The most agonizing, terrifying, yet utterly seductive and compelling place in the mortal realm was, without a doubt, the Corpse Emperor's Wushan Palace.

Thousands of fur-clad and armored Zombie Soldiers formed a killing array, the 'Ten Thousand Zombie Formation,' outside a palace of white bone. These zombies were clad in black fur, white fur, or even strange, bizarre shades of red and blue. All stood nearly nine feet tall, their muscles knotted like they were carved by axe and chisel. Coupled with their ancient armor and the peculiar bronze magical artifacts or crude weapons fashioned from black stone they wielded, they appeared even more menacingly majestic.

Swirls of black miasma enveloped these powerful Zombie Soldiers. Their eyes glittered with a dim, red light; tens of thousands of red sparks flickered in the dark fog, resembling ghostly fire, as if they could lunge at any moment.

Inside the White Bone Hall, however, it was a scene of lush splendor, filled with exotic flowers and rare herbs. Amidst the red blossoms and green growth, dozens of elegantly crafted yet antique-styled tables made of white bone were arranged with meticulous precision. Squadrons of young maidens, draped in exquisite palace gowns, possessing devastating allure and unparalleled beauty, carried jade platters bearing strange fruits, aged fine wines, and roasted, glistening, aromatic rare fowl and beasts to the tables.

Several massive censers shaped like dragon feet and toads stood at the four corners of the White Bone Hall. A thick, exotic incense, laced with a faint coppery tang of blood, billowed forth in thick plumes of green smoke. The hall was enveloped in mist and overpowering fragrance; combined with the women flitting about like butterflies among flowers, it truly seemed like a journey to the heavens.

But a closer look at those beautiful maidens transformed the celestial paradise instantly into a realm of the grotesque.

As two girls walked, their knees suddenly bent backward. Without changing expression, they wrenched their twisted leg bones straight and continued forward.

Another maiden, the most beautiful among them but with a slightly pale, ashen complexion, had just set down her tray and was leaning in with a seductive smile to bow to the Corpse Emperor seated behind the main table. With two soft 'plop' sounds, her bright, expressive eyes suddenly leaped out of their sockets. The girl swiftly grabbed the two eyeballs, deftly tucked them back into their sockets, flashed a charming smile to the surrounding guests, and then hastened away with the stiff, shambling gait characteristic of the undead.

Several other girls were gracefully dancing in the center of the hall, smiling sweetly. Their figures were curvaceous, their beauty captivating, and their smiles genuinely inviting—truly presenting themselves as ripe for the taking. Yet, as they spun rapidly, a slight breeze lifted their long palace skirts, revealing legs that were nothing more than stark white bones glowing with internal ghostly fire... The enchanting rosy atmosphere instantly evaporated, leaving behind only a disturbing strangeness and sheer terror.

As for the serving maids who accidentally dropped a finger here, or whose heads 'clattered' onto their trays there, there was no need to even mention them.

In summation, these bizarre young women transformed the heavenly atmosphere of the White Bone Hall into a haunting, spectral domain. A chilling cold shot up the spines of everyone seated—the envoys from the Papal Legation and the God Alliance—straight to the base of their skulls.

Gu Yechen chuckled, raising a cup of blood wine mixed with unknown ingredients. He smiled warmly at the two envoys from the Papal Legation and the God Alliance seated opposite him. "Welcome, honored guests. Whatever news you bring this time, let us first share a cup of wine."

Lifting the cup, he drained the viscous, foul-smelling blood wine in one gulp. Gu Yechen inverted the cup with a grin; indeed, not a single drop remained.

The Corpse Emperor, seated on the central throne, along with True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He, also raised their wine cups.

True Man Bai Shui sighed deeply. "Good wine, truly good wine. You old miser, are you finally willing to use the vital essence of ten-thousand-year-old blood infants for your brew?"

True Man Han He swayed his head, swallowing the blood wine in one go. He nodded in appreciation. "Indeed, excellent wine! The taste is nothing special, but it greatly fortifies one's vital energy. Wonderful!"

The Corpse Emperor laughed a few times, then suddenly rolled his strange eyes and roared angrily at the envoys from the Papal Legation and the God Alliance. "Why do you not drink? Do you look down upon me?"

The envoys secretly glanced at Gu Yechen. Gu Yechen squinted, nodded softly, and remained silent.

