The tragedy in the 137th Dimension became the catalyst that convinced many supporters who had still been hesitating. It proved that when the ruler of the empire chose to cooperate with an entity willing to slaughter innocents, it had already betrayed the empire's foundations. True strength was not maintained through oppression and killing, but won through justice and inclusiveness.
Guanlan asked about the whereabouts of the ruler of the empire. Eryen fell silent for a moment, then said that its father had been placed under house arrest somewhere secure. It would not be harmed, but it would no longer have any chance to interfere in imperial affairs. This was a merciful arrangement. Considering what the ruler of the empire had done in the past, many had argued that it should be completely destroyed. But Eryen insisted on preserving its existence, partly because of blood ties and partly to show everyone that the new empire would not follow the old empire's path or use slaughter to solve its problems.
The negotiations lasted three days. Both sides held in-depth discussions on many specific matters, including the relationship between the empire and the network, the demarcation of their boundaries, and arrangements for economic and cultural exchanges. Eryen stated that the empire would not join the Hyperconscious Network, at least not for now, because it still needed time internally to absorb this transformation. But it was willing to establish friendly cooperative relations with the network and develop together on the basis of mutual respect.
This outcome was better than Lin Ye had expected. Though he had not gained a new ally, he had at least lost an enemy. More importantly, the Eternal Empire's transformation would have a demonstrative effect, showing other conservative forces that reform was possible.
However, not everyone was willing to accept