When Ah Mu had informed Lu Yin that Wei Rong was cooperating with the Dark Phoenix family, Lu Yin had wanted to declare war immediately. If he did not start fighting against these people soon, it would become much more difficult for him to resist when more of his enemies united. However, he had not been able to find an excuse to declare war, and he could not unilaterally attack other powers of his own accord. Even if the universe was a dog-eat-dog world, one still needed a reasonable excuse to wage war, even if the excuse was false.
However, Lu Yin was not using a fake excuse as the troops that had been discovered were truly from the Wei family. Originally, the Wei family had used these troops to attack Lars Weave’s Six-Fingered Tribe since Frostwave Weave was very close to the Lars Weave. From their position in Frostwave Weave, the military detachment had been able to ambush the Six-Fingered Tribe and inflict heavy damage on them. But after the Great Eastern Alliance was established, this troop had concealed themselves and helped the Wei family to monitor the Great Yu Empire.
When the Great Eastern Alliance had been established, it had become impossible for the Wei family to send troops into Frostwave Weave any longer. The troops that were hiding on that desolate planet had been hiding there even before the alliance had been established. However, they could be treated as Wei family soldiers who had appeared out of nowhere. Fortunately, Ian had discovered this force, and not only had this helped Lu Yin remove the obvious hidden danger, but it had also been a convenient excuse to declare war with. Ian’s contributions this time had been overwhelming, and not even Ian himself was aware of how important his achievement was. Still, due to the education that he had received in the past, he was well qualified to join the Allied Forces and assist Liuying Zishan.
In Armament Weave, all of the direct members of the Wei family had gathered, and the patriarch, Wei Baichuan, had a solemn expression.
There were dozens of direct members of the Wei family, and apart from Wei Baichuan’s line, there were also his younger brothers and their descendants. Dozens of people had converged within the ancestral hall, which was only ever used as a meeting place when something big occurred.
“Patriarch, what happened?” someone asked.
Wei Baichuan solemnly answered, “The Great Yu Empire’s Royal Regent Lu Yin has demanded 3 million star essence as compensation from our Wei family.”
Everyone erupted in an uproar. “Why?”
“Patriarch, what is he using to demand compensation from us?”
…
Wei Baichuan looked at his younger brother, Wei Dan. “Remember how when we were waging war against the Six-Fingered Tribe ten years ago, there were some ambush troops that you hid within Frostwave Weave?”
Wei Dan’s expression changed drastically. “Did the Great Yu Empire find them?”
Wei Baichuan nodded.
“But brother, those ambush troops were intended to be used against the Six-Fingered Tribe, and they are completely unrelated to the Great Yu Empire,” Wei Dan hurriedly protested.
Wei Baichuan replied, “Do you think that Lu Yin will believe that? Those soldiers were discovered in Frostwave Weave, and no matter why they were sent there, it’s already enough to use as an excuse to declare war. Lu Yin has demanded 3 million star essence from our Wei family as compensation and also for the master scheme to be handed over.”
Wei Dan’s face turned deathly pale.
Everyone fell silent, as the troops’ presence was a piece of undeniable evidence that could not be ignored. Even if they completely denied the existence of those troops, regardless of whether or not they succeeded in averting this crisis, they would lose the trust of their soldiers and military by doing so. Nobody would be willing to serve the Wei family anymore, and their losses would be catastrophic.
Beep beep beep beep!
Wei Baichuan’s gadget rang, and when he connected to the incoming call, Wei Rong appeared on the screen with a solemn expression. “Father, did Lu Yin discover those hidden troops?”
Wei Baichuan nodded.
Wei Rong’s eyes narrowed as he pondered this development.
“Little Rong, you know Lu Yin, so contact him and find out what his goal is. Paying out 3 million star essence is impossible, and at most, we can do 30,000. He must have some other objective,” Wei Baichuan said solemnly.
Wei Rong had a headache, as he had just reached an agreement with the Dark Phoenix family to team up and deal with the Great Eastern Alliance. However, the Great Eastern Alliance had still somehow managed to make the first move. Did Lu Yin know what he had been up to? Otherwise, with just one group of soldiers, there was no reason to demand such an exorbitant price. Lu Yin was obviously trying to start a war.
