Infinite Professions-Chapter 92 - 22: The Diplomatic Mission

Three days later, Eastern Continent, Earth Dragon Country.

Inside the royal palace, Feng Qingming sat alone at the table, upset by the pile of spirit crystals and letters.

Eighty years ago, the Dongfang Clan suffered a devastating defeat and withdrew from the Wind Thunder Mountain Range, but their ambition to establish a kingdom was not extinguished—though they had to abandon the Wind Thunder Kingdom, they chose another location on the Eastern Continent to establish this Earth Dragon Country.

This process was extremely arduous. That gamble not only cost them thirty billion crystal coins but also severely injured Dongfang Bai, with the three great Monarchs regressing in rank, while the Earth Dragon Beast fell into a deep sleep, taking decades to barely recover.

If not for the Dongfang Clan’s strong foundations and the support from Spirit Control City and the prior Chapter of Guardian, they wouldn’t have been able to establish the Earth Dragon Country.

Even after the establishment of Earth Dragon Country, they couldn’t relax, as they hadn’t distanced themselves from the Wind Thunder Mountain Range and the newly established Martial Country but instead founded Earth Dragon Country right at the border of Wind Thunder.

If there was any other option, they wouldn’t choose to be neighbors with Martial Country.

But they had no choice; the loss of thirty billion crystal coins, their previous investments in Wind Thunder Kingdom, and the consumption of various times meant they couldn’t build a new kingdom elsewhere, forcing them to be neighbors with Martial Country.

It’s well known that being neighbors with Martial Country is a painful experience, not only facing the dumping of goods and economic offensives but also worrying about the population escaping their rule.

Feng Qingming considered herself good at development and management, having grown the Dongfang Clan and established the foundation of Celestial Destiny Kingdom during Dongfang Bai’s celestial destiny era.

But facing Martial Country now, she only felt exhausted. Her strategies couldn’t be effectively implemented.

"Driven by greed!"

Unable to tolerate any more, she angrily stood up and threw a spirit crystal across the floor.

"What’s wrong?"

Just then, someone stepped into the room, saw her in such disarray, sighed helplessly, and bent down to pick up the spirit crystals scattered on the floor.

It was Dongfang Bai!

Compared to before, he had matured significantly, even grew a beard, emanating a steady presence, evidently having grown extensively from that defeat.

He picked up the crystals, came to the table, and gently comforted the agitated Feng Qingming: "Don’t let these trivial matters upset you."

"This is no trivial matter!"

Feng Qingming turned around, angrily yet helplessly said, "I’ve explicitly banned the inflow of Martial Country’s goods, yet people blatantly ignore the prohibition, insist on smuggling, and even use smuggling routes to help Martial Country receive fugitives, our fleeing populace!"

"..."

Dongfang Bai paused, looking at the letters: "It’s possible to appropriately punish a group of people."

"Punish?"

"Punish who?"

This statement made Feng Qingming even angrier: "It’s not just those small merchant guilds and minor nobles, but major forces like the Spirit Control House, even our own families, the powerful and royal families of Earth Dragon Country!"

"Look at this, look at this!"

Feng Qingming picked up a spirit crystal: "Your younger brother, Dongfang Jie, his convoy has smuggled tens of millions worth of Martial Country goods just this past half-year, even brazenly trading with Martial Country. Can we punish him?"

"..."

Facing the spirit crystal, Dongfang Bai also fell silent.

"I don’t understand, I don’t understand!"

This left Feng Qingming even more helpless, staring at the letters: "Why can Li Taiyi, even absent in Martial Country, unite them, while we can’t even control our own family members.

And those nobles, can’t they restrain themselves, curb their greed and brutality?

Do they know that doing this helps strengthen Martial Country, handing them the slaughtering knife meant for everyone, them, us, and all of us!"

Having said this, she lifted her head, staring directly at Dongfang Bai: "Is it because we don’t dare to kill, not daring like Li Taiyi does? Right?"

"..."

Dongfang Bai paused in silence and then shifted the topic: "News from the teacher has come. Spirit Control City has assembled a delegation, with the two generations of Celestial Destiny Spirit Masters heading to Martial Country."

"So soon?"

Feng Qingming, startled, responded, "The two generations of Celestial Destiny Spirit Masters are going, meaning you are as well?"

