Teleportation arrays were marvelous things.
According to tattered ancient texts passed down through the ages, during the bygone era when sects ruled the world, teleportation arrays were inscribed and established as point-to-point connections between sects.
This was considered a manifestation of a covenant signed between two parties.
The moment the arrays on both sides were inscribed and activated, it signaled that both parties had entered into unrestricted cooperation—free movement of personnel, unimpeded exchange of goods.
In those days, sects were legion throughout the realm. As node after node was constructed, a colossal teleportation network gradually spanned across the entire Central Lands.
To satisfy the relentless expansion of this network, cultivators continually innovated their prospecting techniques for Boundary Void Stones, steadily refining the extraction processes.
Vast quantities of Boundary Void Stones were excavated and transported across the realm to erect new teleportation nodes.
This teleportation network served as the catalyst for the boundless prosperity and might of that sect-dominated era. Yet, it was this very same network that, when the flames of war descended, became the abyss that dragged every sect in the world down with it.
As war consumed the realm, teleportation arrays once inscribed at the cost of immense quantities of Boundary Void Stones were obliterated one by one. Meanwhile, sects forging fresh alliances inscribed new nodes in order to react swiftly whenever war erupted.
Moreover, every full-power activation caused wear and tear on the array markings, and all of this damage required Boundary Void Stones to maintain and repair.
Chaos and warfare dragged on for countless years, driving cultivators' demand for Boundary Void Stones to an unprecedented peak. It was during this very period that Boundary Void Stone veins began to exhaust themselves en masse.
The chaotic age of the sects persisted until the emergence of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion.
Under the suppressing might of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, large-scale sect warfare was quelled, and order was re-established. But the colossal teleportation network that had once blanketed the realm lay almost entirely in ruins, and the remaining reserves of Boundary Void Stones were no longer sufficient to recreate the splendor of the past.
Led by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, the remaining deposits of Boundary Void Stones were jointly controlled and mined by several colossal super-sects.
Teleportation arrays consequently became the ultimate symbol of a super-sect's might.
Just like the Qionghua Sect, which flourished twenty thousand years ago; to flaunt their strength, they had even established a priceless teleportation array within their own mystic realm.
Yet all worldly luxury must one day be exhausted.
The arrival of the Aberrant Ghost Calamity extinguished the Boundary Void Stone's final light in this world.
When the Aberrant Ghost Calamity swept across the entire Central Plains and the very survival of the human race hung in the balance, no one had any thoughts to spare for sustainable development.
Under the direction of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion, the final veins of Boundary Void Stones were mined with frenzied abandon for war preparedness. Teleportation arrays sprang up across both the frontlines and the deep rear of the aberrant ghost war, sustaining the logistical lifelines in humanity's fight for survival.
The historical records following that era grew far more detailed.
The system of sect rule collapsed, ushering the Central Plains into the era of imperial dynasties.
During the early days of imperial dynasties, a few teleportation arrays still remained across the Central Lands. Some were relics from the Aberrant Ghost Calamity, while others were reconstructed using the meager remnants of surviving deposits.
Yet through the wear and tear of ten thousand years, even these arrays vanished like smoke.
There had indeed been ambitious rulers who unified the fourteen provinces of the Central Lands and sought to recreate teleportation arrays—to cross the boundaries of space and tighten the central court's grip over the provinces, ensuring their dynasties would endure for eternity.
Unfortunately, without exception, every one of these ambitious monarchs failed.
Even with the exhaustive efforts of generations of master array masters, not a single inferior substitute for Boundary Void Stones could ever be found.
In time, teleportation arrays were forgotten in the long river of history.
After giving the martial brute Xu Changge a brief recounting of the origins of Boundary Void Stones and teleportation arrays, Xu Yuan turned his gaze to the pitch-black gemstone pendant in his uncle's hand, his eyes burning with fervor.
"Furthermore, if Boundary Void Stones exist in the Sean Dynasty, there may very well be deposits of levitation stones as well."
Boundary Void Stones were the essential material for teleportation arrays, while levitation stones were used to craft Sumeru rings.
The reason these two heavenly treasures shared almost identical names in ancient texts was that they were nearly always found as associated minerals in the same veins.
Xu Yuan knew all too well what these things could bring to Great Yan.
Setting levitation stones aside for the moment, the sheer importance of teleportation arrays spoke for itself. Whether for governing territories or military deployment, it was an ancient system capable of altering the course of an entire era.
At this thought, Xu Yuan took a deep breath and said softly, "Uncle, we must report this matter to Father immediately."
In many affairs, his old man had granted him considerable autonomy, but this Boundary Void Stone suddenly dropped before them was far beyond what he could handle on his own.
On a minor scale, this could serve as an unexpected trump card for the Prime Minister's Manor in Great Yan's impending civil war.
On a grander scale, this windfall of intelligence might cause the colossal vessel of the Chancellor's Manor to change course, steering into an entirely different trajectory from the one planned.
