Chapter 634: Li Xuangang

"Over the past few days, Great Liang has also gathered a vast amount of intelligence on the Star Yuan Federation. We know their Martial Arts System is extremely unique; they cultivate a spiritual product known as a ’Heart Image.’

"In today’s battle, Xu Wuyi didn’t even truly reveal his Heart Image, which shows he was still holding back with effortless ease."

Zhou Chen lowered his eyes.

"Fifty percent strength, twenty-three years old, holding back with effortless ease, the greatest genius of the Star Yuan Federation in a century..."

He silently repeated these words in his mind.

"Is this what an expert from a superior civilization is like?"

The tent fell silent once again.

Xiao Pojun finally spoke.

"State Preceptor," his voice was deep. "Is that Outlander truly that powerful?"

Li Xuangang looked at him.

"Marshal Xiao, what you wish to ask about isn’t the Outlander."

Xiao Pojun remained silent.

Li Xuangang continued, "What you really want to know is the outcome if Great Liang were to go to war with the Star Yuan Federation."

Xiao Pojun did not deny it.

Li Xuangang let out a soft sigh. Leaning on his cane, he slowly stood up. The gaze of everyone in the tent fell upon him. The eighty-seven-year-old elder had a hunched back, his grizzled beard trembling slightly in the candlelight. He steadied himself and began to speak.

"Today, I met a Sword Dao Grandmaster from the Star Yuan Federation."

The expressions of everyone in the tent tightened.

A Sword Dao Grandmaster.

For the State Preceptor to specifically bring this up, and in such a tone...

"The man called himself Lin Jianyi," Li Xuangang said. He paused for a moment. "Before him, I couldn’t last even a single breath."

Silence filled the tent. A deathly silence.

Xiao Pojun’s expression drastically changed. Song Wenyuan’s hand slipped from his beard, freezing in mid-air. Zhou Chen snapped his head up, staring at the State Preceptor in sheer disbelief.

Couldn’t last a single breath.

For these words to come from Li Xuangang’s mouth carried far too much weight—so much weight that no one dared to thoughtlessly ask for clarification.

Li Xuangang observed their reactions but offered no immediate explanation. Instead, he simply continued.

"The Star Yuan Federation claims to have a hundred Martial Saints.

"I originally thought this was an exaggeration.

"However, after meeting Grandmaster Lin today, I believe...

"Their claim of exactly one hundred may not be true.

"But their number of Martial Saints is undoubtedly far greater than that of our Great Liang.

"Furthermore, the Realm of their absolute top experts is beyond the reach of anyone in Great Liang."

He looked toward Xiao Pojun. "Marshal Xiao, you are a Martial Saint, and I am also a Martial Saint. But the kind of Martial Saint we are, and the kind of Martial Saint Grandmaster Lin is, are fundamentally not the same."

Xiao Pojun did not reply. He gripped the armrests of his chair so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Li Xuangang withdrew his gaze and turned toward Zhou Chen.

"Your Highness, it is no disgrace that you lost to that Outlander today." His voice suddenly grew much gentler. "In the Star Yuan Federation, that Outlander is their greatest genius in a century.

"In Great Liang, Your Highness is likewise the one with the most hope of becoming a Martial Saint in the Royal Family’s thousand-year history.

"What you lost to was not talent, nor effort, nor even martial lineage.

"You lost to the underlying foundation of an entire civilization."

Zhou Chen listened in silence.

Li Xuangang went on, "The Star Yuan Federation has already formed a complete system for cultivating Martial Saints.

"They know how to filter geniuses from tens of millions of people, how to cultivate them in the most effective manner, and how to make their youth experience the right battles at the right age.

"This is not something that can be achieved overnight.

"This is the accumulation of several generations, perhaps even dozens of generations."

He looked out at the deepening night outside the tent.

"Great Liang was founded six hundred years ago, and our Martial Saint lineage has never been severed. But our method of cultivation remains stuck in the phase of ’master passing it down to disciple.’

"One teacher will, at most, raise three to five disciples in their lifetime.

"But the Star Yuan Federation...

"They have places called ’universities,’ which recruit thousands of disciples every year and train them all simultaneously.

"The most talented among them will reach the Innate Level of our Great Liang within four years.

"Then, they will enter the military and experience real combat on the frontlines.

"Those who survive become Quasi-Grandmasters, and from those Quasi-Grandmasters, Martial Saints are born."

He pulled his gaze back and looked at the crowd inside the tent. "This is the disparity.

"It is not a disparity between individuals, but a disparity of institutions, a disparity of systems, a disparity of civilizations."

No one spoke. Li Xuangang’s words felt like heavy stones pressing down on the chests of everyone from Great Liang.

Zhou Chen remained silent for a while before finally nodding.

"I understand."

He asked no further questions.

The candlelight flickered inside the tent, casting the shadows of the crowd upon the canvas walls, stretching and shrinking them unpredictably.

Xiao Pojun finally released his white-knuckled grip on the armrests.

"State Preceptor," his voice was low. "In your opinion, what should we do next?"

Li Xuangang did not answer immediately. He walked back to his chair, sat down once more, and leaned his cane against the side. Then, he spoke.

"Cooperate."

Several pairs of eyes inside the tent instantly locked onto him.

"From the very beginning, what the Star Yuan Federation proposed was cooperation. This arranged battle to vie for the development rights of the Star Realm is simply a stepping stone they offered us, a way for us to maintain our dignity." Li Xuangang’s voice was calm and clear as he dissected the cold, hard reality. "If we win, we preserve our honor and reap the substantial benefits as well. But if we lose... if we lose, we no longer have any right to negotiate terms."

He looked sharply at Xiao Pojun. "Marshal Xiao, what do you think the other side would do if we refused the battle? They would simply send their Martial Saints to descend upon us and forcibly occupy the Star Realm!

"At that point, we wouldn’t just lose face; we wouldn’t even be able to protect our core interests! This isn’t some brilliant scheme; this is an overt strategy crushing us with absolute strength!"

He paused, his tone taking on a layer of complex meaning. "Besides, the Star Yuan Federation does not want war. They likely have more formidable enemies to deal with. The Alien Insect Race, the Feathered People—we heard these names today.

"Every single one of these enemies is stronger than Great Liang. They need allies, they need resources, and they need more Martial Artists to throw into the battlefield against these great foes.

"And we... happen to have exactly what they need. Population, territory, and a foundational base of Martial Artists. As long as we cooperate, Great Liang can obtain complete, systematic cultivation methods for Martial Arts from the Star Yuan Federation. In ten or twenty years, the number of Great Liang’s Martial Saints might double, or perhaps even quadruple!"

His tone carried a trace of anticipation for the future. "By then, Your Highness should have already stepped into the Martial Saint Realm. You might even... go much further."

Zhou Chen listened in silence, digesting this world-shattering information.

After a long while, he finally lifted his head, looked straight into Li Xuangang’s eyes, and asked a question that concerned the very fate of Great Liang. "State Preceptor... after cooperating, will Great Liang still be Great Liang?"

The question was spoken softly, yet it carried the weight of a mountain, striking heavily upon everyone’s heart.

Looking at the deep-seated worry in Zhou Chen’s eyes, Li Xuangang’s gaze softened considerably.

"Is Your Highness worried that Great Liang will become a vassal of the Star Yuan Federation?"

Zhou Chen did not deny it.

Li Xuangang firmly shook his head.

"I believe we will not."