Charlemagne, the leader of the Iridescent Light Empire, hung up the communication in a fit of rage.
"Alas, Elder, as you can see, it's not that we're being unreasonable. I even agreed to let the Iridescent Light Empire pay the bill and buy back the Dragon River Star System. It's just that His Majesty Charlemagne himself was unwilling..." Logo shook his head with regret.
The Grand Elder beside him twitched slightly, muttering to himself, "A price of 1 million Star Wheel is equivalent to 500 billion Ta Pound. There's no way the Iridescent Light Empire would agree to that. The wars of recent years have already exhausted the country; their foreign exchange reserves probably don't even amount to 50 billion Ta Pound..."
Unaware of the Grand Elder's thoughts, Logo paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "Now that we've captured the Dragon River Star System, it's time to massively develop these two systems. First, we need to establish Orbital Base Station to connect the territories of the two systems, allowing the garrison fleets to perform subspace jumps and provide support at any time. In addition, we must leave behind a sufficiently powerful Transcendent to oversee Holy Knight Star..."
Hearing this with his ears perked up, the Grand Elder understood that His Majesty was referring to him, so he quickly spoke up and volunteered, "Your Majesty, rest assured, this old minister is willing to guard Holy Knight Star and protect this territory, ensuring that no other force will seize it!"
"Having the Grand Elder in charge is certainly excellent!" Logo exclaimed with delight, then sighed, "They say having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. The Grand Elder has made outstanding contributions to the Royal Court and has done a great job."
"Your Majesty flatters me. This old minister has served the Royal Court with utmost loyalty, but also for my own selfish interests. After all, the prosperity of the Royal Court brings me enormous benefits; otherwise, where would I get the resources for cultivation..."
The Demon Pattern Grand Duke, standing to the side, quietly watched the two, the monarch and his minister, flatter each other. Suddenly, he understood what it meant to play dumb. At that moment, he sincerely felt that it was better for him to stay in the army forever, at least the water here was clear and he could see right to the bottom.
Some positions may be prestigious and impressive, but the waters there are too deep for the average person to handle!
Planet Guta.
Headquarters of the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau.
The towering building, resembling a spaceship, floats silently in mid-air, surrounded by clouds and mist, bathed in the glow of the setting sun—a truly beautiful sight.
It must be said that, in terms of aesthetics, the magical civilization completely surpasses the technological civilization. The elegance of the spellcasters is ingrained in their very being, which in turn influences all aspects of the civilization's ideology and lifestyle.
On this day, the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau, which acts as the 'United Nations', convened a special meeting at the strong suggestion of the Iridescent Light Empire. The main topic was the ownership of the Dragon River Star System.
The conference hall wasn't large, only about a thousand square meters. A long wooden round table was placed in the center, surrounded by 25 seats, and behind these seats, there were even more seats packed tightly together.
At this moment, all the attendees were seated, and the entire conference hall appeared quite crowded.
The person presiding over the meeting, who was also the interim chairman, was a green-skinned lizardman from the Veyin Empire, one of the five high-magic planets. It had a long history of tens of thousands of years and its overall strength had always been among the top three. Its influence was enormous, second only to the Guta Federation.
The Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau has five permanent seats.
They belong to the five major high-magic planets.
Planet Guta, Planet Veyin, Planet Oklo, Planet Vist, Planet Saila.
After the Vist Empire split, it formed the Iridescent Light Empire and the Soaring Dragon Empire.
Among them, the Iridescent Light Empire inherited the main legacy of the Vist Empire, including one of the five permanent seats of the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau.
As for the permanent seats on Planet Oklo, they are rotated among the six major imperial powers: Radiance, Winter, Kete, Tia, Crimson, and Sea Dragon, changing every year. This year's rotating seat is held by the Crimson Alliance.
After the meeting began, the meeting chairman, Geerduoan, spoke first, describing in detail what had happened and conveying the respective interests and demands of the Iridescent Light Empire and the Gendaya Royal Court.
Then, the much-anticipated debate began.
Once the debate began, the onlookers at the meeting perked up, turning their attention to the representatives sent by the Iridescent Light Empire and the Gendaya Royal Court with the anticipation of watching a show.