Gu Yuru and Black Jack, faces etched with worry, reluctantly raised their cups. Under the Corpse Emperor's gaze, sharp as a drawn sword, they slowly and hesitantly swallowed the strange concoction that seemed more like poison than wine. As the liquid hit their stomachs, it transformed into a hot current surging through their bodies, making them feel warm and uncomfortably pleasant. But accompanying the warmth came a wave of bloody stench thousands of times stronger than before. Gu Yuru and Black Jack felt the foul scent erupting from every pore of their bodies; the bizarre reek nearly drove them mad.

A Necromancer from the Death God Hall of the God Alliance, seated next to Black Jack, angrily stood up. He pointed at the Corpse Emperor and roared, "You Easterners have an old saying: A scholar can be killed, but not humiliated!"

Gu Yechen stared blankly at the Necromancer. This world truly never lacked idiots, did it?

The Corpse Emperor was momentarily stunned, then burst into thunderous laughter. "Then, kill him!"

A group of burly Zombie Generals strode into the White Bone Hall, grabbed the Necromancer whose body had already withered to skin and bones, and brutally pinned him next to a cluster of vibrant blood-red azaleas. A general clad in ancient Qin bronze armor raised his black stone sword and cleaved off the Necromancer's head.

A jarring sound of spectral wailing emanated from the Necromancer’s remains, and a black light enveloping a fist-sized silhouette shot out. The Necromancer laughed maniacally. "Fools! We Necromancers dedicate everything to the great God of the Underworld; we are immortal beings!"

A zombie hound, about a foot long, bounded forward with a howl and swallowed the Necromancer's escaping soul in one gulp. The zombie hound, with blackened skin and glowing green eyes, circled the Necromancer's corpse twice, happily flicked out its scarlet-tipped, blackened tongue, and trotted contentedly back to the Corpse Emperor’s feet, sinking its teeth into his boot with gusto.

The Corpse Emperor affectionately patted the hound's head and said sinisterly, "In my Corpse King Hall, are there truly those who do not fear death?"

Cold sweat instantly beaded on Gu Yuru's and Black Jack's foreheads. Holding their empty wine cups, they didn't know where to look. Despite Gu Yechen being right in front of them, they felt no sense of security whatsoever. They were facing the Corpse Emperor, True Man Bai Shui, and True Man Han He—the three figures who were practically the foremost leaders of the Asian Dao Alliance.

To them, rules were nothing but a joke.

Trembling, Gu Yuru mumbled in a low voice, "When two nations war, envoys are not slain; envoys are not slain."

The Corpse Emperor slammed the table ferociously and sneered, "I do not recognize the Papal Legation or the God Federation. What envoys are you?"

True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He sat upright, stroking their beards with almost identical movements. Even the refined, unworldly smiles on their faces were precisely the same, truly embodying the air of true Daoist immortals; even their gazes were soft and serene, utterly pure. Only Gu Yechen noticed how the eyes of these two Daoists kept flicking over the vital points of Gu Yuru, Black Jack, and the others. Harboring murderous intent yet revealing not the slightest trace of killing aura—this level of 'composure' was truly exquisite.

Gu Yuru trembled harder, nearly weeping. Black Jack's eyes darted about; he sneakily watched Gu Yechen, wondering if kneeling and surrendering right now would earn him a fatal palm strike from Gu Yechen. Then, Deng Chen finally rescued the two men from their predicament. Gu Yechen, his face beaming with smiles, stood up and bowed to the Corpse Emperor.

"Master, allow your disciple to handle these trivial matters. If they are sensible and agree to all our terms, we can spare their lives."

He paused, then added with a cold, cruel grin, "If they are not sensible, then they have no one to blame but themselves. We will mobilize the main army and sweep them aside!"

The Corpse Emperor glanced at the two old Daoists beside him. True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He exchanged looks and slowly nodded.

Gu Yechen walked up to Gu Yuru and Black Jack and stated coldly, "Did you see? I am in charge of this matter now. I will give you a chance: state your bottom lines!"

"Bottom lines?" Gu Yuru and Black Jack blinked.

"Bottom lines?" The three Grandmasters, along with Ruhua, Siren, and others, all shook their heads. Were their bottom lines so easily revealed? Sent out as envoys at such a delicate juncture, Gu Yuru and Black Jack were clearly confidants of the Papal Legation and the God Alliance. How could they possibly reveal their bottom lines so readily?

But then, something happened that nearly made everyone's eyes pop out of their heads.

