Chapter 559: Domain War

"Yi Ji."

Facing the twin-tailed girl's appraising gaze, Yan Jing smiled.

"Wuhe," the man beside him also introduced himself.

That sealed their identities.

The expressions of the people seated on the sofa varied.

Yan Jing took in their reactions. Clearly, the status of this Yi Ji identity was much higher than he had imagined.

"Since you're young masters of the Fear family, we're all on the same side."

The twin-tailed girl stepped forward, extending a hand to Yan Jing with a smile. "I'm Tang Ran."

"From the Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom."

The Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom...

Yan Jing reached out and gently shook Tang Zai's hand.

It felt soft to the touch, lacking any rigid or cold sensation.

It was very different from the Smart Seeds Yan Jing had encountered in the Peace Heavenly Kingdom.

For pseudo-native species like Tianwei and Zeng Qing, no matter how much their outer shells resembled a normal human body, at his tier, he could still sense the mechanical components inside them.

Those electric contacts running through their blood vessels and nerves gave off a distinct, icy sensation.

But the woman standing before him had absolutely none of that inside her.

"Mr. Yi has been to a Heavenly Kingdom."

Tang Ran smiled.

Yan Jing nodded. "I have."

"Then Mr. Yi should be familiar with the culture of our Heavenly Kingdoms," Tang Zai said with a laugh. "It's just that I'm definitely quite different from the Heavenly Kingdom residents you've met."

"As Smart Seeds, they are still stuck at a very rudimentary stage."

"The similarity between their internal electric contacts and a real human body reaches at most eighty-nine percent. But in our bodies, that similarity is 99.9999%—accurate to four decimal places. Furthermore, our electric contacts are highly integrated. Each person has at most five electric contacts inside them."

Yan Jing nodded with a smile. "I understand. The technological level of Miss Tang's Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom is much higher."

To his surprise, Tang Ran smiled and shook her head. "It has nothing to do with technological levels. People developed electric contacts with over ninety percent similarity hundreds of years ago. No matter how backward those places on the outside are, it's impossible for them to fail to make a breakthrough for centuries."

"Then what is the reason?" Seeing the smile on her face, Yan Jing knew she was waiting for him to ask.

"Because—"

Tang Zai deliberately dragged out the word before laughing. "If the similarity of the electric contacts inside any resident outside the Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom exceeds ninety percent, we purge them."

"That is why the electric contact similarity outside the Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom can never exceed eighty-nine percent."

As her words fell, the others around them began to laugh again.

Yan Jing also wore a smile.

Even though he didn't find it funny at all.

The people in this room had a very low bar for humor; they had clearly never heard a genuinely good joke.

"Alright, enough nonsense."

Luo Zheng pulled a long face. "Where exactly is Lord Hermit? The two lost heirs of the Fear family have been found, and this matter needs to be reported."

"I don't know," Tang Ran replied with a slight smile. "But Young Master Luo doesn't need to be anxious. A few minutes ago, Lord Hermit announced a meeting in the hall. He should be here any moment."

Hearing this, Luo Zheng said nothing more and sat down on the sofa.

Yan Jing and Wuhe followed suit and took a seat.

He studied the people on the sofa.

Aside from Tang Zai and the man in the blue shirt, there was a boy of about fifteen or sixteen sitting with his head down, playing with a Rubik's Cube. There was also a muscular man in an undershirt, and finally, a woman in a uniform.

Judging from her attire, she looked like a flight attendant.

She sat perfectly straight, holding a cup of tea in one hand and a newspaper in the other.

"Heh, does Mr. Yi enjoy observing others that much?"

The man in the undershirt looked at Yan Jing with a grin.

His gaze was different from an ordinary person's. It was highly aggressive, like a fierce beast ready to devour its chosen prey whole.

Faced with the man's challenge, Yan Jing didn't flinch. There was no need to.

Everyone in front of him had only just stepped into the Ninth Tier, not much different from the recently deceased Mo Yinling.

"I haven't traveled to many places before, so I'm quite curious about new things."

Yan Jing smiled politely. "I apologize if I've caused offense."

"Heh."

Seeing Yan Jing voluntarily back down, the man didn't press the issue. He simply picked up the liquor bottle in front of him, took a swig, and looked away.

Just like that, they waited for about seven or eight minutes.

A figure slowly descended the stairs in the far corner.

The figure wore a pitch-black mask that entirely concealed his face. One could only make a preliminary judgment from the prominent Adam's apple that it was most likely a man.

The Hermit...

Yan Jing looked at the man but couldn't sense anything particularly special about him.

Let alone the oppressive aura of the Tenth Tier, there was barely even a ripple of weird energy.

But the moment the man appeared, everyone else dropped their lazy demeanors. They stood up from the sofa and bowed slightly toward him. "Lord Hermit."

"Mm," the Hermit nodded.

Yan Jing and Wuhe also stood up, looked at the Hermit, and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Lord Hermit."