This casual attitude actually reveals the status of the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau —it's just a battlefield where countries bicker with each other. Its arbitration results have little binding effect on medium and large countries. The public opinion effect may be more prominent, but it's not very useful. In the end, this world depends on hard power.
The representative of the Iridescent Light Empire was an elegantly dressed old man named Mike Thor. His clothing style was typical of the Westernest nobility, with flowing robes and an otherworldly air.
"On behalf of the Iridescent Light Empire, I strongly condemn the aggressive actions of the Gendaya Royal Court. This is a blatant violation of international law and a contempt for peace, and they should be punished..."
The old nobleman Mike launched a furious attack on the Gendaya Royal Court, spitting as he did so, citing numerous past examples of invasion to prove the Royal Court's wolfish ambitions.
During this process, Norman White Wolf, the representative of the Gendaya Royal Court, appeared drowsy, his head drooping, remaining unmoved as the storm of words came crashing down upon him.
Norman, however, was inwardly churning with disdain. He thought to himself, "What's the point of all this talk, old man? You're just too afraid to fight openly, so you resort to this kind of trick?"
If it were an empire brimming with martial spirit and at the height of its power, it would have undoubtedly taken direct action in such a situation. Why would it have bothered to appeal to the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau?
However, if the Iridescent Light Empire remains powerful, the Gendaya Royal Court would not dare to provoke it lightly and would likely remain dormant for a long time.
But there's nothing we can do; you've all weakened.
Taking advantage of someone's weakness to finish them off has always been the golden rule for friendly nations to get along!
"Now, please let the representative of the Gendaya Royal Court speak," the conference chairman said, turning to the other side after the old nobleman Mike from the Iridescent Light Empire had sat down.
Norman, the Royal Court representative of the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau, is a Gray-Eyed Blood Descendants. He appears to be middle-aged with evenly distributed facial features and distinct cheekbones, exuding an air of authority that commands respect even without anger.
Norman comes from the White Wolf Clan and was originally a servant of Qiya. Later, because of his eloquence and quick wit, he was selected by Logo and sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for training. As expected, he rose through the ranks and a few months ago was assigned to the Otherworldly Plane Development Bureau as a representative of the Royal Court.
Generally speaking, after gaining experience in this position for a period of time, one will be transferred back to the country to assume an important post. It is a position that is more about gaining prestige than actually achieving anything significant.
However, the Iridescent Light Empire was so generous, offering him special opportunities to showcase his achievements. Norman was already eager to try and make a name for himself in front of His Majesty.
He slowly stood up, scanned his surroundings, and after gathering his strength, finally fixed his gaze on the old nobleman of the Iridescent Light Empire opposite him.
"I don't understand why you keep emphasizing your own weak position, as if the Dragon River Star System was obtained by the Royal Court from Iridescent Light. Half a month ago, our wise and mighty Emperor Campbell led the fleet in a difficult resistance against the tyrannical Radiant Empire. After winning at a heavy cost, he suddenly received news that the innocent lives in the Dragon River Star System had been enslaved by vicious space pirates. For the peaceful liberation of the Elven Plane, His Majesty..." At this point, the representative of the Royal Court wiped his eyes, seemingly wiping away tears, and his tone became sorrowful.
"His Majesty, despite his injuries, led his warriors to drive out the space pirates, paying a heavy price to barely succeed. According to international practice, the Dragon River Star System, which fell into the hands of the pirates, should belong to us, the Gendaya People, once it was reclaimed by our Gendaya Royal Court. When did it become our invasion of the Iridescent Light Empire?"
"Furthermore, our Emperor has already agreed to cede the Dragon River Star System, only requesting some compensation for the wounded, which your Iridescent Light Empire itself disagreed with! What? Does the Iridescent Light Empire expect us Gendaya People to fight for you for nothing? That's outrageous!"
"Your Iridescent Light Empire dares to be so unscrupulous only because you see our Emperor as kind-hearted!"
"Sigh, the world is going to the dogs, people's hearts have lost their way. Doing a good deed and still getting smeared. Perhaps it's because of people like you that the world is getting worse and worse..."
