As negotiations teetered, a Forbidden Guard rushed in, saluting me atop the throne. "Your Majesty, the Immortal Realm's forces are clashing with ours outside!"
"Hm?" I glanced at the elders below, expecting a reasonable explanation.
"Your Majesty, there must be a misunderstanding. Let me investigate. Please remain calm," the Great Elder pleaded, standing swiftly.
I stayed silent, my face dark. Anyone could see I was livid—though Sky Dragon Empire insiders knew I was playacting.
Alang, sharp for once, stepped forward, eyeing the elders. "Clever plan, huh? Think we're fools? Stalling us?"
The elders' hearts sank. Disaster. The clash was undeniable, and fault unclear. Calming both sides was the only way.
"General Wolf, it's not as you think. If we planned this, would we trap ourselves here?" the Second Elder urged, sweat beading, his famed wit strained by the crisis.
"Hmph, maybe a sacrificial ploy," Alang sneered sarcastically.
The Second Elder turned to me desperately. "Your Majesty!"
Time to speak. Waving both sides down, I said, "Quiet. Let's see what's happening. I hope it's not what we suspect." I shot the elders a look—they'd know the cost of deceit. Leading my ministers, I headed to the conflict zone.
"Son greets Father Emperor," Makino Feijing bowed.
"What's the situation?" I asked, meaning the outcome. With our strength, losing was laughable. I wanted to know if this was a skirmish or full assault.
"Uncle Leopard had me secure the rear. He's with Fifth Brother upfront. Other Immortal Realm legions are converging here," Feijing reported.
The elders exchanged silent, helpless glances, reading despair in each other's eyes.
"You stay here. I'll join your father upfront," Tianxue ordered Feijing.
"Yes, Mother Empress."
We flew a light-year, witnessing hundreds of thousands locked in fierce combat. Our numbers dwarfed theirs, encircling them. Though fewer of our warriors fought, their strength far outclassed the enemy. Clearly, our side was toying with them.
The battle, easy for us, was intense. The dark cosmos sparkled with energy bursts, like distant fireworks.
"Nice!" Our soldiers occasionally bound Immortal Realm fighters with energy, tossing them to the sidelines. The elders behind me were dumbfounded.
"Your Majesty!" The Great Elder, unable to watch, stepped forward.
I assessed the scene. Overdoing it wouldn't do. "Leopard, stop them. Let's hear their explanation," I ordered Abao.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Abao relayed the command.
From the Immortal Realm's ranks, a crowned figure emerged, escorted by immortals—Emperor Ling, who'd followed, uneasy about the elders' safety.
"Are the elders well?" Seeing them unharmed, Ling exhaled. "What happened?" the Great Elder demanded, furious. Anyone would be—success so close, ruined by this. He knew Ling worried for them, but their lives paled against the Immortal Realm's fate.
Stammering under the Great Elder's glare, Ling said, "I—heard—they'd bind you."
"Who said that?" The Great Elder teetered on rage. If he found the culprit, they'd pay. Such a jest now?
I knew instantly—my warriors' mischief. I tracked their antics closely. Missing this chance would be odd. Smiling at Ling and the elders, I said, "Why not sit and talk properly?"
The elders, shaking their heads, thought, Why leave your palace for this? Don't you know the strength gap? Playing hero? If talks fail, we had hope. Now, it's gone. May our fate not be too grim.
Ling, hearing me, glanced over, inwardly marveling, What a dashing, mighty man. If female, he'd be smitten. Then, seeing Tianxue beside me—so stunning—he froze. Her frown, amid the tense air, snapped him back. "You must be the god from the God Realm the elders mentioned," he said.
"God?" I gave Ling a quirky look, then the elders, piecing it together. They think I'm a higher god. Given our strength, it made sense. Smiling, I said, "Let's talk inside, or you'll say I'm a poor host."
My casual claim as host made the elders sigh inwardly. Ling wanted to protest but, seeing the elders' silence, swallowed his words, following me to the planet's palace.
Along the way, Ling's heart grew heavier, like the elders' initial awe. My strength means nothing to them. He hoped for a lenient outcome, less calamity. Lost in thought, he reached the palace.
Ling gaped—not at the crystal structure, but its mind-crafted precision. A palace this vast, so intricate, built by thought? Unfathomable.
"Don't be shy, come in," I said, snapping Ling's group from their awe. I was proud of this masterpiece, built with immense effort for my little treasures—a labor of love.
Inside the grand hall, chairs were ready. Ministers sat orderly. "Serve our finest wine. We've honored guests today," I told the maids, my hearty laugh echoing, exuding hospitality. Outsiders might think we were hosting allies, not recent foes.
Ling's hostility eased slightly. As I spoke, twenty radiant maidens in short skirts and tight tops—exotic and revealing—carried trays with twenty cups of green fruit wine. Their allure and attire stunned the immortals, steeped in ancient Chinese norms. The hall filled with wine and feminine fragrance, a sensory assault.
Seeing everyone served, I raised my cup. "Try our green fruit wine!"
The immortals lifted their cups, eyeing the viscous emerald liquid. Sipping, a cool fruitiness filled their mouths, followed by a fiery surge of spiritual energy as it coursed through them.
Unprepared, they feared poison, rising in fury.
The Fourth Elder leapt up, pointing. "Your Majesty, why? Isn't this despicable?"
Tianxue and I smiled. "If so, that'd be vile. But what's done is done. What now? Such a dilemma," I said, feigning distress.
"You—!" The Fourth Elder's trembling finger betrayed his rage, unable to form words. How can such a handsome man be so vicious?
The swelling energy demanded action, or disaster loomed. The Fourth Elder and others sat, channeling it. Ling and his group, already overwhelmed, meditated too. The hall filled with cross-legged immortals.
