Chapter 1081: Crisis Brewing
Chapter 1081: Crisis Brewing
"Today, I have summoned you primarily for two matters. . . "
A giant, hundreds of kilometers tall, sat enthroned, like an eternal deity from time immemorial. No, His aura was even more vast and powerful than a god's. . . His voice, like thunder, swept over everyone like a tempest.
"The first matter is to determine the supreme commander for the counter-offensive. . ."
"The second matter is to temporarily suspend the duties of the Royal Academy's director. . ."
Fang Xi's heart stirred.
The director of the Royal Academy was also a Black Hole Immortal, it seemed?
He observed dispassionately as one minister after another stepped forward to speak. With the thought speed of this group of Immortals, the meeting progressed extremely swiftly.
Even Su San Na secretly used a hidden communication channel to woo him over.
"Now there's a perfect opportunity. Father Emperor intends to purge the Royal Academy and promote new talents. . . I am also on a research-oriented path, and it has been confirmed that I will enter the Royal Academy and hold a certain position. . . I hope you can become my assistant."
Fang Xi glanced over and saw Su San Na gazing at him with utmost sincerity.
For scientists of the Lanikainia Empire, even if they couldn't enter the Royal Academy, becoming an assistant to one of the academicians and occasionally using the empire's most cutting-edge equipment and laboratory environments was quite desirable.
He pondered for a moment, his gaze inadvertently sweeping past another towering imperial prince.
This prince wore a purple-gold, double-breasted formal suit, his face handsome, and a subtle pressure emanated from his entire being. He, too, was a Neutron Star Immortal!
'The Forty-Fourth Imperial Prince—Wo Fu? '
Fang Xi swiftly connected him with a certain impression, immediately feeling greatly alarmed.
'Upon his person. . . there's actually a faint trace of reincarnation? '
'The waters of this imperial family truly run deep. . . '
At this thought, Fang Xi, who had initially felt a flicker of interest, immediately decided to stick to his original plan and distance himself from trouble.
He directly declined the offer: "My apologies. . . Sister Three Hundred Sixty-Seven, I merely wish for a tranquil environment."
Hearing this, Su San Na couldn't help but frown. She had analyzed the situation beforehand and believed this recruitment had a high chance of success, as it aligned with his objectives.
But for some unknown reason, it had still failed.
Fang Xi appeared to be lost in thought, his mind racing.
'The Forty-Fourth Imperial Prince Wo Fu Phoenix, a Neutron Star Immortal, and a strong contender for the position of Universe Great Emperor. . . '
'How could he possess a trace of reincarnation? '
'No, rather than reincarnation, it's faint, and somewhat similar to soul possession. . . '
'Is it soul possession of a fetus? '
'Could it be that even the Phoenix clan's imperial infant trial has been compromised, allowing spies to exploit loopholes and infiltrate? '
This Great Thousand World seemed to have little concept of reincarnation, perhaps due to a lack of talent in comprehending such laws.
Therefore, Wo Fu's anomaly might have gone unnoticed even by a Black Hole Immortal.
However, he had encountered Fang Xi, who could be considered a Black Hole Immortal specializing in the Law of Reincarnation, and thus naturally perceived the slight anomaly on Wo Fu.
'Is the Zerg's exploitation of the Cosmic Wonder Weapon related to this person? '
'What exactly is his background? An internal resistance fighter within the human race? A subordinate of one of the Eight Great Cosmic Pirate Emperors? The Zerg? Or a Star Beast? '
'Even Emperor Star no longer seemed safe. . . '
As Fang Xi pondered, his Majesty the Emperor delivered his final summary: "Let it be arranged so. . . All of you, depart. Do not disappoint me again!"
His words seemed to carry a distinctive warning!
Fang Xi bowed along with the crowd, stepping out of the bronze palace.
He watched as ministers boarded their starships, trailing different plumes of fire as they departed.
He recalled the results of the earlier meeting, finding them rather intriguing.
This imperial audience had proceeded quickly. The choice for the supreme commander of the counter-offensive had also been settled, with a Black Hole Immortal appointed to the role, and the Sixth Imperial Prince Zuo Luo serving as deputy commander.
Sa Tuo was also among them, securing a vanguard position.
Some unlucky imperial princes and princesses were even directly conscripted into the army, but Fang Xi was not among them.
The second agenda item, the suspension of the Royal Academy director's duties, also progressed smoothly. Su San Na and Wo Fu were transferred into the Academy to oversee the subsequent investigation.
Fang Xi sensed the subtle scent of an approaching storm, a prelude to chaos.
'I had originally intended to showcase some inventions and enter the Royal Academy. . . '
'But now, with Wo Fu there, it has transformed into a hotbed of strife. . . His Majesty the Emperor likely intended to use his imperial children to investigate or even seize power, yet he couldn't have imagined that one of his princes had already become a person with ulterior motives. . . If this was the initial plan, then the strategy was indeed meticulously laid and far-reaching. . . '
His heart filled with a chilling awareness, he boarded his own starship.
"Your Highness. . ."
Wen Ge bowed, his demeanor seemingly even more deferential than before.
After all, Fang Xi was now a Red Giant Immortal.
'The distinction between strong and weak is the same everywhere. . . '
Fang Xi reclined on the sofa and spoke, "I plan to travel to the Crab Star System to cultivate there. . ."
Within the Crab Star System, there was a famous neutron star, which the Empire had modified to create an environment extremely suitable for Red Giant Immortals to cultivate and break through.
That's right!
