The Monster is Coming

Chapter 391 Taking an inch and wanting a mile, where are the clansmen from the homeland? (10,000-word update, please vote)

The Moon, the City of Lunar Eclipse.

Leapfrog Base.

Beneath the shadow of the massive crater, a huge weapons processing platform is operating at overcapacity.

A high-intensity flow of energy surged through the thick pipes like blood vessels, emitting a deep hum.

Countless automated robotic arms dance on the platform, disassembling, sorting, and melting the metal hull.

Among them was a warship keel that stretched for several kilometers, precisely segmented by a giant cutting beam.

The heavy composite armor was sent into a high-temperature furnace to be refined into basic alloy ingots. The precision components and energy cores containing the mechanical legion's cutting-edge technology were separated and sent to the module research base for detailed disassembly.

The bustling construction project weaves together a picture full of industrial power.

At this moment, Alan was standing in the data room at the center of the base, checking the project progress information.

The arsenal beneath our feet was built by StarNet to prepare for potential future crises.

Once all the weapons of war are manufactured here, they will be sent to the war deployment base facing Earth, ready to respond to any impending war.

The sudden crisis involving the mechanical legion has now been officially resolved.

This seemingly disastrous invasion ultimately transformed into a gift in an unexpected way.

However, StarNet had no intention of stockpiling these weapons of war for use when war came.

In StarNet's logical assessment, retaining the war attributes of the mechanical legion is meaningless.

Earth, and indeed the entire solar system, now has the Fate Race as allies, shouldering the responsibility of protection.

If even they cannot cope with the invasion crisis, then the existence of this mechanical legion is nothing more than adding cannon fodder.

Whether it exists or not will not affect the course of the war.

Therefore, StarNet decided to dismantle the steel torrent left behind by the mechanical legion into nourishment for the Earth Alliance civilization.

The monitoring screen at this time shows where the recycled resources are going.

One of the surveillance videos showed that some of the base alloys were sent to the "Ark" base in Earth orbit.

This is one of the transit points for transporting goods to Earth.

Many of the products sold or provided free of charge to various races around the world are created, assembled, and activated here.

It is equivalent to a highly efficient "orbital manufacturing plant", saving the long transportation time from the moon to the earth.

The highest priority project at this base is to use this batch of special alloy to upgrade and mass-produce the latest virtual gaming pods.

The legacy of the mechanical legion contains a wealth of spiritual materials that are extremely valuable to Earth.

StarNet has developed a resource-consuming project for this purpose.

Using these spiritual materials, a simple spirit-infused array is integrated inside the new generation of gaming pods.

Its function is revolutionary, ensuring that players maintain optimal physical activity during long gaming sessions.

This batch of gaming pods doesn't even need nutrient solution.

The continuous release of spiritual materials within the device alone can ensure that players can stay online for extended periods without any physical harm.

Even the player's physical attributes can be subtly and slowly improved during the evaporation of the spiritual materials.

The purpose of StarNet in doing this is obvious.

This allows players to stay online for longer periods, providing more support for the development of player factions.

Secondly, there is a huge demand for new gaming pods from all races around the world.

The moon's resources are limited, and the legacy from the mechanical legion has solved the immediate problem. Most of the materials will be used to build the game pod.

The Lunar Eclipse Clan will not retain any of the cutting-edge technologies used in these technologies.

It will be gradually shared with all races of the Earth Alliance after the assessment is completed.

After quickly browsing the progress information of various projects scrolling on the data platform, Alan turned and left the data room.

Although this industrial zone is nominally under his jurisdiction, the processing procedures are strictly supervised by intelligent robots directly controlled by StarNet.

His presence or absence will not affect efficiency in any way.

What made him decide to temporarily go offline was a routine notice issued by StarNet: to attend the monthly governing council meeting.

As the ruler of the Lunar Eclipse Clan, he naturally needed to attend on time.

After the meeting, realizing that he hadn't gone offline to visit other places in a long time, he took the opportunity to take a stroll around his jurisdiction.

Most of the time, it was just routine inspections within the scope of their duties.

Secondly, it was also to understand what exactly happened during the mechanical legion's invasion.

This information cannot be obtained through any means within the game.