Suppressing his slightly choked voice, Norman tilted his head back, adopting the resolute and unyielding expression of a victim, and said firmly, "Regardless of the circumstances, the Gendaya Royal Court has not invaded the Iridescent Light Empire, nor has it had the slightest conflict with the Iridescent Light Empire's army. The matter of invasion is utterly baseless. Please do not slander our nation's reputation! If your Iridescent Light Empire intends to bully us, the small Gendaya People, with your sheer size, then come at us! Though we are weak, we will not submit to your tyranny!"
Wonderful!
The representatives from various countries who were listening in widened their eyes. Although most of them were thick-skinned enough to represent their countries and argue here, they still felt inferior to this Three-Eyed Race fellow.
What does "a mouth full of red lips and white teeth" even mean? Damn it, what's even more outrageous is that I actually think what he said makes a lot of sense...
Especially those small and medium-sized forces who were unaware of the inside story genuinely believed that the Iridescent Light Empire was bullying them and that the Gendaya Royal Court was the victim. As a result, they glared angrily at Mike, an old nobleman of the Iridescent Light Empire. The old nobleman, feeling these gazes, almost couldn't catch his breath, and his old face turned red.
The old nobleman, Mike, opened his mouth several times, but remained silent. He simply raised his right arm with trembling hands, pointing his index finger at the innocent-looking Norman, his expression terrifyingly menacing.
This also reveals the difference between the Iridescent Light Empire and the Gendaya Royal Court. One is as rotten and decaying as a muddy swamp, sending representatives who can't even speak fluently; the other is as vibrant and full of life as the rising sun, sharp-tongued and a master of acting...
We can't beat them in a fight, we can't win an argument, and we can't out-act them. Iridescent Light, you might as well just leave the group. We still need to use the name "Empire," don't tarnish it for me...
The representatives of the various empires, who were observing from the sidelines, took in the performance of both sides and gradually began to formulate their own plans.
God helps those who help themselves.
If you can't even stand up for yourself, expecting others to help you is just wishful thinking.
Ultimately, the meeting voted to reject the proposal put forward by the Iridescent Light Empire.
It is worth mentioning that the Guta Federation voted neutral, which was very well hidden, and there was no indication that it was secretly hostile to the Gendaya Royal Court.
But upon closer reflection, it doesn't seem so strange.
From the perspective of the Guta Federation, the Gendaya Royal Court was unaware of their relationship with the Ashes and probably even wanted to win Royal Court over. As for whether the move would lead to a plot against them or genuine reliance on them, that remains to be seen.
The Soaring Dragon Empire, which shares the same lineage as the Iridescent Light Empire, also expressed strong condemnation of the Gendaya Royal Court. In preserving the territory left behind by the Vist Empire, the Soaring Dragon and the Iridescent Light have always been united against external threats.
The Soaring Dragon Empire's representatives were also very capable; at least in Norman's opinion, he might not be able to argue with them. Fortunately, the Soaring Dragon Empire had no say and could only sit there anxiously.
Aside from Soaring Dragon, the Radiant Empire also expressed strong support for the Iridescent Light Empire, but this didn't change the overall situation much. Most countries remained indifferent, with the Crimson Alliance, the Winter Empire, the Corte Alliance, and the Saila Empire all clearly expressing their support for the Gendaya Royal Court. It would be a miracle if the Iridescent Light Empire's proposal passed.
Who made you weak?
Now that we're surrounded by wolves, who can we blame?
Everyone wants a bite, but today the Gendaya Royal Court was punished, so how am I supposed to eat tomorrow?
These undercurrents flowing beneath the conference table are things some people may never understand.
Dragon River Star.
Logo, who was personally constructing a multifaceted tower, listened to the vivid report from the Demon Pattern Grand Duke beside him and chuckled, "That Norman fellow, I was right about him. He's very well-suited for the field of diplomacy."
"It's mainly because Your Majesty has a discerning eye," the Demon Pattern Grand Duke said with a fawning smile, which looked somewhat comical due to his lack of skill.
