Qingyue, uncertain if she understood Qian Ye’s implication, responded solemnly, “This is the best plan. Either we make do with what we have and replace everything later, or we go all the way from the start. Any compromise in between is a waste. The materials for the Elysium are so exceptional that there might not be another ship like it for a thousand years. Of course, we should build an air fortress of unparalleled quality. Its only rivals will be the flagship ships of those on the Holy Mountain and the Imperial Emperor’s own warship.”
Qian Ye sighed wryly, “What Imperial warship? The power of his flagship might not even match that of a Grand Duke of Evernight’s.”
Qian Ye naturally understood the military structure of the Empire. As the current Emperor rarely led campaigns and his ministers discouraged such action, an overly powerful imperial warship would be a waste. The Emperor’s current ship was merely a modified old battleship, prioritizing luxury and comfort, and had long been retired from the battlefield. The ships left by previous emperors were integrated into the Imperial Guard Fleet.
Unexpectedly, Qingyue said, “I’m not talking about that. I’m referring to the War Emperor’s flagship.”
“War Emperor’s flagship?” Qian Ye was greatly intrigued. There were countless legends about the War Emperor, but none mentioned a legendary flagship.
“Of course, many neutral races’ legends mention the War Emperor’s flagship. It was also made from a Void Leviathan, and the most intriguing claim is that it was still alive. When the War Emperor died, it escaped the Empire’s control and returned to the depths of the void.”
“Why haven’t I heard of this?”
“Rumors say that when the War Emperor was on his deathbed, he ordered it to be released back into the void. After his death, many in the Empire became greedy and tried to control it, which angered it. It went on a rampage, destroying two full fleets before returning to the void. Such a shameful event, and one that violated the War Emperor’s last command, was naturally suppressed by the Empire.”
Qian Ye nodded; the Empire was indeed capable of such things.
However, the conversation had veered off-topic, and they brought it back to the Elysium. Mentioning it, Qingyue’s small face lit up with confidence, strongly advocating her position. In her view, any middle-ground solution was a sheer waste of money.
Qingyue did have a point, and Qian Ye, being an outsider, could not propose any feasible alternatives. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and agree with Qingyue’s plan.
The power sails were just part of it; at least four battleship-grade massive engines were needed for the minimum propulsion. Additionally, for maneuverability, thirty-six auxiliary engines and hundreds of flight attitude adjustment engines had to be installed throughout the Elysium. These were the basic requirements, and according to Qingyue’s calculations, the number would need to double to achieve optimal performance.
Each figure from her mouth felt like a punch from a divine general. When she said “optimal performance,” Qian Ye didn’t need to hear the numbers; he already felt as if Carol had whipped him with a thunderbolt, seeing stars and countless miniature Elysiums flying around.
Life had to go on, and Qian Ye kept reassuring himself until Qingyue finally stopped talking.
Regardless, the Elysium had to be built. Qian Ye had just declared his intention to take Ye Tun to the Holy Mountain. But the figures towering above the Holy Mountain represented not only overwhelming power but also immense influence. Therefore, Qian Ye needed more than just personal strength; he had to build his own forces.
Once completed, the Elysium itself would be a force to be reckoned with.
Qian Ye steadied himself, gathered his thoughts, and discussed the details with Qingyue.
The power system was the first and most fundamental requirement. Qingyue was competent in weapons, but she lacked expertise in hull design, armor, and space distribution. For shipborne weapons, the best would be the empire’s siege-grade ballistae, paired with tracking armor-piercing arrows, which even battleships dared not approach lightly.
But how could such top-tier weapons be easily obtained? Thus, Qian Ye decided to postpone the matter of shipborne weapons.
Discussing specific procurement details, Qingyue suddenly realized her mistake. Such a large quantity was nearly impossible to gather, even if they scoured the entire neutral ground. The only option was to buy all available power sails and place orders with shipyards, waiting for delivery.
Qian Ye breathed a sigh of relief; he truly couldn’t afford to pay several million gold coins all at once.
Fortunately, the Elysium could still fly without power sails, albeit slowly. It could still traverse the void, better than many airships. Adding a power sail would improve its speed.
Next, Qingyue provided several locations where power sails could be acquired, leaving Qian Ye to decide.
Qian Ye immediately recognized a familiar place, and said, “Let’s go here! We’ll head to Nanqing City first.”
