The thirty million imperial troops, once dispatched, incorporated the remaining over a thousand star domains of the Eighth Quadrant into the empire's territory within a mere ten days, expanding its domain to a total of nine thousand star domains.
Ye Yun even felt that the mission could be completed ahead of schedule, even before the designated start time for the Emperor’s Road (IV) mission. Therefore, under Ye Yun's intervention, the imperial army's conquest speed began to slow down.
Liu Lang, leading his troops, vanished entirely from the path of conquest after Ye Yun employed spatial teleportation. If not for the lingering heat of the defeated multi-billion strong allied forces, others might have believed this terrifying legion was merely a fabrication.
"Sister Yi, Mom's cooking is amazing. Every time we visit, the dishes and flavors are different," Ye Yun said, devouring the feast laid out before him.
"Don't rush, Mom also made chicken soup. You won't have room for it later," Ding Yi said, looking at Ye Yun with tender affection.
Ever since learning of Ding Yi's pregnancy, Ye Yun had been visiting frequently, and their relationship had rapidly blossomed.
Now, several months later, Ding Yi's belly had visibly grown. To facilitate her care, Ye Yun had brought over Ding Yi's parents. This provided support and company in the vast, cold palace.
Since her parents' arrival, the hired chefs found themselves with little to do. Ding Yi's meals and daily necessities were almost entirely managed by her mother.
Under Ye Yun's special care, the elderly couple had reached the Monarch realm. While not entirely rejuvenated, their appearances had noticeably softened, and their vitality was greatly enhanced.
"Hehe, my dear wife, I finally understand why it's always the husband who gains weight when the woman is pregnant," Ye Yun quipped while eating.
Rice was a rare commodity on Blue Star now. With the increasing manifestation of players' powers, grains had long been in short supply. If Ye Yun hadn't sold all the nutrient solutions and some lower-quality辟谷丹 (bigu dan - food avoidance pills) externally, the world would likely have descended into chaos.
"If my son-in-law likes it, Mom will make it for you every day. Besides, men look better a bit heavier, just like your dad now," Ding Yi's mother, Wang Jumei, said, glancing with evident satisfaction at Ding Hong, who sat opposite Ye Yun, slightly plump.
The couple no longer bore any resemblance to their former frail selves. Especially Ding Hong, who seemed unaffected by the energy consumption from his manifested power, often enjoying a beer.
"Hehe, Mom always speaks the truth."
Despite their current powers allowing them to subsist without food or drink, the desire for taste remained with most Blue Star inhabitants, and even humans in other star domains. Large quantities of various seeds and even livestock had been transported when they left. If not for the limitations on what could be taken, Blue Star would have been emptied.
"You're complaining after getting all the benefits." Ding Yi shot him a glance, stroking her growing belly. Ding Hong, meanwhile, sat on the sofa, lost in thought, seemingly devoid of purpose.
"What's wrong with Dad?" Ye Yun nudged Ding Yi.
"What else could it be? It's quiet here with fewer people. When we were on Rice Island, he was used to going square dancing every day. Now that it's stopped, he feels restless and gets depressed for a while each day."
Square dancing? I don't believe it...
Ye Yun recalled hearing about it when he first visited Ding Yi's home on Rice Island.
"Do you think Dad might be..." Ye Yun trailed off, intimidated by Ding Yi's glare.
...
After emerging from the Eighth Heaven, Ye Yun returned directly to his imperial chambers, which had gradually become his cultivation sanctuary.
Recently, Ye Yun had begun targeting players on the New Mortal Continent who refused to sign the Heavenly Dao contract, conducting full-map purges almost every cycle.
Under Ye Yun's instruction, Yue Di and his subordinates had begun integrating real-world troops on the New Mortal Continent, then transferring them to the New Mortal Continent without alteration.
In just over twenty days, Ye Yun commanded over 37 million imperial soldiers on the New Mortal Continent, a number that continued to surge.
...
In the Fifth Quadrant, atop a world composed entirely of ice and snow, a colossal city carved from ice and snow gleamed beautifully under the faint sunlight, evoking a crystalline wonderland.
"Patriarch! Terrible news!" A Xue clan member suddenly burst into the council hall, disregarding the glares of those present.
