On the viewing platform, an old man in a conical hat, Huaiyan, stroked his beard and gazed at the gathered elites in the venue, speaking with deep emotion. "The last time the six Xianzhou ships gathered was when the alliance was first sworn. Now, in my twilight years, to be able to witness it once more is truly a blessing in this lifetime."
"Elder Yan speaks the truth."
"After surviving great calamity, to witness such a grand and magnificent scene, to see the young talents from every Xianzhou ship... Jing Yuan can already envision the future prosperity of the Xianzhou."
"Indeed, it should be so. But is this truly for the best?"
"To give up our independent status and choose to become a vassal of another power." A young woman's voice echoed in the air. Before them was a white-haired woman, her expression cool, revealing little emotion, only a sense of loneliness.
Among the Seven Arbiter-Generals of the Divine Foresight, she was the only one who held reservations about the Xianzhou's choice.
It was true, even Feixiao had to admit the power of the Celestial Empire of Glamoth. It even surpassed the Interastral Peace Corporation, a force that could be considered the personification of "disaster."
However, compared to the swarm of the past Swarm disaster, the Emperor, and the Denizens of Abundance, Glamoth was excessively peace-loving. Well, that was if you excluded the Glamothians' obsessive dedication to liberating people and resisting oppression.
In this aspect, that empire was even more fanatical than the Galaxy Rangers, a branch of the Hunt. So much so that the Xianzhou, the very headquarters of the Hunt, felt ashamed in comparison. But this was still not reason enough for the Xianzhou Alliance to become its vassal.
After all, even if they were not as strong as most powers, the independent Xianzhou Alliance was still a significant force in the universe. There was no need to deliberately cater to anyone.
To this, the other generals and even Hua had no objections.
After all, Feixiao was considered the most zealous among the generals. If the other generals held a love for the Xianzhou and the Alliance in their hearts, then for Feixiao, the Alliance was her everything. This was why she was the guardian of the Xianzhou Xuling, the most important ship in the Alliance.
"Independence is good, but... wandering must eventually come to an end," Xuanquan sighed.
As the guardian of the Xianzhou Fanghu and a member of the Vidyadhara, he understood the meaning behind the Xianzhou Alliance's decision more deeply.
Indeed, the Xianzhou's detached stance was quite liberating, but in the vast universe, could one truly remain uninvolved?
From the moment they were built, the many Xianzhou ships embarked on a journey to seek the elixir of immortality for an ancient emperor. In the end, they found what they had dreamed of, only to discover it was just another disaster. When they looked back, they realized their homeland was long lost.
For the next several thousand years, the Xianzhou's sole purpose was to return home.
Honestly, was there any meaning in it?
After thousands of years of change, the Xianzhou had transformed into something unimaginable. Compared to the Xianzhou of today, their old homeland couldn't even compare to a single one of the current ships. It might have even been destroyed by the changing tides of the universe over the past millennia. Even if they found it, they would only be returning to a ruin.
But even so, the Xianzhou people remained fixated on finding the route back home.
The Xianzhou Yuque led the way.
However, as hearts and minds changed, for the current generation of Xianzhou natives, the "homeland" was more like a piece of history, a familiar term.
Divisions arose from this.
While some still insisted on returning to their homeland, others, like those on the Daiyu, sought to settle down.
Among the six Xianzhou ships.
The Fanghu and Zhuming were both of the latter persuasion. On the Fanghu, the Vidyadhara clan never recognized the so-called homeland; they had joined midway, seeking refuge when they couldn't make it on their own.
On the Zhuming, due to their unique selection process, they also preferred to live in peace and seclusion.
As for the remaining ships, the Yaoqing was the headquarters of the Foxians. They weren't driven by the desire to return home. The Yaoqing was more like the Vidyadhara, seeking protection and, more importantly, to uphold the righteousness of the Hunt.
While the Luofu and Yuque were ancient, after the old generation gradually passed away, they too began to seek change.
Only the Xuling...
It was named the "Mausoleum Ship," but where was the actual tomb?
