Tribute

Chixing Imperial Palace. Jiang Banzi, who had taken over command from Jiang Shengtian, along with former Imperial Preceptor Zuo Wendao and core member Jiang Zhenwu, finished reviewing the latest intelligence sent from the front line. A hint of gravity hung between their brows. "Is this Su Yaoguang truly a member of the Moon Demon Empire, just like Xue Qi and Mo Guang of the Rebirth Society?" "Based on our current intelligence, Su Yaoguang differs somewhat from Xue Qi and Mo Guang. According to information our intelligence operatives risked their lives to extract from inside the Rebirth Society, something likely went wrong during his infiltration into our world." Jiang Zhenwu continued, "This aligns with our existing intelligence as well. Even though the Moon Demon Empire possesses technology that allows people to infiltrate our world and reside within hosts to grow in the form of 'demon seeds,' they must pay a considerable price. Any misstep carries mortal peril." "That does not matter." Jiang Banzi waved a hand dismissively. "What matters is that we can finally see hope." A sharp glint flickered in his eyes. "All these years, we have continually dispatched Martial Saints to sacrifice to the Five Emperors Furnace in an attempt to nurture an artifact spirit of our own. But… the 'spirit' of Martial Saints is simply too weak. No matter their numbers, they are too feeble to act as a core and trigger a qualitative transformation in the Five Emperors Furnace. Yet whether it is the Rebirth Society or Su Yaoguang, their true essence is powerful enough to rival Heavenly Beings or even great cultivators who have established their Dao Foundation. If we can feed them to the Five Emperors Furnace…" "Over the past decade and more, we may have nurtured the embryo of an artifact spirit, but it is still short of truly controlling the Five Emperors Furnace… In other words, its essence has yet to reach the level of a Treasure Weapon's artifact spirit. Su Yaoguang and the Rebirth Society, however… are no weaklings. If we use them as the core to trigger a qualitative leap, what if the guest usurps the host's place…?" Zuo Wendao hesitated. "Master Zuo worries overmuch." Jiang Banzi was brimful of confidence. "Zhenwu also noted that they must pay a price to infiltrate our world—namely, that they must regrow from nothing. To put it another way, while their essence rivals that of great cultivators, their raw volume of power might not exceed ours by much. The instruments in Qi Renjie's hands have already provided the data." These words slightly dispelled Zuo Wendao's misgivings. Yaoguang's spirit intent strength was below 12, lagging far behind their own. It truly belonged to the tier of a newly advanced Spirit Intent Martial Saint. Of course, the most critical issue was… The situation was shifting too quickly. Few choices remained available to them. "Then we proceed according to the original plan. We will continue to maintain our posture of 'sitting atop the mountain to watch tigers fight,' leading Xuelong, the Rebirth Society, and Su Yaoguang's Jishi Society to believe we will simply sit by and watch them fight to the death without ever entering the fray," Jiang Zhenwu said. Jiang Banzi nodded with a slight smile. "Yet in reality, the moment either Su Yaoguang or the mysterious powerhouse behind the Rebirth Society is on the brink of death, we will bring the Five Emperors Furnace into the fray and thoroughly turn the tide with the might of this spiritual treasure." "How could a pack of mud-legged bumpkins ever compare to the heritage possessed by our Chixing?" Jiang Zhenwu chimed in. The core figures exchanged glances, smiles breaking across all their faces at once. "Victory will ultimately belong to our Chixing." *** "The Karl Federation delegation visiting the Kingdom of Dayu is scheduled to arrive today." "The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Golan will begin a ten-day official visit to our country." "A prince from Gazan has been invited to attend the Thirteenth Exposition hosted by Dayu." One news report after another broadcast steadily from the television mounted on the wall. Su Yaoqin glanced at it, and as if struck by a thought, suddenly remarked, "Lately, it feels like people from so many countries are rushing to Dayu to visit and invest. It's almost as if Dayu has suddenly become the center of the world." Su Yaoshuang, who was looking into a compact mirror applying makeup to make herself look sweet and demure, glanced at her and couldn't help taking a peek at the television as well. She had noticed it too. Even on the streets of the Tiannan provincial capital, foreign faces had become considerably more frequent. "Dayu was never a weak country to begin with. Our economic strength ranks easily among the top ten in the world, and our military strength is in the global top twenty. I hear the geopolitical situation outside is turbulent, so it's only natural that envoys from so many countries are flocking to our Dayu to seek cooperation," she replied. Finishing her makeup, she moved to stand up. Seeing this, Su Yaoqin couldn't help frowning. "Going to livestream again? Grandfather has appeared on television more than once to receive foreign dignitaries, prime ministers, and kings. As a member of the Su family, is it really appropriate for you to flaunt yourself and put on coquettish airs in a livestream room? Aren't you afraid of humiliating the family?" "Flaunt myself and put on coquettish airs?" Su Yaoshuang sneered. "I dress up prettily every day—isn't that for people to see? At least I have the curves to show off, unlike certain people…" Her eyes swept over Su Yaoqin's flat, front-and-back-indistinguishable figure. "Who don't even have the qualifications if they wanted to." "Su Yaoshuang!" Su Yaoqin stood up in a fit of rage. "You are an absolute disgrace!" "I can't be bothered with you." Su Yaoshuang was unwilling to waste words on her. "Today is Second Sister's birthday. Although she didn't intend to hold a banquet, with the influence Eldest Sister currently wields in the Tiannan provincial capital, dignitaries from all over