Of course, Lu Jun knew that the key was the counterattack from the old forces, and that depended entirely on strength; he had enough confidence in that.

"It's time to take a look at Feng Zhoulong's Fusion Method. If I successfully create it, my combat power will skyrocket."

Lu Jun left the office. He had originally planned to go and observe Feng Zhoulong's breakthrough a few days ago, but Old Zhao had delayed him. Before the press conference, Old Zhao excitedly called him to watch the news.

At that very moment, in Nanjing, the headquarters of the Yangtze Academy Alliance.

Leaders of various factions and principals of magic academies gathered, all of whom possessed at least high-level cultivation levels. Like Principal Zhu of Tianlan High School in the past, they were also members of this alliance.

From this perspective, it is truly a force where Super Rank are everywhere, high-level beings are as common as dogs, strong individuals gather, and talented geniuses are endless. It should be the force with the most strong mid-level beings.

After all, when it comes to education, there's an ancient saying that "students are everywhere." Even grassroots mages like Lu Jun, Mo Fan, and Zhang Xiaohou owe a debt of gratitude to the Yangtze River Alliance. Once they exert their influence, their connections will shake the entire land.

The head of the Great Li Noble Family stood atop the Zifeng Tower, overlooking the bustling city lights and the gathering of countless monks, and couldn't help but feel intoxicated.

"The Yangtze Academy Alliance started from a few universities on the verge of collapse. Now, fifty years later, it has become a behemoth entrenched in the south, cultivating countless talents. Many aristocratic families vie to curry favor with it in search of its best talents. It is also the foundation of my Great Li Noble Family."

The patriarch slowly said, "Now that outsiders are trying to shake our foundation, I will not allow them to covet our territory."

These words invigorated many of the Li Family members, filling them with renewed fighting spirit.

Only a few elders hesitated to speak. Li Kaifeng's face darkened. National Prefecture War, his old friend soared to great heights, conquering Africa, fighting in South America, and slaying Emperor, becoming invincible. Meanwhile, he was still lingering at a high level. The gap was too great.

In the reception room where principals from various regions had gathered, Principal Zhu was quietly drinking tea in a corner when someone quickly approached him, laughing heartily, "Old Zhu, I've heard that the big shot from the Bing Ce Fu is from your Tianlan High School."

"Your school has been doing quite well lately. The disaster in Bo City brought in a lot of subsidies, and you've subsequently cultivated many geniuses, gaining attention from higher authorities and becoming a key university. I reckon your ranking is about to rise."

Principal Zhu smiled, but his eyes betrayed his worry. The localization of Stardust Magic Tool was supposed to be a good thing, but now it's turned into a real headache. There's not a word from any side, making it too late to cut losses and pushing people to the brink of ruin.

Normal upgrades and replacements are anticipated by Kyushu in advance, allowing you to prepare.

Lu Jun actually understood the process, but it would lead to various forces interfering with the interests, making it complicated. After all his hard work, he only got 30% in the end. To put it bluntly, the interests had already been divided internally beforehand.

He refused, ha...

Principal Zhu didn't really care; what he was anxious about was the capital behind the university, and he was worried that his own students would suffer losses.

Soon, the head of the Great Li Noble Family summoned the Yangtze Academy Alliance, which consisted of thousands of high-level and over a hundred Super Rank. In terms of high-level and mid-level power, they were indeed the most powerful in the Nine Provinces.

Unfortunately, the forbidden spells of the top-level powers were lacking.

At this moment, the Li Family patriarch's face was ashen. He called on all parties to launch a campaign against the Stardust Magic Tool, but more than half of his allies opposed it.

Firstly Lu Jun's strength is renowned throughout the world, comparable to the top-tier forbidden spells. No matter how many Super Rank or higher-level beings there are, it will be of no use. Moreover, he has contributed to the country, so no discerning person wants to offend him.

Secondly, the essence of the Yangtze Academy Alliance is that it is merely an alliance.

The investors have influence, but they cannot command these school principals in the same way they command their subordinates. They are all teachers who educate and nurture students, and they have a certain scholarly spirit in their hearts. They are unwilling to hinder the important affairs of the Nine Provinces, and only they can mobilize the talents from the schools.

"And then there's the Zhao family!"

The Li Family patriarch's eyes were wary. Considering the strength of this behemoth, he would rather confront the Bing Ce Fu than target the Zhao family, unless the equally powerful Mu Family intervened. But did the Great Noble Families really need to do this? They didn't need the money to buy Stardust Magic Tool.

With the domestic production of magical artifacts, their quantity has increased and their prices have decreased, something that Great Noble Families are eager to obtain.

The Li Family was in a terrible predicament; they had suffered a great loss from this hurdle, being bogged down by the Egyptian contract.

Even so, the Li Family still wanted to fight back with all their might.

However, before the Li Family patriarch could mobilize his direct descendants to the Ancient Capital, Shao Zheng and Zhao Manyan arrived together.

Upon arriving, Shao Zheng unceremoniously ousted the Li Family patriarch from the main seat, sneering, "The Great Li Noble Family, how dare you! When did you first dare to point fingers at the Jiuzhou Official? Trying to obstruct development is courting death."

Zhao Manyan, expressionless, threw down the money, saying, "It's just a contract. What's wrong with giving it up? For the first ten years, our Zhao family was willing to sell the Stardust Magic Tool for half the price."

Upon hearing this, the Li Family patriarch's expression shifted dramatically, and he vaguely realized that it was the higher-ups who were preventing them from taking action.

Meanwhile, in Cairo, Egypt.

The five leaders gathered, including the short, elderly chief Haken, the fifth chief Ethan... the latter being none other than the former high-ranking Egyptian official who had connections with Medusa Apas.