The StarNet wouldn't send any comments to explain to him, and most players on the player forums were also completely confused, having no idea what had happened.

He and the qualified members of the Lunar Eclipse Clan rarely go offline and know very little about each other from the outside world.

Therefore, practical issues need to be understood in reality.

After completing his routine patrol, A-Lan returned to his personal rest room.

He skillfully removed his governor's robes and changed into a comfortable and form-fitting high-end neuro-sensing gaming suit.

With a slight suction sound, the game suit fits the body perfectly.

As I lay down in the gaming pod, a wave of dizziness washed over me...

……

Neverland.

The slight dizziness receded like the tide, replaced by an indescribable feeling of being immersed in the body and mind.

What comes into view is an endless sky, as clear as a sapphire.

The warm, yet gentle sunlight streamed down, bringing a touch of warmth.

The salty, refreshing sea breeze brushed against his cheeks, carrying the faint fragrance of the island's flowers.

In the distance, the bustling sounds of the docks are vibrant and lively, symbolizing the growing prosperity of the Chamber of Commerce.

He subconsciously took a deep breath.

Instantly, a sweet and refreshing sensation filled his lungs.

Compared to the real world, even after layers of purification, the air here feels dull and lifeless.

Every breath here seems to cleanse the soul, bringing a sense of comfort that flows through the whole body, and even making the mind seem clearer and sharper.

This feeling doesn't bother you much after spending a long time in the monster world.

However, once someone has been offline, their return will be particularly intense.

He then walked toward the dock.

Next, he plans to personally travel to the Ascension Sea.

During this offline meeting, he clarified an idea: to expand the business coverage of the Gold Coin Merchants Association in the three major sea areas.

Trade clients should not be limited to those in the "Misty Tribe".

Ascended Clan and Shuyan can also be trading partners of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

In this three-way conflict, the Gold Coin Merchant Guild can profit immensely by reselling war supplies to all three factions.

If it were when he first came into contact with the Mingwu Clan, he certainly wouldn't have had such thoughts.

After all, the Gold Coin Merchants Guild did not demonstrate any military strength at that time.

If the Mist Clan is angered, they may target the Gold Coin Merchant Guild at any time, sparing no effort to wipe it out of the Azure Star Sea.

But that was once.

Something happened recently that made him feel the time was right.

When General Yeming landed on the island and found him, he hoped that the Gold Coin Merchant Guild could provide war resources at a "friendly price" to support the Mist Clan's war in the Ascended Sea.

He also stated that the better the Mist Clan develops, the more the Gold Coin Merchant Guild will benefit from it.

He naturally refused the request without hesitation.

From his strategic perspective, cooperation with the Mist Clan was a stopgap measure based on current interests.

The Gold Coin Merchants Guild must remain absolutely neutral and independent, and under no circumstances should it become a vassal of any race or a cheap supplier.

He was well aware of the survival-of-the-fittest logic of the monster world.

Ye Ming dared to ask for a discount in the name of "friendship" today, and if he succeeds, he will dare to demand even more tomorrow.

Apart from the Mist Clan, almost all factions in the Monster World are like this.

There has never been any reciprocal gift-giving between different tribes.

A single concession will be seen as a sign of weakness, attracting more greedy covetousness.

Agreeing is a sign of admitting defeat.

At the time, Ye Ming appeared to be there to negotiate, but in reality, he was secretly probing the strength of the Gold Coin Merchants Association.

Ye Ming's seemingly annoyed and tough performance was actually a test to see if the Gold Coin Merchant Guild really had a powerful backer.

It clearly understood that a powerful force with a strong foundation would never compromise with the Mist Clan.

Having seen through the intricacies of the situation, Ah Lan maintained an extremely assertive stance throughout, refusing to yield an inch.

He would never give Ye Ming any chance to push his luck, and he would keep the initiative in his own hands throughout the entire process.

During the negotiations, a seemingly accidental "coincidence" occurred.

It was said to be a coincidence, but in reality, it was a pre-planned scheme: the appearance of the Life Throat.

Meeting at this time to discuss the construction project of the Destiny Casino is not just a simple matter of meeting.

Many issues can be discussed remotely via video link.

The reason why Minghou came in person was primarily to leverage his influence.

