Chapter 392: Pushing One's Luck, Where Are the Clansmen of Our Hometown? (Ten Thousand Words)

Moon, Eclipse City.

Jump Base.

Beneath the colossal shadow of a crater, a massive weapons processing platform was operating at overload capacity.

High-intensity energy streams surged through thick pipelines like blood vessels, emitting a low hum.

Countless automated mechanical arms danced across the platform, dismantling, sorting, and smelting metal ship hulls.

Among them were warship keels stretching several kilometers long, precisely segmented by giant cutting beams.

Heavy composite armor was fed into high-temperature furnaces to be refined back into basic alloy ingots, while precision components and energy cores containing the Mechanical Legion's cutting-edge technology were separated and sent to the Modular Research Base for detailed disassembly.

The bustling engineering work wove together a scene brimming with industrial power.

At this moment, A Lan stood in the data room at the center of the base, reviewing information on engineering progress.

This arms factory beneath his feet had originally been built by the Star Net to address potential future crises.

Once all war weapons were manufactured here, they would be shipped to the War Deployment Base facing Earth, ready at any moment to respond to an invasion war.

The sudden crisis of the Mechanical Legion had now been officially resolved.

This invasion, which appeared to be a disaster, had ultimately transformed into a gift in an unexpected way.

However, the Star Net had no intention of stockpiling these war weapons for use when war arrived.

In the Star Net's logical assessment, retaining the war attributes of the Mechanical Legion was now meaningless.

Earth, and indeed the entire solar system, now had the Fate Clan as an ally to bear the burden of protection.

If even they could not handle an invasion crisis, then the existence of this Mechanical Legion would merely add more cannon fodder.

Its presence or absence would not affect the course of the war.

Therefore, the Star Net decided to dismantle the steel torrent left behind by the Mechanical Legion into nutrients to nourish the civilization of the Earth Alliance.

At this moment, the monitoring screens displayed where the recycled resources were flowing.

One monitoring feed showed that some basic alloys were being sent to the "Ark" base in Earth's orbit.

This was one of the transit nodes for transporting goods to Earth.

Many goods sold or freely provided to support the various races on Earth were manufactured, assembled, and activated here.

It functioned as an efficient "orbital contract factory," saving the long transportation time from the Moon to Earth.

Currently, the project with the highest priority at this base was the upgrade and mass production of the newest virtual game pods using this batch of special alloys.

The legacy of the Mechanical Legion contained a vast amount of spiritual materials that were extremely precious to Earth.

The Star Net had formulated a resource consumption project for this purpose.

Using these spiritual materials, a simple Spirit-Infused Rune Array would be integrated inside the new generation of game pods.

Its effect could be called revolutionary; it ensured that players' physical vitality remained in optimal condition during long gaming sessions.

This batch of game pods did not even require nutrient fluids.

Relying solely on the continuous release of the spiritual materials inside, it could guarantee that players could remain online for extended periods without their bodies suffering any adverse effects.

Even the players' physical constitution could undergo a subtle, gradual improvement as the spiritual materials volatilized.

The Star Net's purpose in doing this was obvious.

It allowed players to stay online for longer periods, providing more support for the development of the Player Faction.

Secondly, the demand for new game pods among the various races on Earth was currently very high.

The Moon's resources were inherently limited, and the legacy left by the Mechanical Legion perfectly solved this urgent need; most of the materials would be invested in the game pod manufacturing project.

The Eclipse Clan would not withhold any of the cutting-edge technology within them either.

After the evaluation concluded, it would be gradually shared with the various races of the Earth Alliance.

After quickly browsing the rolling progress information of various projects on the data platform, A Lan turned and left the data room.

Although this industrial zone nominally fell under his jurisdiction, the processing procedures were strictly supervised by intelligent robots directly controlled by the Star Net.

Whether he was present or not had no impact on efficiency.

What prompted his decision to temporarily go offline was a routine notice issued by the Star Net: attend this month's Archon Council meeting.

As the Archon of the Eclipse Clan, he naturally needed to attend on time.

