Forty Millenniums of Cultivation

Although Di Feiwen had always been on one of his knees and could not have acted more obediently, Li Yao still felt that the guy was terribly tricky to deal with.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, “What if I insist on refusing?”

“You should know that real Immortal Cultivators are certainly not cowards. We understand the saying ‘better to be broken as jade than to remain intact as bricks’ very well,” Di Feiwen said casually. “When we choose to submit to an expert, we do not just want to preserve our life and survive in the chaotic world. It is also because we believe that the expert will grant us even more powerful strength and lead us to greater glories and a brighter future.

“It is exactly because I believe ‘Vulture’ Li Yao, the dominator of three Sectors is one of such experts that I am willing to surrender unconditionally. If you think that the defeated soldiers of the Black Wind Fleet are not qualified to be your loyal subjects, we can’t find any reason to live our meaningless lives any longer. Let’s just end the history of the Black Wind Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, the Wild Wolf Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, and the Purple Fire Sector with a spectacular battle!

“As for myself, although I am not a battle-type Immortal Cultivator, it is still quite an honor to be killed by such an expert like yourself!”

Li Yao narrowed his eyes. Spiritual energy was focused in his eyes when he looked at Di Feiwen as if he were trying to pierce the guy.

Di Feiwen simply raised his head and looked at Li Yao, full of expectation.

There was to telling whether he was hoping for Li Yao to become the ‘Black Wind King’ or to open the hand and smack him to death.

Blank noises echoed in the communication channel in Li Yao’s earphones. Then, Ding Lingdang’s voice came over. “Li Yao, don’t be rash. The strategists and analysts in the highest command center are now running an urgent deduction on the subsequent changes after you become the ‘Black Wind King’. It may be a good thing for the federation.”

“Are you serious, honey? Are you going to tell me later that the federation has decided that I should be the Black Wind King?”

“You are already the dominator of three Sectors. It wouldn’t hurt to add another title to yourself, would it?”

Li Yao coughed for a moment and glared at Di Feiwen. “If I agree, what are the benefits?”

“There are too many. First of all, you will have the full loyalty of the Black Wind Fleet. In the space battle half a year ago, the Black Wind Fleet only lost one third of its elite forces. A lot of shield starships, arsenal starships, and comprehensive cruise carriers, as well as the space shuttles and armed crystal suits on them, are still perfectly intact.

“Besides, as a fleet of immigrants, we are not here for pure conquest and destruction but for construction and colonization at the edge of the cosmos. Therefore, we have a lot of scholars, workers, and technical staff in our fleet, as well as abundant infrastructure. As long as enough resources and fundamental materials are provided, they can start their work immediately.

“You must’ve seen the mining factory that could automatically upgrade and expand on Kunlun, right? We have a lot of similar facilities in our fleet. In the past, they could not be activated or upgraded due to the lack of resources. But right now, they are all yours.

“Furthermore, we have a lot of classified intelligence about the Imperium of True Human Beings. Although it’s mostly outdated information from more than a hundred years ago, we still maintain some sort of connection with the homeland of the Imperium with our super remote communication system. In such a way, we can not only get the latest news in the Imperium but also deliver false messages back to the homeland of the Imperium, misleading the Imperium into an incorrect judgment of the federation’s situation. Do I need to tell you the strategic value in that?”

Li Yao sneered. “It seems that you do not have much loyalty to your motherland at all!”

“The so-called nation is an ‘imagined community’. If we get to the bottom of it, it is condensed by a powerful force,” Di Feiwen replied sincerely. “In the vast and boundless sea of stars, the distance between the habitable plants can easily be dozens of lightyears. Transportation and communication are highly inconvenient. The authority of the emperor is attenuated to the maximal level. Also, because of the different cultures, customs, and habits that have derived from the unique environment of every plant, it is often the case that people are more loyal to the planet that they live on than to the unsubstantial concept of Imperium.

“In other words, we are the people of the Black Wind Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, the Wild Wolf Sector, and the Purple Fire Sector first before we are the people of the Imperium.

“When the Imperium has the absolute strength to both defend our interests and punish our disloyalty, we are certainly absolutely loyal to the Imperium and His Majesty. But right now, our homes are occupied by the Covenant Alliance, and there is little the emperor can do about it. We have suffered a crushing defeat at the edge of the cosmos, and the distance is too great for the emperor to lash us. How can you expect us to retain much loyalty to Imperium under such circumstances?”

Li Yao could not help but smile. “You are rather candid.”

“It’s better to be candid when speaking to an expert like you, President Li.” Di Feiwen’s eyes were glittering. “The things I mentioned just now are only petty benefits. In fact, the greatest benefit is the title of ‘Black Wind King’ itself.