Gu Yuru scrambled to his knees, bowed with a cheerful smile toward Gu Yechen, and kowtowed. "Yuru greets Great-Uncle. Heh, the bottom line is simple: as long as the Papal Legation’s independence is maintained, we will agree to any condition! As long as the complete control over those one billion believers is guaranteed, we can agree to everything else."

Black Jack bowed repeatedly and deeply to Gu Yechen without hesitation, then quickly added with a laugh, "Our bottom line is even easier! As long as our God Alliance suffers no retaliation, we can agree to anything. The God Federation was vacated by those dark creatures that appeared from nowhere; they have nothing to do with us humans born on Earth. Now that they’re all dead, the God Alliance can stay or leave as it wishes!"

The Corpse Emperor frantically rubbed his eyes. Had these two so-called envoys capitulated so easily? They had no backbone whatsoever! These bottom lines were tantamount to selling out the entire Papal Legation and the God Federation!

True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He were speechless for a long time. Gu Yechen’s luck was truly incredible; with just a few words, they willingly stripped themselves bare and laid themselves on the chopping block! No wonder the Corpse Emperor kept boasting to Gu Yechen about his incredible fortune when he brought those immortal artifacts. It was indeed overwhelmingly strong!

Gu Yechen looked at the Corpse Emperor, then at True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He, and suddenly smiled. "Master, esteemed Seniors, those 'outsiders' like Citz and Ganglu are all dead now. What remains are our own native humans... It seems somewhat unreasonable to wipe them out completely." He particularly emphasized the word 'outsiders' before speaking gently, "Why not give them a chance?"

His divine sense shot out like lightning. After obtaining the consent of the Corpse Emperor and the two old Daoists, Gu Yechen transmitted some of his opinions and views to them.

The Corpse Emperor, True Man Bai Shui, and True Man Han He exchanged glances. Powerful streams of divine sense flowed between them, and with a simultaneous nod and smile, the three of them closed their eyes.

Gu Yechen smiled. He warmly helped Gu Yuru and Black Jack to their feet, nodding cheerfully. "Yuru, we are all family; we can't have two 'Gu' characters in one account. Don't be so formal. Black Jack? I’ve heard of your reputation. Hmm, you were quite influential in Europe; you are a capable man! As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. You have done well."

After some pleasantries, Gu Yechen led the two to a corner of the Corpse King Hall for a private discussion. Gu Yuru and Black Jack were seen nodding constantly in agreement. After about fifteen minutes, the three returned to the Corpse King Hall and presented the results of their negotiations to everyone present.

Regarding the current status of the Papal Legation and the God Alliance, Gu Yechen proposed the following eight crucial terms:

First, both nations could retain sovereign independence and their armies, but they must completely open their markets. The Earth Federation's military-industrial complex would participate in their military procurement bidding, and procurement of all military equipment must be based on a fair and equitable comparison of combat power.

Second, both nations must unilaterally open their borders to the Earth Federation. The Earth Federation's military would retain no more than ten large, integrated bases within their territories. All military actions by both nations must be reviewed by the Earth Federation Military Department; any unannounced military action would be considered a provocation against the Earth Federation, which reserves the right to retaliate freely.

Third, the intelligence and research systems of both nations must be fully open to the Earth Federation. The Earth Federation would share their intelligence and all research data. The Earth Federation would possess the right to periodic inspections of private research institutions belonging to major corporations and enterprises within both nations to prevent them from developing weapons of mass destruction that could endanger all humanity.

Fourth, trade relations between the Earth Federation and the two nations would be coordinated by a Business Committee dominated by the Earth Federation. All tariffs and surcharges would be determined by this Committee.

Fifth, due to the grave psychological trauma inflicted upon all citizens of the Earth Federation by the two nations' act of secession, both nations must compensate the Earth Federation citizens with massive fees for spiritual and material damages. This compensation would be directly converted into various resources, the type and quantity of which would be determined after consultation and research by the Business Committee.

Sixth, the Papal Legation and the God Alliance would be prohibited from proselytizing within the territory of the Earth Federation, while the major sects and schools of the Asian Dao Alliance could freely preach within the borders of the two nations.

Seventh, due to the harsh 'law of the jungle' in the universe, and to avoid attracting the attention of formidable races like the Romans that could threaten the national security of the three entities, all exchanges with extraterrestrial races would be managed exclusively by Gu Yechen, the Foreign Minister of the Earth Federation. The Papal Legation and the God Alliance are strictly forbidden from communicating with aliens; any violation will result in severe punishment.