Although the Alliance did not oppose the Xuling's obsession with bringing the souls of the dead back to their homeland, after such a long period of wandering, it was time for the many Xianzhou ships to have a destination they could see and touch.
If they were to continue wandering like this...
There were originally nine Xianzhou ships, but now three were gone.
Counting the heavily damaged Fanghu, which had nearly been destroyed, that made it 3.5. If another few thousand years passed, who could guarantee that a few more ships wouldn't crash?
"There will be no more suitable partner than Glamoth," Hua said.
Due to the Xianzhou's unique system, the massive Xianzhou Alliance had almost always maintained a military-first policy.
Although they had economic centers and logistical hubs like the Luofu and Zhuming, it was an undeniable fact that ships like the Yaoqing and Fanghu had to rely on cooperation with the Corporation to alleviate their terrifying financial deficits.
Before Glamoth appeared, the profit-driven Corporation showed no mercy towards the big cake that was the Xianzhou Alliance.
After all, the Corporation's goal was to control the entire universe through its credit point system. Naturally, they couldn't allow an anomaly like the Xianzhou Alliance to exist outside their system.
If not for a series of accidents, the day would probably have come when the Alliance would have had to make a choice: submit to the Corporation or fight them.
After integrating into the empire.
Not only would it fulfill the desire for a home within the Alliance, but it would also significantly alleviate the Xianzhou Alliance's dire financial deficit.
At the same time, with external help, they could effectively clean up the Xianzhou's internal problems. Honestly, with Glamoth's incredibly generous treatment of its vassals, their willingness to accept the mess that was the Alliance was already a testament to their kindness.
Militarily, Glamoth had no shortage of power. The zealous Glamoth Iron Cavalry and machine lifeforms, driven by their beliefs, were eager to be on duty 24/7.
Firefly even had to limit the size of the army because there were simply too many volunteers! If she didn't impose restrictions, probably 90% of Glamoth's population would join the military—and that's excluding the crazy machine lifeforms. It would be the Swarm disaster and the Mechanical Emperor's Wars 2.0. The Empress's workload would probably increase exponentially every second.
Firefly exclaimed, "I can't finish it! I simply can't finish it!"
But even with restrictions, there were still disobedient Glamoth Iron Cavalry and machine lifeforms who took on private jobs. The Empress was happy about their enthusiasm, but she did not like the unexpected increase in her workload.
For this reason, Glamoth's law enforcement department was often bustling with activity. Even after laws were enacted to prohibit illegal duty and illegal work, there were still many Glamoth Iron Cavalry and machine lifeforms who knowingly violated them... Working the sewing machines in prison became a popular job that millions vied for!
And then the cycle repeated... legislate, punish for breaking the law, work as punishment, and when there's an opportunity to work, people would try every means to apply...
Until Mr. Jiang Qiao took over the work and discovered this situation. He calmly wrote the latest Glamoth law.
—Those who break the law will be deprived of the right to work, and depending on the circumstances, will also be deprived of the right to express admiration for the Empress in action and speech.
The effect was immediate.
In such a nation, the Xianzhou Alliance joining... Don't be ridiculous, are you here to steal our work quotas?
Without a doubt, this was a hot topic of discussion on Glamoth's interstellar network.
Because of Glamoth's obsession, they really wanted to liberate people, but they didn't really want them coming to Glamoth and competing for jobs with Glamothians.
After discovering this situation, Hua was a little helpless.
You really think they want us?
That was an opportunity won during the last battle against the Antimatter Legion. Glamoth thought the Alliance did a decent job, but their living conditions didn't meet Glamoth's expectations, so for various reasons, they decided to help a brother out, or give them a chance.
In this regard, it could even be said that a certain someone had pulled some strings, using privileges that would normally never be used, for the Xianzhou Alliance to have the opportunity to join Glamoth.
That was an Empress's Special Permit! Do you understand the value of an Empress's Special Permit?
