Chapter Sixty-One: Borrowing Troops

Upon hearing these words, whispers immediately erupted throughout the grand hall.

"What alliance? I call it begging for help!"

"I heard the Great Dayan Kingdom has been utterly devastated and its capital is under siege. Lu Xingchen is just here to ask for reinforcements!"

"If it were only the Fengming Kingdom, we might help if the terms are right. But they have the Heavenly Return Kingdom backing them! How could we, a low-tier nation like the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom, dare to challenge the Heavenly Return Kingdom?"

"We cannot help. This is truly impossible."

Su Xinghe said with a look of apology, "Lu Xingchen, I am truly grateful to you for escorting me safely. However, the Fengming Kingdom is backed by the Heavenly Return Kingdom; I must not form an alliance with you. As the ruler of this country, I must consider the safety of all our people."

Lu Xingchen did not lose heart.

It was completely normal for the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom to have reservations; what he needed to do was dispel their doubts.

Lu Xingchen said in a clear, resonant voice, "The Fengming Kingdom has backing, and I, Lu Xingchen, have backing as well! I have already entrusted someone to pressure the Heavenly Return Kingdom, and they will no longer send troops to aid the Fengming Kingdom."

"The upcoming battles will be entirely fair for both of our nations."

Hearing this, Su Xinghe was greatly astonished.

"Young Friend Lu, is this true? Where did your powerful backing come from?"

Lu Xingchen replied in a deep voice, "This is my secret. But Your Majesty should understand that I would never joke about the life and death of the Great Dayan Kingdom."

Su Xinghe nodded slightly and then said, "Even so, the national strength of the Fengming Kingdom surpasses both yours and mine. Confronting them head-on will bring no benefit to the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom."

"You want benefits, Your Majesty? Upon my return this time, not only will I revive the Great Dayan Kingdom, but I will also annihilate the Fengming Kingdom. When that time comes, our two nations shall equally divide the territory of the Fengming Kingdom. How does Your Majesty find this proposal?"

Su Xinghe was even more shocked.

He had not expected Lu Xingchen's ambitions to be so vast; not only did he wish to recover his lost lands, but he even intended to swallow the Fengming Kingdom whole.

What gave him the right to be so confident?

Su Xinghe asked in a deep voice, "Young Friend Lu, what gives you the confidence to defeat the Fengming Kingdom? I cannot gamble the lives of my soldiers on you."

Lu Xingchen smiled faintly and circulated his battle qi, displaying his cultivation as a Greater Martial Master.

The mere pressure of his aura left the civil officials gasping for breath.

Standing nearby, Li Mi immediately ignited his own battle qi to shield Su Xinghe.

Su Xinghe exclaimed in disbelief, "Young Friend Lu has broken through to the Greater Martial Master realm? You are not even twenty years old yet, are you?"

Lu Xingchen smiled. "Pardon me, I am only eighteen."

"Your Majesty, given my speed of cultivation, as long as I am not cut down prematurely, breaking through to the Martial Spirit realm, or even the Martial King realm in the future, will be effortless."

"A mere Fengming Kingdom is nothing in my eyes. If you ally with me, the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom will gain not only territory, but also the protection of a future supreme powerhouse."

"I wonder if Your Majesty is satisfied with this kind of strength?"

Hearing this, Su Xinghe furrowed his brows and sank into deep thought.

The civil and military officials in the hall also broke into heated discussions.

"No way! An eighteen-year-old Greater Martial Master! What a martial arts prodigy!"

"Lu Xingchen's potential is so high that it is worth taking a gamble. Should he achieve enlightenment and attain supreme status in the future, our Cloudy Hidden Kingdom, as his ally, will reap massive rewards."

"I think we should not take the risk. The Tianyuan Continent is never short of geniuses; the chance of Lu Xingchen perishing halfway is far too high. We cannot stake all our chips on him."

"One rarely gets many chances in life to alter their destiny, and the same goes for a nation. I believe we should take this gamble."

