Perhaps Yuan Mengru and Wang Zhan had not anticipated this. In some respects, they were very much alike—for instance, their Talent, and their more manipulative sides.

Thus, under the strong demands of these geniuses, their mentor reluctantly accepted their terms. He would do the dirty-tiring work, while the talented reaped the rewards. This was a characteristic trait of the Federation; it was merely a question of one being unreasonable and the other reasonable.

「Jing State.」

Shi Zhongming had been jolted awake in the middle of the night by a sudden, immense change. He was now sitting in his office, his face pale, cursing into the phone.

"Are you planning to watch as Jing State falls to the Beast Nest? When exactly will the reinforcements arrive?" he roared.

"Half an hour? Half an hour! Why don't you all go to hell! Ten minutes at most! I require an expert above the Martial Emperor Realm to arrive in Jing State. Otherwise, you can just wait to see Jing State transformed into a feeding ground for the Beast Nest!

"Impeach me? I'll impeach your mother! You bunch of losers, you scum! Why was the Star War Battlefield breached? Why did dozens of Beast Nests break through our defence and enter Earth?

"Fend off the enemy from outside? Do you fucking realize that just half an hour ago, three Giant Cities were directly struck by Beast Nests, and tens of millions of lives were reaped like grass!

"Still 'fend off the enemy from outside'? Are you fucking trying to fool me? If this continues, I guarantee you, the beasts will pick Earth clean, leaving not even a hair for you! You'll be Earth's orphans, the dregs of the universe! Even if the Federation still stands, as long as the people of Jing State aren't all dead, from now on, Federation affairs will have jack shit to do with us Jing State people! Damn you all to hell!!"

CRASH! The dial tone of the disconnected call blared incessantly.

Shi Zhongming violently ripped off his tie, strode out of his office, and immediately saw the dense crowd of figures in the Great Hall. They were all members of Jing State's noble families, merchants, and powerful factions, their faces dark as they waited in silence. The junior office clerks didn't dare approach, terrified of inviting disaster upon themselves.

Shi Zhongming, utterly fearless, pushed open the door and walked in.

He did indeed harbor resentment towards the Federation's aristocratic Martial Artists, but this was a time for unity in survival. Even though the bulk of Jing State's forces had been dispatched to the wilderness to combat the enemy, a considerable number of high-level beasts had already reached Jing State's city wall. This was a life-or-death situation, and some could no longer remain idle.

Shi Zhongming stood at the head of the table, his hands braced on its surface. He met the urgent, anxious gazes and listened to the strained breaths of everyone present, then spoke in a deep voice, "Prepare to die for your country! For years, you've siphoned countless resources from the Federation. I'm not asking you to return them. But at this critical moment, everyone with strength—whether it's your leaders, your grandfathers, or your ancestors—must rush to the battlefield and defend the city wall.

"I can guarantee that, at the final moment of evacuation, I will reserve ten places for each of your families! Don't think that's too few. If you want more, you'll have to take them from others or earn them through military merit! I may be good at escaping, but I can't take many people with me!"

At this moment, the leader of Jing State neither shied away from admitting his knack for fleeing nor hesitated to lay bare the crisis engulfing Jing State.

Complete silence enveloped the room. Then, a cacophony of scraping chairs erupted as people began to rise and depart.

Finally, the last remaining representative, from the Yang family, met Shi Zhongming's sharp, resolute gaze and stated calmly, "Several Martial Emperor elders of our family are still alive; we do not require the Federation to provide us an escape route. However, I must make one thing clear: I, Yang Xuantong, can die for our country, but our family's elders cannot!"

In other words, when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter. If it truly came to a rout, they shouldn't blame his family's elders for fleeing.

Shi Zhongming remained silent for a moment, looking at the representatives of the other families who clearly shared these intentions, then nodded gravely. "Very well! If reinforcements do not arrive and Jing State falls, you are free to break out on your own. Furthermore, I want you to remember: if no aid comes, it will only prove that the dark conspiracies within the Federation no longer care whether you live or die. From this day forward, you may use my name, Shi Zhongming, to formally secede from the Federation, retreat into the darkness, and preserve a final flicker of strength for Earth!"

Yang Xuantong's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he were seeing Shi Zhongming clearly for the first time. As a merchant, he knew Shi Zhongming disliked him, but he wasn't concerned about making enemies. However, this was the first time he had heard Shi Zhongming adopt such an unequivocal stance against the Federation. It was reminiscent of his son's unwavering decision to invest in Wang Zhan.

「Yang family.」

In a spacious basement, Yang Zecheng stood with a faintly pale face and narrowed eyes. He stared intently at Yang Qi, whose collarbones had been cruelly pierced and bound, then pursed his lips and spoke softly, "I assigned you to be Wang Zhan's bodyguard. Why did you flee back here alone? Where is Wang Zhan?"

This was his first major investment, one from which he had anticipated substantial returns. Yang Zecheng never imagined he would suffer such a setback because of a death warrior his own family had cultivated.

The moment he finished speaking, the restraints on Yang Qi's pierced collarbones tightened sharply, wrenching a scream from him. "AH! Young Master... I didn't see Wang Zhan! I came back to deliver a report! The beasts there are too high-level; I'm no match for them. Even if I wanted to search, I was powerless... AHHH…"

"Powerless?" Yang Zecheng's face turned frigid. "If you're powerless, then you might as well die! Your very purpose is to die for the Yang family, yet you fled back here. Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused me?"

