226: Chapter 227 Killing the Chicken to Warn the Monkey

Soon, Xu Ruohan gave Lin Muyang a brief and clear report on the situation regarding Japan and Kimchi Country urgently dispatching high-level delegations to the Xia Kingdom, adopting an extremely low posture with the intention of seeking peace and reconciliation. Her phrasing was objective, without adding too much personal emotion; she simply stated the facts and emphasized the opponent's stance of being "willing to pay a huge price."

After speaking, she stood quietly to one side, waiting with Su Zongming for Lin Muyang's decision. Their task was only to convey information and seek Lin Muyang's own opinion; they would never, and dared not, overstep their authority.

Lin Muyang listened without any expression of surprise or fluctuation on his face, as if he were just listening to an ordinary, trivial matter unrelated to himself. After a moment of thought, he directly stated his attitude, or rather, his basic principle for future actions.

"Dominate the world, become some kind of global hegemon—that has no meaning to me, and I don't have the spare time for it." Lin Muyang's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable strength. "The path I, and other Class Transferees, or even other Summoners, walk is different."

He glanced at the young ladies surrounding him—Lilia, Elabess, Seraphina, Mo Mingxue, Mo Yingmei... Each of them came from a different world, possessing different pasts and attachments.

"The partners I summon come from different worlds. Some of those worlds have an overall power level far exceeding Blue Star, while others possess unique rules or resources. But regardless, that is their home, where they have relatives, friends, or unfinished grievances. As the one who summoned them, I have the responsibility and the obligation to help them resolve their worries and fulfill their wishes when the time is appropriate." Lin Muyang's gaze swept over the women, seeing the emotion and warmth flash in their eyes. His tone remained flat, yet carried a firmness. "This means that in the future, I may very well need to personally travel to those worlds. And in those places, the title of 'strongest on Blue Star' might be worth nothing."

He paused, his gaze cast toward the distant horizon, as if piercing through the barriers of space: "Therefore, what I need is not empty fame, nor the power to rule over how much land, but real, tangible strength that can allow me and my partners to continuously grow stronger. It is true that I am the strongest on Blue Star now, but that is far from enough. I need to climb higher mountains and touch stronger realms."

Xu Ruohan and Su Zongming listened quietly, their hearts surging with waves. They had originally thought that after Lin Muyang achieved such brilliant battle results and shocked the world, he might develop arrogance, start pursuing power, or become content with the status quo. They had not expected that this young man's gaze had long since transcended Blue Star, cast toward the vast and even more dangerous myriad worlds. What he pursued was the ultimate improvement of individual and partner strength, not secular power games. This clear cognition and ambitious goal made even the two, who were accustomed to seeing the changing tides of events, feel respect, and even a hint of awe.

"Therefore," Lin Muyang withdrew his gaze and looked at Xu Ruohan, his eyes becoming sharp and pragmatic, "Right now on Blue Star, no one can threaten me for the time being, which is an opportunity for me. An opportunity to collect resources relatively unscrupulously and accelerate growth."

"My requirements are very simple." Lin Muyang held up two fingers. "First, maintain the existing basic order and stability of Blue Star. I don't want the world to fall into complete chaos and war because of my appearance; that does no good for me collecting resources. Second, as a reward for me not disturbing them for the time being, certain countries need to regularly and fully pay tribute to me in resources, especially the resources I need."

Xu Ruohan immediately grasped the key point: "You mean, trade resources for temporary peace? As long as they pay a sufficient price, you will not take the initiative to find trouble or disrupt their existing structure?"

"You can understand it that way." Lin Muyang nodded and added: "Of course, the pricing power for this cost lies with me. And at this stage, the resources I need most are very clear."

"Secret Realm resources." Xu Ruohan replied knowingly.

"Correct." Lin Muyang affirmed: "Equipment, skill books, special items—unless they are extremely rare and have special uses for me or my partners, there is little demand. But for Secret Realm resources, whether they have already been made into scrolls or naturally refreshed in their native lands, as long as they reach a certain grade, I want them all. Especially for epic-grade Secret Realms and above, once they appear, I must be notified immediately, and I will decide how to handle them. If I find that anyone is hiding it..."