have already come forward to curry favor. This small gathering won't be modest in scale. If you start getting ready now, there's still time. Don't go dressed in your alternative getup; people who don't know any better might think some street delinquent slipped into a high-end venue. When that happens, we'll see who's truly the disgrace." "You…" Su Yaoqin wanted to fire back. Yet glancing down at her clothes… They truly were eccentric and nonconformist. Originally, she had adopted this style because she had zero presence at home and wanted to draw eyes through her appearance. Now, however… In just a few short months, immense changes had swept through the entire Su family. Once practically invisible, she now found people eagerly approaching her at school or in public, enthusiastically displaying warmth and friendliness. Dressing like this now seemed… Childish and ridiculous. She stood up, walked over to the mirror at home, and looked at herself—her outfit unchanged, yet her spirit and bearing entirely transformed. "Things really are different." When had these changes begun? It seemed… to have started when that brother of convenience, Su Yaoguang, returned? Although he did not shower them with doting affection like older brothers in television dramas, he had invisibly elevated the Su family to new heights. From a grand perspective far beyond their reach, he had transformed the entire family, turning even overlooked girls like them into cherished pearls surrounded by admiration. This kind of presence… Possessed far more grandeur and vision than any so-called domineering CEO. Now, looking back at the supposedly overbearing executive brothers in those dramas… She found them laughably childish. "Even if we haven't met more than a handful of times, having a brother like him… isn't bad at all." *** Mount Yuhuang Villa. Having concluded his visualization, Yaoguang sat within a pavilion. He watched the babbling brook flowing not far away while listening to Lei Yun's report. "The gifts delivered by the Karl Federation have been stored in the treasury." "Lihuo has stated their willingness to acknowledge Dayu as their suzerain state. However, the entity they pledge their allegiance to is not Dayu, but you, Young Master Yaoguang." "The tribute sent by Gazan is even more generous than originally planned. However, their prince hopes to obtain an audience with you, Speaker Yaoguang. What are your thoughts…?" "Accept the gifts. There is no need for a meeting." Yaoguang spoke, then glanced at her. "Have the tributes from all the nations of the Central and Eastern continents arrived?" "Only six nations remain…" Lei Yun reported the names of the six countries one by one. "Make a note of them," Yaoguang instructed. He might not necessarily favor the countries that sent gifts, but if the opportunity arose, he would certainly make his presence felt among those six that had not. After hearing the report and dismissing Lei Yun, Yaoguang directed his focus to the [Merchant] branch on the ancient tree. Over this period, the "tributes" from dozens of countries had once again caused the experience of the [Merchant] branch to surge dramatically, pushing its progress to 91%. However… Reaching 91% was clearly approaching the limit. Unless even more valuable treasures arrived, or he could suppress Chixing and Xuelong to force those two behemoths to present various divine weapons and spirit herbs as tribute, he could hardly expect any substantial advancement for at least a year or two. "I already hold sway over more than one nation, yet the growth in [Merchant] experience from that hasn't been significant. It seems… nations and territory don't count as profit? Or perhaps because defending these lands requires a massive investment of human resources, it is considered an exceptionally unprofitable transaction for me?" Yaoguang pondered. Even so… Although 91% progress had not enabled him to truly take that crucial step, the forward-looking insights it provided allowed him to touch the realm where the [Martial Path] rivaled great cultivators who had established their Dao Foundation. This level… Was consistently referred to in all related information by a single title—Star Lord. "Martial Artist, Martial Saint, Heavenly Being, and… Star Lord." He quietly contemplated the defining characteristics of a Star Lord compared to other realms. A Star Lord achieved true unity of heaven and humanity. At this stage, a martial cultivator's Life Force Field had matured, and they possessed an exquisite mastery over the power of heaven and earth—the astral force field. With every move, they no longer drew solely upon physical strength, but upon the heavens, the void, and the astral force field. To oppose such a powerhouse was to oppose an entire celestial body. And the power of a star… How vast and boundless was that!? Even if Xuelong and Chixing detonated every nuclear weapon in the world, they wouldn't scratch the surface of the planet they inhabited. If a Star Lord could wield such power, one could only imagine what heights their strength would reach. As a cultivator delved deeper into this realm, supersonic flight and withstanding nuclear blasts with their bare flesh became basic maneuvers. A Dao Foundation cultivator of the qi refining path could suppress an entire world with a single sword. A cultivator of the martial path could do the very same. The title of Star Lord was well deserved. "Truly… incredible." For half a day, Yaoguang remained immersed in the immense might of the Star Lord realm. Perhaps… Only upon reaching such a tier could one truly be called a genuine powerhouse. Only then could one attain a modicum of security. Unfortunately, judging by the current trend, attaining the Star Lord realm would take eight to ten years at least. Having it within sight yet beyond reach left him feeling thoroughly unsettled. It was at this moment that Yue Xingzhou's figure appeared near the pavilion. Bowing, he said, "Speaker Yaoguang, Princess Xie Yier has arrived. She has brought the divine weapon and battle armor gifted to you by the Snow Dragon Federation, along with an additional present."