"My dear Alexander, where on earth did you acquire so many God-tier Monster Cores..." Liu Hui asked, his voice bright with excitement.

Alexander smiled faintly. "Teacher, do you recall when the armies of our Church of Light ventured out of the mountains earlier this year, penetrating into the territory of the Xiling Kingdom and capturing one of their major cities?"

"When we took that large city, we seized a massive number of human slaves and some Elves. We merely rounded up a few Elves at random, never imagining that hidden among them was someone of extraordinary importance—the royal cousin, sent as a hostage to the Xiling Kingdom by another Elven nation."

"When this Elven prince was first captured, he assumed we were ignorant barbarians, believing that revealing his true identity would lead to his execution. Therefore, he diligently performed hard labor in the Great Canyon under the guise of a common slave, afraid to disclose who he really was. Later, after witnessing us repeatedly routing the vengeful armies of the Xiling Kingdom, coupled with the fact that our people strictly adhered to the etiquette of the Church of Light, he realized we were civilized people, just like them, not savages. Only then did he step forward, reveal his true identity, and propose a collaboration." Hearing that Alexander had discovered a foreign prince, held as a hostage in the Xiling Kingdom, among the recovered Elven slaves, Liu Hui immediately became interested. He inquired, "And then what happened?"

Alexander declared with fervor, "This prince is from the Pompeii Kingdom. While he was a hostage in the Xiling Kingdom, he suffered immense humiliation at the hands of the Xiling people, fostering deep-seated hatred in his heart for them. Now, seeing that our army possessed the strength to fight the Xiling Kingdom—even proving superior in combat power—he expressed a desire for an alliance between our Church of Light and the Pompeii Kingdom to destroy the Xiling Kingdom together."

Liu Hui asked, "And how did you respond to his proposition?"

Alexander replied, "The prince wished for us to form an alliance to eliminate the Xiling Kingdom. Naturally, I understood he intended for us to serve as cannon fodder to exhaust Xiling's strength, allowing them to reap the greatest benefits later. We weren't so foolish. So, I demanded tangible proof of his sincerity for an alliance. The prince then requested his release, assuring me that he was deeply favored by his father, the King of Pompeii, and could certainly persuade him to ally with our Church of Light. If that happened, not only would all the humans in the Pompeii Kingdom be handed over to the Church of Light, but all our material needs for war could also be satisfied. At the time, I felt that releasing the prince wouldn't cause much harm, because our intelligence indicated genuine animosity between the Xiling Kingdom and the Pompeii Kingdom, so the prince was unlikely to deceive me. As he departed, I remembered Teacher's request to collect as many God-tier Monster Cores as possible, so I specifically instructed him to search extensively for these cores within the Pompeii Kingdom before finally letting him go."

Seeing the excitement etched on Alexander’s face, Liu Hui chuckled, "My dear Alexander, judging by your delighted expression, and these eighteen God-tier Monster Cores you gifted me, I take it the prince has safely returned to the Church of Light headquarters?"

Alexander grinned. "Indeed, Teacher. Not only has the prince returned, but he also brought with him three million human clansmen and two years' worth of provisions and weaponry for all our people. Furthermore, he gave me these eighteen God-tier Monster Cores. The prince mentioned that due to time constraints, he only managed to locate these eighteen cores within his kingdom this time, but he has already instructed his subordinates to continue the search upon his departure from Pompeii. More God-tier Monster Cores should arrive soon." Liu Hui inquired, "So, have you finalized the alliance agreement?"

Alexander responded, "Not yet. I came this time specifically to discuss with you whether we should proceed with the alliance."

Liu Hui pondered for a moment. "You have developed for so many years, yet you have consistently struggled to truly break out of the mountains. You managed to seize a major enemy city, only to be forced to abandon it. This has always been due to your comparatively weak strength and lack of reliable partners. Now that the Pompeii Kingdom is approaching us, I believe an alliance is something you should seriously consider."

Alexander exclaimed, "So, Teacher also agrees to the alliance!"

Liu Hui asked, "What were their proposed terms for the alliance?"

Alexander explained, "The Pompeii Kingdom demands that when they launch their war against the Xiling Kingdom, we must simultaneously deploy our forces against Xiling, attacking them from both fronts to crush them. Once the objective is achieved, the Pompeii Kingdom will claim all the territory of the Xiling Kingdom. Afterward, they will demarcate a significant parcel of land near our mountain region for the Church of Light to recuperate and thrive."

Liu Hui stated, "How the spoils of war are divided is a matter for later. What immediate assistance is the Pompeii Kingdom promising to provide you now?"

