This was a peculiar world, rich in the Force of Dawn yet scarce in the Dark Force, with an abundance of chaotic force in between. According to Qian Ye’s knowledge, such a scenario shouldn’t exist.
The Dark Force was the foundation of the world, the soil and cornerstone that formed it, so its dominance was the norm. The Force of Dawn, on the other hand, was too intense. If a world were predominantly made of the Force of Dawn, it would be a world of light and fire, incapable of sustaining any life.
Yet, the world before Qian Ye not only existed but was also remarkably stable. The creatures here seemed to have found ways to adapt to their environment.
The only seemingly less favorable aspect of this world was its barrenness.
As he pondered, Qian Ye inadvertently kicked a stone. The fist-sized rock tumbled down the slope. Qian Ye watched it roll away, and suddenly, a flash of dark golden light caught his eye.
Moved by a sudden thought, Qian Ye’s figure flickered, and he appeared at the base of the hill, picking up the stone. The stone looked ordinary, speckled with dark golden spots, somewhat like cut metal.
Qian Ye took out the Dongyue sword and cleaved the stone in two. The cross-section revealed the same speckles.
This was likely a type of dark golden sandstone, which could be refined into several rare metals, essential components for high-performance alloys. The price of dark golden sandstone was always astronomical, more expensive than gold by weight, and this was just for the raw ore. Qian Ye tossed the ore in his hand, then casually picked up another stone, which turned out to be dark golden sandstone as well.
In a small area around him, Qian Ye found five or six pieces of dark golden sandstone. It seemed there might be even more ore scattered throughout the entire wasteland. Some of the stones were unfamiliar to Qian Ye, but the metallic sheen in their patterns suggested they might be some kind of ore, not just ordinary rock. These never-before-seen minerals might be worthless, but they could also be incredibly valuable.
Qian Ye straightened up and gazed into the distance. He no longer felt that this peculiar world was barren. Beneath every unconventional surface lay endless possibilities.
A new world meant boundless opportunities. Qian Ye thought deeper. For centuries, the Great Emperors had been exploring the void, with little progress. Even the three Holy Mountains of the Eternal Night Council seemed to have made few gains. For these top-tier powerhouses, the allure of uncovering the mysteries of the world’s origins was no less than the struggle for power.
However, exploring the outside world was not easy. Everyone could see the asteroid belt at the top of the world, but the catastrophic fall of the Hollow Star and the natural disasters that shattered continents had repeatedly shown the insignificance of life.
The Great Vortex was the best sample, but it was fraught with dangers and restrictions. The risk of entering it for the Great Emperors was high. Qian Ye had once entered the core himself and understood the perils. Back then, his strength was still ordinary and did not attract the attention of the powerful beings. But for a Great Emperor, it would be a different story.
An elephant would not notice an ant, but if a lion approached, it would immediately be enraged.
The appearance of this new world provided a fresh opportunity for the strong to explore beyond the Eternal Night. Qian Ye was also eager to understand how this world, which defied basic principles, functioned.
Qian Ye looked into the distance, deciding not to venture further. Instead, he explored the surrounding area, confirming that it was a region rich in dark golden sandstone. He gathered a pile of the sandstone and placed it in Andua’s space, then returned to the Eternal Night with Esca and Xu Jingxuan.
As soon as they left the foggy area, Qian Ye boarded a high-speed escort ship and headed for the city of Liaocheng in the Kingdom of Zheng. That city and the floating island of Xudong had become a gathering place for the great families. To discuss transactions, going there was the most convenient.
Not long after Qian Ye set out, the Hall of Heroes rose from the Northern Land, slowly turning in the air, pointing towards the Wall Land.
The current Hall of Heroes was vastly different from before. Its hull was now fully enclosed, covered with armor plates, and bristling with cannons on both sides. Although it didn’t reach Qian Ye’s ideal of one hundred main battle cannons on each side, in terms of quantity, it already surpassed the Empire’s war motherships.
Key areas of the dragon ship were covered with reinforced armor, and the tail was equipped with spiked steel armor for both offense and defense. The power sails on the back, though not fully assembled, were about sixty percent complete, and nearly ten high-power propulsion engines gave the dragon ship considerable speed. At the very least, it was much faster than a cargo ship.
The newly modified dragon ship was imposing, and the work required was astonishing. The original promise of three days by Qing Yue was far from enough, and it took several additional days to barely finish.
After the completion of the Hall of Heroes, it would head to the Wall Land to guard the “Gate.” With the Hall of Heroes’ powerful firepower, plus Carol’s presence, and the support of several hundred thousand troops, Qian Ye could leave the Gifted Land with peace of mind.