“The so-called ‘Black Wind King’ is the common master of the Black Wind Sector, the Hard Rock Sector, the Wild Wolf Sector, the Purple Fire Sector, and the Fiery Spider Sector. Theoretically speaking, it is the combination of the Sector Masters of the five worlds and has the absolute right to rule over the five worlds. Even His Majesty is not to meddle too much.”

Li Yao was stunned. “Is that so?”

“Yes. To govern the boundless sea of stars, the Imperium of True Human Beings has adopted various systems,” Di Feiwen explained rather proudly. “The capital ring near the Empyreal Terminus Sector is managed by a bureaucratic system that is directly under the emperor’s lead. The worlds that are slightly more remote are managed by aristocrats under the ‘enfeoffment system’. For the worlds at the borderland such as the Black Wind Sector, a lot of tough warriors and generals often distinguish themselves. Those worlds are more independent, and the local Sector Master almost always has absolute power.

“The Black Wind Sector, the Fiery Spider Sector, and the other worlds were at the borderland between the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance in the first place. To better deal with the emergencies on the battlefield, we always managed our affairs on our own.

“If you become the ‘Black Wind king’, you will be a great warlord that rules over five worlds. Considering the eight worlds on the Star Glory Federation’s side, tsk, tsk, tsk, you will be one of the few most powerful people even within the Imperium!”

“Wait!” Li Yao was not a silly boy to be fooled easily. “If I may ask, were I truly to be the ‘Black Wind King’, where are the five worlds that are supposed to be ruled by me?”

“Well…” Di Feiwen pondered for a moment and said, “They have been occupied by the Alliance of the Holy Covenant for a hundred years. But the Imperium is planning a strategic counterattack, which seems to be making good progress. It is not entirely impossible that we will take back the few worlds.”

“So to speak,” Li Yao said, “you have essentially paid me lip-service. If I want the title of ‘Black Wind King, Master of Five Sectors’, I have to either take back the frontier planets that they have strengthened for a hundred years from the Covenant Alliance or beg His Majesty of the Imperium of True Human Beings to give me a hand?”

“There’s no need to be hasty, President Li,” Di Feiwen said. “If the five worlds are still in the hands of the Covenant Alliance, there is certainly nothing we can do about it. But if they are already taken back by the Imperium, it is not entirely impossible for us to steal them—no, to ask for them. At the very least, you are the legitimate ‘Black Wind king’. Your nomological right to rule the five worlds including the Black Wind Sector cannot be ignored!”

“The system in the Imperium is truly weird.” Li Yao almost could not stop himself from scratching his head. “I thought that the title of ‘Black Wind King’ was only there to entertain yourselves. But from what I’ve heard, even His Majesty may acknowledge my identity?”

“It’s not entirely impossible,” Di Feiwen said solemnly. “The geopolitical conflicts in the Imperium are very fierce and much more intense than the contradictions between the ‘four new worlds’ and ‘three old worlds’ in the Star Glory Federation. For the highly-independent worlds such as the Black Wind Sector, we always elected the Sector Master on our own, and then the Sector Master would pledge loyalty to His Majesty in the Empyreal Terminus Sector and be acknowledged by the emperor.

“After all, since the demise of Blackstar the Great, there has never been a magnificent tyrant who suppressed the entire sea of stars. The emperors who succeeded the throne hardly vetoed the candidate of the Sector Master that the locals elected because it would mean that the emperor was reducing the power of the local places and extending his hand to the most central interests of the local places. He would be strongly opposed by nobles, warlords, and experts.

“At the very least, during the confrontation of the Imperium and the Covenant Alliance, no emperor has had the courage to concentrate their power recklessly at the risk of dividing the Imperium.

“Of course, your case is different, but the Star Glory Federation is at the edge of the cosmos. It is too remote for the homeland of the Imperium to learn what has really happened here. With appropriate operations, it is not entirely impossible for you to be acknowledged by His Majesty.”

Thinking quickly, Li Yao mumbled to himself, “So to speak, the Imperium of True Human Beings is not a united, iron plate but full of internal conflicts, too?”

Di Feiwen was amused. “Everybody acts in their own interests. Is there a real noble, pure, selfless Cultivator or Immortal Cultivator, and is there a real united, never-decaying country?

“Even the tiny Star Glory Federation, which has only been established for slightly more than a hundred years and is still on the rise, has contradictions between the four new worlds and the three old worlds, contradictions between humans and demons, contradictions between Li Yao’s group and the traditional forces, and so many other conflicts.

“The Imperium of True Human Beings has such a vast territory and such a long history, with all kinds of interest groups. Of course, it has ten times more internal and external issues than the federation does.

“The conflict between the emperor and the local strongmen is only the most obvious one of all the conflicts. There are also conflicts that are better hidden but more fatal. After you become the ‘Black Wind King’, I will certainly try my best to give my counsel and analyze them for you.”