Alexander answered, "The Pompeii Kingdom has pledged to gradually transfer all ten million human slaves currently within their borders to us. Moreover, they can utilize major slave auction houses to purchase human slaves from other Elven nations and send them all here. They have also guaranteed that within one year, they can deliver over fifty million human slaves to us."

Liu Hui laughed, "If the Pompeii Kingdom fulfills these promises, your human race can achieve a massive population boom, truly gaining the strength to contend with those Elven feudal states."

Alexander affirmed, "Teacher speaks the truth. Our human race has developed for years, striving through every means to secure population, yet our total number barely reaches twenty-five million. If we can truly gain fifty million people in just one year, our population will exceed seventy-five million, elevating our strength to an entirely new level."

Liu Hui asked, "Did the Pompeii Kingdom promise anything else?"

Alexander became somewhat hesitant. "When the prince returned this time, he also brought his sister along, saying he wished to introduce her to me..."

Liu Hui paused, then smiled. "No way. Is the Pompeii Kingdom offering to marry their princess to you?"

Alexander’s face instantly flushed red, and he replied sheepishly, "That is precisely their intention—to marry the princess to me to deepen the alliance between our two powers."

Liu Hui chuckled, "My dear Alexander, do you favor the Elven princess?"

Alexander nodded. "I like her very much, and it seems she likes me too. So, personally, I am inclined toward this marriage. The Pompeii Kingdom also stated that if I marry their princess, they will treat us as true allies, and in addition to the previously promised terms, they will supply us with vast quantities of essential living materials."

Liu Hui considered the situation. If Alexander truly allied with the Pompeii Kingdom, they would not only receive substantial material aid but could also legitimately raise their banner and operate openly, free from the fear of being collectively purged by the Elven nations. After all, Alexander would effectively become an Elven in-law, which would grant him a degree of immunity from widespread Elven attacks. As for Alexander abandoning Liu Hui once he secured the powerful backing of the Pompeii Kingdom, Liu Hui had never entertained such a thought. Even if Alexander gained abundant material supplies from Pompeii, Liu Hui still held firm control over Alexander's ammunition supply. Without Liu Hui's munitions, Alexander's human forces would revert to their former state, losing any value for the Pompeii Kingdom to exploit. The exchange between Alexander and Liu Hui cost Alexander virtually nothing of significance. Liu Hui required only Monster Cores—which were plentiful in the magic planes but currently unneeded by Alexander—along with a scattering of peculiar items, placing no real burden on Alexander. Therefore, the astute Alexander would certainly not forfeit Liu Hui's assistance.

Liu Hui quickly grasped the core issue and smiled, "Teacher, congratulations on finding someone you cherish so soon."

Alexander asked excitedly, "Then Teacher also wishes for me to ally with the Pompeii Kingdom and marry their princess?"

Liu Hui stated gravely, "Yes, Teacher hopes you will form an alliance with the Pompeii Kingdom and agrees to your marriage with the princess. However, you must keep one thing absolutely clear: you are the leader of all humankind, and your decisions will dictate their future happiness. Therefore, you must never allow yourself to be swayed by the Elven princess into actions that betray human interests."

Alexander immediately became serious. "Please rest assured, Teacher. I constantly remember that I am the Pontifex of the Church of Light. I will not allow anything to occur that might harm the interests of the Church of Light."

Liu Hui said, "I am relieved that you consider this point."

After concluding the important discussion regarding the alliance, Alexander visibly relaxed. He retrieved a luminous painting from his robes and placed it on the planar trade device. "Teacher, this is a gift from the Pompeii Kingdom. I find it quite fascinating and wish to present it to you."

Liu Hui clicked the trade icon and took the painting into his hands, gasping in surprise. The painting depicted a magnificent, imposing city, with Elves moving along the streets. The scene was rendered with startling realism, captivating anyone who viewed it. What astonished Liu Hui wasn't the content, but the material of the painting itself. Liu Hui had no idea what material was used; it felt incredibly soft to the touch and emitted a faint glow. Moreover, the colors were vibrant, as if real, dazzling and spectacular. Curious, Liu Hui tried to tear the painting but found it remarkably resilient; he couldn't rip it even with considerable force.

Alexander explained, "Teacher, the city in this painting is Pompeii City, the capital of the Pompeii Kingdom. It is the most imposing city I have ever seen. I offer it to you in hopes you will like it."

Liu Hui replied, "Alexander, I am very fond of this painting. But what exactly is this painted upon? It seems quite extraordinary."

Alexander laughed, "Teacher, the material of this painting is a specialty product of the Pompeii Kingdom. I heard the princess say that this material is made by blending several common plants together, which then undergo a series of unique reactions to create this paper—soft, faintly luminous, brightly colored, long-lasting, and highly resistant to burning or tearing."