The massive dragon ship slowly flew out of the Northern Land and into the Eastern Sea. High above the sea, deep in the ocean, a pair of indescribable eyes suddenly opened, fixing their gaze on the Hall of Heroes. The dragon ship seemed to sense something, shuddering and coming to a halt.
The dragon lowered its head, looking at the sea. The two colossal entities locked eyes for a few seconds, seemingly exchanging something, and then the mysterious eyes under the sea closed, while the dragon ship continued its journey to the Wall Land.
News of Qian Ye’s return spread quickly through Liaocheng. This was originally the heavy industry base for smelting and forging in the Kingdom of Zheng, so the various great families chose it as their base rather than the military stronghold of the Western Frontier.
Many of the devices for extracting raw ore were large and heavy, making it impractical to transport them from the Empire’s mainland. The best solution was to produce them locally. Therefore, the first task of the technical teams sent by the great families was to inspect the existing workshops and equipment in Liaocheng and determine what modifications were needed.
Those heading to the Xudong floating island were mostly exploration teams, given the potential for rare minerals in the natural environment there.
Upon arriving in Liaocheng, Qian Ye immediately convened the heads of the various great families. Soon, over a dozen representatives were all present, seated in the meeting room.
Qian Ye was the last to enter the meeting room, starting directly, “Gentlemen, I have brought some good news to share with you.”
He didn’t keep them waiting, placing a piece of raw ore on the table.
“Dark golden sandstone!” There was a chorus of exclamations as the ore was revealed.
The experienced stewards of the great families, who had long dealt with such matters, were far more knowledgeable than Qian Ye. Qian Ye could only recognize a few distinctive features, but the stewards could often identify the type and composition of the ore with just a glance.
The ore was passed around, and finally, an old man, stroking his long beard, said, “This dark golden sandstone is of the highest quality I’ve ever seen. If my assessment is correct, the amount of metal extracted from this ore will be double that of ordinary ore.”
The old man was a renowned mineral expert, and his words were met with no skepticism. The attendees put down the ore and turned their eager gazes to Qian Ye.
Qian Ye brought two boxes, placing them on the table and opening them before everyone. The moment the lids were lifted, the room erupted. The boxes were filled with dark golden sandstone ore!
Each box was worth a division’s worth of equipment.
“Before we came to the Wall Land, each family showed their sincerity and provided us with crucial support. As a token of our appreciation, we will distribute this ore according to your contributions and efforts.”
Everyone’s spirits lifted. The support and funding from the great families for Qian Ye’s expansion were a common form of investment. When Qian Ye’s dominance was established, rewards would be distributed based on the initial contributions.
Most of the attendees represented medium and small families, investing in Qian Ye for future benefits, hoping to build a relationship with this immensely potent powerhouse, not expecting immediate returns.
Unexpectedly, they received their return before they even settled in. A box of ore, divided among them, was neither abundant nor scarce, but the value of such rare ore couldn’t be measured in mere gold. More importantly, it indicated that Qian Ye likely controlled a vein of the ore.
Once the excitement died down, Qian Ye continued, “These are trying times. I must face a major conflict. We are in dire need of armaments and uniforms. I hope you can help. This box of ore is a down payment; once the equipment arrives, more ore will follow.”
His words were even more invigorating. Someone asked tentatively, “Lord, how much more ore will there be?”
Qian Ye smiled, “Rest assured, it won’t be little.”
That was enough. Each person began to calculate the resources they could provide and listed the equipment. Qian Ye carefully reviewed the lists, requesting more of some items and removing others.
By dinner time, the lists were finalized, totaling enough equipment to arm fifty thousand warriors. The werewolf standards in the Emerald Sea were much lower than those of the Empire, requiring only a few plates to protect vital areas. One set of imperial standard armor could be refitted for three werewolves.
The equipment was available immediately, and if given more time, the families could provide even more. Several families offered to open new workshops specifically to supply Qian Ye with equipment.
The enthusiastic response exceeded Qian Ye’s expectations, indicating that the value of the dark golden sandstone was even higher than he estimated. Showing them the immediate return acted as a stimulant, encouraging them to invest more.
It would take some time for the equipment to arrive. Fortunately, Qian Ye already had a large number of trained and armed werewolves, temporarily alleviating the shortage of troops. The combined forces of the great families were distributed along the defensive line from the Western Frontier to Liaocheng, ensuring stability. The Zheng army, though large, was no match for the elite private armies of the great families. Fifteen thousand private troops would suffice to repel a Zheng force of a hundred thousand.
With the new equipment sorted, Qian Ye prepared to return to the front. Although he had confirmed that there was no immediate threat from new beasts, he wasn’t entirely confident. The rules of this new world were strange, and the source of the beasts was unknown. They might appear at any time, demanding vigilance.
Just as Qian Ye was about to leave, a close aide rushed in, saying, “Lord, urgent news from the Empire!”
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