The atmosphere among the high-ranking officials was heavy. Haken spoke first, his Killing Intent palpable, "The Eastern Kingdom has made a breakthrough in the technology of Stardust Magic Tool. What are your opinions?"

Someone's eyes hardened, and they said, "The Stardust Magic Tool is the foundation of our nation; we cannot easily abandon it. Let's use the forbidden spell directly to assassinate Lu Jun."

Others objected. "What a joke! Forbidden spells are the pillars of the nation. How can we so easily send them to be assassins? That's the whole of China! What if they suffer losses? Can you afford the consequences?! Besides, did the Forbidden Curse Mage God themselves agree to this?"

Ethan's eyes flickered. Following his partner's suggestion, should he give Lu Jun a hand?

Chapter 562 Espionage in the Holy City, the Birth of Fusion

The Egyptian high command knows Lu Jun very well.

Two years ago, not long after the end of the Nationalist government, he traveled to Africa and clashed with the Scorpion Snake Clan. The conflict was huge, involving more than twenty monarchs. North Africa was shaken, and even Cairo, Egypt, was affected by the war and suffered great losses.

Back then, they dared not provoke either of them. Now that Lu Jun has participated in the battle to kill the Emperor, although there is a suspicion that Jiuzhou is exaggerating, it cannot be ignored. Therefore, they are even less willing to offend him rashly.

Ethan suddenly spoke up, saying casually, "Did you know about the strange events at the Pharaoh Pyramid a while ago? The First Pharaoh invaded the Ancient Capital of the Nine Provinces, but was repelled. The Sphinx is dead, and the Evil Child is dead too."

Upon hearing this, the other four were shocked and all looked over.

They knew that the fifth leader, Ethan, was colluding with Demon Beast, but they turned a blind eye. The small country needed another way out.

Ethan is currently the most well-informed about the Demon Beast, since the pyramid undead and the Scorpion Snake Tribe are allies and share information.

After a moment of silence, someone said, "It seems that Lu Jun is not to be underestimated; even the undead serpents and scorpions can't do anything to him."

The Egyptian leadership is shrewd; if they can't defeat the undead serpents, do they think they can defeat Lu Jun?

Ethan then added, "It's just Stardust Magic Tool; the profit is so-so, and its strategic location isn't that important. The key is the manufacture of Nebula and Star River Magic Tool."

Just as the short old man was about to say something, his secretary suddenly knocked urgently at the door and came in, whispering in his ear.

Immediately, he waved for his secretary to leave, sighing, "Never mind, the South African Magic Association came with a message saying not to resort to force lightly."

The five people present shook their heads, unanimously agreeing that it was not advisable to provoke Lu Jun.

"That's settled then," Haken said listlessly. "Our main focus will be on commercial suppression, targeting sales within Kyushu as much as possible. We won't force it, but we absolutely must prevent the Kyushu Stardust Magic Tool from being sold internationally, and we must do everything in our power to stifle any breakthroughs in the manufacturing of Nebula Star River Magic Tool."

He sneered, "If those academies and Great Noble Families in the Nine Provinces dare to breach their contracts, then we won't sell them the Nebula Magic Tool or the Star River Magic Tool."

The group nodded in agreement. Since they couldn't use force for the time being, they would resort to sanctions.

Ethan fell silent, pondering when Lu Jun had become involved with the Cape of Good Hope Intercontinental Magic Association.

Egypt's decision to back down, frankly speaking, didn't involve its most fundamental interests; it chose to remain inactive and observe the situation.

On the other side, at the Asian Magic Association in Dubai Tower.

Upon receiving news that the Nine Provinces' Military Strategy Bureau had created a Stardust Demon Artifact, Su Lu's expression hardened, and he coldly snorted, "The Nine Provinces' national strength is indeed getting better and better."

"Forget it, I don't have time to get involved. I'll deal with this after I consolidate the power of the Magic Association. I must force Kyushu to reveal the method for manufacturing Stardust Magic Tool."

At this moment, Su Lu's gaze was icy as she looked down at the map. The various intricate patterns depicted the Tyrant Mountain Range, forming a massive magical array.

He pondered that the most important thing now was to enslave the Black Dragon Emperor, and after two years he had finally gathered enough hearts to set up the grand formation.

"It'll be soon, soon I'll be the true Emperor of Asia."

The final Holy City.

A woman gazed at the distant Alps, then turned to a middle-aged man of mixed race and commanded, "The Ancient Capital of this ancient Eastern country nurtured many great empires, the first of which was named Qin, a name of extraordinary significance."

"The recent actions of Qin Shi Huang, the deposed Undead Emperor, who recklessly seized Parthenon's soul, terrified the people of the Western world, causing them to lose their faith. This has led to the Titans becoming increasingly rampant in recent days, and we must intervene."

The middle-aged man of mixed Kuye, nodded. "No problem, boss."

"Why did the Undead Emperor leave the territory without permission? What secrets does the Ancient Capital hold? The Holy City must investigate. Go to the Ancient Capital to find out in a while."

Upon hearing this, Kuye sighed and agreed with a bitter face. The Ancient King was not someone to be trifled with; even as a forbidden spell, he was extremely wary of him.

At the same time, he understood what the leader meant: if Parthenon couldn't protect the Healing Divine Soul, then the Holy City would take control; if they found it, it would belong to the Holy City.

Kuye Takumi, a chill running down his spine, sensed that this operation was not so simple. His organization rarely mobilized; it must have been ordered by an Archangel Commander. But which archangel was it that was about to reveal their true name?

"By the way," the woman instructed, "What do you think of Lu Jun? According to the information, everything seems normal, but I'm finding something amiss. How could he participate in the War of Emperor? He happens to be in the Ancient Capital as well; you can check him out when you have the chance."