Lin Muyang's voice remained flat, but the coldness contained within made even Su Zongming, who was beside him, feel a palpitation.

"I don't mind visiting their country personally as a guest. Crocodile Shark Island missing a dozen top experts might not be enough to make them remember. I don't mind letting that number decrease a bit more." Lin Muyang's tone was offhand, as if he were talking about a trivial matter. "I think, on Blue Star, I should currently be qualified to say this."

Xu Ruohan and Su Zongming were silent. Qualified? More than that. Looking at Blue Star today, Lin Muyang is the only one with the strength and the courage to say such things, and make listeners not doubt its authenticity and enforceability for a second! In the battle of Crocodile Shark Island, he crushed the five-nation coalition with an overwhelming momentum, killing and subduing nearly twenty top experts, having already proven with bloody facts that so-called top experts are no different from lambs waiting to be slaughtered in front of him. When he possesses attributes equal to or even exceeding the opponent, combined with those God-Tier Auras with heaven-defying effects that emerge one after another, the battle turns into a one-sided crush.

It is conceivable that if Lin Muyang's level were slightly lower, his equipment slightly worse, or his Aura effects countered or weakened, the battle would never have been so easy. But there are no 'ifs' in reality. Now, Lin Muyang, relying on base attributes that are close to level 90 but comparable to or even exceeding those of experts over level 200, combined with a set of legendary and mythic grade equipment, as well as those God-Tier Auras whose effects stack to the point of being a BUG, stands at the absolute top of the food chain within the scope of Blue Star. So-called national barriers and the dignity of experts are as fragile as paper in front of him.

Xu Ruohan couldn't help but recall the world named "Atlantis" that Alice had once mentioned, a high-magic plane that had been connected to the Class Transferee era for hundreds of years. According to Alice's description, the top experts of that world have attributes in the millions, and just one of them coming over would have the power to destroy the entire Blue Star. Compared to such existences, the so-called top experts of Blue Star might really just be toddlers learning to walk.

Lin Muyang's gaze had long since not been limited to this. He regarded Blue Star as his backyard, a relatively safe base where he could develop steadily and extract resources for growth. And his journey was the stars and the sea, the myriad worlds.

"I understand." Xu Ruohan took a deep breath, her eyes becoming firm and bright. "I will convey your meaning exactly, word for word. I will also use this as a basis to negotiate with the delegations from Japan and Kimchi Country. I believe they... will make a wise choice."

She could almost foresee what kind of expressions the high-level officials of Japan and Kimchi Country would have when they heard Lin Muyang's conditions. Fear, humiliation, unwillingness? Perhaps all of them. But in the face of the absolute gap in strength and the threat of extinction, they had no room to bargain. So-called bottom lines could be infinitely lowered in the face of survival.

"I'll leave the specific matters to you to discuss." Lin Muyang said to Xu Ruohan and Su Zongming, his tone softening slightly. "I believe you can win the most favorable conditions for me. My core requirements are just two points: First, all epic-grade and above Secret Realm resources, no matter in what form they appear, must be prioritized and unconditionally made available for me to explore or obtain; no concealment is allowed. Second, you must provide me with a fixed quota of Sovereign-rank and Emperor Level Secret Realm resources every month, which can be scrolls, or Secret Realm coordinates and access rights. As long as they can do these two things and ensure they don't play any tricks, I can temporarily shelve previous grievances."

He paused, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold arc: "If they can't do it, or if they act in compliance but oppose in secret... I don't mind letting them relive what fear is. I think other neighbors around the Xia Kingdom would be very happy to see someone make a wrong example, and then learn from it, taking the initiative to send the sincerity I need."

The meaning in these words could not be clearer. Japan and Kimchi Country were just the beginning, the chicken killed to warn the monkey. If they softened and offered resources, then other countries that were not on good terms with the Xia Kingdom, or had secretly tripped it up in the past—like some of those in Southeast Asia that were jumping around, or that one in South Asia that always wanted to cause trouble—would probably have to weigh carefully whether they should take the initiative to express themselves, lest Lin Muyang happen to pass by their homes one day.

