Twin Peaks Valley. The Crash Site.
The massive Star-Steel Warship from the Central Continent lay smoking in a crater, right next to the neatly lined-up chests of local tribute. The impact had shattered the ship's hull, spilling crates of high-grade Spirit Stones and foreign artifacts onto the grass.
Lei Ming, the arrogance beaten out of him by the sudden impact, crawled out of the wreckage. He was coughing blood. His fine lightning-weave robes were torn. "You..." Lei Ming pointed a shaking finger at Jiang Chen. "You dare attack a Core Disciple of the Thunder Pavilion? Do you know what you have done? You have declared war on the Central Continent!"
Behind him, his two Nascent Soul guards stumbled up, their armor dented. "Young Master!" one guard roared, summoning a lightning spear. "Protect the Young Master! Kill these barbarians!"
The two guards charged at Jiang Chen. Their speed was impressive—much faster than the sluggish cultivators of the South. Their lightning techniques were refined and sharp.
Jiang Chen didn't move. He didn't even put down his fishing rod. "Ye Kai. Wei Wu."
BOOM. Ye Kai intercepted the first guard. The guard stabbed his lightning spear into Ye Kai's chest. ZAP. The lightning exploded... and did absolutely nothing. Ye Kai's Titan Golden Body absorbed the electricity like it was a warm bath. "Is that it?" Ye Kai looked disappointed. "My bathwater is hotter than this." SMASH. Ye Kai slapped the guard. The guard spun three times in the air before embedding himself into the cliff face.
SHING. Wei Wu intercepted the second guard. The guard tried to cast a thunder spell. "Thunder Snake Da—" Wei Wu's thumb clicked his hilt. The guard's spell dissolved. The Qi in his meridians was severed before it could leave his body. "Your intent is loud," Wei Wu whispered. He tapped the guard on the forehead with his scabbard. The guard's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.
Lei Ming stood alone. His mouth hung open. "Nascent Soul... Body Cultivation? Void Sword Intent?" Lei Ming stuttered. "In a backwater region? Impossible!"
The Audit
Jiang Chen walked down the steps of the portal, his white robes flowing. He stepped over the unconscious guards and stopped in front of Lei Ming. He looked at the young man like a butcher looking at a high-quality pig.
"Su Ling," Jiang Chen said. "Total damages?"
Su Ling walked over, scanning the crater. "Pavement repair: 50,000. Emotional distress to our guests: 100,000. Illegal airspace violation: 500,000. Labor cost for towing the ship: 200,000." She pushed her glasses up. "Total Debt: 850,000 Spirit Stones."
"You... you want to fine me?" Lei Ming laughed hysterically. "I am from the Central Continent! We use True Stones, not your trash currency!"
"Oh?" Jiang Chen's eyes lit up. "True Stones?"
He reached out. Using [The Eye of Truth], he hacked the ring on Lei Ming's finger. He dumped the contents onto the ground. Mountains of glowing, blue stones poured out. They were denser, purer, and radiated 10x the energy of local Spirit Stones. [Item: True Spirit Stones.] [Exchange Rate: 1 True Stone = 100 Standard Stones.]
"Jackpot," Jiang Chen whistled. "You are a whale."
The Intel
Jiang Chen conjured a chair and sat down. "Now. Let's talk business. Why is a Core Disciple from the Thunder Pavilion risking the unstable void to come to this trash heap?"
"I won't tell you!" Lei Ming gritted his teeth. "My father is a Spirit Severing Expe—"
"Ye Kai," Jiang Chen sighed. "The arm."
"Yes, Master." Ye Kai grabbed Lei Ming's arm and squeezed. "ARGH! OKAY! I'LL TALK!"
"The Barrier..." Lei Ming panted. "The Great Regional Barrier is dissolving. In Six Months, the Southern Region will merge with the Central Continent." "We... we received a prophecy. When the South opens, ancient tombs will emerge. My sect sent me as a vanguard to secure a base before the other Major Sects arrive."
"So," Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes. "You aren't here for diplomacy. You are here to colonize."
"Who else is coming?" Jiang Chen asked.
