NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93 Thunder
What is Dayu Country?
At best, it qualified to be a piece in the game.
On normal days, Red Star would not pay much attention to it.
But when a world hegemon like Red Star truly turned its focus to Dayu, and to the land of Zhongzhou, a terrifying sense of oppression descended like dark clouds on the city, instantly making countless people anxious.
Just one day after Red Star made its declaration that redefined World Association as a terrorist organization, six nations chose to distance themselves from the Association.
And nearly on the same day, the invincible fleet of Red Star set its course straight for Zhongzhou.
The massive navy, with tonnage and numbers surpassing the combined fleets of all nations in Zhongzhou, caused five more countries to halt their support for the World Association.
Subsequently, to prevent the World Association from threatening military bases of Red Star nations, Red Star announced yet again an increase in the number of troops stationed at its overseas bases.
Especially in Zhongzhou, they planned to dispatch generals of even higher rank, that is, Martial Saints, to take charge of affairs in Zhongzhou.
This news caused an uproar among the dozen or so nations of Zhongzhou.
Should Red Star's decision be approved, the over fifteen million square kilometers of Zhongzhou would suddenly be flooded with dozens of Martial Saints!
This was virtually equivalent to half the number of all Martial Saints in the entire Zhongzhou.
They might only be half in number, but don't forget, the equipment of Red Star's Martial Saints was far superior, and the levels of Combat Skills they commanded were a whole tier above those of Zhongzhou, making it not an exaggeration to claim that one could face two Zhongzhou Martial Saints alone.
What did this imply?
It meant that the military force that Red Star deployed to Zhongzhou would exceed the total forces of Zhongzhou.
In less than half a month, led by the nations most supportive of the World Association, an emergency internal meeting was convened.
Had it not been for the fact that Ji Pingtian was a God Realm Martial Saint and had to be treated with respect, he, as the president, definitely would have been lambasted severely.
Nevertheless, these countries still expressed strong dissatisfaction with the strategies of the World Association.
One after another, they threatened to withdraw funding, pull out personnel, and let the World Association fend for itself.
The radicals even believed that the World Association should be dissolved.
...
In the Red Sea Republic, where the World Association's Zhongzhou headquarters were located,
Ji Pingtian, who had just finished a round of hearings, massaged his temples.
But before he could catch his breath, the door was pushed open.
Zhao Xuanbing and Hong Chuan, who had also hurried over, walked in.
Seeing Ji Pingtian's exhausted appearance, Hong Chuan chuckled, "I thought you wouldn't be able to hold up. I didn't expect you could maintain such a firm stance."
"It's alright, I just didn't expect Red Star, as well as the nations from Middle East and Zhongzhou to react so strongly," Ji Pingtian responded, and then shook his head, "I don't understand, don't these people realize that if the World Association is dissolved, all powers in the Middle East and Zhongzhou will be left at the mercy of Red Star, with no hope of rising again?"
"It's a simple concept."
Zhao Xuanbing sighed, "You have a chronic disease that may kill you in a decade or two. You can choose to have surgery now, but there's a fifty percent chance of failure. Would you go through with the surgery or not?"
"The two are not the same,"
Ji Pingtian said.
"Actually, whether they're the same or not is not important. We had already anticipated the current scenario when we planned to stand against Red Star, hadn't we?"
Hong Chuan said with a smile.
Ji Pingtian listened and nodded, "I just didn't expect Red Star to act so quickly and so fiercely."
"There must be some things that have happened that we're unaware of, or perhaps… Jiang Shengtian values Su Alkaid more than we imagined..."
Hong Chuan said.
The Jiang Shengtian he referred to was the current ruler of the Red Star Empire.
Not only was he endowed with vast strategic talents, managing Red Star in an orderly fashion, but he was also a Martial Saint who had mastered Divine Intent.
Although it was almost time for a power rotation with Snow Dragon, Red Star was still able to delay for so long, largely due to his exceptional abilities.
"If I were them, I would see a nineteen-year-old Martial Saint as a huge threat too. What follows would either be attempts to lure him into our camp or… direct destruction,"
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Zhao Xuanbing said, "Our earlier conclusions were quite idealistic, as we factored in Red Star's disdain for those beneath them, but reality has proven that although they're arrogant and set themselves above the rest, they are not delusional. They know very well which enemies need to be either won over or eliminated."
"Now we need to consider how to solve the problem,"
Ji Pingtian said with a grave expression, "If this continues, with the nations withdrawing resources, manpower, and material support, the World Association really could be on the verge of dissolution."
"This problem can't be solved. At least, no nation has the true courage to stand up to Red Star. They might entertain the idea of a skirmish, but once Red Star gets serious, one by one, they are frightened into inaction, silenced like cicadas in the cold,"
Hong Chuan said.
"If it can't be solved, then what happens next to these nations..."
Just as Ji Pingtian began to speak, furrowing his brow, Hong Chuan interrupted him, "They forget one thing."