Eighth, the Romans are the great enemy of all humanity. Should a conflict arise with the Romans, the Papal Legation and the God Alliance must unconditionally assist the Earth Federation in combat. During wartime, all armed forces, including the Papal Knights and the Guardians of the various Temples of the God Alliance, would be placed under the unified command of the Earth Federation Grand Marshal, Poison Wolf. Disobedience will be punished without leniency.

These were the eight most critical terms proposed by Gu Yechen. In addition to these, dozens of other articles, such as the 'Trilateral Mineral Resource Distribution Accords,' the 'Trilateral Textbook Compilation Accords,' the 'Trilateral Financial Management Power-Sharing Accords,' and the 'Trilateral Civil and Criminal Law Acts'—some fair, some utterly unreasonable—left even the Corpse Emperor momentarily speechless.

"This child, he is too..." the Corpse Emperor said to True Man Bai Shui and True Man Han He, half-reproachfully and half-boastfully. "With this, those two nations become the most useful tools in our hands! They do all the unpleasant, difficult work, and take all the blame, while we reap all the benefits from behind the scenes... Ah, this child, these terms are too harsh!"

True Man Bai Shui was silent for a long moment. Finally, he took out a purple-gold token and handed it to the Corpse Emperor. "From this day forward, all external affairs disciples and their families of my Kunlun Dao Sect within the Earth Federation will be under the management of Junior Martial Nephew Yechen... Old Corpse, don't you dare cheat an old Daoist!"

True Man Han He shook his head and likewise took out a piece of purple jade token to give to the Corpse Emperor. "The same, the same. This fortune of his is truly an unprecedented phenomenon. Old Corpse, we have been friends for so many years; giving the management of these external disciples and their families to this boy, Gu Yechen, we are reassured!"

The external disciples and their families from the Kunlun Dao Sect and the Zhongnan Sect, when combined, represented a colossal force controlling over forty percent of the secular power in Asia and its surrounding regions. Placing this power in Gu Yechen's hands, combined with the vassal forces like the Xiao Clan under Jiu You Dao, meant he could practically sway influence and act as he pleased within the Federation.

The Corpse Emperor took the two tokens without courtesy, stuffing them into his sleeve, and laughed proudly. "Relax, we've been friends for years. When have I ever taken advantage of my own kin?"

The external disciples and their relatives were essentially the kin and family members of the inner disciples of the Kunlun Dao Sect and the Zhongnan Sect in the secular world; many were even the secular descendants of the sects' Elder-level core figures. By handing these individuals over to Gu Yechen, the Kunlun Dao Sect and the Zhongnan Sect essentially forged an alliance with Jiu You Dao!

This was not the vague, superficial alliance of the Asian Dao Alliance, but a private, secret, ironclad pact where power and risk were shared.

Such an alliance was enough to grant Jiu You Dao, Kunlun Dao Sect, and Zhongnan Sect—three behemoths—unparalleled dominance within the Asian Dao Alliance.

The Corpse Emperor’s hand, white as jade with a faint trace of black energy swirling around it, clasped the hand of True Man Bai Shui, whose complexion was ashen-white with traces of golden light, and the hand of True Man Han He, whose grip was steady and fair with faint threads of purple energy. The three Grandmasters shook hands and smiled at each other, a silent understanding passing between them.

True Man Han He spoke calmly. "The Laojun Valley's batch of Void-Shattering Pills is nearly ready. This time, Jiu You Dao should receive several more."

True Man Bai Shui nodded and smiled. "Indeed. Given those immortal artifacts, Jiu You Dao deserves more than half of this batch of Void-Shattering Pills."

The Corpse Emperor reciprocated generously. "My Jiu You Dao only has a few martial brothers qualified to consume the Void-Shattering Pills. The rest, I shall gift to you two Daoist friends. Your houses are grand; you need them more."

The three smiled at each other, nodding in mutual agreement.

Gu Yechen had already finalized the terms and signed the official documents with Gu Yuru and Black Jack.

The subspace communication link was established, and André, the current controller of the Papal Legation, and Bobby, the leader of the God Alliance, appeared simultaneously. They swore oaths using their very souls—as long as Gu Yechen did not first violate the treaties, they would absolutely not violate the clauses. As the oaths were sealed, a visible cross-shaped holy light and a wolf-headed black flame merged into the center of their foreheads.

André and Bobby beamed at Gu Yechen, as if recalling some very amusing memory.