One day later, the Chancellor's Manor, Baigui Pavilion.
Sunlight filtered through the window lattice, carrying a rare sliver of winter warmth. The distinct, crisp fragrance of ink from rolled scrolls suffused every corner of the room, refreshing to the senses.
The elder and the youth sat facing each other across a desk.
His temples flecked with gray, Xu Yinhe sat behind the desk. Having listened attentively to his third son's recounting, his steady voice was unhurried:
"Changtian, you ambushed this Sean imperial princess in hopes of using the Li family's third son to intervene in Dongying Island?"
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered, and he gave a soft cough. "That was the thought. But Father, the focus right now is not Dongying Island."
"Oh?"
Xu Yinhe smiled faintly, his deep gaze pregnant with meaning. "Changtian, is Dongying Island no longer considered a major affair in your eyes?"
Xu Yuan was taken aback, then answered in a low voice, "Only by comparison."
Xu Yinhe shook his head, brushing it aside with casual ease. "So, what you mean to say is that the real focus is the possibility of Boundary Void Stone and levitation stone veins within the Sean Dynasty?"
Xu Yuan retrieved a jade box from his robes, placed it on the desk, and slid it toward his father. "Yes. Here is the physical proof."
Xu Yinhe's unflinching eyes swept over it. "Has this been examined by the Gewu Academy?"
As the sole helmsman of this leviathan that was the Prime Minister's Manor, Xu Yinhe knew a little about most things, but human energy had its limits. When it came to specialized expertise, it had to be left to subordinates.
Xu Yuan smiled and nodded. "Last night, before returning to the manor with Uncle, we paid Old Man Jiang a visit. He confirmed that this artifact is made from Boundary Void Stone."
"Is that so?"
Contrary to Xu Yuan's expectations, his father did not show the slightest hint of delight upon hearing this intelligence. His gaze lingered on the ink-black gemstone, his tone inscrutable:
"Did Jiang He tell you the function of this artifact?"
Xu Yuan shook his head, his voice echoing in the quiet chamber. "Jiang He said the patterns on it differ from Great Yan's array markings. To understand it thoroughly, he would have to dismantle it, but he couldn't guarantee he could reassemble it afterward. So I refused."
Xu Yinhe offered no judgment, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface of the jade box. "Then by your judgment, Changtian, what is its purpose?"
Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then asked softly in return, "Father, do you know of the Kunwu Mirror?"
Xu Yinhe nodded, a trace of reminiscence surfacing in his eyes. "I have heard of it. In my youth, I saw a passage about it in an ancient text—the key to the Kunwu Mystic Realm."
Xu Yuan said softly, "You are correct, but aside from being a key, the Kunwu Mirror is also a secret teleportation treasure."
Xu Yinhe glanced up at Xu Yuan. "It seems you and that Wuyuan girl were targeted for assassination using such an item."
Not at all surprised by his father's quick deduction, Xu Yuan replied, "Yes. I suspect this artifact is similar to the Kunwu Mirror. As the Sean imperial princess's life-saving trump card, this pendant can either teleport someone away, or..."
"Teleport someone else across space to her?"
"Yes, and the latter is more likely. If it could teleport her away, then with Orenli's shrewdness, she would almost certainly have activated it without hesitation the moment she witnessed Xu Changge's strength."
"..."
Xu Yinhe's deep gaze lingered on the jade box, his tone taking on a reflective cadence. "From your description earlier, that imperial princess is far stronger than ordinary Origin Realm cultivators. If this is her life-saving heirloom, the person summoned on the other end must not be weak."
Saying this, Xu Yinhe's eyes took on an appraising edge as he looked at Xu Yuan. "Changtian, what do you intend to do with this matter?"
"..."
Stunned for a moment by the sudden question, Xu Yuan probed tentatively, "Father, do you mean..."
"You do not understand? Then perhaps your father has misread your intention."
Xu Yinhe tapped the surface of the jade box with a finger, murmuring quietly, "You expended so much breath describing two extinct mineral deposits that might exist in that overseas empire. Were you not attempting to induce your father to divert Great Yan's internal conflicts outward?"
"..."
Xu Yuan's eyes flicked up instinctively.
"It seems your father did not misjudge after all."
Before Xu Yuan could speak, Xu Yinhe smiled faintly and rose from the lavish sandalwood black dragon chair. "As for how you specifically want to handle this matter, consider it carefully and give me your answer."
As he spoke, Xu Yinhe walked slowly past Xu Yuan, gently resting a warm, heavy hand on his shoulder. "With the Prime Minister's Manor hosting grand banquets over the next two days, I will remain in the manor. Once you have made up your mind, come find me."
"..."
Listening to the footsteps fading into the distance behind him, Xu Yuan sat alone, thoroughly bewildered.
Why did his old man just walk away after barely saying a few words?
His original intent in bringing this up was to pass the buck and let his old man figure out a solution. How had the ball been kicked right back into his court?