According to background information added by dedicated players on the forum.

The key turning point that enabled the Mist Clan to turn the tide and ultimately defeat the Death Whisper Clan was an equal-value game between Nightshade and the Fate Clan.

Yeming's wager is the "Mist Rule".

When players discuss background information, they talk most about Ye Ming's courage and madness.

But he saw something deeper: Ye Ming had a fairly detailed understanding of the resources and foundations possessed by the Fate Clan.

They believed that the Fate Clan had the ability to turn the tide, giving him hope of a comeback.

Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to disregard the rules and gamble on the Fate Tribe's territory.

This intelligence was a pleasant surprise to him.

In their previous collaborations, Ye Ming had consistently tested the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

The purpose of doing this is obvious: it makes it impossible to determine the true strength of the Gold Coin Merchants Guild.

Secondly, the Gold Coin Merchants Guild has never demonstrated its military strength in external conflicts.

These vague pieces of information were not enough to completely intimidate this general who had seen many storms.

The appearance of the life throat gave him a glimpse of the possibility of leveraging its power.

What he wanted to borrow was not just the "power" of a person.

Furthermore, it is to leverage the power of the Fate Clan represented by the identity of the "Fate Master" behind the Fate Throat.

This is used to strike the night sky.

This will instill in them sufficient respect for the Gold Coin Merchant Guild's foundation and power, completely extinguishing any unrealistic fantasies in their hearts.

What could better demonstrate the unfathomable depth of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild than the "Lord of Destiny" personally descending upon Dream Island to discuss important cooperation projects with the guild on an equal footing, even with a slightly proactive attitude?

The impact of this scene is far more powerful than any amount of words.

However, he did not inform Minghou about this beforehand.

Even if you ask directly, Minghou won't refuse.

However, this will change the roles of both parties.

At that time, Minghou was not familiar with him and had only had one private chat with him.

When Fate Throat took the initiative to approach them, wanting to discuss the construction project of Fate Casino on Dream Island, and requesting to acquire customers from the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

The dynamics between the two parties shifted, and they became: the other party was now in a position of dependence on him.

So he chose a time to invite Minghou to come to the island for talks.

In terms of his attitude, he gave Minghou an opportunity to strive for cooperation.

Conversely, if he were to request Minghou's assistance in order to intimidate Yeming...

The situation then completely changed; he was in need of someone's help and owed them a favor.

Even though it's the same meeting, the way it's initiated can drastically alter the status and power of the two parties.

The lifeline arrived as scheduled, inadvertently playing the role of a "powerful partner" perfectly, making his plan a great success.

Ultimately, while successfully advancing the project cooperation through negotiations with him, Minghou also ended up owing him a favor.

Because of the appearance of Minghou, Yeming gained a new understanding of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild's background and imagined many possibilities.

He achieved two goals with one action without paying anything in return.

This carefully orchestrated "coincidence" has paved the way for the Gold Coin Merchants Association's future strategic plans.

Since the threat of death has achieved its intended effect.

Having successfully made Ye Ming and even the Mingwu Clan behind him reassess the weight of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild, it's time for the Gold Coin Merchant Guild to push its luck.

This idea actually came about a long time ago, but the timing wasn't right before.

He always believed that the trading clients of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild could also be the Ascended Clan and the Book Speech Clan, who were currently engaged in a three-way war with the Mist Clan.

They also have enormous war-related needs and resource consumption.

They also have various types of spiritual resources in reserve, which can be resold to the Gold Coin Merchants Guild, and then the Gold Coin Merchants Guild will list them for supply to players in the trading house.

Both the Ascended Clan and the Book Words are forces that control rules, and both are potential high-quality clients.

If this can be achieved, the Gold Coin Merchants Guild will be able to leverage its neutral position and powerful maritime logistics network to simultaneously resell war supplies to all three warring parties.

This fuels the flames of war, allowing the Gold Coin Merchants Guild to reap substantial profits.

As for what the Mist Clan thinks, that's no longer important.

In the monster world, a dog-eat-dog world, humility and conservatism are meaningless and will only be seen as weakness and vulnerability.

When it's time to be assertive, one must demonstrate overwhelming dominance.

When it's time to push forward, one must not hesitate to do so.