Seeing that Su Xinghe had not responded, Lu Xingchen produced a medicinal pill and handed it to him.

"Your Majesty, this pill is called the Tier 3 Spirit-Ascending Pill. Consuming it allows a powerhouse at the Greater Martial Master realm to advance by a minor sub-realm. It is one of the most difficult pills to refine among all Tier 3 elixirs."

"I now offer this as a token of goodwill to the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom. Once the war concludes, I will present you with three more Tier 3 Spirit-Ascending Pills."

Upon hearing this, a trace of joy appeared on Li Mi's face.

This Tier 3 Spirit-Ascending Pill was precisely what he needed.

He was advanced in years, his vitality was declining, and his cultivation had stagnated for many years.

A pill capable of directly elevating one's cultivation realm was nothing short of a supreme treasure.

Furthermore, as the Grand Elder, if the ruler accepted the pill, it would most likely end up in his hands.

For a moment, he felt deeply tempted.

Su Xinghe did not take the pill immediately, his expression filled with doubt.

"Alchemists are the most noble profession on the Tianyuan Continent. Our Cloudy Hidden Kingdom doesn't even possess a Tier 1 alchemist, let alone a Tier 3 one. Lu Xingchen, where did you acquire this pill?"

Lu Xingchen chuckled lightly. "I refined it myself. It only took me half an hour."

In an instant, the grand hall fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone stared fixedly at Lu Xingchen, their eyes filled with a mixture of awe and fervor.

It took a long while for Su Xinghe to snap out of his daze.

"You? You are a Tier 3 alchemist?"

Lu Xingchen nodded slightly. "Indeed. If Your Majesty does not believe me, I can refine a Tier 3 pill for you right here on the spot."

Upon receiving this affirmative answer, an uproar immediately broke out across the entire hall.

"Good grief, a Tier 3 alchemist? Is this for real?"

"I think it is most likely true. Lu Xingchen actually has the audacity to refine pills on the spot."

"He has no reason to lie, or he would be exposed very quickly. Lying makes no sense here."

"An eighteen-year-old youth proficient in both martial arts and alchemy—what an absolute prodigy!"

"A Tier 3 alchemist possesses enough clout to recruit a vast number of Greater Martial Master powerhouses. No wonder Lu Xingchen dares to dream of counter-attacking the Fengming Kingdom; this is the source of his confidence!"

After a long pause, Su Xinghe finally regained his composure.

"There is no need. I believe Young Friend Lu would not deceive me. Since you have made the stakes and benefits so clear, refusing now would make me appear foolish. The Cloudy Hidden Kingdom is willing to form an alliance with you and help you recover your lost lands!"

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "In that case, Your Majesty, please accept this Tier 3 Spirit-Ascending Pill. I wish us a pleasant and successful cooperation!"

Su Xinghe put away the pill and spoke in a solemn tone, "I wonder what Young Friend Lu requires the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom to do?"

Lu Xingchen replied firmly, "I need the Cloudy Hidden Kingdom to provide provisions and armaments for our nation during the upcoming battles to secure our logistics. Additionally, I wish to borrow fifty thousand elite troops from Your Majesty to assist in reclaiming our lost territories."

At these words, an uproar broke out among the ministers in the hall once more.

"Providing logistical support is acceptable, but borrowing troops goes too far! Our Cloudy Hidden Kingdom only has a total of one hundred thousand soldiers, and Lu Xingchen is asking for half of them right off the bat. What happens to the safety of our own nation?"

"Precisely, precisely! What if the Great Xia Kingdom takes advantage of the chaos to invade? How are we supposed to defend ourselves?"

"Your Majesty, you must never agree to this!"

"Lu Xingchen's request is utterly absurd. While he is worth investing in, we cannot abandon all our bottom lines. We must safeguard our own country's interests first."

Su Xinghe also frowned deeply. After hesitating for a moment, he said in a heavy voice, "I am sorry, Young Friend Lu, but I am afraid I cannot agree to the request to borrow troops."