Chapter 213: Interests and Critical Points (Requesting Base Support)

Afraid!

All factions were afraid.

The public assassination of the top disciple of the Chen Guo Dao Academy had set an extremely bad precedent.

Naturally, it was the Cangming Star Hall that had set this bad precedent.

The Chen Guo Dao Academy publicly claimed that the Cangming Star Hall had sent ten fifth-rank Gathered Stars warriors to assassinate the third-rank Star Refining top disciple, and that the sixth-rank Star Lord Zhang Zhen had personally participated in the assassination.

This lineup could terrify anyone.

It was like sending ten cheetahs and a tiger to kill a chicken.

This was a guaranteed kill!

Any disciple, no matter who, would surely be targeted for elimination.

Could this happen to our own side?

Very likely!

If it happened to us, could our top-genius disciples survive?

Nine out of ten, they couldn't!

Losing one or two genius disciples wasn't a huge blow.

But top-genius disciples only emerged once every ten or even decades!

Truly afraid!

Similarly, the Chen Guo Dao Academy had also set an extremely bad precedent.

Publicly, they claimed they had received intelligence in advance and made proper preparations!

But who knew whether you'd truly received intelligence in advance—or were just setting a trap?

But regardless of which, these two bad precedents had left every faction trembling with fear!

Should other factions guard against assassinations targeting their own genius disciples?

They must guard!

But could this be an even deeper trap?

It might be!

If you spot the movements of another Star Hall's genius disciples, should you consider launching an assassination?

You certainly would!

But could that be a trap too?

It might be!

Under these circumstances, every faction was like men haunted by shadows, like birds startled by the sound of a bowstring!

Even the slightest rustle demanded vigilance!

On the evening of October 6, as news of the incident spread rapidly, the Tianyang Star Hall, Zhen'e Star Hall, Da Hong, Chen Guo, Da Chu, and Cangming Star Hall all revived their previously shelved martial lockdown policies.

This time, they didn't just revive them—they upgraded them all.

All personnel entering or exiting via the Zhaixing Tower underwent strict identity verification; merchant caravans traveling to or from state capitals and provincial cities had to be individually inspected.

Cangming Star Hall had suffered heavy losses and feared Chen Guo's retaliation as well as Tianyang Star Hall's opportunism; their lockdown was even stricter—they outright suspended Zhaixing Tower teleportation.

This was normal enough.

But it triggered a chain of problems.

Under relaxed policies, everyone knew the rules were loose; if unfairly treated, one could argue reasonably, and minor officials like border guards or Zhaixing Tower inspectors dared not act arbitrarily.

But after the lockdown, layers of overreach emerged; some border garrisons even turned this into military orders.

How strict things became depended entirely on the lower-level enforcers.

I say your caravan is suspicious—that's enough. I demand everyone's background records. I don't like this person's file—I need proof, and you must provide it.

No proof? Then stay put.

Dare to cause trouble?

Is your head hard—or your neck?

Under martial lockdown orders, killing you would be white murder!

In just one or two days, resentment boiled over.

Even mid- to high-ranking officers, like the gate commander of Wan Yi or the capital guard chief of Ju Yang in Da Chu, could harass merchant caravans mercilessly.

This was unavoidable.

Using minimal power to inflict maximum harm was common everywhere.

But this chain of reactions disrupted travel and trade with the Star River Battlefield.

Merchant caravans typically traveled to the Star River Battlefield via large starships; along the way, they were delayed at every checkpoint, and the battlefield's urgently needed military supplies were stalled!

Very quickly, the news reached the Star River Battlefield Marshal's Office.

It drew extreme attention from the Marshal's Office.

If this situation continued, it would jeopardize the battlefield's strategic security—and even endanger many Domain Lords!

The crisis had only festered for three days when the Star River Battlefield Marshal's Office intervened.

Inside the Danxia Academy, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's Zhaixing Token suddenly trembled continuously, emitting a low, mournful hum.

Cheng Yuexiao glanced down and smiled.

"Finally arrived! I thought it'd take several more days." Cheng Yuexiao chuckled.

"It's about time! This is still a lingering effect of the last lockdown—the delays and bottlenecks from before hadn't even fully resolved, and now this has happened again, so the Star River Battlefield Marshal's Office couldn't take it anymore," said Peng Lao, standing in the shadows.

