At the highest point of the Starfall Fortress, atop Star Peak, beneath a colossal crystal shimmering with magnificent colors, the grand hall doors slowly closed, obscuring the sight of many curious onlookers.
"The Starfall Conference has begun."
"Representatives from fifteen Great Oases and twenty-six Elite Oases are participating. Not only that, many leaders of the Great Oases are present in person. Hiss… this is a gathering rarely seen in a thousand years!"
"Indeed, the sight of so many important figures gathered together is unimaginable. Our Starfall City is truly formidable, easily commanding the entire great domain."
Outside the hall, numerous nobles had assembled. Some were local nobles from Starfall Fortress, while many were from the Starfall Imperial City or other great lord cities. They murmured amongst themselves, their faces filled with pride.
After all, even though they hailed from the great Starfall City and tended to look down upon the 'countryside' of the Great Oases, they understood that their own status was far inferior to influential figures like the leaders of the Great Oases. Only a few great lords could rival or surpass them.
These figures, whom they considered great personages, had traveled thousands of miles to Starfall Fortress, setting aside their grievances to gather here… the mere thought of this historic moment made them restless with excitement.
After the conference, the landscape of the Starfall Great Domain might change, and numerous new business opportunities could emerge… The nobles, realizing this, waited outside the hall, employing all their cunning to gather information.
These were the more ordinary nobles. The truly great nobles had largely entered the hall to behold the presence of the great Saint Bolayzeman.
...
"...Our Starfall Great Domain is a treasure trove of diverse specialties. In the past, due to our limitations, we struggled to harness these resources. But now, Starfall City intends to take the lead and jointly build a prosperous Starfall Great Domain!"
During the meeting, Bolayzeman spoke at length about the history of the Starfall Great Domain, reminiscing about the hardships of their ancestors during the pioneering era, and contrasting it with the present. The Starfall Great Domain now boasted one Super Oasis, one Super Power, fifteen Great Oases, and twenty-six powerful factions.
What a glorious spectacle! Compared to the neighboring 'Burial Grounds' and 'Wailing Mountains,' it was even more striking.
There was no prepared speech, yet Bolayzeman droned on for several hours. Luo Jianxing began to feel drowsy, but glancing around, he noticed many oasis representatives were still very alert, gazing at Saint Bolayzeman above with expressions of reverence.
'...Are they all such good actors?'
To be fair, Luo Jianxing felt that nine-tenths of what this Saint was saying was nonsense. He couldn't bring himself to feign serious listening.
But he was mistaken; not everyone was pretending.
This was because a Saint was present in person. Normally, it was incredibly difficult for them to even catch a distant glimpse of a Saint, yet now, they could witness a Saint delivering a speech firsthand. For the vast majority, the content of Saint Bolayzeman's speech was unimportant; the mere presence of a Saint was enough to excite and uplift them.
This was the charisma of a Saint!
For those born and raised in the oases, Saints were equivalent to infinite power, their faith, their goal, their future!
Otherwise, a large crowd of awakened individuals wouldn't frequently loiter outside the Burnfire Merchant Town's defense headquarters. What were they there for, if not to catch a glimpse of a Saint?
Most oasis representatives listened intently, and Saint Bolayzeman on stage spoke with great pleasure.
His gaze swept across the hall, pausing slightly at the Burnfire Merchant Association's delegation seats, where he saw the names of the three leaders seated at the front.
Roland, Luo Jianxing, Bai Yansi.
All were merely ordinary awakened individuals with six senses.
None of Burnfire Merchant Association's Saints were present; only a few insignificant figures had come.
It seemed they were compelled to attend due to the invitation, but their Saints were unwilling to condescend to participate in a meeting led by Starfall City.
Heh~
Bolayzeman smiled faintly, believing he had grasped the intentions of the Burnfire Merchant Association. This was also good; since the Burnfire Merchant Association's Saints were absent, his plans would encounter less resistance.
After all, he was the only Saint in the entire hall, and often, the words of a Saint were as good as decrees.
...
Subsequently, the great domain conference proceeded through some tedious procedures and preliminary discussions before commencing with the main event – the Starfall Plan!