"What is it! Can't you see we're in a meeting! Shouting and causing a scene, what sort of decorum is that!" A handsome young man stood up, scolding the impetuous clan member.
"Elder San, there's no need to stop him before he speaks. Let him explain," a middle-aged man seated opposite the handsome youth interrupted.
"What could be so important! We've already negotiated with the Futian Empire. All that's left is your approval. Once you agree to our Xue domain merging with the Futian Empire and accept their terms, our current crisis can be resolved!" Elder Bing Yi of the Xue clan said coldly to Xue Hen.
"Elder San should be well aware of the Futian Empire's insatiable ambitions! Besides, our domain gate is merely sealed, it's not a major issue." Elder Xue Shuang, standing beside Xue Hen, rose abruptly and stared intently at the overly young Elder San, as if seeking something in his eyes.
The Xue domain had been sealed by the Futian Empire for over half a year, and the Shifang Empire had remained silent. In recent days, their pace of conquering the Seventh Quadrant had even slowed, leading many Xue clan members hoping for Shifang Empire's intervention to consider other options.
"It's better to be a dog of the Futian Empire than to die! Yes, we aligned with the Shifang Empire, but what are they doing! Our plea for rescue has been out for five months! Five months!"
"Exactly! He provided us with considerable assistance on the New Mortal Continent, but what is our current situation? Once the Futian Empire's first three legions recover, what awaits us? Annihilation! Do you understand annihilation?"
Bing Yi sat with a frosty expression on his face, his countenance as frigid as the ice from which he was forged.
The council hall fell silent. After a long pause, the Patriarch, seated at the head, finally broke the quiet.
"Xiao Le, has the Futian Empire formally declared war on our Xue clan?"
The Xue Shen, a supreme being within the Xue clan, had always been the stabilizing force allowing their existence in this star domain. No one knew how long it had existed in this universe; it was ancient, so ancient that even these elders, who had lived for millions of years, could not recall.
Originally, the Xue Shen remained secluded deep within the ice plains. However, this incident involved the very survival of the entire Xue clan. Therefore, with the unanimous consent of the Elder Council, the Xue Shen was awakened from its deep slumber.
"Reporting to the Ancestor, it's not the Futian Empire. Instead, a black vortex has appeared over our snow plains. Preliminary analysis suggests it might be a spatial portal!"
Xiao Le was the Xue clan member who had just stormed into the council hall.
On the snow plains?
Everyone in the council hall was astonished!
The Xue clan's star domain comprised one hundred planets. Among these, besides the Xue Shen Palace where they were currently located, two planets were particularly special.
One was the ice plains, the mandatory destination for the evolution of all Xue clan members by freezing, and also the place where countless Xue clan ancestors entered self-imposed seclusion!
The second was the snow plains!
This area was perpetually snow-covered, with even the shallowest depths reaching over a hundred meters. It was a place where any living being would struggle to traverse.
However, its importance far surpassed that of the ice plains for a single reason: this snow plain could give birth to Xue clan members! In other words, this snow plain was the mother of all Xue clan members!
"A spatial portal?! How could there be a spatial portal there?" Both Bing Yi and Xue Hen, along with all the elders in the council hall, were utterly bewildered.
"A spatial portal?" The Xue Shen was taken aback. This answer was unexpected. Its divine sense instantly enveloped the entire planet, then extended towards the snow plains. Its aura erupted, causing even those present at the peak of Monarch realm to tremble.
"Yes, just now, the guards stationed on the snow plains contacted me through the Heavenly Dao. And by the time they sent me this message, alien creatures had already begun emerging from that spatial portal!"
Xiao Le nodded.
"Alien creatures!!" Xue Hen's face changed drastically upon hearing this, and he abruptly stood up.
"Xue Hen, don't be rash! I will immediately contact the Futian Empire and see if it's their people!" Bing Yi was equally shocked by Xiao Le's words and cast aside all pretense. He sent his consciousness into the Heavenly Dao, initiating contact with the Futian Empire's Sixth Legion.
"Damn those bastards! They talk amicably with us on the surface, yet they're making moves behind our backs. This is truly devious! If you can tolerate it, I can't! Issue my command, Fourth Legion, assemble!" Elder Han Ye slammed his fist on the ice table, his fiery temper utterly contradicting his name.
