The Shattered Sea proclaimed a great victory, but the aftermath of this operation was only now slowly unfolding. Compared to the celebrating mortal world, the internal atmosphere within the four major hegemonic powers was at least somber, if not outright bleak. It was true that the disaster-eradication mission had achieved significant results, but the losses were also heavy, making it difficult to definitively label it a win or a loss. However, more than the losses, the four hegemonic powers' myths were pondering the details of the entire operation.
Within the magnificent Ashen Flame Palace of the Crimson Lotus Empire, numerous esteemed myths were seated around a hexagonal table. These six myths had all participated in the disaster-eradication operation. However, aside from "Sunfall Sovereign," "Blade of Burning Steel," and "Crimson Lotus of Annihilation," the other two had not been part of the visible disaster-eradication team. They served as clandestine mobile forces and had also engaged with the evil god's servants when they provided reinforcement a few days prior. They were also staunch supporters of the disaster-eradication faction.
"Blade of Burning Steel" Fo Xiao Han Yi Fu clasped his hands, his eyes, which resembled electronic lenses, scanning the surroundings. He spoke in a deep voice, "In reality, the strength of the evil god's servants was not very formidable; it was even weaker than we had anticipated." It was a fact that their overall strength was significantly inferior to that of the evil god's faction, even if they were only facing a single evil god's faction or a mere divine attendant of an evil god.
"We were trapped by the evil god's servants this time; otherwise, these losses could have been avoided!" The Blade of Burning Steel's statement was, in essence, stating the obvious; everyone knew this. The real issue was…
"How did the evil god's servants predict our trajectory? Could it be… a traitor within the ranks?"
"Unlikely. Our four teams were independent. If there were a traitor, wouldn't they be distributed evenly across the four teams? Moreover…" "Crimson Lotus of Annihilation" Ai Sifosi said, "Even we ourselves did not know the destination until we found the source of the calamity."
Another myth pondered for a moment and said, "There are two possibilities."
"Firstly, there are at most a few sources of calamity in this entire sea. If we want to eradicate all of them, we will eventually fall into traps set by the evil god's servants. But there's a problem here too: how can the evil god's servants guarantee they won't be discovered when their traps are only half-set?"
"Secondly, the evil god's servants possess some means that we cannot comprehend. After all, our knowledge of the Sea of Filth is too limited."
A silence fell over the Ashen Flame Palace. They understood the logic, but they could not conceive of a way out of this predicament. The heavy losses this time meant that as the leaders of the operation, they bore no small responsibility. Now, not only were external myths reluctant to get involved, but even within their Crimson Lotus Empire, the voices supporting them were growing weaker.
"Short-sighted! So short-sighted!"
"As long as the source of calamity is not eliminated, the tide of wickedness could return at any moment. By the time the disaster affects the very foundation of the Super Oasis, it will be too late!"
"The materialized tumor of calamity gives me a very ominous feeling. If it persists over the years, it could very well undergo new changes."
"But now, all the super-powers are avoiding it. We cannot organize another operation, and even the other three factions…"
"Not necessarily. There are still powerful individuals who are silently resisting the evil god's servants, like that Golden Flame Myth."
Ai Sifosi said, shifting his gaze to the Sunfall Sovereign. This demigod had advanced to myth two thousand years ago and was a part of the Crimson Lotus Empire's history. He recalled for a long time and shook his head: "There are very few top-tier myths like this in our Shattered Sea. None of them fit your description. It's not impossible that they are rising newcomers intentionally hidden by the other three factions, but it is more likely a myth from another great domain that we do not recognize."
Crimson Lotus of Annihilation, Ai Sifosi, recalled that it was unlikely to be a demigod seed nurtured by the other three hegemonic powers. How could a demigod seed, so important, venture alone into the Sea of Filth? Not to mention, the ferocity of that Golden Flame Myth, who seemed desperate to slay all wickedness, could not be faked. The Da Feng Novel Network.
"Not all super-powers are shirking their responsibilities. Some factions are still willing to respond to the call. Several myths from the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce have even stated that eradicating the source of calamity is their unshakeable duty."
"We are eradicating the source of calamity primarily to eliminate future uncertainties. In comparison, these Burning Fire myths are more noble."
…
Within the Seven Luminaries Tower of the Seven Star Alliance, more than ten myths from the seven star islands sat at a curved long table, quietly awaiting the report of an awakened individual kneeling on one knee. This six-awakened expert wore a black striped robe, signifying his origin from a special department directly under the first star island – Dark Star. This department was the eyes of the Seven Star Alliance in the darkness, with tentacles reaching all over the Shattered Sea and multiple outposts in foreign territories.