The survival logic among different races is actually quite cruel. All forces instinctively fear the strong and ruthlessly devour the weak.

Therefore, every action and decision the Gold Coin Merchants Association takes must be worthy of the image of "unfathomable depth" that it has cultivated.

Only by continuously expanding its territory and greedily seizing every visible benefit can the Gold Coin Merchant Guild itself, and even the entire player community, receive a constant and ever-growing boost to its rapid development.

Therefore, it is time for the Gold Coin Merchants' trade banner to be planted on a wider battlefield.

……

Three days later, on the main island of the Ascended Clan.

Molten Core.

This place is completely different from the humid sea breeze of Dream Island.

The air was scorching hot and filled with a faint smell of sulfur.

The earth was a dark red color, with hot magma flowing from the cracks in its surface.

The island has multiple incubation warehouses, connecting with various cultivation civilizations.

Although the process was somewhat tortuous, A-Lan still managed to reach the island.

Led by a tall Ascended warrior whose analytical name was "Shield Spirit Root," they traversed a treacherous passage surrounded by a river of lava and were led to a magnificent hall carved out of the interior of a volcano.

At the far end of the hall, a colossal throne was forged from dark lava and the bones of an unknown behemoth.

On the throne, a figure slowly raised his head.

His physique was more robust than that of ordinary ascended members, covered in what appeared to be flowing, fiery scales, and each breath he took produced sparks.

His face was imposing, and a scar running through his left eye only added to his menacing aura.

It held no weapon, its fists hanging naturally at its sides, and the energy fluctuations emanating from its palms caused the surrounding space to distort slightly due to the high temperature.

It is the leader of the Ascended Clan: Crimson Flame.

More accurately, they are the new Ascended Clan leaders who inherited the name of their predecessors.

The previous generation of ascended clan leaders have long since transformed into nourishment, becoming the fertile ground for the life transformation of the core members of this generation of ascended clan.

This is a choice made by a race in a desperate situation.

Let the previous generation become the foundation for the next generation's growth, and step on their corpses to go further.

"Chief of the Crimson Flame Clan," A'lan greeted calmly, then introduced herself.

"Gold Coin Merchant Guild, Aran..."

Chi Yan stared at A Lan with burning eyes, his deep voice booming like thunder, making A Lan's eardrums ring:

"I know you, the Azure Star Sea forces that provide war resources for the Mist Clan."

Facing Chi Yan's scrutinizing gaze, A'Lan's expression remained unchanged, still calm and composed:

"Yes."

"What business do you have with me?"

"The Gold Coin Merchant Guild's business is open to all potential partners. I came here today because I see a broad prospect for cooperation with the Ascended Clan."

"Cooperation?" Chi Yan's voice carried a hint of doubt, causing the temperature inside the hall to fluctuate.
"You're supplying resources to both sides in the conflict? Won't the Mist Clan have any objections?" "Objections?" A-Lan, still maintaining a relaxed demeanor, spoke with an undeniable confidence:

"Chief Clan Chief Chi Yan must have misunderstood something. Our Gold Coin Merchant Guild has always chosen to cooperate solely based on our own interests and the wishes of the other party, without being constrained by any third-party forces."

He calmly met Chi Yan's burning gaze, his voice neither humble nor arrogant, yet exuding confidence as he continued:
"For us, the Mist Clan is just one of our partners. We provide them with the resources they need, and they pay the corresponding price. It's just a fair trade."

"While the Mist Clan is an important partner and we respect every trade we have with them, we also maintain an open attitude and are willing to explore the possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation with any trustworthy force, including the Ascended Clan."

"Our Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce is founded on providing value and adhering to neutrality, rather than taking sides or depending on any party."

A-Lan's words echoed clearly in the main hall.

He paused briefly, observing Chi Yan's reaction, before throwing out the real bait:

"As far as I know, the Ascended Clan's front-line legion was completely on the defensive against the Mist Clan's offensive, suffering heavy casualties. Moreover, the Mist Clan warriors' attacks were accompanied by the 'Deathrattle Corruption' property. This kind of insidious energy is extremely difficult to dispel, causing many wounded Ascended Clan warriors to be unable to recover their combat power in a short period of time. Instead, they became a heavy burden that dragged down the rear and continuously consumed resources."