“Alright.” Qingyue, naturally, had no objection to Qian Ye’s decision.
Qian Ye thought for a moment, took out the weapons he had confiscated from her, and returned them, saying, “You’ll come with me to Nanqing City. There may be times when you need to act alone. Take these back.”
Qingyue was very surprised. Having her specialized equipment back was like adding wings to a tiger, making her the same Qingyue who could move freely in the earth dragon’s lair. Moreover, her chances of escaping Qian Ye increased significantly. Even if it was in Nanqing City, or in the northern land near the East Sea, she could hide in complex terrain and Qian Ye would likely not find her.
Instead of immediately taking the equipment, Qingyue asked, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll escape?”
“If you escape, so be it. What’s the harm?” Qian Ye replied nonchalantly. He stood up, swept his hand over the picturesque valley, the towering sea cliffs, the boundless plateau, and the majestic mountains in the distance, and said solemnly:
“I want to establish a force, even a nation, right here! The Elysium is just a part of it. I can’t do this alone, so I need people to help me, all kinds of people, many people. You see, this is perhaps the most suitable place for ordinary people in the neutral ground, and it’s vast enough to support millions, tens of millions, or even more. The resources here are sufficient to sustain an independent nation.”
“I don’t know how large the Gao Hu’s ancestral lands are, nor how many Gao Hu people there are. But I believe there’s enough land here for them to thrive. And I will have the strength to protect them in the future. So, I have nothing to worry about regarding you. These designs prove your contribution. If you’re willing to follow me, you won’t leave. If you don’t want to follow me, you’ll find a chance to escape, and forcing you would be pointless.”
Qingyue was speechless, her gaze lowered, not daring to meet Qian Ye’s eyes. She asked softly, “F-follow you?”
“Yes,” Qian Ye nodded.
Qingyue bowed her head even lower, and the noise from her body’s various power engines suddenly increased slightly.
Qian Ye’s gaze had moved beyond the towering sea cliffs, across the endless East Sea, and into the far reaches of the void. He didn’t notice Qingyue’s change, saying, “Of course, this land won’t be for the Gao Hu alone. Other races, if they wish to follow me, can find a place to thrive here. The size and location of their land will depend on their contributions.”
Finally, Qingyue lifted her head, looking directly at Qian Ye, her eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, both stirred and disappointed, and asked, “Why do you want to build this nation?”
“Well… ” Qian Ye paused, then said, “Perhaps to give the humans here a nation of their own, free from the oppression of other races.”
“Isn’t the leader of the neutral ground’s humans Zhang Bushou?”
“Him? What kind of leader is he!” Qian Ye sneered, “He only cares about his own cultivation, disregarding the fate of the humans. In his own territory, do the humans enjoy equal status with other races? A mere Wolf King dared to collaborate with outsiders, slaughtering humans and building blood altars. Such a leader, what use is he?”
Qingyue didn’t know how to respond, only sighing, “Perhaps you’re right, but I must remind you that if you begin to relocate humans to the northern land, it will inevitably provoke Zhang Bushou. He has long claimed that all humans in the neutral ground are under his protection. This means, as I’m sure you understand, that anyone who targets the humans is meddling in Zhang Bushou’s affairs.”
Qian Ye nodded, “This isn’t urgent, at least not now. But…”
Qingyue finished for him, “But this cannot be changed, right?”
“Clever,” Qian Ye praised.
Qingyue sighed, giving up on persuasion. However, she didn’t know that Qian Ye’s gaze was actually fixed on the distant, mighty mountain, overseeing the world. That was the Holy Mountain, the Holy Mountain of the entire Evernight world, where every figure towered so large, their shadows casting a long, enduring darkness over the world.
To reach the Holy Mountain, Qian Ye must build a nation of his own, using its full strength to defeat all rivals. If he couldn’t even overcome Zhang Bushou, how could he hope to ascend the Holy Mountain?
This could be called a dream, or more aptly, a fantasy or delusion. Yet, Qian Ye didn’t mind holding onto this and paying the price. Who knew, maybe one day, this dream would come true?
At this moment, for some reason, Qian Ye thought of his comrades from the imperial era. He remembered the drunken boasting of Song Qiugong, “Let’s fight together and build a great nation.”
Little did he expect that, after the twists and turns of time and fate, the one who would first tread this path would be Qian Ye, who initially desired nothing.
He wondered if his former brothers were still well.
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