After the meeting, realizing he hadn't gone offline to move around in person for quite some time, he decided to take a stroll through his jurisdiction on the way.

This was mostly a routine patrol within the scope of his duties.

Secondly, it was also to understand exactly what had happened during the Mechanical Legion invasion at that time.

There was no channel to obtain this information within the game.

The Star Net would not send him bullet comments to explain, and the vast majority of players on the player forums were also in a state of confusion, completely unclear about what had happened back then.

He and the qualified members of the Eclipse Clan basically never went offline, knowing very little about the outside world.

Therefore, issues on the reality level still had to be understood in reality.

After completing the routine patrol, A Lan returned to his personal rest room.

Skillfully removing his Archon robes, he changed into a comfortable, form-fitting advanced neural induction game suit.

Accompanied by a faint suction sound, the game suit perfectly adhered to his body.

Lying down in the game pod, a sensation of dizziness immediately struck...

Dream Island.

The slight dizziness receded like a Black Tide, replaced by an indescribable sensation of physical and mental immersion.

What came into view was an endless sky, as clear and transparent as a sapphire.

Warm yet not scorching sunlight poured down, carrying a hint of gentle heat.

A salty, fresh sea breeze brushed against his cheeks, bringing with it the faint fragrance of the island's flowers.

In his ears was the vibrant clamor from the distant docks, also symbolizing the increasingly prosperous construction of the merchant guild.

He subconsciously took a deep breath.

Immediately, a sense of sweetness and freshness filled his lungs.

Compared to the real world, where even layer upon layer of purification could not eliminate the stifling, spirit-less air.

Every breath here seemed capable of cleansing the soul, bringing a comfort that surged throughout the body, making even one's thoughts seem clearer and sharper.

This feeling was nothing remarkable after staying in the Monster World for a long time.

But whenever one went offline and then returned, the sensation became particularly intense.

At this moment, he walked toward the docks.

Next, he prepared to personally travel to the Ascension Seas.

During this offline meeting, he had solidified an idea: to begin expanding the Gold Coin Merchant Guild's business coverage across the Three Great Seas.

Trading clients should not be limited to the Mist Clan.

The Ascension Clan and Shu Yan could also become trading partners of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

With three factions locked in chaotic warfare, the Gold Coin Merchant Guild could completely profit by reselling war supplies to all three sides, earning substantial war revenues.

If this had been when he first made contact with the Mist Clan, he certainly would not have had such an idea.

After all, at that time, the Gold Coin Merchant Guild had not demonstrated any military strength.

If they had angered the Mist Clan, the clan might have moved against the Gold Coin Merchant Guild at any moment, sparing no cost to erase the guild from the Cang Star Seas.

But that was the past.

Something that happened some time ago made him feel the timing was now ripe.

Back then, General Ye Ming had come to the island to find him, hoping the Gold Coin Merchant Guild could provide war resources at a "friendship price" to support the Mist Clan's military operations in the Ascension Seas.

He also indicated that the better the Mist Clan developed, the more the Gold Coin Merchant Guild would benefit from it.

This request, he naturally rejected without hesitation.

In his strategic perspective, cooperation with the Mist Clan was an expedient measure based on current interests.

The Gold Coin Merchant Guild must maintain absolute neutrality and independence; under no circumstances could it become a vassal or a cheap supplier to any race.

He was very clear about the law of the jungle operating logic of the Monster World.

If Ye Ming dared to demand discounts today in the name of "friendship," once he succeeded, tomorrow he would dare to demand even more.

Apart from the Mist Clan, nearly all factions in the Monster World were the same.

Between races, there was never any courtesy or reciprocity.

One concession would be seen as a signal of weakness, inviting more greedy covetousness.

Agreeing was a sign of cowardice.

At the time, Ye Ming appeared to be negotiating, but in essence, it was a covert probe into the Gold Coin Merchant Guild's underlying strength.

Ye Ming's seemingly angry and tough performance had the deeper purpose of testing whether the Gold Coin Merchant Guild truly had a powerful backer.

He obviously understood that a faction with strong underlying strength would never make any compromises with the Mist Clan.