"Not just me, Jun Cangming, Yinn Nianyun, Hex Yanfeng, as well as their mentors, all two generations of Celestial Destiny Spirit Masters will be present!"

Dongfang Bai shook his head, glanced out the window, spoke solemnly: "Three days ago, he subdued the Golden-Winged Roc at Rage Sea Tide and slew the Flame Emperor Shentu Yu."

That night, Shentu Lang received news, leading a forceful attack on Wudu, but he, evolved into the Emperor Species Golden-Winged Roc King, arrived in time, slaughtering over ten Monarchs and nearly a hundred Tier Five Spirit Beasts, leaving no survivors.

It’s said that night, he not only released the Golden-Winged Roc King but also unleashed the other four Emperor Species Spirit Beasts, which were the Earth Monarch Emperor, Fighting Saint Ape, White Tiger Star Monarch, and a Wind Thunder Divine Eagle evolved by the three great Monarchs."

"What?"

Feng Qingming was even more taken aback: "Doesn’t that mean he now has the Five Great Emperor Beasts?"

"It’s more than that!"

Dongfang Bai shook his head, speaking heavily: "He inherently possesses powerful methods for cultivating spirit beasts, and over years of traveling the continent, he gathered various exotic beasts for cultivation. Today, aside from the Five Great Emperor Beasts, he has a bunch of King Species Spirit Beasts that could evolve at any time, possibly resulting in Ten Great Emperor Beasts soon."

"How... how is this possible?"

Feng Qingming, in disbelief: "Can he even mass-cultivate Emperor Species Spirit Beasts?"

"Unknown!"

Dongfang Bai shook his head: "However, that Golden-Winged Roc evolved into the Golden-Winged Roc King instantly under his care, and the four other Emperor Beasts show he possesses the capability to cultivate Emperor Spirit Beasts.

Even if he can’t cultivate anymore, with the Five Great Emperor Beasts currently in his possession, he will be the mightiest Emperor-level Spirit Master moving forward, and it’ll be hard for us, even with Celestial Spirit Beasts, to defeat him!"

Dongfang Bai took a deep breath: "Now Martial Country is said to be preparing for war comprehensively. The spies we sent and infiltrated personnel from various forces have mostly been exposed by him, and even part of Martial Country’s ruling class has been purged by him.

Spirit Control City predicts that he will soon advance against various countries, launching a war to unify the Eastern Continent. Thus, the teacher sent a message instructing us to prepare for migration."

"What?"

Feng Qingming’s gaze sharpened: "Unifying the Eastern Continent?"

"Indeed!"

Dongfang Bai nodded: "And possibly more than just the Eastern Continent. The Three Great Kingdoms and Spirit Control City may also be his targets."

"This...!"

Feng Qingming paused in silence, only regaining her voice after a while, speaking with unwillingness and helplessness: "How dare he be so overbearing, taking Wind Thunder Mountain is not enough, he wants the entire Eastern Continent?"

"Overbearing?"

Dongfang Bai chuckled bitterly: "Because he has the power to be overbearing. In this world, strength dictates everything. Li Taiyi didn’t understand this back then, but Li Qingshan now... no one understands it better than him!"

"..."

These words plunged Feng Qingming into silence, taking a long time before speaking: "What about Spirit Control City, are they simply going to do nothing, letting him wage war wantonly?"

"They must intervene, but until the last moment, Spirit Control City likely doesn’t want a life-or-death clash with him and those Five Great Emperor Beasts."

Dongfang Bai gazed deeply: "If nothing goes amiss, Spirit Control City will delineate the Eastern Continent to him, letting his Martial Country become the fourth great kingdom of Spirit Control Continent.

This is also why the teacher sends a message urging us to prepare for migration, as Spirit Control City plans to use the entire Eastern Continent as the price to quell his fury and satisfy his ambition."

"Satisfy?"

Feng Qingming’s eyes sharpened: "What if that doesn’t satisfy him?" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"Then we’ll have no choice but to take a gamble and fight to the death!"

Dongfang Bai murmured, his gaze becoming resolute: "Two generations of Celestial Destiny Spirit Masters, seventeen Celestial Destiny Emperor Beasts—can they crush him to death?"

...