"Right, Bing Yi, you know the reputation of the Futian Empire in other star domains. They're outright devourers! You go negotiate, I'm not putting up with this anymore!" Elder Xue Shuang also rose, displeased.
Besides Xue Hen, the Xue clan had five elders. Xue Hen, due to his significant contributions in facilitating the large-scale entry of the Xue clan into the New Mortal Continent, was an exception, promoted to a reserve member of the Elder Council. Though he lacked voting rights, his authority was otherwise equivalent to that of an elder.
Of the five elders, only the First Elder and Third Elder advocated for negotiation. The remaining elders adopted a wait-and-see attitude, their intent clear: they needed to see the concrete results of Bing Yi's negotiations before making a decision.
"Enough! The first batch of beings teleported through that spatial gate were three hundred Monarch realm cultivators! Let's go and observe first!" The Xue Shen rose from its seat, its skirt swaying, revealing a small portion of its icy calf.
After all, it was an exceedingly ancient existence, and cracks had begun to appear on its icy surface. These were not the inherent cracks of Xue Hen and others, but the indelible marks of time.
Before standing, its face was calm. After standing, the Xue Shen's face was one of utter shock!
"Ancestor?" The Xue Shen's reaction did not escape the notice of the others.
"No need to go. They're already here. Let's go out and greet them." The Xue Shen quickly regained its composure, but the shock within was known only to itself.
"G-greet... greet them?" The First Elder, Bing Bai, who had remained silent, looked up at the Xue Shen in disbelief.
"Let's go, they're almost here!" The Xue Shen glanced at him indifferently.
The Xue clan was divided into three major branches, with the surnames Xue, Bing, and Han. Among these, the Xue surname was the most ancient. However, within the Xue clan, not only was the overall strength of the Xue clan members inferior, but their influence in the Elder Council also couldn't compare to the other two.
Elder Bing Yi, who advocated for negotiation, belonged to the same faction as the First Elder, Bing Bai. Elder Han Ye and Elder Han Ti belonged to another faction, while the Xue clan only had Elder Xue Shuang.
The six exchanged glances. The situation seemed to have spiraled out of their control.
"Haha, there's a saying, 'A thousand mountains birds have flown, a million paths human traces vanish,' which describes this scene of an endless snow plain, doesn't it." As the few appeared outside the ice palace, several hundred figures materialized above them.
"Who dares to fly above our ice palace with such audacity!" The faces of the six changed drastically. The ice palace was a symbol of Xue clan authority and dignity, and flight was forbidden within a thousand-mile radius.
At this moment, the guards within the ice palace seemed to react, and groups of them began to converge from their posts.
Hundreds of Monarch realm cultivators were within the Xue clan's current capabilities. Therefore, both the guards and the five elders glared with indignation at these aliens who dared to fly above the ice palace.
"Haha, a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! May I ask which one of you is brother Xue Hen?!" At this moment, the figures in the air descended before the group.
Looking for Xue Hen?
The six were stunned, including the Xue Shen.
The more than four hundred aliens who appeared before them were all at the Monarch realm. However, the bald leader among them, they could not ascertain his strength.
"Your excellency, you must be a wandering clan member from the Second Quadrant, aren't you? May I ask the reason for your grand arrival at our Xue clan?" The Xue Shen looked at the leader, its thoughts unreadable.
"Second Quadrant wandering clan? Isn't that the Futian Emperor's people? Haha, Xue Hen, see? His Lord has personally come to question you!" Bing Yi chuckled upon hearing the newcomer's words.
"Negotiation?" The bald man rubbed his shiny head, looking confused. This was quite disheartening. His master had gone to great lengths to send him and thirty million Monarch realm troops here to protect them, yet this individual was discussing negotiations with the enemy?
"My Lord, you may not know, but this Xue Hen and his faction are loyalists of the Shifang Empire. We advocate for negotiation, but he continuously extols how cruel our Futian Emperor is."
The First Elder Bing Bai, who had only spoken of negotiation without stating any concrete direction, suddenly spoke. His words caused everyone's expressions to change drastically.