Lan Jue chuckled. "Oh, come on.
What can I do alone?
It's up to everyone else. "
The Wine Master looked at her. "So what have you come up with?"
Lan Jue nodded. "Yes.
What we lack the most right now is an understanding of the aliens.
And in that regard, the Marauders have done far better than we have.
Now that I think about it, the Violet Princess was humanoid because she'd adapted her genes to our own.
She even learned our human language.
From this we can see that the aliens know more about us than we do about them. "
The Wine Master nodded. "We're too spread out. Our population is vast, and we've conquered many planets. It's impossible not to be infiltrated.
But I suspect the Violet Princess you encountered was a high-ranking alien. If all of them could take human form, we wouldn't have a chance to fight them. We'd be better off getting away from them as soon as possible. "
Lan Jue sighed. "I'm just praying that they don't appear in Eastern Alliance territory the next time they teleport."
"Humanity is one," the Wine Master said. "Don't you know it's selfish of you to say that?"
Lan Jue chuckled. "I never said I wasn't selfish!"
The Wine Master chuckled. "I'm being selfish, too."
Lan Jue's smile faded. "I'm actually worried.
The Clairvoyant's prophecy isn't without purpose.
From what we've seen so far, the aliens are strong, but I think.
It's possible we haven't seen their true strength yet.
Given their current strength, it shouldn't be too difficult for us to deal with them. At least we have a fighting chance. "
The Wine Master smiled bitterly and nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm worried about as well.
That's why I decided to come with you. Without enough strength, it's hard to find anything useful. "
Lan Jue's lips curled. "Don't give me that.
If it weren't for the Clockmaker, would you have come? "
The Wine Master chuckled.
"This is called not delaying either side."
He'd been in a good mood for the past few days, because he'd finally taken a step closer to the Clockmaker. To him, this was a joyous occasion.
Lan Jue nodded. "Wait until we're close enough.
I'm afraid you'll really have to make a move.
We don't want to be meritorious, but we want to avoid mistakes. When the time comes, we have to avoid them as much as possible.
Guoguo's mimicking the alien's psychic waves is starting to show results. Hopefully, it'll work. "
The Wine Master nodded. "I think this planet is a good one. It's perfect for concealment. What do you think if we set up a reconnaissance station here?
At least until the aliens left the Shattered Starfields.
If we use this place as a base to scout, the results will be very good. "
Lan Jue paused for a moment. "As a starting point?
It didn't seem to be of much use!
If we're discovered in the process of escaping, won't we be chased again?
Moreover, he would come again next time.
We may not succeed if we want to take the same path.
The position of these planets was constantly changing, and the aliens were wreaking havoc in the Shattered Starfields.
It's even harder to predict. "
The Wine Master smirked. "Of course it's not that simple.
A starting point.
Of course it has a direct use.
I can set up a teleportation array here. "
Lan Jue's eyes lit up. "A teleportation array?
But how far can you teleport? "
"That depends on the price," the Wine Master replied.
"The information you brought back last time shook the Alliance.
It also proved Star Division's worth. That's why I got a lot of good stuff from the congress.
I can create a long-distance teleportation station here, but it'll take at least ten days to complete.
Once it's done, we'll need ten s-ranked interspatial gems to activate the array.
Each time we use it, we'll need one more.
We'll be able to teleport to the outskirts of the Shattered Starfields.
Of course, if we're in danger, we'll be able to teleport back here within that distance. "
The Wine Master's words were calm, but Lan Jue's jaw dropped. "You … when did you get so strong?" He stared at the Wine Master.
The Wine Master smiled. "I can't do it alone, but I have my aunt. Together we can do it."
Lan Jue sucked in a breath. If they could teleport from one point to another, not only would their safety be guaranteed, but they'd also be able to use it as a springboard to spy on the alien planets.
It would be far less dangerous, and far more flexible.
Although each teleportation required an S-rank spatial energy gem, it was absolutely worth it!
The vital crystals they'd get from killing the aliens were more than enough to cover the cost.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get to work!" Lan Jue's voice was righteous.
There was nothing more beneficial than building such a base station. Moreover, this base station could exist for a long time.