"For this reason, the Ascended Clan even voluntarily abandoned a group of warriors, sending them into the flesh and blood furnace to be refined into blood and qi resources to support the front line."

Alan's words precisely hit one of the biggest pain points of the Ascended Clan.

If the problem of wounded recovery cannot be effectively solved, they will inevitably suffer continuous bleeding and eventually be dragged down.

Chi Yan remained silent, listening quietly as A Lan continued.

At this moment, Ah Lan changed the subject:
"And my Gold Coin Merchant Guild happens to possess special resources for rapidly healing all injuries, something you've likely already witnessed on the battlefield against the core warriors of the Mist Clan."

Upon hearing this, Chi Yan stared at A Lan with burning eyes, neither admitting nor denying it.

It naturally understands the situation at the front.

The elite battle groups of the Mist Clan, especially their core combat units, have an unusually fast recovery rate from injuries.

Even if seriously injured, they only need to retreat behind the lines for a short time.

They can quickly return to the battle in almost perfect condition, as if they were immortal.

It initially thought this strange regenerative ability was related to the rules mastered by the Mist Clan.

However, when they later captured some forces in the Azure Star Sea to learn about the Mist Clan's activities in the Azure Star Sea, they discovered that this rapid healing effect came from the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

Ah Lan's words were undoubtedly a huge temptation for it.

If such special healing items can be obtained, the core combat units of the Ascended race can also be quickly healed and rejoined the battlefield.

One of the biggest advantages the Mist Clan had on the battlefield would no longer exist.

The flames in his burning eyes flickered suddenly, and his massive body leaned forward slightly, instantly increasing the oppressive aura he exuded.

"I am indeed very interested, but I am puzzled as to how your Gold Coin Merchant Guild can safely transport such resources out of the Azure Star Sea?"

"As far as I know, the entire Azure Star Sea is now under the control of the Mist Clan. They are fully capable of blocking the Gold Coin Merchant Guild's resource transport routes and intercepting all war resources destined for the Ascended Clan... So, how can you guarantee that the resources will be delivered to me unharmed?"

Although Alan's terms and promises were extremely tempting, Chi Yan still saw the huge risks that accompanied the deal.

It even suspected that Alan might have been sent by the Dark Mist.

Their aim was to use cooperation as a pretext to deplete the Ascended Clan's war resources; they never even considered the transportation issue.

It was a play directed and acted by the Mist Clan, which not only took away some of the Ascended Clan's war resources but also played them for fools.

It couldn't fathom how the Gold Coin Merchant Guild could fund the enemy right under the noses of the Mist Clan.

The Mist Clan would never sit idly by and watch their strategic resources be safely transported to the hands of hostile forces.

The success of this deal means that the advance of the battle line, composed of countless Mist Warriors, will be affected.

Its gaze was fixed on Alan, waiting for an answer that could truly convince it.

It needs concrete guarantees, not vague promises.

When asked, Ah Lan, who had already prepared her answer, smiled and continued:
"It seems that Chief Clan Red Flame has limited understanding of our Gold Coin Merchant Guild. For any resources purchased from our Gold Coin Merchant Guild, you can choose to have them delivered by our Gold Coin Merchant Guild. We will pay an extra delivery fee based on the value of the resources and guarantee that the resources will be safely delivered to Ascension Island for handover. If any accidents occur during the process, all losses will be borne by our Gold Coin Merchant Guild and will have nothing to do with the buyer. In fact, our Gold Coin Merchant Guild's delivery service has never had any errors. The success rate of resource delivery is still 100%. This is our confidence."

After a brief silence, A-Lan continued:
"Of course, if Chief Clan Chiyan really has doubts, he might be able to purchase a small batch of resources first and personally verify our capabilities."

Upon hearing this, Chi Yan proposed an alternative plan:
"Why can't your Gold Coin Merchant Guild transport the resources to Ascension Island first, and then pay the reward after our clan has inspected and accepted them?"

Upon hearing this, A-Lan shook her head decisively, her tone leaving no room for negotiation:
"I'm sorry, Chief Crimson Flame, our Gold Coin Merchant Guild has never offered a cash-on-delivery option for our transactions."

