"That man is now Sixth Tier, and with the new method that is said to be able to quickly break through Seventh Tier... he is simply unstoppable."
"I just received news from Dimension Research Institute that the Archon sent them a Eighth Tier weapon."
"Really or not?"
"The source of the information is absolutely reliable and cannot be wrong."
Everyone around the round table fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone here has traveled the universe and is well-informed. According to the Empire law, as long as Arcanist holds a passport, he can freely explore the universe, provided that he signs a "not actively provoking rape for the Empire" Of course, as citizens, if they are in danger within Milky Way Galaxy, Empire will send troops to rescue them. As for outside Milky Way Galaxy, Empire currently does not encourage going there.
Because of their rich experience, these ten people have a clear understanding of the current situation of Milky Way Galaxy.
Fifth Tier The strong are already rare, and they hold huge power no matter where they go.
Sixth Tier Strong people are regarded as gods, respected wherever they go, and have countless privileges.
As for Seventh Tier and Eighth Tier, they are legendary existences and the true pinnacle of Milky Way Galaxy.
Any race or civilization that possesses powerful men or weapons of this level stands at the top of the Milky Way Galaxy food chain.
Therefore, when they learned that Empire owned a Eighth Tier weapon, their mood was complicated - both happy and sad.
Fortunately, they have a sense of security. The universe is a dark and cruel forest. In a world where the power of a single person can Overlord determine the fate of billions of creatures, morality is often worthless.
Countless civilizations are destroyed quietly every day. In the face of strong power, the weak are not even qualified to resist.
But now, as Arcane Empire officially enters the threshold of Eighth Tier civilization, their safety is greatly guaranteed.
However, the sadness also comes from this. This means that they will always live in the shadow of that man and never get over.
The ten people here are all the proud ones among Arcanist, possessing "level five talents." This is the reason why they can be promoted to Fifth Tier so quickly.
But they had to admit that they were eclipsed in front of Ian.
Every time they get together to discuss magic Truth, the gap in talent makes them feel desperate. They have long suspected that the emperor's magic talent is far beyond "level five", even though the official file says so.
As a genius, who is not proud? Who is willing to always be inferior to others in his long life?
What's more, they still have ambitions.
According to the Empire law, every one hundred years, citizens can challenge the emperor, and the winner will ascend to the throne.
But now it seems that this law is simply a joke.
So what if they win? Will Imperial Family hand over control of the Eighth Tier weapon?
Absolutely not. Therefore, even if fate allows them to win by chance, they will be nothing more than a puppet emperor in the end.
The silence lasted for a few seconds, and finally someone snorted, breaking the silence:
"The reason why he is so strong is that he has secretly hidden the method of promotion to 'Diamond Rank Fifth Tier'."
Everyone here is Arcanist of "Platinum Rank Fifth Tier", which means they Fusion Advanced Philosopher's Stone--or according to the latest version, Fusion Advanced Aether Core--with their own Magic Core.
But they speculated that there is another "Diamond Rank" above Platinum Rank.
The reason is simple. Some members of "Ghost Squad" are ridiculously strong. Even the new admiral, the rumored new queen of the Empire, is far stronger than the average Platinum Rank Fifth Tier.
Therefore, everyone firmly believes that the emperor holds some kind of "Diamond Rank" promotion secret that only Imperial Family members and die-hard cronies can obtain.
"Since you think so, why don't you create a way to promote Diamond Rank yourself?"
Another person retorted with a sneer, causing the whole audience to fall silent again.
This is easier said than done. The conditions are too harsh.
First of all, you must be a top Alchemy master, not just a craftsman who can make some gadgets, but a master who can make complex Creation like "Aether Core".
It is rare to have extremely high magical talent, but it is even rarer to have top-notch alchemical talent.
Secondly, you need to know how to make Aether Core.
As the highest energy source of the Empire, this technology is classified as the top secret among top secrets. If you want to gain access to this knowledge, the threshold is frighteningly high.
Finally, and the most difficult point, you must be able to improve Aether Core.
The problem is that no one has ever seen what the core that allows people to be promoted to Diamond Rank looks like, and it is impossible to reverse engineer it.
There are different opinions about what special materials are added, among which "vitality" is one of the mainstream speculations.
But there is no evidence. And even if you know the main ingredients, it is useless without a perfect ratio.
To achieve a breakthrough in research, you need to conduct countless trial and error experiments.
Unfortunately, this level of resource consumption is simply not something that any single Arcanist, or even a small group, can afford.
"There is no need to slander His Majesty the Consul's reputation. If it weren't for him, none of us would be able to achieve what we have today."
This fair statement made everyone nod slightly. Although they were unwilling to do so, they still had a high sense of identification with the Arcane Empire. There was no other reason. This emperor was indeed astonishingly generous in sharing knowledge.
This may sound contradictory to the "Secret Secret of Diamond Rank", but it is indeed the case.
In this vast universe, knowledge is equal to power, so it is priceless.
Most civilizations regard magical knowledge as forbidden and only passed down among a very small number of elites. This is a common method to monopolize power in the hands of the ruling class.
But in the Empire, the situation is completely different. A large amount of basic and advanced knowledge is free and open, while those truly advanced knowledge, although it requires a price, often only needs to be exchanged for other knowledge.
This virtuous cycle has created an amazing wave of innovation and promoted the rapid development of the Empire.
To be honest, many people here know that if they were in that position, they would never be able to be so generous.
Although we understand the benefits of this system intellectually, the greed and selfishness of human nature dictate that not everyone can have that kind of mind.
This requires extremely strong willpower to restrain the corruption of power, and requires an almost selfless pattern.
Unfortunately, no one in this room meets that standard, and they know it.
"There is no need to argue about this. Our original intention in forming this circle is just to exchange what we have and ensure that our rights and interests will not be completely overwhelmed by rights."
"So far, he is walking a pretty good balance between restricting us and giving us the rights we deserve."
"Indeed."
They are not anti-Imperial Family organizations or terrorists, they are just a group of vested interests who stick together to protect their own interests.
"So, let's get down to business. Regarding the contract to obtain the 'Divine Potion' and 'Arcane Fire' cultivation methods, are you all going to sign it?"
The room was quiet for a moment.
"This is the choice that is in our best interest," someone finally said.
"Agreed."
"Second."
Everyone knows that they have no choice.
If they don't sign, their peers and even competitors will be happy to sign and then quickly surpass them.
The other option is to be abandoned by the times, or even worse - leave Empire and wander the universe.
It's not that no one has tried this, but most people who choose this path end up miserable and are still lingering in some corner of the universe.
The meeting ended quickly, and everyone dispersed and returned to their respective demiplanes.
Now that they have made a decision, they must hurry up. They must be promoted to Sixth Tier as soon as possible and must not be left behind.