Seeing through the intricacies, A Lan had therefore remained incredibly domineering from start to finish, yielding not an inch.

He would absolutely not give Ye Ming any opportunity to push his luck, keeping the initiative firmly in his own hands throughout.

During the negotiations, a seemingly accidental "coincidence" occurred.

Calling it a coincidence was inaccurate; it was actually a layout he had prepared in advance: the appearance of Ming Hou.

Arranging to meet Ming Hou at this specific time to discuss the construction project of the Fate Gambling City was not just for the sake of a meeting.

Many issues could have been discussed remotely via video link.

The core purpose of having Ming Hou come in person was still this: to borrow momentum.

According to background information supplemented by lore-focused players on the forums.

The key turning point that allowed the Mingwu Clan to reverse their fortunes and ultimately defeat the Death Whisper Clan back then was an equivalent gamble between Ye Ming and the Fate Clan.

Ye Ming's stake was the "Mingwu Rules."

When players discussed the background lore, what they talked about most was Ye Ming's boldness and madness.

But he saw a deeper piece of information: Ye Ming possessed a relatively detailed understanding of the underlying strength held by the Fate Clan.

He believed the Fate Clan had the capability to give him hope for a turnaround.

Otherwise, he would not have dared to take the Rules to the Fate Clan's territory for a gamble.

This intelligence struck him as a genuine surprise.

In their cooperation prior to this, Ye Ming had always been testing the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce.

The purpose of doing so was obvious; it could not determine the true depth of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce's underlying strength.

Secondly, the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce had never displayed any military strength for external warfare.

These vague pieces of information were insufficient to fully intimidate a general who had weathered many storms.

The appearance of Ming Hou allowed him to see the possibility of borrowing momentum.

And what he intended to borrow was not merely the personal "momentum" of Ming Hou.

It was even more so the grand momentum of the Fate Clan represented by Ming Hou's identity as the "Life Lord."

This was to serve as a warning to Ye Ming.

It would make Ye Ming feel sufficient awe toward the underlying strength and energy of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, completely extinguishing any unrealistic fantasies in his heart.

One might ask, what could better demonstrate the unfathomable depth of the Chamber of Commerce than the "Life Lord" of the Fate Clan personally descending upon Dream Island to discuss important cooperative projects with the Chamber of Commerce in an equal, or even slightly proactive, manner?

The impact brought by this scene carried far more deterrent power than thousands of words of argument.

However, he had not informed Ming Hou of this matter in advance.

Although if told directly, Ming Hou would not have refused.

But the positioning between the two parties would have changed because of it.

Under the circumstances at that time, Ming Hou was not familiar with him, having only had one private chat exchange.

When Ming Hou took the initiative to come knocking, wishing to discuss the construction project of the Fate Gambling City on Dream Island, as well as the request to acquire customers from the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce.

The positioning between the two parties shifted, becoming: Ming Hou was the one seeking his help.

Therefore, he chose a time to issue an invitation to Ming Hou to come onto the island for discussions.

In terms of posture, it was he who granted Ming Hou an opportunity to strive for cooperation.

Conversely, if he had taken the initiative to request Ming Hou to come and bolster his ranks in order to intimidate Ye Ming.

The nature of the act would have completely changed into him seeking help from Ming Hou, incurring a debt of favor.

Though both instances involved a meeting, the different methods of initiation resulted in completely different statuses and speaking rights for both parties.

And Ming Hou arrived as scheduled, unintentionally perfectly playing the role of a "powerful cooperative partner," making his plan a huge success.

The final result was that during his negotiations with Ming Hou, while smoothly advancing the project cooperation, Ming Hou also incurred a debt of favor to him.

Meanwhile, due to Ming Hou's appearance, Ye Ming gained a new understanding of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce's underlying strength, imagining many possibilities.

As for him, he paid nothing yet achieved the effect of killing two birds with one stone.

This carefully arranged "coincidence" also paved the way for the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce's upcoming strategic layout.

Since the deterrent effect of Ming Hou had already achieved the expected results.