"Full payment before delivery is the ironclad rule of our Gold Coin Merchant Guild. We have never made an exception for any race, and we will never make an exception for the Ascended Race. Our reputation is the best guarantee. If you cannot accept this... then I regret to inform you that this cooperation may not be possible."

He threw the choice back to Chi Yan in a manner that appeared polite but was actually forceful.

Alternatively, trust the Gold Coin Merchants Association's reputation and rules, and pay the full amount.

Either we give up here.

There is no third way.

He was well aware of just how dire the situation was for the Ascended Clan.

Faced with the powerful Mingwu Clan, they suffered defeats on multiple fronts and even had to cooperate with Shuyan to barely resist the Mingwu Clan's strong invasion.

Although his stance on this trip was "to discuss cooperation," it also provided the Ascended Clan with an opportunity to leverage external forces.

What he holds in his hands are the war resources that the Ascended Clan urgently needs.

Cash on delivery may seem like a good option, but he would never accept the risks involved.

Once this door is opened and goods are shipped first, it means that the Ascended Clan has started a credit payment model.

Given the Ascended Clan's current state of being militaristic and resource-scarce, once they get used to "pay after receiving the goods," it's hard to guarantee that they won't, at some critical moment in the future, dare to demand large amounts of war resources from the Gold Coin Merchant Guild under the guise of "purchasing" when they clearly don't have enough inventory resources to pay for the goods.

Once the resources reached the hands of the Ascended Clan, the Gold Coin Merchant Guild was already in a passive position.

Even if players were to mobilize their factions to use force to collect the debt, it would be meaningless for the Ascended race, who are already at their wits' end.

How could a race that can't even guarantee its own survival possibly care about additional threats?

They could simply give up and squander all the resources they've acquired in the final battle.

Therefore, any possibility must be nipped in the bud from the very beginning.

Full payment is mandatory; it's an ironclad rule.

To gain the assistance of the Gold Coin Merchants Guild, one must abide by its rules; there is no room for negotiation.

After hearing the request, Chi Yan's burning eyes stared intently at A Lan.

The heat waves surging around the throne churned violently.

The risks of entrusting massive amounts of resources to an unfamiliar force that has dealings with the enemy are self-evident.

But it thought of the frontline battle reports that kept coming in with news of defeats.

The Ascended Clan has now been driven to the brink of despair.

Conventional methods could not reverse the tide of the war, and cooperation with the Shuyan Clan was fraught with uncertainty, as the two sides were mortal enemies to begin with.

The cooperation was limited due to pressure, and the two sides never even had any communication.

More often than not, they rely on tacit understanding to resist the pressure brought by the Mist Clan.

The trade plan offered by the Gold Coin Merchants Guild can undoubtedly alleviate the pressure on the front lines immediately.

Chi Yan hesitated as a result.

Take a gamble?
I'm betting that this mysterious business guild's reputation and capabilities are truly as reliable as he claims.

The gamble is that this huge investment will bring an advantage on the battlefield, rather than a complete loss.

The cost of failure is certainly heavy, but... the cost of continuing the stalemate could be the extinction of the race.

Finally, the violently flaring flames in its eyes slowly subsided, solidifying into a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve.

It raised its enormous head and stared directly into Alan's eyes:

"Okay, I trust your Gold Coin Merchant Guild."

After weighing the pros and cons, Chi Yan ultimately chose to compromise.

They're betting heavily on a future that holds little hope for their community.

Seeing that a preliminary agreement had been reached, A-Lan remained calm and nodded in agreement:

"Chief Clan Chief Crimson Flame has made a wise choice. I now have a suggestion: in order to provide the Ascended Clan with more precise and effective war resources in the future, I would like to gain a deeper understanding of the Ascended Clan's specific needs. Besides healing potions, what else do you lack?"

Exposing the current shortcomings of one's own ethnic group undoubtedly carries risks.

But now that the decision to cooperate had been made, Chi Yan no longer held back.

"follow me."

Next, Alan followed Chiyan on a tour of Ascension Island.

From Chi Yan's behavior, A Lan could tell that he had decided to be honest with her.

It is clear that they believe that since they have chosen to cooperate, they should maximize their benefits.