I maintained my unruffled smile.
"Can't you try another way?" Tianxue said fondly, poking my forehead.
Chuckling, I teased her finger with my tongue, making her retract with a playful glare.
When the Great Elder absorbed the energy, he opened his eyes to my smile. What's his goal? Boosting enemies' power was unheard of in his millennia-long life.
Ling and his group, slower, soon awoke. Fearing a fight, they relaxed, sensing my lack of malice—why else boost their power? Their cultivation, long stagnant, now surged.
"Great Elder!" Ling called, hoping to prevent conflict.
"It's fine," the Great Elder waved off.
"Why do this, Your Majesty?" Ling asked, puzzled.
"You tell me," I countered, smiling.
"No idea," Ling said, far from imperial poise.
I laughed heartily. The immortals stared, baffled. Stopping, I fixed Ling with a serious gaze. "Is there hatred between us?"
Ling reflected. "No," he admitted. Their clashes held no deep grudge.
"Then, isn't it wrong for warriors to die needlessly?"
"Yes."
"And our strengths differ vastly, right?" Ling, lulled into my trap, nodded habitually.
"So, if you surrender, no one dies. Isn't that best?"
"Good—" Within a second, Ling regretted it, face ashen, trembling as he pointed. "Your Majesty, isn't this despicable?!"
His immortals glared furiously. My warriors bristled, their aura clashing with a hiss, overwhelming the immortals. Feitian's revered in the empire! My approachable nature didn't permit disrespect.
The warriors' surge reminded the immortals—they were on our turf, surrounded. Though elite, they were outmatched but glared back defiantly.
Ling watched me nervously. I, unfazed, flashed approval. Waving my warriors down, I said, "Don't scare our guests."
The pressure lifted, leaving the immortals drained, some using artifacts to stand.
Seeing Ling's defiance, I smiled. "If you can't resist us, and we don't wish to harm you, isn't surrender best?"
Ling nodded instinctively, then caught himself, vowing not to fall again.
"Our difference," I paused, eyeing them, "is like yours with this realm's mortals. Invasion's unnecessary. Understand?"
Ling hesitated. "You want our allegiance, without interference, as nominal vassals?"
The elders hoped for this—gods outranked immortals. Allegiance could benefit the Immortal Realm, making godhood attainable, ending their endless stagnation.
"Exactly," I said calmly.
"What about those you captured?" Ling, relieved at the lenient terms, pleaded for prior captives, hoping for mercy in this jovial moment.
Without hesitation, I said, "Not yet. They'll labor a while—teach them humility. They're fine, don't worry." Ling couldn't argue. Unbeknownst to him, I'd keep them a millennium, toiling bare-bottomed, cursing me silently, cowed by my might.
"If there's nothing else, let's feast!" I announced. The elders, stunned by the smooth resolution, sighed. This Majesty toyed with us. Age had dulled their edge.
As celebrations began, a female officer rushed to Tianxue, whispering. Tianxue trembled but stayed composed, dismissing her.
I'd noticed but didn't ask—she'd tell me. "Tian, the empire's in trouble," she whispered via transmission, her tone grave.
"What's wrong?"
"Earth's nations are stirring—worse than before."
Tianxue relayed the news, watching me. Years of trials had taught me control. Observers saw no change in my demeanor.
"To our meeting!" I stood, raising my cup.
Post-banquet, in the palace chambers, Tianxue, Duo'er Duo, Duo'er Hua, and Kapo tended me lovingly, a scene to envy mortals.
"When do we return, Tian?" Kapo asked, lifting her head from my embrace.
Though eldest among my wives, her experience lagged behind Tianxue's. Stroking her golden hair, I kissed her lips. "Guess."
"Ugh, always teasing!" Kapo pouted.
Tianxue, nestled happily, watched their banter. After years with me, she knew I had a plan, or I wouldn't jest. Pulling Kapo's hand, she smiled. "Ignore him, Sister. He's got a plan but loves tormenting us."
Kapo shot me a coy glare, her hand sneaking to pinch my thigh hard.
"Ow! Murdering your husband?" I leapt from bed, exaggerating.
Duo'er Duo and Duo'er Hua giggled at our antics. "Tian, tell us your plan," Tianxue urged as the play subsided.
Facing their curious gazes, I knew withholding risked more than Kapo's pinch. "With our empire's strength, no enemy dares challenge us. Earth's people don't see that. They're threatening to force terms. If we're ruthless, they'll suffer most. Let Feilong handle it. If he can't, he's not my son," I said boldly.
"What if they want mutual destruction?" Kapo asked, confused.
I pinched her cheek. "Overthinking. We've less than a billion on Earth; they've over five. Mutual destruction? Numerically, we lose less. Our race might suffer, but our tech and culture endure. They'd vanish entirely. They're not that foolish. Anyone can see it."
"Oh," Duo'er Duo and Duo'er Hua nodded, grasping it.
"They exploit our Chinese bond to Earth, avoiding its destruction for negotiation leverage. Once we talk, their terms are ready for signing," I added.
"Ouch!" Kapo pinched me again. "How dare they!" She vented on me as if I were them. Despite my cosmic power, my wives' whims ruled.
Laughing, I pulled Kapo close. "Don't be mad. They've schemed for centuries. The challenge is our empire's soft spot—Earth. Mishandled, other scheming nations could exploit it. They bow now, but with a fraction of our power, they'd rebel. Feilong must handle it well." To Tianxue, I said, "Send Feilong a message. He solves this alone. If he can't, we'll step in, but keep it secret."
"Got it. I'll relay it to Feilong," Tianxue replied.
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