"Esteemed Lords, according to our investigation, when the Crimson Lotus Empire faction was ambushed, they paid the price of destroying a legendary secret treasure and, with the great power of Lord Sunfall Sovereign, forcibly tore open a gap in the trapping ritual."
"After suffering heavy losses, the Great Myriad Chaos City finally drew the attention of an ancient being, 'Lord of Destruction.' Using this attention, they annihilated several seven-star wickedness and broke the trapping ritual, thus escaping." The Great Myriad Chaos City worshipped three ancient beings: "Lord of Creation," "Lord of Destruction," and "Lord of Equilibrium." This was no longer a secret to the myths of the hegemonic powers.
At this point, the Dark Star scout hesitated for a moment and continued, "The Ancient Moon Dynasty faction not only fell completely into the ambush of the evil god's servants but was also attacked by two demigod-level combatants. However, shortly after they were trapped in the ritual, an ancient being descended across space. It's just… it's just that we couldn't ascertain the divine name of that ancient being. We only learned that this ancient being was involved with the powers of 'wood' and 'life.'"
At the curved long table, aside from the two or three who had vaguely received some news earlier, the other myths were stunned. Wood and life? Weren't the myths worshipped by the Ancient Moon Dynasty "Moon Lord," who wielded powers like 'moonlight' and 'darkness'? Did the Ancient Moon Dynasty also worship other ancient beings?
"According to our understanding, the faction that summoned the ancient being was not the Ancient Moon Dynasty."
"Not the Ancient Moon Dynasty?" Astonishment rippled through some of the island lords. It wasn't that other super-powers couldn't worship ancient beings; it was just that there were differences between ancient beings. It was rumored that the time between the Ancient Moon team being ambushed and the divine descent of the ancient being was very short. This implied that the ancient being itself was of a very high caliber and also extremely attentive to its 'followers.' If it wasn't the Ancient Moon Dynasty's Xi Guang Demigod, who else could it be?
"Could it be the Island Lord of the Sky Island?" The seventh island lord, 'Sakalan,' couldn't help but guess. According to the power hierarchy of the Shattered Sea, Sky Island was only a third-rate super-power. However, the Island Lord of Sky Island was extremely formidable, not only possessing the divine artifact 'Floating Island' but also possessing exceptional talent. At less than two hundred years old, he was already catching up to the top myths of the older generation.
"It's not the Island Lord of Sky Island either." The awakened one in Dark Star robes said, fearing that this esteemed lord would continue to guess incorrectly. He quickly spoke before the seventh island lord could make another wild guess, "It was Lord Cracked Fist Martial Saint Xing Jing Lei of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce."
"Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce?"
"Which Burning Chamber of Commerce?" The seventh island lord was stunned. He had never heard of this faction or this name before. He had only been in seclusion for six years.
Beside him, the sixth island lord, 'Dirkesi,' could not bear it any longer and explained in a low voice that this was a newly rising faction that had emerged from the Fallen Star Grotto not long ago. But he himself was also very surprised; he never expected that it would be the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce that summoned the divine descent. Did the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce have such a powerful backer?
"Previously, we speculated that the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce was a remnant force fleeing from a Super Oasis that was destroyed. But in the past few months, my deputy island lord conducted some investigations, and I personally visited the Burning Fire Merchant City, and it didn't seem like it."
"The Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce has obvious shortcomings and a rather weak foundation. They don't seem like survivors of a Super Oasis. Instead, they appear to be a newly rising force that has obtained the treasure of some ruin and suddenly emerged. This also explains why, when the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce demanded compensation from the Hidden Kill Pavilion, they chose 'half their outposts and data' – things that seem rather useless to us."
"Now, I am increasingly certain."
"The treasure of a ruin, the favor of an ancient being, no wonder the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce has risen so rapidly. Our Alliance needs to reassess our evaluation of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce."
Another island lord chuckled, "What a fortunate faction. I heard they even obtained 'Pure Divine Radiance,' which can increase the promotion rate of myths?"
"Yes, the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce produced three myths in the same period, which is clearly related to this treasure and the favor of an ancient being."
"However, we should not underestimate these three myths of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce." The third island lord, Demigod Mu Xing, said, "The power of ancient gods is only in themselves. They naturally possess great power, but they cannot interfere with the path of awakening itself, which is filled with endless mysteries. The birth of a myth requires all sorts of conditions to be met…"
"These three myths of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce might have had opportunities, but what's stronger is their own talent and effort."
"Perhaps, in a few hundred years, one of them could become a demigod."
However, Demigod Mu Xing was somewhat concerned about that ancient being of unknown identity. Was it the ancient being 'Lord of Myriad Tentacles'? It didn't seem like it. Then…
Connecting to the celestial phenomena changes he witnessed over a decade ago and the hints he received from 'Lord of Stars,' Demigod Mu Xing gradually came to understand.