Hiding it would only hinder the development of the Ascended Clan and their wars.

Either don't agree, or if you agree, you must maximize the benefits through the Gold Coin Merchant Guild.

In Alan's view, this was undoubtedly a wise choice.

As a player, it doesn't matter whether the Ascended Clan or the Mist Clan is stronger or weaker.

He only cares about who can bring more resources and benefits to the Gold Coin Merchants Association.

During her travels on the islands, through Chi Yan's candid narration and demonstrations, A Lan quickly formed a clearer understanding of the Ascended Clan in her mind.

Players' earliest understanding of the Ascended race came from the beings in a small world called "Heavenly Soldiers".

At that time, the "heavenly soldiers" who thought they had ascended to the heavens thought they had ascended to the immortal realm.

In reality, it was time for slaughter at the "farm".

Fortunately, the heavenly soldier had learned a special method for destroying one's own foundation in the small world.

Faced with the "spiritual root" that was about to devour it and break free—that is, a member of the ascended race—it shattered its shackles in a manner that was almost self-destructive.

He escaped the Ascension Sea on the verge of death.

This behavior is equivalent to livestock in a farm jumping out of the fence and escaping.

Finally, the unconscious celestial soldier fell into the Azure Star Sea.

On the deserted beach of Dream Island, I encountered a player.

Thus, the Ascended Clan came into the players' view.

Players are already very familiar with the war structure of the Ascended race.

This exists in accordance with the rules, but it is not a rule-derived life form like the Blue Lantern Clan.

More like a race, after acquiring the rules, the evolution of the entire civilization revolved entirely around these rules, gradually developing a unique growth system that was perfectly adapted to them over the long years.

The most crucial point is that the Ascended race does not possess the traditional ability to reproduce.

Their reproduction process is more like a life progression model based on rules.

The original body is weak and is completely abandoned in this mode.

Ascended members are incapable of giving birth to life; they can only give birth to the consciousness of their offspring.

These consciousnesses will be projected into the rule-based spiritual root, transformed into a spiritual root seed under the wrapping of rule-derived energy, and then sent to the world of cultivation.

This process is called: dissemination.

These spiritual seeds will seek out the creatures of the small world, then parasitize their bodies and endow them with powerful growth potential.

During the growth process, the host's mind will be influenced by the spiritual root seed, and they will have an insatiable desire for the path to immortality.

During the process of cultivating immortality, the host is actually constantly nourishing the "spiritual root seed" within the body, allowing it to grow stronger.

The spiritual root seed will also grant the host powerful abilities.

Thus, under the setting of the Ascended Clan, the entire cultivation world naturally fell into an extremely competitive and dog-eat-dog environment.

Cultivators wage war, scheme, and kill each other for resources, opportunities, and the slim chance of immortality and ascension... All these conflicts and deaths are seen by the ascending race as a necessary process for selecting the strongest "offspring".

Only those who survive countless battles, break through the limits of the world, and finally usher in the moment of "ascension" possess the most abundant nourishment and the most resilient soul, which can trigger the final stage of the spiritual root seed within their bodies.

It causes the host to devour it, break free of its cocoon and transform into a qualified new bloodline of the ascended race, and be guided back.

Those hosts who fail in the struggle or perish midway.

It will gradually be absorbed by the smaller world and reintegrate into the world's power, instead of dissipating.

Even the spiritual root seeds within the host's body will be eliminated and extinguished due to the host's failure.

The offspring cultivated by the Ascended Clan using this system are all the most outstanding spiritual seedlings of their time.

For the formal members of the Ascended Clan, all they need to do is sow the seeds of spiritual roots and set the rules of the cruel world.

Then we can wait for the fiercest and most powerful "offspring" to emerge from the brutal competition and become one of them.

The racial talents of the Ascended race are also quite unique.

Their bodies are not purely flesh and blood, but are composed of energy derived from rules.

This gives them an innate, near-perfect affinity and control over the various elemental energies in the world.

With a mere thought, they can unleash raging flames, summon thunder from the heavens, control fierce winds, and condense mysterious ice... They are natural-born masters of the elements.

Furthermore, the elemental power they control is directly amplified by their core "spiritual root rules".