Touching the soft paper in his hand, Liu Hui’s eyes gleamed. A critical thought suddenly struck him. He asked, "My dear Alexander, go immediately and ask the princess for the method to create this paper, and then tell me."

Alexander blinked in surprise but quickly responded, "Very well, Teacher. I will ask the princess right away."

Liu Hui closed the planar trade device, holding the soft, glowing sheet in his hand. He had already dismissed the city depicted on the paper; after all, no matter how grand an Elven city, it could not compare to the magnificence of human steel cities. He had merely noted it briefly. What now consumed his interest was acquiring the technique for making this paper.

Liu Hui’s desire for this miraculous paper was not for commercial sale; he intended to use it to issue currency for the 'City of Starlight.' The 'City of Starlight' had never possessed its own recognized banknotes, relying almost entirely on the US dollar for financial settlements. However, through years of practice, Liu Hui realized this dollar-based settlement system carried significant risks. The value of the dollar was entirely controlled by the Americans; if they wished to strike at the 'City of Starlight's' economy, they could simply flood the market with excess currency.

The US government was indeed doing just that. Since the last massive earthquake, the US economy had faltered, prompting them to print dollars aggressively, causing significant devaluation. Had the 'City of Starlight' not held less than two hundred billion USD in foreign exchange reserves, and had they not spent those dollars immediately upon receipt, the 'City of Starlight' would have suffered catastrophic losses in this dollar devaluation crisis. Currently, friction between the 'City of Starlight' and the United States was rampant. If the 'City of Starlight' continued to use the US dollar as its primary settlement currency, it would be extremely perilous, essentially placing its lifeline in foreign hands. This was why Liu Hui urgently sought to issue his own currency.

When Xiao Hei discovered a gold reserve exceeding one thousand tons in the deep Pacific seabed, the 'City of Starlight' immediately moved to mine it, ultimately refining 1,300 tons of gold from that single deposit. Over the years, the 'City of Starlight' had also salvaged 120 tons of gold from shipwrecks in its underwater recovery operations. Coupled with the gold extracted from various smaller mines, the 'City of Starlight' now possessed a reserve of 1,900 tons of gold.

Naturally, 1,900 tons was insufficient to back a national currency. At this crucial juncture, good news arrived from the Moon Base: they had discovered a large gold mine on the lunar surface. Instrument readings indicated a deposit exceeding 5,000 tons, highly accessible for mining. This meant that if the lunar gold mine was fully exploited, the 'City of Starlight' would possess over 7,000 tons of gold reserves—enough to launch its own 'Starlight Coin.' This explained Liu Hui's immense joy upon seeing that marvelous paper; he immediately envisioned using it to print banknotes.

Historically, regardless of how meticulously printed, paper currency always faced counterfeiting issues. However, if the 'City of Starlight' utilized this miraculous paper for its currency, this soft, luminous, vividly colored, fire-resistant, durable, and long-lasting paper would be impossible for anyone to replicate. Thus, absolutely no counterfeit 'Starlight Coins' could ever appear, ensuring stability in the financial market and denying enemies any opportunities for sabotage.

On the third day, Alexander re-established contact with Liu Hui, excitedly informing him that although the paper's manufacturing process was a closely guarded secret in Pompeii, the kingdom had decided to disclose the method to Alexander as a testament to their sincerity regarding the alliance. Upon receiving the production method, Alexander discovered that the raw materials for the paper were also common; their mountain region possessed an abundance of these specific plants, although the process itself was somewhat intricate.

Liu Hui was overjoyed upon hearing this news and hastily instructed Alexander to relay the manufacturing process for this miraculous paper. After meticulously recording the steps, Alexander supplied him with samples of the raw material plants. Armed with these components, Liu Hui headed to the Scientific Research Institute, found Chen Changsheng, and assigned several researchers to focus exclusively on mastering the production of this miraculous paper.

Half a month later, the 'City of Starlight' successfully produced its first sheet of the special paper. It was identical to the sample Liu Hui had previously seen. Even the researchers who had manufactured it were left speechless. They couldn't fathom why the seemingly simple combination of a few plant elements, processed through a complex sequence, yielded the astonishing paper before them. Their analysis confirmed that the paper contained only simple fibrous structures, much like ordinary paper, lacking any other specialized substances.

Once the production method for this miraculous paper was verified, Liu Hui directed Alexander to begin collecting the raw material plants in bulk and trading them to him for storage in the 'City of Starlight' warehouses, designated for future banknote production.

During this interval, Alexander had formally signed the alliance treaty with the Pompeii Kingdom on behalf of the Church of Light and settled the date for his wedding to the Elven princess. Consequently, these two rising powers began a phase of exchange and integration, poised to unleash a monumental upheaval in the magic planes, fundamentally reshaping the existing world order.