For Red Giant Immortals, the optimal environment for cultivation and breakthrough was directly on a neutron star!
Of course, this cultivation was also extremely dangerous, even for Red Giant Immortals, and thus was divided by distance.
One had to find the most suitable distance for oneself, and then gradually delve deeper.Beginning cultivation on the surface of the neutron star, one might eventually require the high-pressure environment of the neutron star's core!
For Fang Xi, as long as he comprehended the 'Concept of Pressure,' he could silently guide his own metamorphosis.
But today's meeting had instantly created a sense of urgency in his heart, making him feel he should enhance his strength as quickly as possible.
"The Crab Star System. . ."
Wen Ge was utterly astonished: "Your Highness. . . the probability of a Gaia System cultivator breaking through to the Neutron Star Immortal realm is less than one in a hundred thousand. . ."
This was the drawback of choosing a low-tier path; the higher one attempted to break through, the slimmer the hope.
A tall building starts from solid ground; if the foundation isn't laid firmly, this is the natural outcome.
Wen Ge, like other imperial princes and princesses, believed Fang Xi was pursuing a research-oriented path.
After rapidly reaching the Red Giant realm, he would immediately shift to research, enter laboratories, and achieve certain results.
He would then gain favor from His Majesty the Emperor, be selected into the Royal Academy. . . and only with that immense investment would he have a chance to advance to the Neutron Star Immortal realm in the future.
"I know. . . Go prepare."
Fang Xi waved his hand.
He planned to leverage external forces, pursuing a dual cultivation approach to swiftly break through to the Neutron Star Immortal realm.
As long as he went there, his breakthrough probability was one hundred percent.
However, such a thing was incomprehensible to outsiders.
But it didn't matter; by then, he could simply reveal his mastery over the 'Concept of Pressure,' which would explain everything.
"Furthermore, cultivating on the Crab Neutron Star requires a guarantor, and a large sum of money. . ."
Wen Ge began to calculate again.
The Empire, of course, would not be a benevolent benefactor, opening up the neutron star for any Red Giant Immortal to cultivate.
Otherwise, wouldn't they be training talent for the Eight Great Pirate Emperors and the resistance forces?
There would certainly be qualification verification!
However, as an imperial prince, Fang Xi naturally wouldn't be obstructed in this regard; he would certainly pass.
Beyond that, there was the cost of renting the cultivation ground.
In any case, it would definitely be far more expensive than the resources needed to break through to Red Giant!
"There's no need to purchase cultivation resources for now, primarily just the venue rental fee. . . I plan to take out a loan from the Royal Bank under the Imperial Prince's name."
Fang Xi smiled. This was a privilege he had gained after advancing to the Red Giant Immortal realm.
To take out a loan from the Royal Bank, guaranteed by his own credit.
For Fang Xi, this kind of pre-emptive spending was quite good, saving a great deal of time.
"This. . . although the Royal Bank offers low-interest loans, once you can't pay it back. . ."
Wen Ge wanted to say that even an imperial prince couldn't default on their debts to the Royal Bank, as it held shares from His Majesty the Emperor and who knew how many imperial ancestors!
...
Black Origin Continent.
The Lanikainia Empire's territory was immensely vast, with the Zerg and star beasts as its two external enemies.
Internally, it also contended with the Eight Great Pirate Emperors of the Cosmic Sea and countless interstellar pirates.
The Black Origin Continent was the largest fencing ground for pirates.
This continent, with a diameter of several light-years, possessed technology comparable to Emperor Star.
Moreover, it harbored countless forbidden and taboo artifacts.
Depravity, bloodshed, anarchy. . .
One could say that every dark facet of cosmic civilization could be found on this continent.
Rumble!
A tiger-shaped starship streaked across the Black Origin Continent, slowly coming to a halt on a floating island suspended mid-air.
The hatch opened, and 'Might Emperor' Hu You was the first to emerge, followed by his First Mate, Second Mate, intelligence captain Misha, and others. . .
"Hu You. . ."
On the floating island, there were surprisingly four other presences similar to his, like gaping black holes, radiating terror.
"The Super Beast Pirate Gang has arrived too, excellent. . ."
A figure shrouded entirely in darkness, seated on a pitch-black throne, spoke.
He was 'Shadow Emperor' Ni Ke; no one knew his race or origins, but the 'Shadow Pirate Gang' he led reigned supreme across the cosmic sea, specializing in assassination.
Besides him, there were 'Blood Emperor' Bo De of the 'Blood Hand Pirate Gang,' 'Light Emperor' Rui Bei Te of the 'Holy Grail Pirate Gang,' and 'Empress' Bu Lan Ni of the 'Empress Pirate Gang'. . .
The Eight Great Pirate Emperors of the Cosmic Sea were all Black Hole Immortals!
"Five of the Eight Great Pirate Emperors have arrived, what a grand spectacle this is. . ."
Hu You settled into a cross-legged position, his subordinates standing behind him, and then suddenly chuckled, "It seems the universe is on the verge of turning upside down. . . Why haven't I seen the other three?"
"Hu You, aren't you just stating the obvious?"
Ni Ke scoffed, "The Phoenix Pirate Gang is led by the Phoenix clan who failed in the previous generation's competition. . . and the other two pirate gangs have unclear relationships with the Imperial Intelligence Agency. To a certain extent, those three pirate gangs are all people of the Lanikainia Empire!"
"So, the target has been set: to plunder Emperor Star?"
Hu You unveiled a savage, bloodthirsty grin: "I like it. . ."
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