Chapter 625: A Challenge to Battle

The debate had just begun.

Zhou Shaoting didn’t interrupt, merely listening in silence. His gaze eventually fell upon Li Xuan’gang, who sat in the foremost seat to his left.

"State Preceptor, what are your thoughts?"

Li Xuan’gang slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, the candlelight in the hall seemed to dim, and the air grew thick. The four civil officials felt their breath catch in their throats, while Zhang Wu and Xiao Pojun’s expressions turned grim.

The might of a Martial Saint, even when passively emanated, was more than an ordinary person could bear.

"These two pieces of news must be considered separately," Li Xuan’gang began, his voice calm yet reaching every person’s ears with perfect clarity. "First, someone broke into the secret realm and abducted the prisoners. This act is both a provocation and a show of force."

"The enemy was able to pinpoint the secret realm’s location, bypass most of our security, succeed in a single strike, and then retreat with ease. This indicates that their intelligence gathering, infiltration skills, and combat strength are all of the highest caliber."

"Second, they took the initiative to send an envoy to establish contact, reveal their identity, and propose ’diplomacy before war.’ This shows they do not want an all-out war, at least not right now."

He paused, then looked at Zhou Shaoting. "Your Majesty, this old subject believes the enemy’s goal is to test us."

"Test us?" Zhou Shaoting asked.

"To test the strength of our Great Liang, to test our reaction, and to test our bottom line," Li Xuan’gang said slowly.

"If we fly into a rage and mobilize our armies, they will know our court is hot-headed and lacks strategy. If we shrink back and yield, they will know our court is weak and can be bullied."

"Then, State Preceptor, you mean to say..."

"Join battle," Li Xuan’gang said, his words sharp and few. "But not an all-out war. The other side has proposed a duel to decide the ownership of the Star Realm, and that proposal is acceptable."

The contact between the Federation and Great Liang had originated because both sides discovered a new Star Realm at the same time. It was only after some initial communication that a small team was sent to the Great Liang mainland to investigate.

The envoy sent by the Federation then proposed that the two sides hold a duel to determine the Star Realm’s ownership, which is common practice when civilizations of the Star Realm make contact.

The Federation has had considerable contact with outside civilizations. It was only with civilizations in close proximity, such as the Celestial Wolf and the Feathered People, that conflict was unavoidable, eventually escalating into a state of total war after years of accumulated grievances.

Zhang Wu said anxiously, "State Preceptor, our Great Liang discovered that Star Realm first!"

"Discovering it first doesn’t mean we can hold it," Li Xuan’gang said, looking at him. "Grand Marshal Zhang, if the Star Yuan Federation truly has a hundred Martial Saints, do you think we could defend it?"

"Interaction between Star Realms is no different in essence from interaction between nations. In the end, strength is what matters."

Zhang Wu opened his mouth, but ultimately fell silent.

"But what if they’re bluffing..." Liu Yuanpei said hesitantly.

"That is why we need to test them," Li Xuan’gang said. "A duel is the best way to do so. It will allow us to gauge their true strength while avoiding a full-scale conflict."

At this point, Xiao Pojun spoke up. "State Preceptor, a duel is acceptable, but the terms must be changed."

"Marshal Xiao, please speak."

"We must demand that their champion for the duel be the very Sub-Saint who abducted our people," Xiao Pojun said, a sharp glint in his eyes.

"Through him, we can assess the Star Yuan Federation’s level of Martial Arts. And by defeating him, we can also restore the honor we lost when our people were taken."

Li Xuan’gang nodded slightly. "Acceptable."

Zhou Shaoting pondered for a moment, then looked at the assembly. "My dear subjects, are there any objections?"

Song Wenyuan and Chen Qinghe glanced at each other and said in unison, "We second the motion."

Although Zhang Wu and Liu Yuanpei were reluctant, they knew this was the most prudent course of action for now, so they could only nod in agreement.

"Good." Zhou Shaoting stood up. "Then it is decided. Reply to the Star Yuan Federation’s envoy. We accept the duel, but with the stipulations that it must be a battle between Sub-Saints, and that their champion must be the ’Abductor’."

"We obey Your Majesty’s decree!"

...

「At the same time, in Xingjing, at the military headquarters.」

Xu Wuyi was sitting on a sofa in the break room, a cup of hot tea on the table before him. He had just returned from a routine check-up at the medical center, his physical condition now back at its peak.

The door opened, and Wu Dingbo and Feng Zhuohua walked in together.

"How are you feeling?" Wu Dingbo asked.

"Great," Xu Wuyi said, setting down his teacup. "I’ve already submitted the mission report."

Feng Zhuohua sat down opposite him, his expression serious. "We’ve received a response from Great Liang."

Xu Wuyi sat up straight.

"They’ve accepted the proposal for a duel, but they’ve added a condition," Feng Zhuohua said, looking at him. "They’re demanding that you be the one to fight."

Xu Wuyi’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

Wu Dingbo explained, "Your actions at Liang Wei Third were seen by Great Liang as a provocation and a show of force. They want to use you to probe the Federation’s true strength."

"Understandable," Xu Wuyi nodded. "So, who’s my opponent?"

"Great Liang will send a Sub-Saint. The specific individual hasn’t been decided, but it will likely be—"

Feng Zhuohua added, "The duel will take place in a neutral zone within the newly discovered Star Realm, three days from now. The rules are simple: one-on-one, continuing until one side surrenders or is incapacitated. Intentionally taking a life is forbidden."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Xu Wuyi, this isn’t a standard mission. If you don’t want to accept, we can find a reason to decline, send someone else, or even push for a Grandmaster Level duel instead."

"I’ll take it," Xu Wuyi said simply.

The other two men looked at him at the same time.

"When I made my move at Liang Wei Third, I knew this day would come," Xu Wuyi said calmly. "Besides, I’ve been wanting to get a proper look at the Martial Arts of another human civilization."

Wu Dingbo looked at his young yet composed face and suddenly smiled. "Alright, then it’s settled. For the next three days, all of the military’s resources are at your disposal. Just ask for whatever you need."

"There’s one more thing," Wu Dingbo said, his expression growing more serious.

"Great Liang proposed that both sides can send envoys to observe the duel as a form of mutual supervision. We’ve decided to send Qin Qinghe to lead a small delegation. Do you want to go with them ahead of time to familiarize yourself with the environment?"

Xu Wuyi thought for a moment, then shook his head. "No need. Going early might reveal my condition, which would be a disadvantage. I’ll prepare here and go directly to the dueling site when the time comes."

"That works too," Feng Zhuohua said, standing up. "In that case, we won’t disturb you for the next three days. Contact us anytime if you need anything."

After the two left, the break room fell silent once more.

Instead of immediately starting his research, Xu Wuyi closed his eyes and turned his focus inward, performing Introspection on his sea of consciousness.

The great, dark-gold marsh was calm and waveless, but deep within its heart, a faint golden-red light swirled.

His fight with Zhao Yuanwu, though brief, had given him a preliminary impression of Great Liang’s Martial Arts.

Fierce, heavy, and focused on suppression through sheer presence—in essence, it was another way of using Spiritual Power. It wasn’t like the Federation’s methods; instead, it was more similar to those of the True Dragon Star Realm.

The only difference was that its level and sophistication were far inferior, still in a nascent state.

’Perhaps if Great Liang’s Martial Arts continue down this path, it will lead in the direction of the True Dragon Star Realm?’

In contrast, the Federation’s Heart Image system was quite unique, aiming to develop each individual’s distinct will rather than having everyone follow the same path.

Xu Wuyi opened his eyes and looked out the window.

The night sky over Xingjing was dotted with countless stars.