"With the Marshal's Office stepping in, things should stabilize for a while."

As he spoke, Grand Master Cheng's mind sank into the Zhaixing Token, and under its vast, resonant energy, his spirit was instantly drawn to a hidden realm known as the Star River Marshal's Office.

Cheng Yuexiao was not the first to arrive.

The Tianyang Star Lord had already arrived.

The layout of the Star River Marshal's Office hidden realm was a grand conference hall.

In the center stood a round table with twelve seats around it.

Behind the twelve seats, another ring of thirty-six seats formed a second circle.

The thirty-six seats were the standard layout for the Star River Council, but only twelve were designated as chair seats.

The twelve chair seats were already occupied by the Tianyang Star Lord, Cangming Star Lord, Zhen'e Star Lord, Grand Master of Chen Guo, Emperor of Da Hong, and Emperor of Da Chu; the Grand Marshal's and various Marshal's seats remained empty, no one yet arrived.

The next instant, the Left Secretary of the Star River Battlefield Marshal's Office appeared in one of the chair seats.

After appearing, the Left Secretary first bowed to the assembled high officials, who returned the gesture; then he waved his hand, and the conflict between Cangming Star Hall and Chen Guo Dao Academy, along with all its consequences, was projected before them in text.

"I won't elaborate on how great the impact or damage is—listen to the Domain Lords' complaints."

The next instant, the Left Secretary waved his hand, and suddenly a figure appeared in each of the thirty-six secondary seats.

It was a seventh-rank warrior, severely wounded and appearing ancient, with a horrifying gaping wound across his chest and abdomen, dark green starlight swirling within the wound, constantly healing it while simultaneously tearing it apart!

"Are you people in the mortal realm planning to abandon the Shanlan Star Domain? If so, tell me now—I won't keep clinging on!

I'll arrange for my ashes to be carried home, to see if I can return to my roots.

Also, Chu and Hong, you two must prepare! If I die, your control over the sixth-rank Shanlan Star Domain will collapse completely; the next wave of Star Gates will almost certainly appear on your territories.

In recent years, the alien resistance in Shanlan Star Domain has been fierce, with many new fifth- and sixth-rank warriors emerging—figure it out yourselves, or evacuate your civilians early." The sixth-rank Shanlan Domain Lord Wen Hu gasped weakly.

Upon hearing this, the Star Lords remained calm, but the Emperors of Da Hong and Da Chu could no longer sit still.

"Domain Lord Wen, please hold on! Sixth-rank Star Domain aliens are devastating—if they reopen their Star Gates, countless lives will be slaughtered!" said the Emperor of Da Hong.

The Emperor of Da Chu added, "Domain Lord Wen, you've worked tirelessly these years—but Da Chu is your homeland. You can't let your people suffer. Whatever support you need, we'll arrange it immediately!"

The moment he said this, Domain Lord Wen Hu sat bolt upright, black blood spurting from his chest wound, then roared in fury.

"Support!"

"Do you dare ask for support after what you've done? I'd thank your ancestors if you didn't drag me down! The elixirs and star seals—especially the Star Healing Seals—should have arrived ten days ago! Why haven't they come yet!

Just say it outright: you want me to die far from home!

Since I took charge of the sixth-rank Shanlan Star Domain, resources have poured endlessly into the mortal realm—but this time, you nearly killed me!

Three days!

In less than three days, I'm done!

I've had enough of this life!

Let me die already!

Let the alien Star Gates open wherever they please—I don't care anymore! I'm a man, not everyone's father in the mortal realm!

Look!

Open your dog eyes and see this wound! Two fifth-rank Star Healing Seals should have healed it; two fourth-rank ones would have eased it significantly. But now, it's tortured me for over ten days!

Just tell me: will the supplies arrive?

Can I still hold this Star Domain for you?" Wen Hu roared, black blood spurting from his abdomen, shaming the mortal realm's high officials into silence.

Normally, anyone who disrespected them faced heavy punishment—or even family annihilation.

But today, this Domain Lord had cursed their ancestors and pointed his finger at their faces.

Whether the three Star Lords, Cheng Yuexiao, or the two Emperors—all wore embarrassed, helpless expressions, forced to endure it.

