"I also agree with Cheng Liang's proposal," said Baishou Ren, Speaker of the Tide Empire. In the Southern War Zone, the three empires were aligned; one agreement signaled three votes.
At this, Norri finally couldn't contain himself. He slapped the table, standing up to speak loudly:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Federation has just emerged from major conflicts with the Pan-Human Alliance and the Interstellar Mechanical Clan. In these battles, the Storm Fleet obliterated seven T5 fleets and three T6 Mechanical battleships, contributing greatly to the stability of the Interstellar Federation. And now, just after the war, you're already considering discarding them?"
"Now I understand why the three empires of the Western War Zone and the five in the Eastern War Zone chose to secede from the Federation. With executioners like you eager to dismantle what's useful, this Federation might as well disband! If this is the Federation's final decision, then I, Norri, hereby declare Yunshan Empire's independence!"
Norri's words were blunt and left Cheng Liang and others without any retort. It was true that their behavior was unjustified—after all, the Storm Fleet had fought two major wars for the Federation and earned considerable merits.
These were indisputable facts that Cheng Liang and his allies had to acknowledge. With both the Western and Eastern War Zones already independent, Yunshan Empire, the North's leading power, was another factor to consider. If Yunshan announced independence, the entire Northern War Zone would essentially cease to exist as part of the Federation.
If that happened, the Interstellar Federation would be reduced to just the Central and Southern War Zones—only five empires. Such a collapse would spell the end of the Federation, leaving the Si family, as the founding family, in a precarious position, as no one would heed Speaker Si's authority.
Seeing Norri's fierce stance, Speaker Si quickly interjected, his tone placating:
"Norri is right. The Storm Empire has been a staunch supporter of the Interstellar Federation and should not be treated lightly. Perhaps we could negotiate with Lord Feng Mo and have him share the T6 starship blueprints with the Federation's Starship Design Department, as well as with each empire."
The moment Si suggested this, Norri cursed silently, realizing the old Speaker's cunning. As expected, the Snow Empire and Rossade Empire's speakers beside Norri looked intrigued, their eyes gleaming with interest, while Guan Yun, Speaker of the Meteorite Empire, remained neutral.
The stance became clear: the Yunshan Empire and Meteorite Empire openly supported the Storm Empire, while the Southern three empires and two Northern empires, along with Speaker Si, evidently considered confronting the Storm Empire.
"Ahem, let me say a few words," spoke a calm, elder voice. Despite his age, every council member, including Speaker Si, listened respectfully. The elder was Chu Moyuan, the patriarch of the Radiant Chu family and Speaker of the Radiant Empire. His words left everyone stunned:
"I'll be frank. If the Southern War Zone, Snow Empire, and Rossade Empire wish to go to war with the Storm Empire, I won't object. But as of today, the Radiant Empire, the Storm Empire, Yunshan Empire, and Meteorite Empire shall form a defensive alliance. If one of us faces difficulty, the other three will assist."
The room fell silent, even Cheng Liang and his supporters, who had been vocally advocating for an attack on the Storm Empire, sat in subdued silence. Speaker Si, too, lost his initial composure, looking at Chu Moyuan with astonishment.
"Have you decided, Elder Chu?" asked Speaker Si, after a moment's pause. "Are you aware that such a move could divide the Federation?"
"Don't place that burden on me, Speaker Si. The Federation has existed for over seven thousand years. Did our ancestors imagine it would reach this point when they founded it? The Federation is already rotting from within; isn't that enough?"
"If not for your greed, would we be facing this crisis? The Storm Empire's possession of T6 technology hinges on Lord Feng Mo. He is the key to our future. Rather than respecting him, you want to destroy his empire. Do you realize you're destroying the Federation's future with this?"
Although Chu Moyuan's voice wasn't loud, his words rang clear, leaving Cheng Liang and others speechless. Norri and Guan Yun looked at Chu Moyuan with deep admiration.
Softening his tone, Chu Moyuan continued:
"Of course, the four-empire Storm Alliance will remain nominally part of the Federation and won't declare independence. If the Federation faces external threats, we will stand by it."
The council meeting ended in disarray, with the Speaker of the Tianjin Empire remaining silent throughout. As the meeting concluded, Norri didn't spare a glance at the Snow Empire and Rossade Empire speakers, instead leaving the hall with Guan Yun, each supporting Chu Moyuan respectfully.
---
Storm Empire Headquarters, Froststar System
Feng Mo sat in his command chair, fully aware of the Federation's highest council meeting's agenda and its predictable outcome. When he chose to reveal the Vermilion Ape, he'd already set his plans in motion.
Using his connection with Chu Yunjia, Feng Mo had invited Chu Moyuan to a private chat in the star network's meeting room with Norri and Guan Yun. They'd spent nearly three hours discussing their alliance. At its core, the conversation revolved around mutual benefit, and Feng Mo's genuine sincerity.
The four agreed to form a defensive alliance, with Chu Moyuan and Norri pledging support for Feng Mo's potential future ambitions. If Feng Mo one day controlled the entire Federation apart from the three allied empires, those empires would voluntarily join the Storm Empire.
Their trust in Feng Mo stemmed from his genuine character, commitment to mutually beneficial sharing of T6 technology, and boundless potential. Given Feng Mo's mastery of T6 technology and youth, Chu Moyuan estimated that Feng Mo could one day design T8-class starships, symbolizing the dawn of an eighth-level civilization. They wanted to secure a place in this promising future early on.
The Storm Alliance was an unpublicized secret within the Federation's upper echelons, enhancing Feng Mo's standing. The next day, the Federation delivered twenty T4 interstellar transport ships filled with dark matter materials and dark energy crystals to Feng Mo.
Additionally, they included the T5 Ancient Tree of Life seed Feng Mo had long desired. He entrusted Kylan to plant it on the Elven homeworld. With the Ancient Tree of Life, it would be much easier for his people to advance from Level 4 to Level 5 genetic warriors.
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