Successfully causing Ye Ming and even the Mingwu Clan behind him to re-evaluate the weight of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, then next... it was time for the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce to push its luck.

This concept had actually existed for a long time, but the timing had not been ripe before.

He had always believed that the trade customers of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce could also be the Ascension Clan and the Shu Yan Clan, who were currently engaged in a three-way melee with the Mingwu Clan.

They likewise possessed huge demands for warfare and resource consumption.

They likewise stored various types of spiritual resources that could be resold to the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, which would then list them on the Exchange for players to purchase.

Both the Ascension Clan and Shu Yan were powers that controlled Rules, and both were potential high-quality clients.

As long as this could be achieved, the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce could rely on its neutral status and powerful maritime logistics network to simultaneously resell war supplies to all three warring factions.

Letting the flames of war burn even hotter, while the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce could reap considerable war profits from it.

As for what the Mingwu Clan thought, it was no longer important.

In this environment of the Monster World where the weak are food for the strong, humility and conservatism held no meaning; they would only be viewed as weakness inviting bullying.

When it was time to be aggressive, one must display overwhelming dominance.

When it was time to push one's luck, one must advance without hesitation.

The survival logic between the various clans was actually very cruel; all powers instinctively feared the strong and ruthlessly devoured the weak.

Therefore, every action and every decision the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce made next had to match the image of "unfathomable underlying strength" he had created.

Only through such continuous expansion of territory and greedily seizing every visible benefit could endless and growing developmental momentum be brought to the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce itself, and even to the rapid development of the entire player faction.

Thus, it was time for the trade banner of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce to be planted on vaster war-torn lands.

Three days later, the main island of the Ascension Clan.

Heart of Molten Fire.

Here, the moist sea breeze of Dream Island was completely absent.

The air was scorching, permeated with a faint scent of sulfur.

The ground presented a dark red hue, with molten lava flows surging intermittently within cracked fissures.

Multiple incubation pods had been constructed within the island, connecting to several cultivation civilization worlds.

Although the process had some twists and turns, A Lan had successfully landed on the island.

Led by a tall Ascension Clan warrior whose parsed name was "Shield Spirit Root," he passed through a treacherous channel surrounded by rivers of magma and was brought to a magnificent hall carved out from within a volcano.

At the end of the hall, a massive throne was cast from dark lava and the bones of unknown giant beasts.

Upon the throne, a figure slowly raised its head.

Its physique was more burly than ordinary members of the Ascension Clan, covered in what seemed like flowing scales of molten heat, with every breath emitting tiny sparks.

Its countenance was majestic, with a scar piercing through its left eye, adding several degrees of murderous aura.

It held no weapon in its hands; its fists hung naturally at its sides, the energy fluctuations emanating from its palms causing the surrounding space to distort slightly due to the high temperature.

It was the leader of the Ascension Clan: Chi Yan.

Or more accurately, the new leader of the Ascension Clan who had inherited the name of the former leader.

The high-ranking members of the previous generation of the Ascension Clan had long since turned into nutrients, becoming the wedding dress for the life transformation of this generation's core members.

This was a choice made by a race under desperate circumstances.

Letting the previous generation become the cornerstone for the growth of the next, stepping further forward upon their corpses.

"Clan Leader Chi Yan," A Lan greeted calmly, then introduced himself:

"Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce, A Lan."

Chi Yan sized up A Lan with burning eyes, his low voice rumbling like thunder, vibrating A Lan's eardrums until they hummed:

"I know of you, the power from the Cang Star Sea Region that provides war resources to the Mingwu Clan."

Facing Chi Yan's scrutinizing gaze, A Lan's expression did not change in the slightest, remaining composed and calm:

"That is correct."

"What do you seek from me?"

"The business of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce faces all potential cooperators; my coming here naturally stems from seeing broad prospects for cooperation between us and the Ascension Clan."

"Cooperation?" Chi Yan's voice carried a hint of confusion, causing the temperature within the hall to fluctuate along with it:

"You provide supplies to all warring parties simultaneously? Does the Mingwu Clan not have objections to this?"