"The fifth and seventh from the Fear family?"

The Hermit spoke, directly laying bare their identities.

Judging by Luo Zheng's earlier actions, it was obvious he hadn't reported to him yet.

But soon, the Hermit's next words revealed exactly how he knew.

"Your mother contacted me and asked me to take good care of you two."

"They are very busy lately, so it will probably be a while before they can come pick you up."

"You'll stay at this station for the time being. It's boring, but at least it's safe."

"Thank you, Lord Hermit."

Wuhe breathed a sigh of relief.

With his mother stepping in, this matter was pretty much secured.

The Hermit nodded. His gaze swept over the recently returned Luo Zheng and Mo Yinling, his expression as impassive as ever. "How was the patrol this time? Did you find that group of people?"

"We found them."

Luo Zheng spoke up. "These two were found in that Domain."

"And? Was there any resistance?" the Hermit asked.

Clearly, rebellion was a common occurrence, not an isolated exception.

"No..." Luo Zheng hesitated for a second or two before speaking.

The Hermit nodded, acting as if he hadn't noticed Luo Zheng's strange behavior. He then looked at Mo Yinling beside him. "Why aren't you speaking?"

Yan Jing's gaze landed on Fear Bird.

The first test had arrived.

Facing a direct question from a Tenth Tier entity.

If the disguise slipped, he and Wuhe could probably still survive, but Fear Bird would likely be doomed.

At a moment like this, any hesitation could trigger suspicion.

Just like Luo Zheng's brief pause earlier. Yan Jing could feel that the Divine Envoy in front of them had already noticed it but simply hadn't pointed it out.

He could only hope that his emergency training with Fear Bird on the Cat Ship would pay off.

He had already deconstructed Mo Yinling's life, analyzed her personality based on experience, and explained it to Fear Bird point by point.

Faced with the Hermit's question, Fear Bird also remained silent for several seconds.

Even longer than Luo Zheng had.

Just as Yan Jing started to think things were about to go wrong...

Fear Bird suddenly pulled down the collar of her shirt, revealing the piercing wound Yan Jing had left earlier.

Although it had already healed, a faint red mark was still visible.

"My Lord... the other side resisted..."

Fear Bird's voice trembled slightly, carrying a suppressed fury.

The Hermit's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Luo Zheng.

"Why didn't you mention that just now?"

Luo Zheng's face changed drastically. He hadn't expected that Mo Yinling would actually be so angry that she'd demand justice.

But the truth was just too humiliating. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stammered, unsure of how to answer.

"The other side was truly asking for death."

Fear Bird said in a low voice, "They attacked us straight away. Both Luo Zheng and I were injured."

"And the result?" the Hermit asked coldly.

"Naturally, we won, but... it wasn't a glorious victory..."

Fear Bird lowered her head, hatred bursting from her eyes. "To apologize and save their own lives, the other side... voluntarily handed over the intel regarding the two young masters of the Fear family."

Fear Bird was lying.

But she wasn't just throwing out a random lie in a moment of impulse.

First, according to the profile built on Mo Yinling, the Divine Envoy before them didn't possess any abilities related to detecting lies.

Second, Luo Zheng had been the one to lie first.

Which meant that in Luo Zheng's subconscious, lying in front of the Hermit was viable.

"How did you handle it?"

He looked at Mo Yinling. This time, Fear Bird didn't answer, instead looking over at Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng immediately understood that this was Mo Yinling giving him a chance to redeem himself. He quickly said, "My Lord, we have already obtained the intel and informed the other side to await their assignment to the various Domains. More importantly, their strength is indeed quite formidable. During the Earth Revelation on Advent Day, they might play a massive role."

Earth Revelation.

A phase of Advent Day.

Yan Jing had heard this term from Chen Nian back in Old Sin City.

Rumor had it that when Advent Day arrived, the Domain War would break out, organizations claiming to be gods would reveal themselves, and the strongest combatants would vie for the chance to achieve Peak Deity Transformation.

The three phases were called Earth Revelation, Divine Revelation, and Heaven Revelation.

Taking the slip of paper Luo Zheng handed him, the Hermit scanned it and calmly asked, "Have you reported this to the elders in your family?"

"No, absolutely not."

Luo Zheng kept his head bowed. "You are the first to see this note."

The Hermit nodded. "Mm. After all, it is their first time encountering the Gods' Association, so it's normal for them to be resistant. It's a first offense, and they admitted their mistake promptly. We'll leave it at that."

"Understood."

Luo Zheng kept his head down, his chest already soaked with sweat.

He knew that the Hermit's "we'll leave it at that" wasn't just directed at the people from that Domain—it was also meant for him.

If the Hermit were truly unhappy, he wouldn't kill him outright, but replacing him with someone else from his background would be incredibly easy.

Although he was indeed somewhat talented in cultivation, with the resurgence of weird energy, the people vying for his spot behind him were not much weaker than he was.