The reason was simple: Domain Lord Wen Hu had sacrificed himself for the mortal realm—he had no chance of ever returning.

Was it difficult for the mortal realm to conquer a sixth-rank Star Domain?

Extremely difficult.

But it was still possible.

In the sixth-rank star region, the alien natives' strongest are at peak sixth rank, but there are few seventh-rank ones.

But only seventh-rank experts can handle them; even peak sixth-rank experts who enter will struggle to survive in the alien star region.

Under normal circumstances, seventh-rank experts cannot enter at all.

But if several peak sixth-rank experts on the verge of breakthrough are sent in, and they break through to seventh rank immediately upon entry, then wage guerrilla warfare for years, cultivate for years, and raise their cultivation to around mid-seventh rank, they can jointly seize the sixth-rank star region!

At worst, they can still control it.

But there's one critical problem: the star gate of a sixth-rank star region can only accommodate or permit peak sixth-rank experts to pass through.

Breaking through to seventh rank after storming into the sixth-rank star region means you'll never return to the mortal realm for the rest of your life.

Of course, under heavy rewards, there are still brave souls—especially with patriotism and national loyalty.

If these star regions aren't suppressed and the star gates opened in the mortal realm aren't sealed, endless alien invaders will pour into the mortal realm and bring havoc.

Thus, peak sixth-rank experts voluntarily storm into sixth-rank star regions, break through, and spend their entire lives suppressing these regions for the mortal realm's people.

Of course, there are other benefits.

If fortune favors you, you can even become a king and dominate!

But the higher the star region's rank, the harder it becomes!

There are similar situations in some fourth- and fifth-rank star regions.

Many experts who struggle in the mortal realm storm into fourth- or fifth-rank star regions and choose to become kings and rulers, especially with continuous strategic resource support from the mortal realm.

But far more die in battle!

Especially in high-rank star regions, establishing a foothold is extremely difficult.

Take the Shanlan Star Region: if not for mortal realm support, Wen Hu and others would have died long ago!

But for the mortal realm, having someone stationed in such a sixth-rank star region not only secures a constant flow of star region resources but also suppresses star gates, directly eradicating threats from those gates and ensuring mortal realm safety.

It's all benefit, no downside!

Even if it means subsidizing at a loss, we must support it!

And in many such star region resource exchanges, the mortal realm still profits!

There are many such star regions, and even more domain lords like Wen Hu.

Most of the thirty-six vice-commanders of the Star River Marshal's Office are assigned to these domain lords.

But domain lords like Wen Hu—who are seventh-rank experts yet suffer so badly—are extremely rare.

But this only underscores the magnitude of Wen Hu's contributions.

Before Wen Hu took over, the Shanlan Star Region caused hundreds of thousands of mortal realm civilians to die or be injured each year!

The areas where star gates appeared were virtually death zones!

And their star gates' locations in the mortal realm shifted every few years!

They were once a major scourge!

Now, Wen Hu has resolved it.

Wen Hu is one of the most significant domain lords among the thirty-six.

After roaring out his grievances, Wen Hu aggravated his injuries and paused to catch his breath, when the Left Secretary of the Star River Marshal's Office spoke to the mortal realm's leaders: "Look, how do you propose to handle this?

If you can handle it, fine.

If you can't, then we follow Domain Lord Wen's wishes. I'll send someone in to retrieve his ashes!

Leaves return to their roots.

A domain lord who devoted forty years to the mortal realm's people deserves this small request fulfilled!

This is the Star River Marshal's Office's bottom line."

At these words, every eye instantly turned to Cheng Yuexiao and Cangming Star Lord.

Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao of Chen Guo helplessly spread his hands and pointed directly at Cangming Star Lord: "This isn't my problem—it's Cangming Star Palace that has repeatedly assassinated our Chen Guo Dao Academy's Autumn Exam champion, Xu Jin!

I can't stop them!

I wish Xu Jin truly were the legendary genius who plucked all six golden stars!

Then a little injustice wouldn't matter!"

"Cheng, don't try to whitewash yourselves by bringing up how you lured and killed our Cangming Star Palace's Star Lord."

"Imagine this: your concubine is bathing at home, someone bursts in and rapes her, yet you blame her for bathing at home?