"You've improved quite a bit too..." Logo looked at him with a half-smile.
The Demon Pattern Grand Duke, after all, wasn't thick-skinned enough. Upon hearing this, he awkwardly scratched his head, somewhat at a loss for words.
"Alright, go back to work. Leading the fleet well is the greatest achievement. Everyone has their own characteristics and role, so there's no need to deliberately learn these things. I remember all your achievements; I won't forget them, and I won't let anyone else take them away!" Logo waved his hand and said.
"Yes!" The Demon Pattern Grand Duke stood at attention and saluted, then quietly withdrew.
Logo turned around, straightened his back, extended his right hand, curled his middle finger, and tapped the shell of the multifaceted tower with his knuckles, feeling the vibration transmitted from the bones. He nodded slightly and smiled with satisfaction.
"The basic tower structure is now complete; only the internal energy core remains..."
The reason why Orbital Base Station can be interconnected to form rudimentary spatial channels lies in the construction of the energy core.
This energy core possesses a unique porous spatial structure, capable of being compatible with spatial natural elements and most material energy sources. It is a creation that lies between the magical and technological realms, with an extremely complex manufacturing process that requires a special resource called "White-Veined Marrowstone."
However, White-Veined Marrowstone was only produced in the mother plane of the Aslant Civilization. During the war with the Floating Light Civilization, the entire plane was shattered, and White-Veined Marrowstone became extinct.
In fact, there are countless extinct resources like White-Veined Marrowstone.
Unfortunately, these resources are essential for manufacturing certain devices, which is a real headache.
Having technical blueprints is useless without supporting resources; it's like a skilled cook trying to cook without rice – you can only stare blankly.
Fortunately, Logo's trip to the Astral Realm resolved the material issue for the Orbital Base Station.
With a flick of his right hand, a pale pink, irregularly shaped crystal appeared in his palm; this was the Rare Philosopher's Stone.
White-Veined Marrowstone is of a very high grade; it is difficult to shape ordinary or fine-quality Philosopher's Stone.
"Fortunately, the energy core of the Orbital Base Station only requires a small amount of White-Veined Marrowstone powder to outline the energy matrix. One standard unit of Rare- quality Philosopher's Stone is enough to build three Orbital Base Station..."
A series of numbers flashed through his mind, Logo already had a clear understanding of the costs involved in establishing the Orbital Base Station.
He plans to build 76 Orbital Base Station in the Holy Knight Star System and the Dragon River Star System, completely connecting the two galaxies to form an impenetrable defense system.
"It seems we won't be able to leave this place for the next few months after Nirvana Tower..."
Muttering to himself, Logo ignited a golden-blue Fire of Birth in his hand, enveloping the Philosopher's Stone and quickly transforming it into a special power that radiated a dreamlike light.
A sense of power, as if it could conjure anything and make wishes come true, permeated the air.
Logo's eyes shone with a chilling blue light, representing rationality, completely unaffected. Eye of Insight appeared on his forehead, shooting out a beam of white light.
The light surged, and countless particles of light arranged and combined to form a piece of ore with a blackish-gray base and fine white veins all over its surface, which looked very inconspicuous.
This is the material structure of White-Veined Marrowstone.
Stored in Higher-Dimensional Information Space built by the Aslant Civilization.
Every advanced civilization leaves behind a similar contingency plan: backing up its core information and uploading it to Fantasy Plane to preserve its legacy.
Even if a civilization perishes one day, its legacy continues, its light is passed on, and its flame will never be extinguished. In a sense, this is also a kind of Eternity path.
The Eternity path unique to civilization.
The dreamlike energy formed from the Philosopher's Stone, under Logo's control, was injected into the light particle structure, slowly solidifying...
The entire process was like casting a mold, 'printing' the White-Veined Marrowstone out of thin air.
If this scene were to occur in a world where only technological civilization exists, it would surely shatter the resolve of many veteran scientists, because it is completely contrary to science.
Holding the freshly forged White-Veined Marrowstone, Logo began the final stage of energy core manufacturing.
A few days later.
