"I —"
Li Yao's eyes glanced at the faces of the Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators and the Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators, observing their complicated and mysterious expressions. After rolling his eyes for a long time, he finally made up his mind and shook his head slowly. "I … I don't know. Joining the Imperium of True Human Beings seems to be a must. However, I feel that we shouldn't reach a consensus so quickly because of the importance of the matter!"
"Even though the Imperium can offer us thousands of benefits and techniques, it seems that we should consider carefully whether or not we have any other options. However absurd and unworkable the options may seem, we should discuss them with each other!
"After all, we are certainly not the first Sector that has chosen to surrender to the Imperium of True Human Beings. The Imperium certainly has a lot of methods to restrain the local forces since it has stood in the sea of stars for a thousand years. It is not something that we can rebel against easily!
"It is easier to invite a devil than to send it away. Joining the Imperium is easy. Perhaps there will be very favorable conditions at the beginning, but as we slowly fall into the trap, it will be almost impossible for us to get out of it. What do you think, fellow Cultivators?"
Meng Chixin nodded quickly. "You do have a point, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture. It is true that we cannot regard the Immortal Cultivators of the Imperium of True Human Beings as idiots who can be fooled and toyed with easily. We must consider them the most sordid, cunning, cruel, and terrifying opponents!
"I don't think that winning the autonomy of the Ancient Sages Sector will be as easy as Heiye Lan described. I'm afraid that 'surrender and then rebel' will not be easy, either! One moment of carelessness, and the Ancient Sages Sector will be swallowed by the Black Wind Fleet without leaving any residue. Such a miscellaneous army being swallowed by an ace army is nothing unusual in any dynasty or place!
"It is rare for you to have such insight, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture. You have given us a reminder.
"However, speaking of which, it is not that we have not foreseen the horror of the Imperium, but just like Fellow Cultivator Wang said, the expedition army of the Imperium is approaching us, and we are unable to resist them at all. What should we do if we do not lower our heads? Do we really have to fight a bloody battle to the end?"
"Fighting a bloody battle to the end when we are surrounded by a lone army is nothing but suicide. Of course, it is too reckless."
Li Yao gritted his teeth and finally said, "But that doesn't mean that we don't have any allies. Why didn't anyone think about the Xing Yao Federation?"
"Federation?"
The Yuanying and Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Is it the tiny country at the edge of the cosmos that Heiye Lan mentioned?" Wan Mingzhu asked anxiously. If Heiye Lan was telling the truth, the Black Wind Fleet was currently marching toward the Xing Yao Federation. Even though the war had not started yet, they would arrive in three to five years at most! This small country by the border was like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river. It could barely protect itself and was on the brink of destruction! It's not like we can refuse such a behemoth as the Imperium of True Human Beings and join an unknown, perilous country, right? "
Emotionlessly, Li Yao pretended that he was not involved in the matter and analyzed calmly. "The Xing Yao Federation is not necessarily as unbearable as Heiye Lan described. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to crush Heiye Lan's fleet and force her to flee to the depths of the dark nebula."
Wan Mingzhu sniffed and said, "Didn't Heiye Lan tell us that it was just an insignificant 'claw fleet' that equaled to a squad of scouts? Is it a big deal to lose a squad of scouts before a great battle?" "That's right. That's right.
"Please calm down, Fellow Cultivator Wan," Meng Chixin said calmly. "Didn't we agree that we should speak freely?
"Since Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture proposed the option of 'Xing Yao Federation', he must have his reasons. Why don't we wait for Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture to tell us what he has been thinking for a long time? We can study it later."
"I can't say that I have been thinking for a long time. I've just been considering the logic."
Li Yao narrowed his eyes and said cautiously, "The Imperium of True Human Beings has at least two hundred Sectors. It won't make much difference whether we are included or not. Even if we join them sincerely, we will only be 'icing on the cake' for the Imperium. Will the Imperium really think highly of us and grant us the most powerful magical equipment and techniques?
"Let's be honest here. In the eyes of the leadership of the Imperium of True Human Beings, which is far away in the court of the Empyreal Terminus Sector, the Ancient Sages Sector is nothing more than a dog that is wagging its tail and begging for mercy. When they are happy, they will reward us with some leftovers. When they are not happy, they will kick us. When they are hungry, they will butcher and swallow us. That's the whole story!
"Even if we are not exactly invincible, we are still the dominators of the Ancient Sages Sector who do whatever we want. Are we really going to be somebody's lackeys in such a hurry?" "That's right," Li Yao said coldly. "You are right.
BAM!
Qi Changsheng slapped the table hard and said solemnly, "Why do you say that, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture? If we have a choice, who would be willing to be somebody else's lackey? Isn't this the same as being driven into a corner with no other choice? "
"That's why I'm considering whether or not the Xing Yao Federation can be another option," Li Yao said solemnly.