He looked at Ji Pingtian, "They are politicians, and we, we are Martial Artists."
"Martial Artists!?"
"Yes, Martial Artists standing at the pinnacle of the Martial Path! Our strength comes not from outside, but from within, with the might to match a thousand soldiers on our own."
Hong Chuan spoke and with a sudden wave of his hand exclaimed, "Let them oppose what they will, we will do as we see fit. Should the Martial Saints of Red Star truly dare to come, we shall put up a good fight against them, as if it's a rehearsal for the competition of the World Association!"
Zhao Xuanbing heard this but remained silent.
The competition of the World Association?
Based on the information they had gathered so far...
The ultimate purpose of the competition of the World Association seemed hardly necessary, an unknown.
Communications with Red Star, Snow Dragon, and Artifact Sect were lost...
Even if they won the competition of the World Association and secured the quota to visit Artifact Sect, what meaning would it hold?
A quota that couldn't be redeemed was nothing more than a joke.
And Zhao Xuanbing's default silence also caused Hong Chuan's smile to fade somewhat.
His gaze couldn't help but fall upon him.
Ji Pingtian was also looking at him.
It seemed they were waiting for his response.
"I think we should avoid their edge for the time being."
It was quite a while before Zhao Xuanbing finally spoke.
Seeing that Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan wanted to say something, he immediately added, "Hear me out, I know you're placing your bets on Su Alkaid, but currently, there are mainly two problems. First, Su Alkaid has not given us a very positive response, and our investment may not yield the anticipated returns."
He spoke rapidly, "Second, Red Star and Artifact Sect have lost contact, and moreover, according to the information we have, for at least forty years! Who can ensure that this state of disconnection will not persist for another forty years? And if Su Alkaid does not enter Artifact Sect...directly confronting Red Star, he simply won't live long enough to become a High Rank cultivator."
Not entering Artifact Sect...
Directly confronting Red Star, Alkaid would not live to see the day he becomes a High Rank cultivator.
With these words, silence fell upon both Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan.
They knew in their hearts that this was no exaggeration.
One can never comprehend how truly powerful Red Star is, if not opposing them.
"We've invested everything we have, even gambling with our lives and wealth, only to likely end up with nothing."
Zhao Xuanbing emphatically said, "Moreover, the chances of this are high, so..."
He paused for a moment, then sighed, "I've decided not to follow through."
Upon hearing this, both Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan felt their hearts sink.
It was a long time before Hong Chuan said, "We've known each other for ten years, and our cooperation has been quite enjoyable throughout the time the association was established... We jointly agreed to go to Artifact Sect together, to make a name for ourselves..."
"But now, something has happened to Artifact Sect, and we... must still place our hopes in someone else."
Zhao Xuanbing shook his head.
"You..."
"Now, the countries are withdrawing, and if we directly face Red Star... we won't last a year, especially since Jiang Shengtian has placed much more importance on this matter than we anticipated. If we stubbornly resist Red Star to the end for Alkaid, whose attitude remains unclear, not even we will meet a good end."
Zhao Xuanbing argued.
"Alright, even if no one supports us, we can still hold up a piece of the sky on our own."
Hong Chuan spoke with a hint of displeasure.
"Martial Artists should always rely only on their own strength, this statement is indeed correct. But when we pin our hopes on others, we lose the spirit of ambitious progression, and once a person retreats one step, there will be a second step, a third step..."
Zhao Xuanbing glanced at Hong Chuan, then at Ji Pingtian, and finally said, "Just like now..."
With these words, Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan seemed to realize something, their expressions suddenly changing, "Xuanbing, what do you mean by that!?"
Soon, they received their answer.
Bursts of uproar and cries of alarm continuously arose from outside.
Accompanying this were thunderous booms and screams.
Both Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan exchanged glances and dashed out of the conference room the first chance they got.
Outside, they saw a figure wearing something akin to an exoskeleton armor, wielding a one-and-a-half-meter long greatsword, and standing over two meters tall, leading a group into the courtyard.
The moment they saw this figure, the hearts of Ji Pingtian and Hong Chuan sank.
"Stellar Sanctum! Thunder!"
This leader of the Stellar Sanctum, clad in exoskeleton armor, also set his gaze on the two of them, his face expressionless, his eyes filled with an indifference akin to looking at ants, "The very reason you were allowed to form this association was to make it easier to gather those disobedient to be eradicated at once. Other matters had caused a delay in recent years.
Given some leeway, you started feeling uppity. Since you wish for death... let's grant it to you."
With indifference, he elevated his combat sword horizontally, "Leave none alive!"
...
Not long after.
The Sixteenth Prince Jiang Zhengming, who had been resting and vacationing for over half a month, looked at the freshly received information and casually whistled.
"Almost all the little mice have been crushed to death."
He promptly sorted through the message and then called for Shangguan Xiong, "Go, deliver this to our friend, Su Alkaid. Let him see clearly what the world of adults is truly like."