Gu Yechen recalled the malicious restraints these two had previously placed in his mind, and his smile widened. These two thought they had secured a back door by stating that they would only violate the pact if Gu Yechen broke the treaty first! Did they truly believe they could 'control' Gu Yechen into breaking the terms?

"Two little grandsons, happily serving as hard labor for your grand-master Gu!" Gu Yechen was so delighted his mouth could barely close.

Once these terms were signed, the Papal Legation and the God Alliance truly became slaves to the Earth Federation. Half of their annual revenue would belong to the Earth Federation; their military and technological lifelines would be controlled by the Earth Federation; and more than half of the mineral resources they painstakingly mined each year would either be gifted to the Earth Federation for free or sold to them cheaply.

If the Papal Legation and the God Alliance had remained part of the Earth Federation, neither Gu Yechen nor Poison Wolf would have dared commit such an outrageous act of enslaving fellow Federation citizens. But since they had actively seceded to form new nations, Gu Yechen felt absolutely no psychological burden in exploiting these two states. Even the rigid old guard within the Earth Federation could not accuse Gu Yechen of being too harsh on citizens of another country, right? It was their own leaders who agreed to it; Gu Yechen hadn't forced them!

Far away in Paris, Poison Wolf nearly fell off his chair laughing when he received the treaty terms sent by Gu Yechen.

The Federation previously held five billion people, yet in dealing with the Romanians, its troop numbers were perpetually stretched thin. The Federation Military Department dared not conscript too many soldiers, lest they face immediate impeachment by the Federal Council. The sheer expense of maintaining troops was a crippling burden, leaving the Military Department unable to field an army large enough to truly contend with the Romanians.

Especially when tens of millions of soldiers were committed to the field, any heavy casualties would draw scathing condemnation for the Military Department. All sorts of noisy buffoons, championing freedom, peace, and humanitarianism, would suddenly appear to lecture and point fingers at the brass, leaving Du Lang with no constructive outlet for his anger.

But now, things were different. The Papal State and the Federation of Gods had willingly split away, taking with them two hundred million citizens!

These two hundred million people were not citizens of the Earth Federation. No matter how many casualties they suffered on the battlefield, Du Lang would only need to shed a few extra tears at a memorial service to resolve the matter; he wouldn't even have to spend a single cent on compensation.

Upon reviewing the various clauses drafted by Gu Xichen, the first thought that struck Du Lang’s mind was—a strategy of endless warfare, forcing the Papal State and the Federation of Gods to desperately ramp up their ground forces! Hmm, with a population of one hundred million, surely they should be able to field a ground force of three to five hundred million, right?

Three to five hundred million ground troops—tsk, tsk—what kind of havoc would that wreak upon the Papal State and the Federation of Gods? Could it destabilize their social order? What did that have to do with Du Lang? Absolutely nothing!

With nearly a billion ground troops combined between the two nations, if every one of them were outfitted with the Hercules series combat armor, a billion ground troops would be sufficient to sweep aside ninety-nine percent of the Alliance’s four-star nations!

Ah, having soldiers in hand dispels all worry!

Moreover, the citizens of these two nations were devout believers. These pious followers feared death the least. How brave, how heroic, how utterly fearless would they be in battle? How willing to sacrifice everything? Such religiously indoctrinated soldiers were worth at least ten ordinary soldiers on the battlefield!

“This is a massive win!” Du Lang danced gleefully around his office!

The finest moments in life truly amounted to this! Even if those billion soldiers were all wiped out, it still wouldn't be Du Lang’s problem! They weren't citizens of the Earth Federation; their deaths meant nothing to Du Lang’s heart.

Incomparable, simply incomparable! Du Lang marveled at how wise and sagacious the old veterans like Corpse Emperor must be! They had used a feigned death stratagem, allowing Cizt and Ganggelu to break away. This single move truly brought the entire game to life. Those two hundred million separated citizens were nothing less than two hundred million reserves!

“Brother Xichen, you truly are the great harbinger of luck for your elder brother!” Du Lang laughed toward the heavens in delight.

Three hours later, the most bizarre appointment in the history of the Earth Federation was forged:

Gu Xichen, the Federation’s current Foreign Minister, was appointed by the Military Department as the Special Liaison Officer, responsible for communicating and negotiating the new troop conscription efforts between the Earth Federation, the Papal State, and the Federation of Gods!

Making the best use of talent—Du Lang had certainly found the right man!