Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Despite Di Feiwen’s sincerity, Li Yao did not intend to agree to his proposal immediately. He simply shook his head and said, “I’m afraid that you are mistaken. I am not the ‘dominator at the edge of the cosmos’, and I am not interested in meaningless titles such as ‘Black Wind King’ or the leadership of an enormous fleet or country.”

“Understandable,” said Di Feiwen, nodding. “The so-called power and position are sometimes only a shortcut to the ultimate strength. If an expert already has incomparable strength, it is true that they will no longer need to restrain them with power, position, or fame.

“At the center of the cosmos, there are a lot of experts like you who prefer absolute freedom and are dedicated to the exploration of unvisited lands and levels. Naturally, none of them are really interested in the boring affairs of the mortal world.

“However, the Black Wind Fleet has a perfectly functional system, and I can serve the fleet for decades to come, too. Your personal management will not be needed. We only need to unite the people and boost their morale with your strength and prestige. It’s like your wife is not an admin-type Cultivator but has still been elected as the Speaker of the Star Glory Federation, meeting barely any competition.”

“Speaking of which,” Li Yao said coldly, “I am proud of my identity as a citizen of the Star Glory Federation, which I will not abandon easily. It remains unknown whether or not the federation acknowledges dual nationality. I doubt that they will allow me to be the so-called ‘Black Wind King’.”

“Why not?” Di Feiwen asked back. “The federation is in a hurry to settle the complicated problems left by the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet, too, which may escalate into greater trouble if not resolved in time. They also want to get our enormous fleet and more intelligence and files concerning the Imperium of True Human Beings. Chances are that they are even hoping to directly reach out to the Imperium of True Human Beings on a certain level through the Black Wind Fleet. As long as you agree to be our leader, everything will be possible.

“I know that the Star Glory Federation has its own incontestable principles, but the minor request we have proposed does not violate any of your laws or moral code, does it? Nobody will be hurt in the deal, and thousands of innocent people will even be saved. Why would the parliament of the federation refuse it?”

“You do have a silver tongue. I’m starting to understand how you became the No. 2 person of the dog-eat-dog Black Wind Fleet despite your lack of combat ability.” Li Yao was still unmoved. “It’s a pity that you are not surrendering to me sincerely but only trying to seek benefits, maintain a certain degree of independence, and even become the cancer of the federation by using my fame and prestige.”

“Of course,” Di Feiwen said unhurriedly. “Please put yourself in our shoes, President Li. Despite the recent failure, at least one third of the starships of the Black Wind Fleet are undamaged and can still fight. The pride of a superpower from the center of the cosmos cannot be erased overnight. Is it possible for us to lay down our weapons and surrender unconditionally under such circumstances?

“In both the Star Glory Federation and the Imperium of True Human Beings, the ‘Dark Forest Theory’ was quite popular for a while. The theory might not be a universal truth, but some of its details are indeed worth studying. For example, the idea of ‘chain of suspicion’.

“Aren’t the Star Glory Federation and the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet mired in a chain of suspicion right now? Even if the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet want to surrender, they are still concerned about what will happen. Will they suffer inhuman torture? Will their family and descendants on the immigrant starships be affected? Will they mine on the desolate planets at the edge of the cosmos forever until they become dry bones in the pits without ever having the opportunity to see their flags flap in the wind in their hometown at the edge of the cosmos?

“On the other hand, even if I do not propose any conditions today and just surrender unconditionally, will the federation trust us?

“No. You will be equally worried that the disobedient Immortal Cultivators are up to something else and may rebel again. You will try your best to watch over and weaken us. The friction between the two parties will intensify in mutual mistrust. We will be caught in a vicious cycle, until the possibility becomes reality and the insurgency does take place.

“For me, surrender is not a problem. The problem is the relation and trust between the two parties after the surrender. You being the new ‘Black Wind King’ is the best solution to break the ‘chain of suspicion’ between us that I can come up with.”

“You don’t need to worry about that,” Li Yao affirmed. “The federation always honors its promise. We have integrated with the Blood Demon Sector, which we fought for hundreds of years. Now, the Blood Demon Sector is an important part of the Star Glory Federation, and a lot of demons have become MPs and leaders of critical departments of the federation. It must be noted that the Blood Demon Sector almost took down the capital of the federation when the two parties hated each other most!

“The one third of the Black Wind Fleet under your lead did not even enter the territory of the federation. We do not have any bloody grudge between us. What are your concerns?”

“No, it is a different issue.” Di Feiwen shook his head. “From the perspective of mankind as a whole, the Blood Demon Sector is one of the last few worlds of demons. They were at an absolute strategic disadvantage in the first place. There would not be any trouble accepting and absorbing them.