As far as the family was concerned, anyone could serve as this representative.

Thinking of this, he shot a somewhat grateful look at Mo Yinling.

Fear Bird completely ignored it, her face still looking a bit sullen, as if she were annoyed that the Hermit hadn't taken action against the perpetrators.

Not bad acting.

Yan Jing silently gave his appraisal.

Of course, it was also possible that she wasn't acting at all.

"The meeting begins now."

The Hermit sat opposite the group.

He spoke softly, "There are two main items."

"First, as we all know, the Heavenly Kingdoms haven't been very peaceful lately."

"Those from the Pure Blood faction started showing aggressive tendencies quite some time ago, launching fierce attacks on numerous Domains..."

"There's no one from the Pure Blood faction here, right?"

The Hermit suddenly changed the subject, looking around at the group.

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat. They had all been stationed here for a considerable amount of time, so the Divine Envoy before them obviously knew exactly where everyone came from. To ask such a question...

It wasn't just about their origins.

The hidden meaning behind his words was whether any of their respective Domains were allies with the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom.

Realizing this, the group couldn't help but look at the boy playing with the Rubik's Cube.

The boy looked up, his face devoid of emotion. "Our Plane of Thought being on good terms with the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom is a matter from a century ago. Ever since they discovered that we had no way to improve their bloodlines, their attitude took a sharp nosedive. We're lucky not to be considered outright enemies right now."

The Hermit tapped on the table. "I was only asking."

"It is good that there are none."

"After all, I've heard they plan to use this war as a prelude to the Earth Revelation, and they have roped in quite a few factions."

"Heh, was the slap in the face the Xue Family took from Mu Tian last time not humiliating enough? Everyone is laughing at them right now, yet they still dare to act up at a time like this?"

Tang Ran laughed.

She was from the Mechanical Heavenly Kingdom, which had a long-standing blood feud with the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom. Naturally, seeing Pure Blood in its current predicament made her very happy.

"That might be exactly why they are starting a war now."

The man in the blue shirt spoke softly, "They roped in a number of Second Level Domains early on. As a First Level Incomplete Domain, being publicly slapped in the face by the Lord of the Domain of a Second Level Domain... if they don't take action, their subordinates' morale might crumble, and all their previous efforts would be wasted."

"They have to flex their muscles at the very least."

"How much muscle do they even have?"

Fear Bird gave a couple of cold sneers. "Mu Tian is already in his twilight years, his life currently hanging in the balance, yet he still managed to smack them down. They're just a bunch of stubborn old fools."

Tap, tap, tap!

The Hermit rapped on the table again, speaking softly, "The Gods' Association has always operated with the primary goal of maintaining peace across the various Domains."

"This time, the Pure Blood faction has broken the rules. The Gods' Association held a vote and decided to intervene preemptively to stop the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom."

"However, they seem to have received word of this and made their own preparations. Therefore, we need to send someone to see exactly what tricks they're planning to pull."

"There is no one from Pure Blood at our station. We need to dispatch three people for this mission. Who will go?"

His gaze swept across the room.

Tang Zai was the first to raise her hand.

Following her was the man in the undershirt.

Next, the woman in the uniform raised her hand as well.

But the Hermit shook his head. "Liu Han, you stay."

The woman in the uniform lowered her hand.

Then, the Hermit's gaze turned to Fear Bird and Luo Zheng.

"Which one of you will go?"

Luo Zheng did not want to go.

This sounded like a miserable chore from the start. Who knew if any of the people traveling with them were secret allies of the Pure Blood faction?

Those lunatics had long since lost their minds in their pursuit of bloodline purity. If a fight really broke out...

Even the Gods' Association wouldn't necessarily be able to guarantee his safety.

At best, they would hold the culprits accountable after he was dead.

Right then, Fear Bird took a deep breath. "I can go."

The Hermit nodded. "Good, Mo Yinling."

'Good, my ass.'

Fear Bird was utterly speechless.

If Yan Jing hadn't been staring daggers at her back this whole time, there was no way she would have chosen this moment to stand out and draw attention.

"Alright, now onto the second matter."

Two documents materialized in the Hermit's palm. He spread them out in front of the group. "Aside from that Ship, there is another Domain currently seeking to return. Not only that, but they want an opportunity to become a complete Domain—in other words, they are demanding autonomy."

"After a vote, we've decided to hold a simultaneous vote on both Domains to see the final outcome."

"Of course, the former will definitely be seized. Autonomy will absolutely not be granted to it; at best, we'll give it a slightly higher degree of freedom."

"As for the latter, its overall strength is extremely weak. It's practically dead weight. Coincidentally, some people feel that our Gods' Association hasn't conducted a fair vote in quite a while."

"We might as well use this as a prime example."

"This Domain is called... Old Sin City?" Tang Zai murmured softly, reading the contents of the document.