This multiplies the power of their elemental spells, making them incredibly destructive.

However, the costs and resources invested in each war were also extremely terrifying.

At present, what the Ascended Clan lacks most are tools for quickly replenishing energy consumption and casting more powerful spells.

In response, Alan immediately stated that the Gold Coin Merchants Association was fully capable of handling the issue.

The Ascended Clan's so-called supplementary needs do not require them to purchase from other channels; the player shop offers various types of spirit restoration potions.

Drinking it provides a quick boost, so these kinds of resources are easy to obtain.

As for the selling price, it will be the same as the healing potion, sold at a high price to the ascendants.

He runs a monopoly business.

Since customers have needs that can only be obtained from him, he naturally has to ask for exorbitant prices.

Secondly, the Ascended race also needs a batch of defensive equipment.

In the war against the Dark Mist, the Ascended Race's greatest strength lies in its powerful offense, while its greatest weakness lies in its weak defense.

It urgently needs to change this situation.

Ah Lan readily agreed.

The Gold Coin Merchant Guild recently stockpiled a batch of equipment produced in the Adventurer's World, including many defensive items and equipment, which can be sold to the Ascended Clan.

However, when Chi Yan expressed his desire to purchase information about the Mingwu Clan's war plans, A Lan decisively refused.

From the very beginning of the Gold Coin Merchants Association, he established the rule of maintaining neutrality.

Neutrality means treating all customers equally.

If two customers have a conflict, friction, or even a war, will the gold coin dealer take sides?

They'll sell anything as long as you pay them.

How much combat power can be obtained from the Gold Coin Merchant Guild depends on the financial resources of both parties.

But we will never sell intelligence information about the other party to either side.

Both the Mist Clan and the Ascended Clan are now clients of the Gold Coin Merchant Guild, so he will not sell information about the Mist Clan to the Ascended Clan.

Similarly, he would not reveal any information about the Ascended Clan to the Mist Clan...

During the conversation, A-Lan wrote down all of Chi-Yan's needs.

They were considering how to approach the cooperation with the Gold Coin Merchant Guild in a way that would maximize profits.

What he was most concerned about was the resources in the nearby seas controlled by the Ascended Clan, and the current resource reserves.

The amount of resources a customer has determines how much profit the gold coin dealer can earn from them.

Half a day later.

Alan returned to Dream Island in the form of her soul returning to the Emperor's Fortress.

I originally planned to go to Shuyan Domain again to discuss cooperation with Shuyan.

But Shuyan is far more difficult to approach than Chiyan.

The reason can be traced back to the period of "savage expansion" of the player faction in the monster world.

At the time, many players regarded the Book Warrior as the strongest controllable pet.

In order to successfully capture the Shuyan warriors, these players staked out various locations both inside and outside the Shuyan territory.

The most dangerous incident occurred when a protagonist in a story was nearly captured by the player after being critically injured and on the verge of death.

This led to Shuyan having extremely strong hostility and vigilance towards players.

They even designed a story system specifically to deal with player intrusions.

This story has even been analyzed and interpreted by dedicated gamers on forums.

The story is set in a civilization that is constantly harassed by "extraterrestrial demons" and is suffering terribly.

To deal with the elusive extraterrestrial demons, the wise sages of this civilization joined hands to form a special organization: the Watchers.

The defense system, which is a concrete representation of this story, is designed to deal with player harassment.

The Guardians' patrols and perception abilities are all designed to counter the player.

It's currently proving difficult to establish contact with Shuyan.

However, being able to open up the market for ascendants is already a huge breakthrough.

Knowing that trying to do too much at once would be counterproductive, A-Lan decided to first stabilize the Ascended Clan before considering cooperation with Shu-Yan.

The next task is to procure the resources needed by the Ascended Clan.

Just as Alan brought up the group chat interface, preparing to contact the Chamber of Commerce's logistics department to purchase the resources needed by the Ascended Clan and arrange delivery,

In his live stream, a golden comment popped up, indicating special attention:

"Alan, investigate the whereabouts of the other three branches that fled their home world back then, and confirm whether any members of these branches have descended upon the monster world."

　A 10,000-word update! Requesting monthly votes at the beginning of the month!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)