"The ancients will return from the river of time and space, and the old souls will awaken in the land of life, dispelling the gloom of the sky."
But the sky was covered not just by gloom but by an endless, unshakeable gray-blackness. The era might change, and this might not necessarily be a good thing for their Seven Star Alliance.
…
…
…
In the Fallen Star Grotto Great Domain, gray mist perpetually shrouded the sky and earth, within which faint, monstrously large figures could be seen. However, unlike in the past few months, this gray-mist-covered region occasionally saw merchant caravans passing through, dispelling some of the stillness and darkness.
On one side of the great domain, in front of the "Star Radiance Fortress," the gateway oasis of Fallen Star City, the wide city gates, capable of accommodating more than ten carriages abreast, were open. Sparse cargo carriages and fully armed awakened individuals were entering and exiting. To the left of the Star Radiance Fortress city gate, about three thousand meters away, a massive gap could be seen, apparently trampled open by a colossal creature hundreds of meters tall. Through this gap, some civilians could be seen busy repairing their damaged buildings. Professional construction workers and ritual experts were also engaged in repairing and rebuilding the broken fortress walls. However, compared to ordinary buildings, city walls that required the inscription of epic-level rituals and casting with high-tier materials could not be repaired in a short time. The damaged walls of the Star Radiance Fortress were not limited to this section; there were scattered damages in multiple places. After all, the Star Radiance Fortress was vast, and the myth Bolai Zemeng, stationed there, could not oversee every corner, and there were always times when he couldn't pay attention.
At the highest point of the Star Radiance Fortress, on a spire shimmering with starlight, myth Bolai Zemeng stood, gazing in all directions, taking in more than half of the fortress city. Several major damages to the city walls, numerous damages in the outer city, these…
"The losses are not significant, even…" These were material losses. Besides these, there were also personnel casualties, and many awakened individuals who suffered from contamination and had their future cut short. Even including these losses, for the prosperous Fallen Star City, the problem was still not significant. However,
"The visible losses are not significant, but the invisible ones…" He gazed in a certain direction, piercing through the layers of gray mist, Bolai Zemeng seemed to see a small, yet blazing like a furnace, an oasis that could not be ignored. The Burning Fire Oasis!
Bolai Zemeng had already received news that the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce, acting as a supervisor and intermediary, had connected top mercenary groups from the Shattered Sea with multiple large oases in urgent need of military assistance. The Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce had profited greatly from this. But more than the wealth the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce had earned, Bolai Zemeng was more wary of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce's strategic deployments in these large oases and the immense reputation they had gained during this disaster of wicked tides! Now, the influence of this chamber of commerce in the Fallen Star Great Domain could no longer be ignored! If measures were not taken, it might not be long before there were two hegemonic powers in the Fallen Star Great Domain! Their prestige and influence in Fallen Star City would be greatly affected.
What was the use of influence? When larger oases found resource mining points they couldn't develop themselves, they would often sell them to Fallen Star City or jointly develop them with their assistance. Ruins unearthed in the Fallen Star Great Domain often did not escape their notice, and they could get a share. There was also the dumping of goods, the low-price purchase of materials, and so on. Bolai Zemeng estimated that with the decline in influence, the annual income of Fallen Star City would decrease by 10%, and it would continue to decline over time. This was far more serious than the losses caused by the wicked tides! This could not continue!
Thinking of this, Bolai Zemeng suddenly turned his head. Ripples appeared in the space beside him, and an old man with a white beard, thin but spirited, emerged.
"Grandfather, you have emerged from seclusion?" This was the founder of Fallen Star, Wing of Star Radiance, Secrecy of Stars, Favored of Stars, Lord Orland! An elder who had propelled Fallen Star City to become a Super Oasis and left behind countless mythological legends!
"Yes, I have heard about the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce. Indeed, we must be wary. What do you plan to do?" The old man Orland paused and then said, "I have already asked an old friend in the Seven Star Alliance. These three myths of the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce are not simple. They cannot be treated as newly promoted myths." This way, the approach of using force to suppress them would not be very effective.
Bolai Zemeng immediately retracted what he was about to say. He thought for a moment and said, "Compared to the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce, our Fallen Star City still has many advantages. Our influence has already penetrated deep into various oases, and this cannot be eliminated overnight." For example, the daughter of the second tower lord of the Black Stone Alliance was married into their Star Radiance Fortress and became a countess; the strongest person in Sword Flower City, the Dean of the Sword Academy, had once studied there for a period of time; some noble daughters of Fallen Star City had married into 'countryside' places like the great oases, and so on. These were all advantages they could utilize, which they previously did not care much about or need.
