Chapter 1754: Chapter 6: The Dispute of Exploration and Emperor Wu’s Request for Aid (Part 3)
"However, what exactly is going on here?"
King Shenluo gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, it’s the Carlos Family of the Empire! The forces they control ambushed us."
"We must avenge this! The loss of Great Zhou’s Thirty-Six Star Cities cannot be in vain!"
Long Xiao’s eyes were red as he said, "Your Majesty, the despicable Carlos Family set up an ambush... Your Majesty, let’s immediately gather our troops and strike back!"
On his back was a medical pod, inside which lay Xia Jing, who had only half of his body remaining.
Behind Lu Ying was a spherical medical pod, inside which lay Fate Officer Ji Si.
Ji Che looked at the key ministers and military officers of Great Zhou, all calling for revenge, but some remained silent, like Lu Ying, one of the Ministers of Agriculture, Ling Tianchen, and Chen Shijie.
Ji Che took a deep breath, "We must have revenge, but the priority is to treat the wounded."
"Cui Chengzhi, Li Fuhai, first count the injured and take them for treatment."
Great Zhou’s Chief Medical Officer and Great Medical Order immediately took over the medical pods.
The group returned to their residence inside the Star Pass, where Emperor Wu finally summoned the survivors for detailed questioning.
An hour later, Ji Che said with a sullen expression, "Lu Ying, are you sure the Carlos Family ambushed our territory?"
"Your Majesty, absolutely. The forces ambushing us belong to the Carlos Family’s control," Lu Ying said.
"Did you reveal your identity?" Ji Che continued to ask. Exploration beyond the Empire’s borders was very popular; there were many engaging in interstellar navigation, not just Great Zhou alone. Typically, internal forces of the Empire would not kill each other, unless the stakes were too high or the power disparity too great, with no fear of offending the other.
Although Great Zhou’s forces are not vast, in terms of backing, Liu Tianning has taken Lord Qianhua as his master, and Zhao Xing has entered the Primordial Realm and taken a Demigod as his master.
"Yes." Lu Ying said, "After Mr. Ji discovered the opponent’s details, he immediately used the Great Divine Power Life Soul Wheel to shout at the opponent’s leader."
"Mr. Ji mentioned Lord Qianhua, who backs Liu Tianning, and the opponent did not react. He then mentioned the name of the Grand Minister of Agriculture, but the opponent launched an even more severe and rapid attack."
Ji Che frowned tightly: "It seems that Big Brother’s name didn’t fail to intimidate, but rather the stakes were too high and had the opposite effect..."
Sweeping through thirty-six Star Cities in one go clearly indicates an intention to silence; otherwise, they would’ve just robbed and run."
"The Carlos Family... I wonder what on our territory has caught their eye."
The Carlos Family is a very powerful and renowned first-rate force within the Empire.
Ji Che thought pragmatically; now that Great Zhou has offended the Carlos Family, would external disputes extend domestically, impacting Great Zhou’s internal development?
"You may leave now." Ji Che dismissed everyone, pondering quietly alone.
Eventually, he took out the Star Realm and sent the information to the distant Primordial Realm.
...
Within the Primordial Realm, in the [Hundred Feet Void] area.
A white flying boat drifted in the void, seemingly about to be engulfed by the turbulent void currents at any moment.
Zhao Xing maneuvered the flying boat while casting spells, continuously resisting the crushing forces of the void currents from all directions.
"Buzz~"
A wave formed of pure void energy slammed in, causing Zhao Xing to feel his World Technique compressed back into the body of the boat.
"Not good!"
Golden light flared from the outer edge of the white boat.
The next moment, Zhao Xing, unable to resist, appeared directly outside the entrance of the Hundred Feet Void.
At the edge of the deep black hole, Zhao Xing glanced at the Star Realm.
[Seaweed-level member Zhao Xing, you persisted for three quarters of an hour at the second void layer of the Hundred Feet Void, setting a new record. You have earned an additional 150,000 points.]
"Three quarters of an hour, not bad." Zhao Xing nodded with satisfaction.
The Hundred Feet Void is also a popular place to "level up," but last time, with Emperor Chen Jiu’s protection, he went directly to the third layer for enlightenment.
Now relying solely on himself, he could only reach the second layer.
"After refining the First Layer of my Hun Yuan Realm, using World Technique to resist void currents, the proficiency of Yin Yang Boundary is continuously increasing. Once Yin Yang Boundary reaches Great Divine Power Fourth Rank, I can try entering the third layer of the Dao Display Layer."
Zhao Xing stayed on the boat, beginning to digest his recent gains.
Suddenly—
The Star Mirror began to tremble violently.
"Hmm?"
Zhao Xing’s expression changed slightly.
"It’s Ji Che’s emergency communication."
Zhao Xing intended to absorb nutrients quietly in the Primordial Realm, so he categorized communications on the Star Mirror by urgency. Generally, during cultivation, he blocked all social interactions and received no messages. Only a few people had the privilege of "emergency communication" with him, able to bypass the block.
Emperor Wu, Ji Si, Liu Tianning, and Cloud Sky Dao all have such privileges.
Since granting Emperor Wu this privilege, it has never been used by him.
A sense of foreboding rose in Zhao Xing’s heart, and he immediately opened the Star Mirror.
"Buzz~"
Ji Che’s phantom appeared before him.
"Big Brother, Great Zhou is in trouble."
"Fifth Brother, could it be that something happened to Great Zhou during the external exploration?" Zhao Xing asked.
When he returned to Great Zhou from Erliang Slope, Emperor Wu had already taken people to Star Pass in the northwest of the Empire to explore beyond its borders, and now it’s been almost four hundred years.
Since entering the Primordial Realm, the likelihood of major trouble occurring in Great Zhou within the Beihai Star System was slim. The only possibility was stemming from the exploration itself.
"Yes." Ji Che sighed, "I didn’t want to disturb Big Brother’s cultivation, but in our external development, we offended a first-rate force of the Empire, the Carlos Family."
"What, the Carlos Family?" Zhao Xing’s heart sank. "What exactly is going on?"