How to handle it?
What was there to handle?
The matter of the Sean Boundary Void mineral deposits involved a decision of such magnitude that it could alter the course of the Prime Minister's Manor itself. And his old man had simply dumped it on him?
No.
It wasn't that he was being handed full control; after all, he still had to report back once he thought it through.
At most, this was another test from his father, who wanted to see what judgment he would make on this matter.
With this thought, Xu Yuan's mind began to branch out.
The Northern Border.
The sects.
The imperial family.
The imperial court.
The Sean mineral deposits.
Pieces of known intelligence coalesced one after another, and the outline of a vast plan gradually took shape in his mind.
Time slipped away quietly. The sun sank into the west, staining the horizon's clouds crimson before giving way to the tranquil shroud of a moonlit night.
As moonlight pooled into the room, Xu Yuan, who had remained sitting motionless, gradually knit his brows.
He realized that the thoughts once so neatly organized in his mind had, at some point, devolved into total disarray.
The outline of the plan he had envisioned, as details were continuously packed into it, had tangled into an impenetrable ball of yarn.
Too many factions. Too many competing interests. Too many irreconcilable contradictions.
Within Great Yan and beyond, every faction had pacts with one another, enmity against one another, and ulterior motives behind every move.
With his current capabilities, it was simply impossible to devise a plan that could use Boundary Void mineral deposits as a fulcrum to revitalize Great Yan.
Having realized this, Xu Yuan grasped another truth in an instant.
Relying solely on two extinct mineral veins—Boundary Void Stones and levitation stones—could never deflect Great Yan's internal conflicts.
After Li Yaoxuan made the opening move in the Northern Border, followed up in coordination by the imperial Prime Minister, factions within Great Yan had not yet completely shed all pretense of civility, but swords were already drawn.
If the Prime Minister's Manor wanted to deflect the conflict at a time like this, Li Yaoxuan, who didn't have much longer to live, would be the first to refuse.
Unless the Prime Minister's Manor and the sects castrated themselves.
Nor would the Sect Alliance, having suffered losses, ever agree.
Unless the imperial court spat out everything it had swallowed in the Northern Border and offered even greater compensation.
As for external forces like Guyuan and the Great Desert, they wouldn't give a damn about you in the first place.
"What do your internal decisions within Great Yan have to do with outsiders like us? If we agree, is Great Yan going to cede land or pay annual tribute?"
The only ones who might agree were, ironically, the shit-stirrers of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion.
If the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion remained true to its original purpose, then with the Great Tribulation approaching, reducing meaningless internal strife aligned precisely with their goal of resisting the calamity.
His thoughts in turmoil, Xu Yuan lowered his gaze, a wave of helplessness rising in his chest.
The powder keg had already half-exploded. If one wished to shove the fire back inside, the benefits promised by Boundary Void Stones fell far short.
Given Great Yan's miserable predicament, there was actually only one way to deflect internal conflict outward—no, two ways.
Either the Great Tribulation spoken of by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion descended, plunging the human race into an existential crisis;
Or the Sean Dynasty from across the sea launched a massive landing invasion against Great Yan, just as they had invaded Dongying Island, and battered Great Yan's military arrays until they were powerless to fight back within a short span of time.
The former was unlikely in the near term; after all, the person designated by the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion as the Great Tribulation's inception was still only in the Flesh Integration Realm.
As for the latter...
Count on the Sean Dynasty, who struggled even to conquer Dongying Island, to crush Great Yan's military arrays?
One would be better off contemplating how Xu Yuan could cultivate faster.
At this thought, Xu Yuan gave a wry chuckle and shook his head.
It seemed he wouldn't be able to provide an answer to the question his father had left him.
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan prepared to stand. His eyes unconsciously fell upon the desk before him, and he froze.
His old man hadn't taken the pendant...
He looked back instinctively, only to see the vast Baigui Pavilion enveloped in nocturnal silence; that figure had departed long ago.
Frowning, Xu Yuan felt a sudden spark of realization flit across his mind.
The next instant,
Rustle—
Xu Yuan stood up abruptly. He knew what he needed to do.
This was actually a very simple matter from the start. He had overthought it, standing on too high of a vantage point and overcomplicating things.
From the very beginning, he shouldn't have been thinking about how to deflect Great Yan's internal conflicts.
This grand trend across the realm was something the Emperor of Great Yan and the Prime Minister had spent decades scheming to bring about.
The momentum of an era could not be reversed by human power.
Having reached this stage, even the two chief instigators had lost control over the future.
What he needed to do was not to swim against the current, but to seize as many variables as possible into his grasp, acquiring as many bargaining chips as he could before the all-in showdown arrived.
Crack.
With a crisp sound,
Xu Yuan opened the jade box, took the pendant into his hand, and watched it sway gently. A smile crept into his voice:
"So... that's what Father meant?"
Chapter 496