Shiller nodded, this was the first time he had heard of it. Then, he remembered the spaceship of the Ferocious Feather Tribe that he had seen landing at the Asgard Star Port. It was indeed quite different from the spaceships of other technologically-advanced civilizations.
The distinctive characteristics were its strange shape, excess decorations, and a design that did not follow aerodynamic rules. If not for magic, it would be difficult for such a spaceship to fly smoothly.
"Where does their magic come from? Is it like in Asgard, where they can naturally harness the universal energy?" Shiller asked.
"Of course not. If they were like the Aesir, where would we be?" Strange shook his head and said: "They are far weaker than the God Clan of Asgard. The reason is that they themselves cannot harness the energy of the universe. It is their 'gods' who grant them that energy."
"Oh, like the followers of the Egyptian Pantheon, right?" Shiller promptly brought forth a fitting example.
The Egyptian Pantheon is well known for lending their power to their followers. Black Panther also needs to find a substitute in the Human World, and sometimes it's not just one, but an entire tribe.
Strange nodded, and continued: "You may think that such behaviors are of no benefit to the gods. But the crux of the matter is that the core doctrine of the Shi'ar Empire is 'fusion'".
Rumours say that the Twin Gods of Xiea do not love each other and do not wish to unite. But after being forced to unite, they found power within that union. Thus, the Shi'ar Empire followed the example of the Twin Gods of Xiea and forcibly fused with other races, finding power in this fusion."
"Here we go again," Shiller rubbed his forehead and said: "You're the one who always has such god-forsaken myths on your tongue, and yet you complain about other mages?"
Strange laughed helplessly, "If you think that's incoherent, you'd probably fall asleep listening to the Grand Mages."
"Alright. Let me explain it to you more clearly. There are no romantic mythological stories to speak of. Everything is driven by their own interests."
"The Twin Gods of Xiea told their followers that they gained immense power after being forcibly united. Therefore, for the sake of gaining power, the others should also seek to unite with other races. This was just their way of whitewashing their own aggression."
"The Twin Gods of Xiea lent their power to their followers, enabling them to invade other countries. They then brainwashed the followers of other gods, making them submit to the Twin Gods of Xiea. This way, the Twin Gods of Xiea could have more followers."
"What's more important is that the Twin Gods of Xiea could find and seize the power of the gods worshipped by other races through their followers. They could forcibly fuse themselves with and completely consume the power of those gods. This is their so-called 'finding power through union' method."
Shiller looked up and nodded. Now he understood the operation of the Shi'ar gods. To put it plainly, it was just using ordinary people to fish. Once other races' gods followed their own followers' directions to check out the situation, they immediately ambushed them with an army, butchered them, then feasted on them directly.
Suddenly, Shiller paused, considering the relationship between the Shi'ar gods' actions and the Great Delivery Portal.
The history of the development of civilizations in the cosmos can be contrasted with the development history of the human race.
There was a period in human development where commerce didn't exist. Most people stayed on their own small piece of land, with men farming and women weaving, self-sufficient.
However,b with the development of productivity, people began producing more than they needed for survival. That's when the necessity for exchange between people emerged.
The excess cloth I have woven can be exchanged for the extra food you have grown. Or we can specialize—I'll focus on weaving, and you focus on farming, and we'll exchange goods periodically. This is the foundation of commerce.
The same happened to cosmic civilizations. When most interstellar civilizations were not very developed, commerce was not very thriving. However, as more civilizations entered interstellar society, everyone hoped for free exchange.
At this point, the Shi'ar Empire stepped up, claiming they could provide a fair trading platform for other civilizations in the universe. Put simply, you all come here to trade, we can ensure the fairness and justice of the transactions, and we can even cover your transportation costs.
This "transportation cost" refers to the Great Delivery Portal.
The Shi'ar Empire was the first civilization in the cosmos to establish a large portal that countless interstellar civilizations could use for transportation, giving them a unique advantage in commercial trade.
For example, if you have a sack of rice you want to sell, would you walk 2 kilometers to the neighboring village to find two potential buyers, or would you take the free portal to a town 20 kilometers away, where a hundred potential buyers are bidding?
Merchants seeking profit is a natural instinct. Being able to go to a place with more potential buyers means a higher chance of selling at a higher price. Hence, merchants from various civilizations across the universe continually flocked to the Great Delivery Portal Star Area of the Shi'ar Empire.
Meanwhile, the Twin Gods of Xiea, who helped the Shi'ar Empire build the Great Delivery Portal, hovered above the realm of the Shi'ar Empire, ready with a napkin and a knife and fork, awaiting the dishes coming out of the portal.
They'd keep an eye on the dish they wanted, then let their followers negotiate business with them. Once the deal was closed and the other party admired the cultural atmosphere of the Shi'ar Empire and wanted to join the multi-racial family of the Shi'ar Empire, what could anyone else say?
If the other two Great Empires are known for conquest through force, then the Shi'ar Empire is more of a cultural invasion. It's a slower method, but more secure. Moreover, it's less likely to attract public condemnation, being more covert and subtly influential.
Now, Shiller understood why, despite not having the strong dominance of the Kree Empire and Skrull Empire, the Shi'ar Empire could still stand proudly in economic society for many years, maintaining their transcendent status among the Three Great Empires.
"The Twin Gods of Xiea have been granting their power to the royal family and nobles of the Ferocious Feather Tribe for many years now, and something you may not know is that even with their careful measures, the energy of the gods inevitably corrodes and changes the human body."
Strange gazed at the liquid swirling in his glass and said, "There is always a price to be paid for humans using godly energy. The more you borrow, the greater the corrosion. The purer the bloodline, the more power flows in that blood."
Strange squinted his eyes slightly, with a certain dark glow coursing at the bottom of his eyes. The Supreme Magicians were never advocates of only light and righteous magic. They also studied the profound dark magic, and had even better knowledge in this field than the Black Magicians.
Strange's tone became increasingly dark, "The Great Delivery Portal of the Shi'ar Empire is a product of the power of the Twin Gods of Xiea. And the power flowing in the bloodline of the Ferocious Feather Tribe might perhaps hold the secret to the Great Delivery Portal."
"Dong, Dong, Dong."
The frantic drumbeats at the start of the music sounded next to Shiller's ear, gradually morphing into clear and rhythmic heartbeats.
Shiller, still standing in the middle of the dance floor, turned his head. Through the hazy light, he saw the full glass of wine that Strange had just put down resting on a tray held by a waiter not far away.