In Wei Rong’s considerations, the Great Eastern Alliance should have only declared war against the central weaves after all of the eastern weaves were gathered into the Great Eastern Alliance. He had thought that he still had sufficient time to prepare, never thinking that Lu Yin would move so fast. There was only one possibility: Lu Yin had realized that Wei Rong had allied with the Dark Phoenix family.
“Little Rong, try getting in touch with Lu Yin.” Wei Baichuan was growing anxious.
Wei Rong felt helpless, but no matter what, he had to speak with Lu Yin first. It would be
best if this situation could be somehow stabilized. The Dark Phoenix family needed more time to prepare themselves, and the unity of both sides of the alliance still needed some work.
It didn’t take long for Wei Rong to call Lu Yin, and Lu Yin soon appeared on Wei Rong’s screen.
Lu Yin had already guessed that Wei Rong would contact him very quickly, and he had actually been waiting!
“Brother Lu, it’s only a few days after we parted ways in Millions City, and a misunderstanding has already occurred between us. This is not what I wished to see,” Wei Rong said.
Lu Yin looked completely calm. “What is Brother Wei saying? If this was just a misunderstanding, then I would be willing to settle things. But an entire battalion of 100,000 soldiers hiding right in my Frostwave Weave? And not too far from Zenyu Star at that. How is this a misunderstanding?”
Wei Rong sincerely answered, “These troops were originally dispatched to deal with the Six-Fingered Tribe, but once the Great Eastern Alliance was established, the border controls became much more strict, and the soldiers were not able to return home. They were never going to act against the Great Yu Empire, so I must ask Brother Lu to please calm down. My Wei family is willing to compensate you.”
Lu Yin’s face remained at ease. “Anything can be discussed if the compensation is paid. 3 million star essence and the mastermind behind this plot must also be handed over.”
Wei Rong laughed. “Let’s not lower ourselves to insinuations. 3 million is honestly too much. Brother Lu visited Millions City earlier, so are you now using Millions City’s standards to evaluate the other weaves? My Wei family is willing to hand over 20,000 star essence to resolve this misunderstanding.”
Lu Yin laughed. “Is Brother Wei joking? This isn’t how haggling is conducted. Here, I’ll give Brother Wei some face: there’s no need to hand over the mastermind behind this scheme, but you still have to pay out 3 million star essence and not one bit less.”
Wei Rong felt helpless. “Looks like Brother Lu is bent on starting a war.”
Lu Yin’s eyes flashed. “I don’t wish to start a war, but when a war does break out, it will be a battle of resources. It’s perfectly fine to discuss how money is spent, but once human lives are lost, they are gone forever. I don’t wish to see dead people, and thus, everything depends on the Wei family’s sincerity.”
Wei Rong adjusted his expression and put on a stern look. “There’s no use in talking any further. Since Brother Lu clearly wants to start a war, then I will accompany you. However, I must warn Brother Lu: anything can happen. Although the Great Eastern Alliance is powerful, it’s not invincible.”
Lu Yin smiled and ended the call. When he next activated his gadget, Liuying Zishan appeared on his screen. “Declare war against Armament Weave.”
Liuying Zishan’s face looked serene. “When?”
“Now. Fight!” Lu Yin barked.
These words signified the beginning of the war.
The Great Eastern Alliance’s Allied Forces had already been fully assembled, and the entire military force headed towards Armament Weave. 200 battleships and over 1,000 large transport vessels cruised through outer space, creating a rather magnificent sight.
Every single member of the entire Great Eastern Alliance received notice that a war was about to start and that they were fighting against Armament Weave.
In the Vastdearth Sect, Meng Tianlong’s face turned solemn. The alliance was reportedly waging war against Armament Weave, but in truth, the Great Eastern Alliance was invading the central weaves, which could easily cause public backlash. Fortunately, the Great Eastern Alliance had a valid reason, so they might be able to avoid retaliation from the rest of the central weaves.
In Evenground Palace, Mu Nichang had not thought that war would come so soon. When Lu Yin had hastened to establish the Allied Forces, he must have been anticipating this day!
“Master, do you think that Armament Weave can withstand this attack?” Doro asked.
Mu Nichang shook her head. “The Armament Weave alone should not be able to defend against the Allied Forces, but the Wei family is different. That kid, Wei Rong, has made his way around everywhere, and his silver tongue is very glib. Thus, he may be able to recruit some reinforcements. This war will all depend on whether or not the Allied Forces can succeed in a blitzkrieg attack.”