Cangming Star Lord, I think you don't deserve a concubine!"

At Cheng Yuexiao's words, Cangming Star Lord's face turned purple.

"Pfft!"

The Great Hong Emperor Lord laughed aloud and added another blow: "I agree with Master Cheng—Cangming Star Lord doesn't deserve a concubine!"

At this, the meeting's atmosphere grew slightly lighter.

But after catching a few breaths, Domain Lord Wen Hu of Shanlan Star Region suddenly flew into a rage: "I'm risking my life and bleeding in a foreign realm, and you're talking about concubines—do you even have any shame?!"

Instantly, everyone, including Cheng Yuexiao, fell silent.

"Are there any other domain lords with grievances? Let's hear them."

The Left Secretary of the Star River Marshal's Office stepped in.

What followed was, naturally, another round of leaders being berated.

One after another domain lord suffering military setbacks appeared to accuse, regardless of whether it was truly due to supply issues—they all insisted it was entirely that problem!

An hour later, the accusations ended.

Fortunately, the meeting was held within a secret realm.

Had it been held face-to-face, the faces of the Star Lords, Emperor Lords, and even Grand Master Cheng would have been drenched in spittle.

"Gentlemen, the root of the problem has been uncovered, and a solution has been found. The Grand Marshal and all domain lords have held an emergency meeting and issued a military order—will you abide by it?" said the Left Secretary.

"Of course we will," declared Grand Master Cheng.

"If you won't, it doesn't matter! The Marshal's Office and domain lords' decision is a military order—if you refuse to execute it, we'll follow the domain lords' demands."

As he spoke, the Left Secretary projected a military order from the Star River Marshal's Office, bearing the seals of all thirty-six domain lords.

It contained seven clauses.

Each targeted the current internal drain.

But the Star River Marshal's Office does not forbid internal strife!

It's like children fighting—you can only persuade them, you can't control them!

So the Star River Marshal only acts on consequences.

Seven consequences, seven countermeasures.

The current situation—disrupting transportation, trade, and star region resupply—is listed as the sixth.

If any future incident causes this same consequence, the Star River Marshal's Office will intervene directly, identify the true culprits, and deduct a proportion of all star region resources shipped to the offending organization or faction!

The deduction ranges from ten to seventy percent.

Of the seven consequences, the least severe deducts ten percent, the worst deducts seventy percent, lasting at least one year, up to ten.

Upon this decision, the faces of Cangming, Tianyang, Zhen'e Star Regions, and the Emperor Lords of Great Hong and Great Chu, along with Cheng Yuexiao, darkened.

This was the true Achilles' heel!

In this world, for great powers, only interest is real!

Only tangible interests can truly hurt them.

If the Star River Marshal truly enforces this, they truly have no recourse.

Unless they launch a super civil war!

Because all star region resources must pass through the Star River Marshal's Office for transport—if enforced, as long as the Marshal's Office doesn't provoke universal outrage, it can be carried out!

Compared to the direct losses from these resources, the potential influence of a legendary genius who might pluck six golden stars becomes insignificant.

That would take at least ten years!

And what if several legendary geniuses simultaneously emerge and pluck six golden stars during this period?

Its importance drops further!

Instantly, all high-ranking officials present, including the Grand Master, voiced their support.

They would firmly enforce the Star River Marshal's Office's order.

Of course, the Star Lords agreed so thoroughly because the military order contained one final clause: if delays in military supply cause loss of star regions or failure to hold key positions, resulting in massive harm to the mortal realm, each faction shall bear responsibility—or be jointly punished!

This was another of the Star River Marshal's Office's killing blows!

"Domain Lord Wen, rest assured—I'll personally coordinate to ensure all supplies bound for Shanlan Star Region are expedited and granted priority passage. Within three days at most, I'll deliver the urgent supplies into Shanlan Star Region," declared the Left Secretary of the Star River Marshal's Office.

The earlier outburst had already drained Wen Hu's anger; now he felt only desolation: "I hope I can survive this wave. Also, please send me reinforcements as soon as possible!"

"I'll arrange it as soon as I can."

After several dozen breaths, the attendees departed one by one.

Yet the mortal realm's high officials held another closed-door meeting.

After it ended, the mortal realm's order shifted once more!

(End of Chapter)