I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 536 - 294: The First Battle at the Harbor, The Soon-To-Be-Born Dazzling Sun

Chapter 536: Chapter 294: The First Battle at the Harbor, The Soon-To-Be-Born Dazzling Sun

In a flash, another three years had passed, during which only Xi, Yang, Yan, and Zhou countries remained, with Zhou being the weakest but most insane because of the presence of Dragon Tooth Daoist Soldiers, biting anyone who approached like a rabid dog.

Yan Country was the strongest with a combination of modern military technology and armed forces technology, along with a plethora of talent and the efficient implementation of unscientific policies, firmly securing its top position.

Long Country ranked second because Gu Shanhai’s genetic modifications of body cultivation drugs had led to the Super Daoist Soldier Plan and numerous innovative policy reforms, making its national power come close to catching up with Yan Country, escalating the situation to the point where conflict seemed imminent at any spoken disagreement.

Luo Chuan, the reincarnated individual in Xi Country, was in an awkward position of neither advancing nor declining. After he had exhausted his advantages as a reincarnator, the overall national power developed extremely slowly. Had it not been for the advantages he had accumulated early on, it might have been him at the bottom.

However, he was not doing much better, with Zhou Country relentlessly targeting Xi Country, their animosity unclear, causing friction from time to time.

Gu Shanhai had also been quite busy these days but constantly on guard against Yan Country’s naval fleet.

They would occasionally patrol the area, causing Gu Shanhai some headaches, and with Long Country’s naval power, breaking through the opponent’s maritime hegemony was nearly impossible.

It was curious that, despite possessing significant maritime military strength, the opponent had not developed policies related to overseas expansion. Influenced by Gu Shanhai, Long Country had already started colonizing overseas.

Thus, they formed numerous colonies to support themselves, without which many reforms and enhancements would lack sufficient resources.

It felt as though the opponent had only unlocked half of the potential effects, never considering exploiting overseas territories.

For Gu Shanhai, this was a good thing. Since they lacked this ambition, it was best to eliminate them before they developed such intentions.

If conflict were to arise, Gu Shanhai was certain they would target Xuanzhou first, as any observant person could see that was where Long Country’s economic lifeline lay.

Once Xuanzhou fell, Long Country, due to severe internal consumption, would quickly collapse.

Luo Chuan was surely aware of this, but unfortunately, Xi Country was located in the Central Plains and not by the sea. Even with this knowledge, it was useless unless he could break through Long Country, and if he could do that, he wouldn’t need to worry about Xuanzhou.

Only Yan Country, which also bordered the sea, had this capability.

Gu Shanhai had also completed his military establishment over the three years, which he called the "Soul Military Force." Focusing on the White Tiger, he created many passives that enhanced Heart Demon Daoist Soldiers, which could be stacked with the Mana aura to create a duet-like effect.

This also culminated in the sixth tier of the "Green Emperor Longevity Scripture—White Tiger," marking another great accomplishment in his mystical prowess.

Following this, he initiated a new research project aimed at using the Heart Demon Daoist Soldiers from the sixth tier of White Tiger to accelerate the refining of Spirit Veins. His goal was not to wait thirty years but to see if he could refine the Spirit Veins to the peak of the Spirit Origin Stage within ten years.

Of course, he wasn’t particularly concerned about the realm of cultivation; the main issue was that without refining the Spirit Veins, he couldn’t fully utilize them. Having such a vast reserve of Mana but being unable to use it left Gu Shanhai feeling uneasy.

"Marquis, Yan Country’s Ironclad Fleet has appeared again, with unclear intentions; they show up every three to five days," Xu En informed Gu Shanhai somewhat helplessly.

"Let’s stay vigilant," Gu Shanhai responded, unable to directly eliminate the threat since the opponents only loitered outside Long Country’s territorial waters, without stepping over the line, simply showing off before leaving.

After numerous occurrences, everyone had grown accustomed to it.

If they were to attack, it would spark a war between the two countries and they would be the ones at fault, although they had always prided themselves on their legitimacy, which also necessitated sufficient power.

Thus, they could only endure, as long as the opponent did not cause any disruption.

"That’s true, but Marquis, if one day they really start bombing or push through, we won’t be able to respond in time."

"Our Ironclad Fleet is far too inferior to Yan Country’s."

Xu En was also quite anxious; their warships were merely warships and hadn’t been integrated with military technology.

This wasn’t something Gu Shanhai was handling, but rather, it was managed by Long Country’s research institutions. Progress was not ideal, and Gu Shanhai had placed his hopes in their efforts, originally thinking they would have results within a year or two. However, some individuals sought credit, so Gu Shanhai let them take over since these were minor details; what really mattered was the Super Daoist Soldier Plan, which had already been successful a year ago and had been widely implemented.

Then, those credit-seekers got stuck on the modernized military equipment project.

Regarding slacking off or muddling through to embezzle funds? Such wishful thinking, but Jiang Lu enforced Gu Shanhai’s standards. Anyone incapable of meeting the demands wouldn’t just resign; they faced execution.

Gu Shanhai could utilize Long Country’s resources because he had the status and capability, while others attempting to imitate or replace him lacked the ability.

It seemed those people were too young, probably having only climbed the ranks after Gu Shanhai’s arrival in Xuanzhou. If they had been with Jiang Lu and the other veterans, they would have known better than to provoke Gu Shanhai. If they harbored any sinister intentions, they wouldn’t even need Gu Shanhai to act before someone else took care of them.