All present turned pale, and the red-faced elder slapped the table and stood up, shouting, “Qian Ye, you always push things to the limit. Are you not afraid of making enemies with the entire East Sea?”
“If the entire East Sea must be my enemy, then I will fight them,” Qian Ye responded calmly.
The elder of the Xue family also appeared displeased, saying, “Lord Qian Ye, are you here for cooperation or to establish dominance?”
Qian Ye let out a cold laugh, his eyes clearly reflecting the figures of everyone in the room, and declared loudly, “You’re right, I’m here to establish dominance!”
Before he finished speaking, everyone suddenly felt their bodies tighten as if they were enveloped by a thick, resilient spider web, making it hard even to lift a hand. In the midst of their shock, a flash of red light filled the room, and the surnamed Tian elder’s face was a mix of shock and anger, clutching his chest and slowly collapsing. No one in the room saw how Qian Ye had acted.
Only after the body of the Tian elder fell did the others wake up from their stupor, quickly gathering their original force to create protective barriers, on high alert. Qian Ye, however, sat back down, calmly saying, “Young Master Tian plotted to intercept our caravan, so I killed him. The young master’s actions naturally implicate the Tian family, and the one who just came to me is simply courting death. However, if none of you have any sinister plots against us, there’s no need to be tense. Moreover, I am merely a mere thirteenth-level cultivator; surely, in your eyes, I am nothing. Why be so cautious?”
The elders’ faces alternated between green and white, unsure whether to sit down or remain on guard. Many thought, with sarcasm, how could you claim to be a thirteenth-level cultivator? The Tian family head was also a thirteenth-level cultivator, yet he was instantly killed without a chance to retaliate.
Xue elder, however, maintained his composure, saying, “Someone, carry the Tian family head away and do your best to save him.”
In reality, everyone knew that the Tian family head’s life had already been extinguished, but no one spoke of it. Two attendants came in and hastily carried the body away. Xue elder sat down first, saying, “Since Lord Qian Ye is here to establish dominance, we might as well broaden our horizons and have a reason to submit. It would be easier to explain to those reckless youngsters once we return.”
His words were cleverly worded, and Qian Ye nodded, saying, “Since Elder Xue puts it this way, I won’t beat around the bush. Zining brought some small gifts for everyone. You may take a look.”
Qian Ye flipped his hand, and a suitcase appeared.
A commotion stirred in the room. Spatial equipment was invaluable anywhere. Most of the families in Guanlan City had never even seen such things. Two individuals immediately showed signs of covetousness. However, since Elder Xue was friendly with both, he subtly projected two strands of original force, jabbing them as a reminder.
The two elders shivered, recovering from their greed, seeing Qian Ye’s ambiguous smile, and their hearts chilled. They quickly averted their gaze. Realizing their greed, they understood that Qian Ye revealing the spatial equipment was a test, and he was not afraid of anyone trying to seize it. Even the Wolf King, who personally pursued Qian Ye, could not capture him and returned severely injured. How could they compare to the Wolf King?
Seeing everyone sitting solemnly, Qian Ye finally opened the suitcase, revealing several silver mechanical parts.
Among the attendees, all were either family heads or elders, well-versed in many things. The parts Qian Ye displayed were not extraordinary, being common components of warship engines. Though crucial, they were standard designs, and their usage was obvious at a glance.
These parts were not rare and could even be manufactured in the neutral zone. All present, including Xue Wu, were puzzled about why Qian Ye had brought these parts so formally. A few exchanged glances, each picking up a part and examining it closely.
They all had keen eyes, and upon closer inspection, some changed their expressions. These parts were not special in design, but the craftsmanship was impeccable. Such a smooth, mirror-like surface on an engine part was rarely seen, perhaps only on high-grade original force guns.
One elder said slowly, “These parts are indeed well-made, but our families are not entirely incapable of replicating them. I beg your pardon, Lord Qian Ye, but it seems insufficient to establish dominance with these.”
Qian Ye smiled faintly, producing a bright silver sphere and placing it on the table, saying, “I think it is enough. Please take a look at this.”