He had a strong premonition that Wang Zhan would not only survive but thrive. The situation had changed too rapidly for him to place his bets properly. And now, his sole wager, Yang Qi, had run back on his own. Who could fathom Wang Zhan's thoughts at this point?

Just as he was about to deliver the killing blow, an old man clad in full armor strode into the basement.

"Grandfather..." Yang Zecheng turned, expecting his grandfather to dissuade him from killing Yang Qi.

However, the sight of the armor made his expression freeze and his heart constrict. He instantly understood: the situation had grown even more dire. His grandfather, who had shed his armor and retired from the battlefield nearly twenty years ago, was preparing to fight once more.

The Martial Emperor patriarch of the Yang family glanced at Yang Qi, a benevolent smile touching his lips as he said gently, "Let it be. Spare his life. After all, he was cultivated with our Yang family's resources; it would be a waste. As it happens, I am also heading to the battlefield. I will find Wang Zhan for you and deliver this one into his hands. His life or death will then be Wang Zhan's decision. For now, making our stance clear is sufficient. No one knows if there will be a tomorrow. Even if you sense Wang Zhan will survive, who can predict the fortunes of war? If he indeed lives, you can always increase your investment later."

"Grandfather..." Yang Zecheng pondered for a moment, then waved his hand, effectively sparing Yang Qi.

He then turned to the old man, his expression sincere. "Then I wish you a safe journey, Grandfather! If you truly cannot find Wang Zhan, then let it be. You must take care of yourself and be cautious in all things."

In the Yang family, only a Martial Emperor was truly indispensable; he could not be allowed to fall. Yang Zecheng understood this perfectly. Compared to a Martial Emperor, not only Yang Qi but even Wang Zhan was secondary.

"Alright, stay at home," the old man said. "If things truly become hopeless, go find your Ninth Uncle. With his help, escaping shouldn't be a problem. Once the great battle begins, it will be difficult for me to protect you."

Yang Zecheng frowned. Go to Ninth Uncle? Did this mean completely abandoning their holdings on Earth and seeking a new base elsewhere?

The great battle was escalating, growing ever fiercer.

Nearly thirteen Martial Emperors emerged from their respective family gates and strode onto the battlefield. One Martial Emperor from the Jing State government remained to guard the city, while the others advanced towards the wilderness without a word of complaint.

Of course, this was also related to their agreement with Jing State. Whether the Martial Emperor guarding the city could escape was another matter, but those in the wilderness were free to flee at any time.

Furthermore, they had their own contingency plans. Relying on the Federation had led to too many defeats; the Royal Family was inept, the president powerless. Their only recourse now was self-preservation.

"Hahahaha, Master Yun, hold on! I'm coming!"

"Brother Wei, spit out a bit more blood! Jing State still has us today! If worst comes to worst, we'll unleash it and face them together!"

"General Mu, it's been ten years! Still as imposing as ever! Hahaha, wait for me! It's been ages since I last served as a common soldier!"

"Headmaster Edward, how fares the Royal Family these days? Such a grand spectacle! It's a pity the Prince isn't here; otherwise, this would undoubtedly be his moment to shine!"

The Martial Emperors exchanged these greetings, their pace seemingly unhurried, yet they covered vast distances in the blink of an eye. In mere moments, all thirteen new arrivals reached the side of the original four Martial Emperors, reinforcing their position.

"Hahahaha! Once we slaughter all of you, the lands of at least three states will fall into the hands of our Beast Clan! Human Race, your doom is upon you!" a voice boomed from the increasingly ferocious Beast Nest.

"Nonsense! You'll have to annihilate us first!" one of the Martial Emperors retorted.

"Don't be so arrogant, Beast Nest!" another chimed in. "Don't forget, if you fall to us, the Human Race will gain at least three new Martial Emperors! Speaking of which, since returning from the Star War Battlefield, it's been nearly ten years. I've almost forgotten the taste of Beast Nest flesh…"

The sky grew brighter.

"Then come in and fight!" the Beast Nest taunted. "My gates are wide open. Do you dare enter, you pathetic cowards?"

"Tch! Just a repulsive pile of... wombs?" a Martial Emperor scoffed. "Disgusting to look at, but I suppose carving you up for rations wouldn't be too bad…"

「Elsewhere.」

Wang Zhan, having just slain another leader-level beast, gazed towards the Four Symbols Formation with an expression of utter helplessness.

"Sigh, I'm so weak!" he exclaimed.

He'd overheard everything—those old coots were actually discussing food on the battlefield, claiming the Beast Nest's remains could forge at least three new Martial Emperors. But he was so weak! So pathetically weak he couldn't even pry a toenail off a Martial Emperor. All he could do was scavenge the scraps others disdained, these hard-won spoils. Thinking of this, as he looked at the beast core in his hand, Wang Zhan was suddenly filled with disgust.

"We younger generation should aim for the big scores!" Wang Zhan declared, then spat. "A mere billion-credit deal like this? It's an insult to my very being! Pah!"

With that, he contemptuously tossed the beast core aside and, with a feigned air of dejection, headed for the next combat zone.

However, barely three minutes later, a furtive figure crept back to the spot. Mumbling to himself, Wang Zhan picked up the "worthless trash" he had discarded.

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