A warship rapidly jumped along the subspace orbit formed by two Orbital Base Station, appearing and disappearing intermittently, like a movie scene with occasional frame drops. Each jump covered an extremely long distance. If it were a normal warp jump, it would take at least a hundred times longer. Its maneuverability was far enhanced.
The Demon Pattern Grand Duke, watching the flight test on the screen, was filled with excitement. "Excellent! With the Orbital Base Station, one of the Royal Court's fleets can function as multiple fleets, which is equivalent to indirectly improving our war capabilities."
The Grand Elder was also shocked, but he also thought of other areas besides war, "If the entire plane were covered with Orbital Base Station, what a magnificent sight that would be!"
To get rich, build roads first.
The impact of transportation on commerce is fundamental, a fact well understood by the Grand Elder, who presided over Royal Court affairs for a long time.
Therefore, he was able to express opinions that even Logo took notice of.
"That day will come!" Logo stretched out his hand, as if to grasp the entire Elven Plane in his palm...
Pioneer Island.
An Alliance Headquarters.
On this day, the Sixth An Alliance Conference commenced.
Having successively slain several Demigod, Logo's reputation soared, making him the undisputed star of the tournament.
At the meeting, taking advantage of the sudden rise of the Royal Court and the connections he had built up within the An Alliance over the years, Logo formally proposed a "currency reform" plan, suggesting that the An Alliance issue its own unique currency—the "An Yuan".
One stone stirs up a thousand waves.
Although various affiliated forces, such as the Seven Magitech Nations, had received various rumors and were mentally prepared before the meeting, it still caused a huge uproar when Logo actually put this decision on the table.
Some forces don't understand the significance of Logo's actions. What benefits would there be in issuing a unified currency? We've been using the Ta Pound for thousands of years without any problems!
Some even publicly questioned Logo's motives for initiating the currency reform, wondering whether it was for the sake of the An Alliance or for his own selfish desires...
In short, it was noisy and chaotic.
This scene would never have happened in the Royal Court.
This is prestige.
Despite being the Minister of Finance and having made outstanding contributions to the economic development of the An Alliance over the years, Logo ultimately failed to satisfy or convince everyone.
The reasons for this are complex.
Race, culture, conflicts of interest...
Compared to the chaotic state of the An Alliance, the former Royal Court was relatively pure. At least both the Old Blood Faction and the New Blood Faction acknowledged that they were of the same race, the Gendaya People, leaving considerable room for maneuver in many matters.
Ultimately, Logo's currency reform plan failed to be implemented and was rejected by representatives of various factions with differing ideas.
But Logo was not discouraged.
Compared to when the "Rare Metal Community" was first established and everyone dismissed it, things are much better now.
At least a third of the forces chose to support him.
It's not that these forces actually believe there's any point in issuing a unified currency called "An Yuan," but rather that they trust him as a person!
Sometimes, a leader's personal charisma can play a crucial role, and Logo's charisma is gradually radiating, influencing more and more people.
"Damn it, outrageous! They actually want to issue a unified currency? Are they trying to break away from the Ta Pound system? Unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable!!"
Inside the hazy hall, the Sun Eclipser emitted low growls.
Logo's speech at the An Alliance Conference and his proposed currency reform plan infuriated Baliewei the Sun Eclipser.
Ta Pound is the foundation of the Guta Federation, and it will never allow any force to affect Ta Pound's position in the Elven Plane.
At the top of the altar, on the surface of the octagonal well, a hazy face coldly watched the anxious-looking Baliewei, subtly influencing his mind and amplifying Baliewei anxiety...
"No, the current mental rehabilitation program is too slow; we must speed things up..."
Sun Eclipser Baliewei muttered to himself, his eyes growing ever more crimson, yet he remained oblivious, and finally solidified his decision.
"Come, acquire more Ashes Power! The Guta Federation needs your help, the Guta Star People need you to forge their backbone of martial prowess. Your deeds will be remembered in history, and you will become the object of worship for Guta Star People to come..."
A deep, seductive voice echoed deep within the soul, seemingly there yet never ceasing.
The Sun Eclipser step by step to the top of the altar, while below him, a thick black mist swirled, and a demonic face grinned maliciously in the gray haze...