Thinking of this, Bolai Zemeng's thoughts became clearer, "What we need to do now is to expand this advantage, make the connections between us and the various great oases tighter, tie these great oases completely to our chariot, and even sign contracts to sever any possibility of them secretly communicating with the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce!"
"Grandfather, I suggest convening a great domain conference and summoning the leaders of the various oases to discuss matters!"
…
…
"In one month, the great Lord Bolai Zemeng will hold a great domain summit at the Star Radiance Fortress. All our oasis leaders must be present, but our First Tower Lord…" At the seven-person round table meeting of the Black Stone Alliance, the third tower lord read a letter just received from Fallen Star City, his face filled with worry. Currently, only five out of the seven were present at the meeting. The junior Yi Yue Lu Xi was reportedly still recuperating at the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce. Her future was dim, but their Black Stone Alliance was even more short-handed, and this junior had previously made great contributions, which was why Yi Yue Lu Xi retained her position as tower lord. The condition of the First Tower Lord was also not to be overlooked; his injuries were quite severe, he was deeply contaminated, and his lifespan was likely nearing its end.
He looked at the second tower lord. This hawk-nosed middle-aged man had also been injured during the previous tide of disaster and was still bandaged, but he was now the only six-awakened combatant remaining in the Black Stone Alliance. He spoke, "We will naturally attend the summit held by Fallen Star City. If the First Tower Lord is indisposed, I will go in his stead. Perhaps our Black Stone Alliance can gain some opportunities there."
"Although the disaster of the wicked tides has passed, the situation of our Black Stone Alliance is not optimistic." This was natural. Under the tide of disaster, their oasis awakened suffered heavy losses, and although hiring the two top mercenary groups saved their lives, it cost a huge amount of wealth. Some of the costs had to be paid in installments, which added to the already strained finances of the Black Stone Alliance. If this continued, they might even lose their status as a great oasis. Money! High-end combat power! These were the problems before them. In essence, there was only one problem: money! With money, they could cultivate future generations, but they were very poor!
"What about the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce? Perhaps we can find some opportunities at the Burning Fire Merchant City." Hearing the third tower lord say this, the hawk-nosed middle-aged man frowned and slowly shook his head, "The Burning Fire Merchant City is like a money pit; far more money is spent there than earned. Moreover, many top mercenary groups from foreign territories are looking for opportunities there, and we cannot compete with them."
"Fallen Star City is different. They are currently feeling pressure from the Burning Fire, so they will offer more chips at the meeting, and this is our opportunity." The second tower lord's words were understood by the other tower lords. Some tower lords were more inclined to rely on the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce, but they also had to admit that what the second tower lord said made a lot of sense; Fallen Star City could indeed provide them with more opportunities to earn resources. Moreover, the second tower lord had some connections in Fallen Star City, which could create more opportunities. In comparison, they only had a 'transactional relationship' with the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce, and they didn't know any of the truly influential figures in Burning Fire.
Suddenly, with a "bang," the door was pushed open. The light from outside shone into the confined round table conference room, making the silver hair brilliant.
"Tower Lord Yi Yue Lu Xi?!" In the minds of the tower lords, Yi Yue Lu Xi, who was supposed to be gravely injured and dying after delivering a plea for help, now appeared before them in seemingly perfect condition, without any bandages or obvious signs of contamination. Were her injuries… all healed at the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce?
Wait, the second tower lord, Niborgen, was stunned. He vaguely sensed a faint but undeniable pressure emanating from Yi Yue Lu Xi.
"You, you've advanced to six-awakened?!" How is this possible!! He didn't say the last half aloud, but the expressions of the other tower lords were equally stunned. It was because they had never seen anyone who had failed their awakening and been injured, yet was able to awaken again and succeed! And they didn't remember incorrectly, Yi Yue Lu Xi's injuries were so severe that she was on the verge of death when she delivered the message before, right?!
"I'm back."
"Fallen Star City is holding a summit soon? We definitely have to go. Since that lord requires all oasis leaders to be present, the First Tower Lord must go. Don't worry about Grandma's injuries either; I brought back some treasures from the Burning Fire Merchant City that can heal them!"
"Also, if the Fallen Star Great Domain needs a leader, I believe the Burning Fire Chamber of Commerce is far more qualified than Fallen Star City!"
"Yi Yue Lu Xi will visit Grandma first. Goodbye, esteemed tower lords." She didn't even sit down, spoke a few words, and headed upstairs, leaving behind a shimmering silver glow. And, in the eyes of the tower lords, a completely different aura than before. The third tower lord mused, "This girl finally has the sharpness of a strong individual."