The elders passed the silver sphere around, but its purpose was unclear. It seemed to be made of the same material as the other parts, but the workmanship was slightly inferior. This object, less impressive than the parts, left them wondering about its use.
Xue Wu, bold and meticulous, noticed the sphere wasn’t as valuable and used about fifty percent of his strength to squeeze it. Despite his effort, the sphere remained unchanged, leaving no mark.
Xue Wu was startled, and the other elders and family heads noticed his change in expression, looking over.
Xue Wu took a deep breath, emitting a heavy exhale, and exerted all his strength. The silver sphere softened slightly, indenting with finger marks. Yet, Xue Wu’s strength was exhausted, unable to press further. He exhaled a hot, murky breath, his face turning red, and placed the sphere on the table.
Seeing Xue Wu’s state, the others realized he had used all his strength and looked at the sphere. They were all shocked.
Aside from the five finger marks, the sphere was unchanged, remaining perfectly round. The crowd was deeply shocked. Xue Wu’s strength surpassed most family elders and even some family heads. His full-force grip was ineffective against the silver sphere?
They finally realized the true mystery lay in the material.
Elder Xue picked up the sphere, carefully examining it, and squeezed it, adding more force until his face turned red, leaving five shallower marks. He sighed, “Shame, shame.”
He handed the sphere to the red-faced elder, saying, “Brother Du Yun, why don’t you try?”
The red-faced elder declined, saying, “My strength is lacking, I shouldn’t embarrass myself.”
Seeing Xue Wu and Elder Xue’s examples, others knew their limits. Those with sufficient combat power tried, while weaker ones declined. A minor family head left deeper marks than Xue Wu.
After leaving his mark, the family head placed the sphere before Qian Ye, saying, “Lord Qian Ye, this is indeed a good item. We’ve never seen such a material. But given its toughness, how can it be processed?”
This question was critical. The neutral zone’s machinery industry was not advanced, but it could produce a few precision parts through the hands of strong cultivators. Like Qian Ye, who melted metal with original force, shaped it, and finished the surface. This method could theoretically produce any part, but it required significant original force, limiting high-end production. True top-tier parts took months to complete.
Most in the room were helpless against the sphere. Only the Xue family and the family head could process this alloy, but it required daily melting over multiple days.
In other words, with Guanlan City’s current strength, they couldn’t process this alloy.
Qian Ye took the sphere, igniting carmine gold flames, and casually reshaped it, covering it with original force flames to make it mirror-smooth, erasing all finger marks.
With a clang, Qian Ye placed the sphere on the table, and the room fell silent.
Through the sphere, they understood the true gap between them and Qian Ye. With physical strength alone, Qian Ye could dominate. His carmine gold original force flame was terrifying; if it touched their shields, they might not last long. Once burned, they’d leave no bones.
Qian Ye pointed to the sphere, smiling, “In Dark Flame, we don’t need me to process this. We have our methods. If you examine closely, you’ll see these parts are made of the same material.”
Elder Xue, taken aback, asked, “Your Excellency means you can mass-produce this?”
“Of course, if not, what’s the point of bringing these?”
Elder Xue pondered, then asked, “This alloy isn’t easily melted. Do you have a formula for mass-producing these parts?”
“You are insightful, Elder.”
Elder Xue tentatively asked, “What price must our families pay for the formula?”
Qian Ye didn’t answer, merely looking at Elder Xue. Under his gaze, Elder Xue’s face turned from white to red, then purple.
The red-faced elder, annoyed, shouted, “If you want something, just say it! What’s the point of being vague?”
Qian Ye still didn’t answer, but a dark, heavy sword appeared in his hand, resting on the red-faced elder’s shoulder, unsheathed.
The red-faced elder felt an overwhelming force, using both hands to support the sword, but the pressure was too much, turning his face purple, with blood trapped in his chest, unable to spit it out.
With a thud, the red-faced elder fell to his knees. The floor, covered in original force, prevented him from breaking through to the lower level.
Throughout, the red-faced elder could not hold for three seconds.
Qian Ye then said indifferently, “Even combined, all the families in Guanlan City are not worth this formula. If you still hold yourselves in such high regard, there is nothing more to discuss.”
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