“But the Black Wind Fleet is different. There’s still the enormous Imperium of True Human Beings. If the subtle relation among the Imperium, the Black Wind Fleet, and the federation is not taken care of properly, should the conflicts between the federation and the Imperium break out one day, regardless of who the final winner is, the Black Wind Fleet will certainly be the first to suffer.

“The most critical thing is that the so-called integration of the Blood Demon Sector and the Heaven’s Origin Sector was based on an important premise, which was that Jin Xinyue, the leader of the Blood Demon Sector, was your true disciple. Everybody in the world knew that. It was the foundation for the two parties to trust each other. Isn’t it evidence that proves the importance of inviting you to be the ‘Black Wind King’? Because what we need right now is exactly such a ‘foundation of trust’.”

Li Yao could not argue with Di Feiwen’s reasoning at all, but he did feel ridiculously amused. Half a year ago, when he was engaged in a life-and-death battle with Heiye Ming on the bridge of Black Swirl, he had never seen it coming that the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet would cry and beg him to take Heiye Ming’s place one day.

“Are you not worried that I will regard the Black Wind Fleet as cannon fodder when I become the ‘Black Wind King’?” Li Yao asked in disbelief.

“That is indeed a possibility…” Di Feiwen intentionally lengthened his tone and said, “Even if you refuse to be the ‘Black Wind King’, will the federation not regard the Black Wind Fleet as cannon fodder if we choose to surrender?”

Li Yao was rendered speechless and lost for words for a long time.

“We believe that the strategic vision of the Star Glory Federation is keen enough for you to recognize that it is impossible for the Star Glory Federation and today’s Imperium of True Human Beings to live in peace in the long term.”

Di Feiwen smiled and went on. “In the past, the Imperium was unaware of the existence of the federation, and the two parties could live in peace under the cover of the vast universe. But it is a pity that some of the intelligence regarding the edge of the cosmos has been sent back to the homeland of the Imperium over the past ten years.

“That intelligence was not necessarily sent to the court and the emperor. Furthermore, the Imperium must be too occupied in the strategic counterattack on the Covenant Alliance to extend its hands to the edge of the cosmos even if the intelligence is collected and analyzed.

“But how much longer can such vulnerable ‘peace’ last? Twenty years? Ten years? Or even shorter?

“If the Star Glory Federation intends to defend its tiny territory and ideologies, it must not wait for the arrival of the Imperium’s magnificent troops but attack actively. The attack might not necessarily be made by the military. It is more likely to be infiltrating the Imperium and changing the Imperium unconsciously from the political and systematic level, thereby reshaping today’s Imperium into a different appearance. Am I right, President Li?”

Li Yao was greatly alarmed. He did not expect the plain-looking vice commander of the Black Wind Fleet to actually have such keen strategic insight.

He was quite right. Despite the quick and neat victory of the space battle, the conclusion of many expert strategists in the federation after much analysis was still that the Star Glory Federation did not have the ability to fight a ‘general war’ with the Imperium of True Human Beings.

One space battle could be won by all kinds of favorable factors, but when it came to a war that might last hundreds of years, it would be a head-on clash of the comprehensive national power of the two parties without any tricks. Even another ten Li Yaos and Ding Lingdangs would not be able to change the outcome of the war.

Therefore, if the federation intended to march to the center of the cosmos, at least in the next hundreds of years, it would be impossible for them to march all the way to the Imperium unstoppably. The more sensible choice would be to dispatch a number of the elites to infiltrate the Imperium and make use of the contradiction between the so-called ‘hominoids’ and ‘true human beings’, finding a way to disintegrate the Imperium from the inside or at least reform the Imperium on a certain level!

Li Yao had already proposed the idea when he raised the Black Hole Plan more than a hundred years ago. After the scheming and deduction of countless expert strategists, it was finally perfected.

He did not expect that Di Feiwen would be able to point out the key to the problem precisely. Li Yao felt that he had underestimated the hideous-looking ‘General Businessman’ after all.

“If the federation, or you yourself, President Li, is truly meaning to dissect, modify, or even overthrow the Imperium from the inside, the Black Wind Fleet will certainly be your greatest help.”

Di Feiwen was still as respectful as before, as if he were already treating Li Yao as ‘Black Wind king’.

“In the meantime, as long as you are willing to officially be inaugurated as ‘Black Wind king’ in front of the Immortal Cultivators of the five worlds in public and announce the result to the universe, we will also believe in your promise that you will lead us back to the center of the cosmos one day!”