This plan was personally unveiled by Saint Bolayzeman, aiming to strengthen the entire great domain collectively.
More specifically, it included cooperative development of ruins, a great domain strategic alliance for offense and defense, exploration and mining of resource points, and manufacturing of Starfall specialties.
Perhaps due to the sudden emergence of the Burnfire Merchant Association, Starfall City had made numerous concessions in these cooperation treaties. Many great oasis representatives glanced at them and nodded slightly, showing signs of interest.
"The proposal from Starfall City regarding ruin development seems promising?"
"Indeed, Starfall City's development technology is far superior to ours. Many ruins that we cannot exploit, they can… Moreover, if we sign a 'Certified Contract,' we don't have to worry about Starfall City breaking their word."
"The most crucial point is that I believe the profit distribution within this is acceptable… Our Waveside City-State discovered Ruin No. 3, but we've been hesitant to excavate it due to concerns about triggering its internal self-destruction mechanism… If we can leverage Starfall City's technology, we might lose some profit, but we can avoid risks and save a lot of time. Overall, it's a win."
...
"Many of the resource points marked by our oasis are difficult to exploit due to distance, or the cost of exploitation outweighs the benefits. If, as Starfall City proposes, the Great Oases sign exploitation cooperation agreements, we can collaborate with nearby Great Oases to turn these resource points into actual value."
"We've had similar ideas before, but only Starfall City could implement them."
"Yes. Furthermore, only Starfall City possesses sufficiently secure 'Certification Rituals.' Of course, the Burnfire Merchant Association might also have them, but their scale is still too small to implement many plans."
...
"Alliance treaty for offense and defense? Heh heh, for a long time, Starfall City has been indifferent to the lives and deaths of us Great Oases. Now, spurred by the Burnfire Merchant Association, Starfall City has finally put this matter on the agenda."
"Frankly, in this regard, I think the Burnfire Merchant Association is more reliable. After all, during the recent surge of malevolence, only the Burnfire Merchant Association cared about us oases."
"That's true. It's a pity the Burnfire Merchant Association has too few personnel. For the previous aid agreement, they borrowed the strength of the Shattered Sea Mercenary Group, but now that the surge is over, many mercenary groups seem to have returned to the Shattered Sea."
"Overall, this matter can be considered, but we must not be overly constrained by Starfall City."
...
"The most famous product of Starfall City is undoubtedly the 'Starfall Ring,' right? I heard its main material is 'Mingliu Crystal,' which is only produced in our Starfall Great Domain and a few other rare great domains?"
"It's not just a few great domains; precisely speaking, 'Mingliu Crystal' resource nodes can only appear within the oases of these few great domains. It's almost impossible to find them in wild gray mist areas… The mist-clearing range of these rings is not only stronger than that of artifact-level mist-clearing equipment but also comes with a special ability – 'Mingliu Light' – which can instantly clear the surrounding gray mist and drive away malevolent spirits. If a team encounters a malevolent spirit ambush in the wild, these Starfall Rings are life-saving artifacts!"
"Therefore, Starfall Rings are very popular in outer regions, but it's hard for people within our Starfall Great Domain to buy them; they are too expensive and in short supply."
"Unfortunately, it's clear that the 'Starfall Ring' is not included in the cooperation catalog for Starfall specialties."
...
Inside the hall, the representatives of the major oases conversed in low voices, occasionally nodding, occasionally pondering.
The proposals from Starfall City were acceptable to them, not overly harsh. However, some oasis leaders had their own thoughts.
Cooperation and signing agreements were fine, but they felt that certain restrictive clauses within the 'Certified Contract' needed minor adjustments.
At the very least, they did not want to be overly constrained by Starfall City.
—This was the thought of the leaders of the more powerful oases.
At the very least, they needed to be offered better terms.
—This was the thought of the more ordinary oasis leaders.
Of course, there were some oasis lords who felt it was insufficient, that the profit distribution was not enough.
The City Lord of Steel City, at this moment, narrowed his eyes and tapped lightly on the table.
"If this were twenty years ago, we might have had to accept this agreement. But now… following Starfall City to get a few scraps?"