As for the Jia Mei Empire, the Western Federation, and Australia—the monkeys that jumped the most at Crocodile Shark Island and suffered the heaviest losses—Lin Muyang would naturally not let them go. It's just that dealing with them might not require putting forward conditions as gently as with Japan and Kimchi Country. In a couple of days, after handling the matters at hand, personally visiting them and giving them a little bit of pressure might have better results. Lin Muyang hadn't forgotten who the leaders of this siege were, and where those most malicious gazes came from.

"Yes, we will definitely convey your meaning accurately and strive for maximum benefits." Su Zongming promised solemnly. He knew that this negotiation was not just about securing resources for Lin Muyang, but a key step for the Xia Kingdom to redraw the power landscape of the Asia-Pacific and even the world, and establish a brand-new order. And Lin Muyang was the sharpest, most indisputable sword in the Xia Kingdom's hand.

"Alright, the main business is done." Lin Muyang waved his hand, seemingly unwilling to talk more about these trivial matters. "You go ahead and get busy. I have other arrangements to make here."

Xu Ruohan and Su Zongming understood, knowing that Lin Muyang was going to handle family affairs next, so they stopped bothering him. After bowing respectfully, they turned into streams of light and left. They needed to report upwards immediately and start preparing for the negotiations with the two countries' delegations—or rather, inform them of Lin Muyang's "conditions."

Watching the two leave, Lin Muyang took out his phone and dialed a number. Soon, the call connected, and a respectful middle-aged male voice came from the other side.

"The personnel arranged by Minister Su can come over. Yes, right here at the Waterfall Plains, I'll send you the coordinates. Hmm, as soon as possible, I want to build a temporary foothold here."

Hanging up the phone, Lin Muyang instructed Elabess and Lilia beside him: "I'm going back to Ziyun Mountain Villa to pick up little Mu Yao, and I'll bring Feng Ling along too. You guys wait here, look after little Mingxue and Little Charm, and you can tell them about the basic situation of Blue Star in the meantime."

"Yes, Master!" Elabess smiled charmingly, and Lilia nodded gently.

Mo Mingxue and Mo Yingmei heard this and immediately stood obediently beside Elabess and Lilia, curiously listening as they began to recount common knowledge about Blue Star, such as the distribution of countries, the Class Transferee system, common monsters, and types of Secret Realms. They knew this was the first step for them to integrate into this new world.

With everything arranged, Lin Muyang's mind stirred, and his figure vanished from the spot. The next moment, he appeared in the living room of the Ziyun Mountain Villa.

In the living room, Shen Muyao was sitting on the sofa, holding a thick ancient book and studying it seriously. Faint, newly acquired mental energy was fluctuating slightly around her, clearly trying to understand and master the newly acquired power. Hearing the movement, she looked up and saw it was Lin Muyang. A surprised smile immediately bloomed on her beautiful face: "Lin Muyang! You're back!"

"Yeah, I need your help with something, and by the way, I'll help you improve your talent too." Lin Muyang smiled, walked over, and ruffled her hair. "Where is Feng Ling? Still in that state?"

Shen Muyao nodded vigorously. A phoenix egg, entirely crimson with golden flame patterns slowly flowing on its surface and about the size of a basketball, was quietly placed there, emitting a warm and majestic Aura of life. One could faintly hear a weak yet powerful heartbeat coming from within.

"There hasn't been any movement, but the life Aura is getting stronger and stronger." Shen Muyao said with some worry, yet also some anticipation.

"It's fine, this is a normal process. Nirvana requires time." Lin Muyang walked to the phoenix egg, reached out to feel the surging vitality within, and nodded with satisfaction. He carefully placed the phoenix egg into a specially created, temperature-controlled space full of life energy in his storage ring. Then, he took Shen Muyao's hand.

"Let's go, I'll take you somewhere. It's time for your talent to take another step forward."

Shen Muyao's eyes lit up; she was equally eager to improve her strength. Without asking more, she trustingly gripped Lin Muyang's hand.