Chapter 1288: Dai Bufan Boasted Too Early

In the Great Xia Dynasty, within the Imperial City, stood the Imperial Palace.

Emperor Xia was reviewing memorials, with a proposed amendment to the laws resting on his right side. These amendments concerned immortal cultivators exploring beyond the known realms. During their explorations, cultivators had discovered several celestial bodies with sentient life, similar in development to the White Horse Dynasty, in addition to the White Horse Dynasty itself. These explorations had raised numerous unforeseen issues, necessitating new regulations to address these gaps.

Three figures stepped over the threshold of the Grand Bright Hall, bathed in sunlight. Dai Bufan announced loudly, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Emperor Xia looked up, unsurprised by Lu Yang's arrival. Before Lu Yang's departure, Dai Bufan had informed the Emperor of his return, the significant discoveries he brought, and that representatives from other major powers would converge at the Grand Bright Hall.

"Is this the extraterrestrial being Lu Yang invited back?" Emperor Xia descended the steps and ordered seats to be brought. He noticed the peculiar physical structure of Dean Gao but refrained from asking details during their first meeting.

"I am Gao Huanyu, Chief Scientist and Dean of the Academy of Sciences for the Interstellar Alliance. My respects to Your Majesty."

"So it is Fellow Daoist Gao—oh, perhaps Dean Gao would be more appropriate. You've traveled a long distance; it must have been arduous."

"And me! My name is Aether," shouted the metal box Lu Yang was carrying.

"And this is...?" Had Aether not spoken, Emperor Xia would not have realized it was alive.

"This is the Interstellar Alliance's Aether Computer, and also a primordial entity," Lu Yang explained.

"Someone, bring a seat for this Aether... Fellow Daoist Aether."

Soon, a young eunuch brought a chair and placed the Aether sub-unit onto it.

"Quickly, tell me, what is the Interstellar Alliance truly like?" Emperor Xia noted the Aether sub-unit's extraordinarily complex structure, far surpassing mortal craftsmanship, yet it was clearly a creation of mortals. This piqued his curiosity.

"Direct description is rather difficult, Your Majesty. Please observe here," Dean Gao said. At that moment, the Aether sub-unit projected a virtual star map into the air, displaying the entire universe explored by the Interstellar Alliance. Dean Gao drew a circle, gesturing to a vast region: "These star systems constitute the Interstellar Alliance's domain, comprising eight hundred main stars and three thousand auxiliary stars."

"Our capital is located here, Eternal Star in the Eternal System."

"What are these?" Emperor Xia asked, pointing to the small black dots appearing and disappearing near Eternal Star.

"Spaceships, which allow us to navigate through space," Dean Gao explained, motioning for the Aether sub-unit to focus on the area with the densest concentration of spaceships.

The map zoomed in, and soon a spaceport projection appeared before Emperor Xia. Seeing the colossal structures, Emperor Xia felt profound reverence for the Interstellar Alliance. While merchant guilds could modify their flying ships into space vessels, this was a feat only achievable by cultivators. He had heard that the Interstellar Alliance was composed entirely of mortals. For mortals to achieve space travel, countless individuals over dozens of generations must have dedicated immense effort.

Next, the map focused on Eternal Star, zooming in to display its bustling streets. The streets teemed with vehicles and people, like a flowing sea. Towering skyscrapers lined both sides, their rooftops adorned with vibrant, colorful advertisements. Everything exuded ultimate prosperity, sights unseen in the world of cultivation.

"Who is he talking to?" Emperor Xia inquired, pointing to a pedestrian on the map who seemed to be talking to themselves while walking.

"They are likely discussing business with people from other star systems. This utilizes quantum communication technology, allowing for real-time, lag-free communication regardless of spatial distance," Dean Gao explained with a smile, clearly proud of his invention.

"What about this?" Emperor Xia asked, pointing to a large metal box that appeared most frequently, hovering in the air like the flying vehicles Lu Yang had invented. However, the Interstellar Alliance surely didn't rely on flying swords for propulsion.

"Solar-powered cars."

"And this?"

"AI nannies."

"And this one?"

"Memory chip factories, fully operated by artificial intelligence."

"Mortal life can be so prosperous?!" The more he learned about the Interstellar Alliance, the more Emperor Xia's breathing quickened. He stood up excitedly, pacing around the Grand Bright Hall. The discoveries Lu Yang brought were immense, far exceeding his expectations. These were merely mortal creations; if combined with the myriad arts of immortal cultivation, who knew what heights they could reach?

"Establish the Ministry of Heavenly Crafts! We must gather all artifact refiners, formation masters, and inscriptionists to form this ministry!"

"Dean Gao, would you be willing to join Great Xia's Ministry of Heavenly Crafts?"

"What's this about joining your Ministry of Heavenly Crafts? Let me hear about it too," Zhu Tian said boisterously as he entered the Grand Bright Hall. "Looks like I'm the first to arrive," Zhu Tian grinned, noticing Lu Yang. "Big Brother Lu Yang is back?" He scanned the room, spotted an empty chair, moved the Aether sub-unit from it to the floor, and sat down. "How considerate of you, leaving a chair for me."

"Hey, hey, hey, that's my chair!" the Aether sub-unit protested angrily. If not for its physical limitations, it would have jumped up.