He felt it was not enough. He didn't want to drink soup; he wanted to eat meat and be one of the rule-makers!
Their Steel City had only been operating in the Starfall Great Domain for just over a hundred years, its history shorter than second-rate Great Oases like Swordflower City. However, Steel City was now recognized throughout the great domain as one of the three most powerful Great Oases.
This was because their origin was extraordinary.
Their parent organization was a Super Oasis-level power in the outer regions – the Steel City-State. Later, to acquire more resources and gamble for Saint awakening, the current City Lord of Steel City led his branch family on a long journey to the Starfall Great Domain and occupied an oasis for development.
Over a hundred years later, the present-day ‘Steel City,’ a renowned Great Oasis throughout the entire great domain, came into being.
Even though Steel City had separated from the Steel City-State, they still maintained contact, which was their leverage in negotiating with Starfall City. Moreover, they had a true trump card, which was…
...
...
On the third day of the Starfall Summit, Saint Bolayzeman reappeared at the meeting venue.
He ascended the high platform, nodded slightly, and after briefly outlining the agenda, he scanned the entire hall and asked, "Who agrees, and who opposes?"
Despite holding a significant advantage, Bolayzeman did not expect everything to proceed smoothly. Obstacles were inevitable, and he would crush them all.
He subtly cast his gaze towards the location of the Burnfire Merchant Association.
At this moment, the leaders of the major oases also shifted their gazes, exchanging looks with others, their eyes filled with contemplation. They had some opinions, but with a Saint present, no one wanted to be the first to speak, at least not too soon.
They also subtly cast their gazes towards the Burnfire Merchant Association's location.
Luo Jianxing, Bai Yansi, and a few others were spacing out.
Who am I, where am I, what should I do? They weren't completely bewildered; just now, a notification had updated in their task panel.
"Remain in position and await developments."
They were waiting.
They were relaxed and unhurried, but other great oasis powerhouses were getting anxious. Waiting and waiting, what was the Burnfire Merchant Association doing?
"This City Lord... has a small suggestion."
Finally! Wait a moment!
The oasis powerhouses shifted their gaze to another seating area, dozens of meters away from the Burnfire Merchant Association representatives.
There, the City Lord of Steel City, clad in silver-grey armor, slowly rose with his hands on the table, a smile on his face.
"This City Lord believes..."
Bolayzeman was quite surprised.
Did the City Lord of Steel City have such great ambitions? Or was he considering himself important by relying on the Steel City-State as a backer?
But a connection was just a connection, not the real thing. Their Starfall City also had close ties with the Seven Stars Alliance, not to mention they revered the supreme existence, the 'Lord of Stars.'
His thoughts raced. Saint Bolayzeman, with a smile and an unchanged expression, merely waved his hand, signaling this City Lord of Steel—
—Please, begin your performance. I hope you won't disappoint this Saint.
The next moment,
Buzz—
A faint divine aura diffused, blanketing the hall in silence and astonishment.
Bolayzeman was indeed not disappointed; he was simply too astonished.
A Saint…
An oasis powerhouse couldn't help but utter a tremor.
"The City Lord of Steel has advanced to Sainthood?!"
"Another Excellency has been born!"
"Steel City has been hiding deeply!"
"From now on, the Starfall Great Domain will not be a two-horse race, but a tripartite confrontation?"
The City Lord of Steel, who radiated Saintly might, gave a slight bow to Bolayzeman before stating his conditions.
He had the qualifications; he wanted to be an executor in the distribution of benefits.
After listening,
Bolayzeman frowned slightly. Such an unexpected event completely exceeded his estimations. However, after a brief consideration, he realized it wasn't unacceptable. The specific details would naturally require negotiation, but it wasn't impossible to allocate some benefits to Steel City.
Because Steel City still acknowledged their dominant position, they were just demanding more, and Steel City now indeed had the qualification to receive more.
And with Steel City as an ally, their dominance over the great domain would be even more secure, and they wouldn't have to worry too much about the impact from the Burnfire Merchant Association.
In other words, although more benefits were being shared, gaining the support of the City Lord of Steel, a Saint, would help their great domain plan proceed faster and more smoothly.