"Everyone," Lei Ming whispered fearfully. "The Thunder Pavilion, the Sword Valley, the Myriad Beast Mountain... Expedition fleets are being prepared. When the barrier falls, this region will be a war zone."
The Southern Sect Leaders (Jian, Venom, etc.) standing nearby turned pale. They thought the Civil War was bad. But compared to the Central Continent monsters, they were ants. "We are doomed," Sect Leader Jian moaned. "They have Spirit Severing experts as captains. We will be enslaved."
The Hostile Takeover
Jiang Chen sat in silence. He processed the information. 6 Months. That was the timeline. In 6 months, the walls would fall, and the sharks would come in.
He looked at the terrified Southern leaders. Heavenly Sword Sect. Violet Mist Pavilion. The Ye Clan. Separately, they were weak. They were disorganized. They would be crushed instantly.
Jiang Chen stood up. The air pressure around him shifted. "Listen up!"
Sect Leader Jian, Grandma Venom, and the City Lord snapped to attention.
"The world as you know it is ending," Jiang Chen announced. "In six months, the big bad wolves are coming." "You have two choices." "Option A: You return to your mountains, wait for the invasion, and die fighting." "Option B: You dissolve your sects."
"Dissolve?" Jian gasped. "You mean... quit?"
"No," Jiang Chen smiled. "I mean Merger."
He pointed to the Divine Dragon Realm. "Starting today, the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Violet Mist Pavilion, and the Ye Clan no longer exist." "You will integrate into the Divine Dragon Sect."
"Sect Leader Jian," Jiang Chen pointed. "You and your disciples will become the Sword Hall. Your job is combat." "Grandma Venom," Jiang Chen pointed. "You will become the Alchemy & Poison Hall. Your job is production." "Ye Kai," Jiang Chen pointed at his disciple. "The Ye Clan will become the Finance Hall. Your job is logistics."
"But..." Grandma Venom trembled. "Our heritage... our ancestors..."
"Your ancestors are dead," Jiang Chen said coldly. "And if you don't join me, you will be joining them soon." He kicked the wreckage of the Star-Steel Ship. "These invaders have better weapons, better stones, and higher cultivation. The only way we survive is if we become a single, massive entity."
"I will upgrade your cultivation techniques. I will provide resources from the Tomb. I will rebuild your formations." "In exchange, I own 100% of you."
The Sect Leaders looked at each other. They looked at the battered Central Continent genius. They looked at the three monsters (Ye Kai, Su Ling, Wei Wu). They realized they had no choice.
"We... we accept," Sect Leader Jian bowed, dropping to one knee. "We greet the Sect Master!" Grandma Venom knelt.
The Blueprint
"Good," Jiang Chen nodded. He turned to Su Ling. "Su Ling. Initiate Project: Fortress."
"Yes, Master." Su Ling opened a massive holographic map of the Twin Peaks Valley.
"We are not leaving," Jiang Chen declared. "We are digging in." "We will use the Star-Steel from this wrecked ship to build a defensive wall around the entire valley." "We will use the True Spirit Stones to power a Grand Array that can kill a Spirit Severing expert."
"Old Sky," Jiang Chen turned to the Sovereign. "Stop serving tea. Go to the Library. Find the [Myriad Dragon Formation]. Teach it to the new Elders."
"Yes, Master," Old Sky bowed, his eyes burning with excitement. Finally, a real war.
Jiang Chen looked at the horizon. "They want to invade us?" "Let them come." "By the time they arrive, this 'Backwater Region' will be a fortress of steel and bone."
He looked at Lei Ming, who was shivering in his underwear. "And you," Jiang Chen smiled. "You are going to write a letter to your father." "Tell him the Southern Region is poor, desolate, and full of plagues. Tell him not to send reinforcements."
"And if you lie..." Jiang Chen tapped the [Eye of Truth]. "I will extract your soul and put it in a toilet scrub."
Lei Ming nodded frantically. "I'll write! I'll write anything!"
Jiang Chen turned back to the portal. "Everyone, get to work. We have six months to build an Empire."