"Oh, by the way, I have to ask, how many people can your base send in at once?" Lan Jue asked the Wine Master.
"Zeus -1 is no problem," the Wine Master said. "If it were Majesty, we'd have to pay three times the price.
That should work.
However, teleporting as large as Majesty would take a lot out of me and my aunt. We'd need a lot of time to recover. "
Lan Jue shook her head. "No need, we don't need something like Majesty. Zeus -1 is enough.
Wine Master, I've just thought of a way to get rich. "
The Wine Master huffed. "Why do you only care about money these days? Are you addicted to robbing pirates?"
Lan Jue chuckled. "Isn't war all about money and resources?
Didn't you praise me when I bought so many power gems from the Northern Alliance?
How can we do that without money?
With this station, we'll be much safer. We'll be able to probe deeper into the planets and gather more information.
Plus, you Paragons will be able to kill a large number of aliens and collect vital crystals.
I don't think I need to tell you how valuable these crystals are.
They're the most valuable power gems known to man.
What could be more enticing than extending one's lifespan?
According to the Keeper and Bookworm's current research, with enough vital crystals, it's possible to live forever. "
The Wine Master's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't really thought about it that much. He'd planned to build this base for long-distance teleportation.
Lan Jue's idea was definitely feasible.
Harvesting vital crystals was a good thing, but hunting down aliens was also a good thing for humanity.
Killing many birds with one stone, why not?
Thinking of this, he could not help but nod slightly. "This seems to be feasible.
Let's wait until I've finished building the base. "
"Alright!" Lan Jue replied. Her eyes flashed.
She exchanged a glance with the Wine Master. Both of them read the meaning in each other's eyes.
If they succeeded, it wouldn't just be a boon to Skyfire Avenue. It would also be an opportunity for the Eastern Alliance to surpass the Northern Alliance and the Western Alliance!
The most important factor in human development was talent. People, wealth, goods, but the most important was people. With talent came everything.
Life, death, sickness, and illness were the laws of nature. Everyone feared death.
One could only imagine the allure of exuvium.
Exuvium required vital crystals. Without them, even the most advanced technology would be useless.
One could only imagine the scarcity of vital crystals.
The Northern Alliance and the Western Alliance were searching for the alien home worlds not only because they wanted to protect humanity, but also because they wanted to get more vital crystals!
Although there had never been such a report in the news of the Three Major Alliances, in reality, they had been competing in private for a long time.
Skyfire Avenue was likely to have the most vital crystals.
The crystal Lan Jue had acquired on Taihua had been the deciding factor. It had put the Eastern Alliance ahead of the Northern Alliance and Western Alliance by more than a year.
There was so much that could be accomplished in a year's time.
It had also helped prolong the life of the Keeper, who was nearing the end of his life. It had also helped the Bookworm break through to Paragon.
If a single vital crystal could accomplish all this, one could only imagine the benefits to the Eastern Alliance if they had access to large quantities of them.
The original plan had changed. Zeus -1 wasn't just staying here to rest, but to stay for the time being.
They were setting up a base station.
For safety's sake, Lan Jue rejected the Driver's suggestion to explore the alien home worlds first.
With a space base station, it would be safer to investigate everything.
Over the next ten days, Lan Jue and the Driver continued to work on their fusion of lightning. The Wine Master busied himself, Roxanne and the Clockmaker helped out.
While Lan Jue and the Driver cultivated, Jueti gave them pointers. Their progress was rapid.
Lan Jue continued to cultivate with Zhou Qianlin. As they absorbed more and more of the thunder essence, the immortal qi also melted into his body. He shared it with Zhou Qianlin.
Lan Jue could feel Zhou Qianlin's condition improving with each passing day. When the Driver and Lan Jue reached a certain point, and the Driver needed some time to absorb the energy, he and Zhou Qianlin would practice swordsmanship together.
Zhou Qianlin's swordsmanship was becoming more and more fluid. Everything was going in a good direction. It was only a matter of time before her mind returned.
Ten days passed in a flash. Although they weren't secluded meditation, Lan Jue and the Driver's levels of fusion lightning had improved significantly.
Lan Jue's conversion rate was over fifty percent, while the Driver's was at thirty percent.
(To be continued.
For mobile users, please click here.)