Qingque's position as Marshal was actually a gesture from Hua to Glamoth on behalf of the Alliance.
Besides Qingque's performance truly meeting her expectations for a successor, part of it was because of the girl's connection to him. Even though she knew this connection was not enough to influence his or the Empress's views on major issues, it was indeed beneficial as a lubricant between the Alliance and Glamoth.
But... for some reason, watching everything proceed smoothly on the tournament grounds, Hua had an ominous premonition.
"Marshal, is something wrong?"
Sensing the strange expression on Hua's face, Jing Yuan showed his concern.
"...For some reason, I feel a little uneasy... No, it must be my imagination."
She shook her head.
No matter what, this interstellar arts center was currently filled with powerhouses from all over the universe, including many Emanators. How could anyone cause trouble on such an occasion? Or rather, even if someone did, with the combat power present, it wouldn't be a big problem.
She thought so.
And in the crowd, hidden among the people, a woman who looked plain and ordinary, wearing a large hat to conceal her face, dressed lavishly like a noblewoman, had a smirk on her lips.
"Even under the shroud of my Omniscience Domain, she can still sense something."
"Hmph, as expected of the Xianzhou's Marshal."
Genius Society #4, Polka Kakamond, the Lord of Silence.
The genius rumored to have killed Emperor Rupert. At the same time, according to clues, the deaths of several other Genius Society members were also more or less related to her.
Because she had once destroyed all portraits of herself across the universe, very few people in this world knew the true face of this Lord of Silence.
And at this moment, she appeared here, at this grand Luminary Wardance Ceremony where heroes gathered.
Her intention was...
—To bury the Celestial Empire of Glamoth!
Of course, it wasn't that she had any grudge against Glamoth. It was simply because Polka Kakamond had guided Glamoth's existence towards an unforeseen future.
Just as she had killed those other geniuses who were also members of the club in the past, she confined all knowledge to her own domain, drawing a boundary around it, thus creating a personal Omniscience Domain.
Originally, this domain should have been limited to geniuses, as in reality, only geniuses could create gaps in Polka Kakamond's map. But... the existence of Glamoth became an exception.
No matter what, she could hardly see the traits of a genius in the Empress of Glamoth, but it was inevitable that her existence would lead the universe in an unknown direction.
In that case, as the limited Omniscient, it was her duty to end the Empress of Glamoth and everything she had created, just as she had ended the anti-organic war started by Emperor Rupert.
—The unknown is unacceptable.
And after a long period of observation, Polka Kakamond had already discovered a way to eliminate Glamoth.
Just like Emperor Rupert back then, although the Empress of Glamoth was better in some aspects than the Emperor, it was undeniable that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't change the fact that the vast Glamoth Empire relied on the Empress to exist.
The Empress's existence symbolized the will that supported Glamoth. The moment the Empress died, this vast empire would inevitably fall apart and disappear, just like most dynasties in the universe.
And taking advantage of this feast where the Xianzhou was pledging allegiance to Glamoth, Polka Kakamond, who was very good at using accidents to achieve her goals, had already planned the entire script.
While eliminating the Empress, she would push all the blame onto the Xianzhou Alliance. Thus, a deep-seated hatred would inevitably be left between the Alliance and the empire. The only thing they could do to each other would be to fight.
And when two tigers fight, although the Xianzhou Alliance was indeed much weaker than the empire, after losing their Empress, it would be enough to deal a blow to Glamoth that would lead to its disintegration.
The only thing that displeased Polka was that person from the Corporation.
It was in that person's interest and expectation for everything to go according to plan. But even after his home was taken over, that guy was still so indifferent.
Tch...
If she had that person's help, then all of this would undoubtedly be more foolproof.
Raising an eyebrow, the brow hidden under the brim of her hat slowly relaxed.
No matter. Even without help, she alone was enough to accomplish everything she had planned.
After all.
Unlike those Emanators who were revered by the world for the external power given by the Aeons...
I, Polka Kakamond, the "Lord of Silence," am undoubtedly a being that surpasses them!
I will win!