Doro nodded and then looked back at a star chart.
The Six-Fingered Tribe became very excited, as they had been age-old enemies of Armament Weave for many generations; it would be a compliment to say that the two sides were just enemies. The tribe had always been suppressed by the Wei family, and if not for their hidden foundation running too deep, they would have long since been wiped out. But now, the Allied Forces were about to battle against the Wei family, and the Six-Fingered Tribe were anticipating the imminent destruction of the Wei family, meaning that their feud could finally come to an end.
Part of the Great Eastern Alliance’s Allied Forces were already stationed in Lars Weave, and these troops were the first ones to invade Armament Weave. They simply pulled out of Lars Weave and moved into Armament Weave, which was too rapid a move for Armament Weave to respond.
Armament Weave had not expected a battle to break out so quickly, and the strategists in the Wei family were still in heated discussion when the battle had already broken out.
The borders were thrown into a state of emergency, and 200 battleships let loose with their energy cannons, which caused almost ten Explorers to instantly die as Armament Weave’s defenders were squeezed tight like a cork.
One weave alone could not defend against the united strength of the Allied Forces. The Wei family did not have more than a hundred battleships in total, and thirty of them had been stationed at the Lars Weave border, which indicated that they had already placed the Lars Weave border as the highest level of caution. However, 200 battleships quickly annihilated the defense forces, and the Allied Forces tore straight into Armament Weave.
When Wei Baichuan was informed of this development, the Allied Forces had already destroyed Armament Weave’s border patrols.
This was a classic example of a rapid battle that was driven by numbers, and the results caused the Six-Fingered Tribe to get fired up. They were eager for the Allied Forces to destroy the Wei family.
A great war in space was a grand thing to witness, and countless light beams swept out through the vacuum of space. Spacecraft occasionally exploded, and more often than not, transport vessels were also destroyed, causing thousands of soldiers to perish each time.
The Allied Forces had sent out ten Explorers, two Cruisers, and one Hunter along with their fleet, and they entered space unaccompanied so that they could destroy the enemy’s vessels. The cosmos was lit up with explosions and fires as countless corpses burned, as even more countless corpses floated about through space.
The Allied Forces bulldozed their way across a tenth of Armament Weave in five days before they finally encountered some meaningful resistance.
Wei Rong’s campaigning efforts from before finally showed their results at this time, as the Shadowsword Sect, the Umbral Butterfly Tribe, and even the Moke Sword Sect, the Ayker Clan, and a dozen other powers joined Armament Weave’s defense. They hid themselves among the native defenders of Armament Weave, which allowed the defense to finally block the Allied Forces. An intense battle broke out between the two sides.
Although the troops defending Armament Weave were still being overpowered, they were able to maintain their current position.
The astral warhorses that the Wei family possessed in abundance also appeared in these battles. Although they did not have much offensive power, the impact of their presence was rather strong as each one’s strength neared that of an Explorer. A single collision could usually destroy multiple spacecraft, and even the battleships were unable to withstand the impacts.
The Allied Forces were suddenly suffering losses on their end as well.
Liuying Zishan stood within one of the spacecraft, her expression unchanging. Only a third of the Allied Forces’ strength had been deployed, and the majority of their strength had not even been used yet. There was even the Rapid Response Team lying in wait, which was their true hidden dagger.
The battle became worrying, as the Allied Forces did not make much progress for ten consecutive days.
Meanwhile, within the Great Yu Empire, Hill Auna sternly criticized the Umbral Butterfly Tribe, the Shadowsword Sect, and the other powers, condemning them for joining the war without good reason and causing this conflict to escalate.
The Umbral Butterfly Tribe and other powers were not about to let themselves be outdone. They also used the media to project their own standpoints to the rest of the universe, blaming the Great Eastern Alliance for starting the invasion.
The two sides were both awfully busy during this media blitz.
The remaining strength of the Allied Forces started to make their way towards Armament Weave, and Wei Rong also constantly roped in reinforcements, causing the war to intensify ven further.
This war was having a butterfly effect.
Lu Yin had no way of stopping Wei Rong from lobbying the central weaves, and he also could not possibly make any promises to those weaves. He truly did want to pull them into the Great Eastern Alliance, which was an undeniable truth.