"The little thing can talk? Interesting." Zhu Tian was amused. He flicked it on the head, and the Aether sub-unit spun several times.

"Mr. Lu, he's bullying me! Please stand up for me!" the Aether sub-unit wailed to Lu Yang, startling Zhu Tian. What was this little thing? A primordial entity that had manifested from a metal box?

Lu Yang reminded him, "Lord Zhu, this is the Aether Computer, a guest who has traveled a long distance from the Interstellar Alliance."

"Ah, a guest! My apologies," Zhu Tian said, patting the Aether sub-unit with a grin. "But it's also your fault; if you'd said you were a guest earlier, this wouldn't have happened, right?" Aether frantically searched its database, deliberating on how to verbally retort against Zhu Tian.

Soon after, the Old Dragon Emperor, Snow Emperor, and Abbot Mingyu arrived at the Grand Bright Hall. Upon learning about the Interstellar Alliance, they, too, realized this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for development.

Zhu Tian suddenly grasped the situation, feeling somewhat indignant: "I knew it! Where did your Great Xia get a Ministry of Heavenly Crafts from, and trying to get Dean Gao to join it? Old Jiang, can you not be so shameless? Trying to rope him into Great Xia while we weren't here!"

Emperor Xia, knowing he was in the wrong, remained silent.

Zhu Tian then swiftly changed the subject, praising Lu Yang: "Still, we truly owe a great deal to Big Brother Lu Yang. To bring back such immense discoveries from a single journey – once we've fully assimilated them, they'll undoubtedly lead to a qualitative leap for the world of cultivation!"

"Indeed, indeed, thanks to young friend Lu Yang," the Old Dragon Emperor and others also praised him generously. This wasn't merely out of courtesy to Lu Yang, but their genuine feelings. Of all the cultivators who had ventured out to explore, which one could compare their gains to Lu Yang's?

Upon hearing this, Dai Bufan secretly smiled. Junior Brother Lu had finally brought him some pride.

"No good! The Alliance is in danger!"

Suddenly, the Aether sub-unit cried out, instantly making the atmosphere tense.

"What's happening?! What's going on with the Alliance?!" Dean Gao's expression turned grim. How could the Alliance be in danger? However, the Aether sub-unit could not lie; through quantum communication technology, it maintained synchronization with its main unit. The Aether sub-unit then dropped another bombshell: "An unknown force has attacked the Alliance! They are incredibly powerful, and the Alliance is completely outmatched!"

"An unknown force?" Dean Gao's face showed disbelief. The Alliance had continuously absorbed neighboring civilizations throughout its development and had never encountered a strong enemy. Had it not been for the existence of the cultivation world, he would have always believed the Alliance was the most powerful force in the universe. Yet now, an unknown force had appeared, and the Alliance was completely outmatched.

The Aether sub-unit projected the Alliance's battle situation. Currently, the Alliance was engulfed in heavy bombardment, engaged in intense space warfare. The unknown force's spacecraft crashed through their lines, and the Alliance's warships crumbled at a touch, completely outmatched. The Alliance was on the brink of collapse!

Lu Yang's expression changed; why did the unknown force's spacecraft resemble those of the Candle Sky Civilization? Soon, the Aether sub-unit's words confirmed Lu Yang's suspicion: "The unknown force has declared themselves to be from the Candle Sky Civilization, universal overlords dispatched by the Heavenly Emperor to conquer all directions."

However, immediately afterward, the projection vanished, and the Aether sub-unit ceased responding.

"Dean Gao, what's going on with Aether?"

Dean Gao frowned deeply: "The battle must be too intense over there; Aether has likely diverted all its processing power to the main unit."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yang slowly rose, sweeping his gaze across everyone: "Gentlemen, I believe we should mobilize our forces and swiftly aid the Interstellar Alliance!"

"You're right, I agree!" Zhu Tian immediately responded.

"I agree as well!" Emperor Xia added instantly.

"I agree."

"Agreed."

The five representatives of the major powers did not hesitate, unanimously agreeing to dispatch troops to assist the Interstellar Alliance.

"Gentlemen..." Dean Gao was deeply moved, never expecting them to offer help to the Alliance without hesitation.

Fizz—

The Aether sub-unit fizzed twice, restoring its connection with the main unit. Its tone was indescribably strange, as if it was hesitating whether or not to speak. "Well, it seems, Mr. Lu, that you won't need to aid our Interstellar Alliance anymore."

"What do you mean?" Lu Yang wondered, perplexed. Wasn't the Alliance on the brink of collapse? How could it suddenly be fine?

"The Candle Sky Civilization discovered those supreme spirit stones you gave us, Mr. Lu, and changed their minds. They're now saying they're coming to conquer your cultivation world instead."

Upon hearing this, Dai Bufan immediately clutched his chest, nearly passing out. He had thought Lu Yang would be more sensible this time, and had even been pleased, praising the young man inwardly. He never expected such a massive problem to be waiting for him!

Noticing Dai Bufan's distress, Lu Yang quickly turned to explain: "Senior Brother Dai, listen to me! This has absolutely nothing to do with me. I just politely gave them a few supreme spirit stones. It's the Candle Sky Civilization that's too greedy and only cares about money..."

"Senior Brother Dai, wake up!"