With this thought, Bolayzeman nodded slightly, about to finalize the agreement, when he heard again,
"This Dean... also has a small suggestion."
Who was this now?
Bolayzeman was startled. He pressed on the table and followed the voice. He saw an elegant lady slowly rising from the Swordflower City delegation seats.
The speaker was this lady.
Bolayzeman recalled briefly. He remembered this lady was Dean Rose of Swordflower City, one of Swordflower's top three powerhouses. However, she wasn't even the leader of Swordflower.
He frowned.
Beside him, a powerhouse from Starfall City was about to speak when an invisible force field emanated from the elegant lady, sweeping across the hall. Instantly, it was as if myriad flowers bloomed, scattering silence and stupor.
This was… divine aura! Saintly might!
Another divine aura?
Again?!!
The other great oasis powerhouses present were stunned, looking at Dean Rose with even greater astonishment, as if they had seen a ghost.
If the City Lord of Steel advancing to Sainthood had some possibility, then this Dean Rose advancing so silently… this was too mysterious!
Swordflower City, how deeply had it been hiding?
So she was the true leader of Swordflower!
"Swordflower Rose, is a Saint?"
The City Lord of Steel was also surprised, his expression grave as he gazed at the elegant figure not far away.
He hadn't expected another Great Oasis to make the same choice as him, revealing their Saintly identity at the Great Domain Summit to seek more benefits.
No, what he hadn't expected at all was that other Great Oases also had powerhouses who had managed to break through!
And this one from Swordflower City hid deeper than he did; this lady outwardly appeared to be merely the third seat of Swordflower!
Bolayzeman also found it hard to maintain his composure.
Unexpected events followed one after another, all beyond his estimations.
Furthermore, this Dean Rose had hidden too deeply, and her intentions seemed hostile.
As he expected, Dean Rose also raised an objection. And completely unlike the City Lord of Steel, Dean Rose opposed Starfall City's great domain plan.
A distinguished Saint held an opposing view.
Suddenly, some oasis powerhouses who were already not entirely supportive began to waver.
But Starfall City was, after all, the overlord of the great domain, with centuries of deep influence accumulated. They still held the dominant position. However, with unexpected events happening one after another today, a foreboding sense suddenly arose in Bolayzeman's heart.
No, it couldn't be. Would a third Saint suddenly appear? How was that possible!
"This Tower Master, also has a small suggestion."
People followed the sound.
The speaker was the leader of the Blackrock Alliance, the First Tower Master.
This Tower Master's experience was legendary; in just a few decades, she had elevated the Blackrock Alliance to the status of a Great Oasis. But this was, after all, the Great Domain Summit, and the status of the First Tower Master of the Blackrock Alliance was insignificant here.
After all, the Blackrock Alliance had been operating for too short a time and was considered the most ordinary type of Great Oasis.
An oasis leader thought this.
The next moment, another unfamiliar yet familiar Saintly might suddenly diffused, sweeping through the hall and bringing with it a wave of silence and astonishment.
Wait, again?
Another distinguished Saint?
The oasis powerhouses were stunned, looking at the First Tower Master, who had lifted her hooded cloak to reveal an old but unwrinkled face, their jaws nearly dropping.
How could this be!
Wasn't the Blackrock Alliance the most ordinary Great Oasis? And the First Tower Master was also very old, with no possibility of advancing to Sainthood… Wait, upon closer inspection of the Blackrock Alliance's history, this First Tower Master was actually not yet 120 years old, meaning she did have the possibility of advancing to Sainthood.
It was just that she had dressed as if she were very old before!
She had done it intentionally!
This First Tower Master of the Blackrock Alliance was the person who had hidden the deepest in the entire great domain! She was terrifyingly formidable!
Dean Rose, also deeply hidden, looked at this elder Saint with astonishment in her eyes, as if saying, "Someone can hide even better than me."
The City Lord of Steel did not notice the subtle understanding in Dean Rose's eyes. He merely felt that the powerhouses of the Starfall Great Domain were one more capable of hiding than the other.
Too good at hiding!
Bolayzeman: "..."
He was the one who wanted to say this the most!