"Think about it, everybody. If what Heiye Lan said is true, the Xing Yao Federation is just a small country at the edge of the cosmos. It only has a couple of Sectors at most. Also, it is faced with the formidable expedition army of the Imperium right now. It is in dire need of strong reinforcements from all sides!
"Joining the Imperium will be icing on the cake. If — if we join the Xing Yao Federation at such a moment, we will be providing timely help!
"Icing on the cake and timely help. It is self-evident which is more important!
"Also, if we join the Imperium, we will only be one of the hundreds of Sectors, and one of the weaker ones. We will not have any say at all. We can only wag our tails and be at the mercy of somebody else!
"However, the Xing Yao Federation can't control more than ten Sectors. If we join it, it is very likely that we will be one of the 'five giants' or 'six giants'. With the Nuwa warship and so many Colossi, we will even become a force of great importance within the Federation. Not only will we be able to maintain the independence and autonomy of the Ancient Sages Sector, we will even have a chance to influence and control the overall situation of the Xing Yao Federation!
"Is such a future not tempting at all? Is it not worth our consideration?"
Li Yao's words raised a lot of whispers among the Yuanying.
However, they were not fooled by him.
Because the Yuanying and the Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivators were not idiots. They had thought of everything that Li Yao had thought of.
"You do have a point, Fellow Cultivator Spiritual Vulture," Han Baling said solemnly. "It is true that we will have more say if we join the Xing Yao Federation than if we join the Imperium of True Human Beings. Chances are that we will be able to take control of the Federation one day!
"However, the Xing Yao Federation is in peril right now. It is about to be destroyed by the Black Wind Fleet. What do you say about that?
"An expedition is a taboo for any military strategist. Who can guarantee that the Black Wind Fleet will defeat the Xing Yao Federation?"
Li Yao sniffed. "In the Ancient Sages Sector, a war that lasts only a few months is already not very tiring. Even the strongest army will be defeated by the locals who are not strong in the first place after a year and a half of fighting in the desolate, desolate land!" "That's right.
"The Black Wind Fleet, on the other hand, has been trekking in the sea of stars for a hundred years. A hundred years! Who can guarantee that they will definitely defeat the Xing Yao Federation without being crushed by the 'locals' at the edge of the cosmos?
"Fellow Cultivator Han, in the eyes of the people from the central plateaus, you and I are both such 'locals'. You should know better than anybody else how the war between the 'locals' and the 'emperor's army' should be fought, right?
"If we join the Imperium excitedly right now, and the Black Wind Fleet is crushed by the Xing Yao Federation in the end, won't we be in a dilemma?"
Lost for words, Han Baling was deep in thought. A moment later, he shook his head and said, "Even if the Black Wind Fleet is defeated, the Imperium still has hundreds of Sectors and countless fleets that can be sent over!"
"Exactly."
Li Yao smiled bitterly. "It's true that the Imperium of True Human Beings can send over a second fleet, but who can guarantee that the infuriated Federation will not destroy the Ancient Sages Sector before the second fleet arrives and destroys the Xing Yao Federation?
"Besides, for the Imperium of True Human Beings, the Xing Yao Federation is nothing more than a scabies. Their greatest concern is still the Alliance of the Holy Covenant! Maybe, when the war in the frontline is urgent, they will leave the 'scabies' behind for thirty to fifty years or even longer.
"Thirty to fifty years is more than enough for the Xing Yao Federation to destroy the Ancient Sages Sector dozens of times!
"Therefore, not only do we have to see the strength of the Imperium and the weakness of the Federation, we also have to see that the Imperium is too far away from us, and we are right under the nose of the Federation!
"You can run away, but you can't run away. The Black Wind Fleet can retreat if it fails, but can the Ancient Sages Sector grow wings and fly all the way to the heartland of the Imperium?"
Li Yao's words raised an even more heated discussion.
"Yes," someone said. "We have to consider the possibility that the Xing Yao Federation will attack the Ancient Sages Sector after resisting the Black Wind Fleet for now. Let's be honest here. Even if the Xing Yao Federation cannot defeat the Imperium of True Human Beings, can't it destroy the Ancient Sages Sector?"
"That may be the case," another person said, "but we don't know the first thing about the Xing Yao Federation. How can we know how developed the 'remote country' has become and whether or not it is necessary for us to provide timely assistance? If they are too weak to support us, we might as well hit them when they are down instead of providing timely assistance! "
"Then, what should we do?" someone asked in a hurry. "As for the Imperium of True Human Beings, we have captured Heiye Lan and interrogated her. But what about the Xing Yao Federation? Where are we going to capture a scout of the Federation, hypnotize him, interrogate him, cut him into pieces, and exploit everything in his head? It's safer to join the Imperium! "
Just as everyone was discussing and unable to come to a conclusion, a steady and rhythmic knocking sound rang out from one side of the metal dining table.
Du! Du! Du! Du!
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