I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 152: Conclusion

'Strategist Merlin's layout was still a bit too cautious.'

On Bluestar, Su Yuan began to mentally critique the situation.

Strategist Merlin was an advisor among the high-ranking officials of the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire's strategic council, primarily responsible for weakening the power of the Alien Races bordering the empire.

The Alien Races here were truly distinct from the human race; groups like the Multi-eyed Clan and the Wisdom Clan still belonged as branches within the massive human race.

As for true Alien Races? Their Life Form structures might be vastly different from the human race.

This localized war between the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire and the Source Spirit Clan was orchestrated by Strategist Merlin.

Even without the appearance of the Source Sand Star, the human empire would have "discovered" another treasure or opportunity highly attractive to the Source Spirit Clan.

The ultimate goal of all this was to attempt the elimination of a Saint from the Source Spirit Clan.

Saints were Cosmic Lifeforms. Having managed to Fully Comprehend a certain Supreme Power, their every movement carried the might of the Universe. It was exceedingly difficult to completely kill such a terrifying Life Form.

However, Strategist Merlin's plot had not fully succeeded, allowing the Source Spirit Clan's Saint to escape.'The human Saint lying in ambush was still too impatient. They should have waited a little longer for the Source Spirit Clan Saint to pull the Source Sand Star into their internal world before striking. That way, they could have heavily injured the target directly and prevented their eventual escape,'

Su Yuan thought to himself as he used the gray mirror to observe the entire situation.

Of course, one couldn't entirely blame Strategist Merlin for being too cautious, or the human Saint for being too hasty.

Allow the enemy to pull the Source Sand Star into their internal world?

If they entered the enemy's internal world, what if there was an ambush waiting inside?

Neither Merlin nor the human Saint possessed Su Yuan's omniscient perspective. In their schemes, besides achieving the objective, it was far more important to leave a route for Retreating Unscathed.

The plot could fail, but the human side absolutely could not afford to lose a Saint. Even a one-for-one trade with the Source Spirit Clan would be a massive loss for the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire.

"Now that the Source Spirit Clan's Saint has escaped back home, this localized war is about to end."

Upon realizing that this was all a conspiracy by the human empire, no matter how unwilling the Source Spirit Clan was, they wouldn't dare to continue. At most, they would keep their troops stationed at the border for a while.

As for launching a true war, they absolutely would not do it.

If the Source Spirit Clan's Saint had successfully obtained the Source Sand Star and was intercepted just as they were about to flee the human empire's Territory...

...the Source Spirit Clan would have initiated a minor war to cover their Saint's retreat.

But since their Saint hadn't even touched the Source Sand Star, it was completely impossible for the Source Spirit Clan to continue waging war.

Near the Source Sand Star.

Countless overlapping layers of space constantly collided, shattered, and entangled like a violent swamp.

A phantom-like figure suddenly broke free, a voice filled with incomparable resentment echoing out, "Humans, you cannot kill me!"

Before the voice even faded, this phantom figure violently exploded. Countless illusory starlights plummeted in all directions, crashing into the spatial layers.

"Gather!"

A calm voice rang out. The surrounding space acted like a fishing net, beginning to contract toward the center.

Within that space, the countless illusory starlights were like trapped fish, entirely scooped up.

Unfortunately, at the very last moment, dozens of illusory starlights managed to slip through the net by a stroke of luck, disappearing from sight.

"Escaped?"

The calm voice quietly noted the direction where the dozens of starlights had vanished, making no move to pursue.

Chasing them was nearly impossible. The illusory starlights were condensed from the Source Spirit Clan's Mental Will, and their escape speed was Beyond Comprehension, vanishing in a fleeting instant.

In the Virtual Network world, within a magnificent Personal Space.

"Strategist Merlin."

A figure coalesced and spoke to Merlin, who sat in the center of the Personal Space.

"How did it go?"

Strategist Merlin was a woman with gentle features, possessing an incredibly complex and profound Mark resting between her brows. Her entire being exuded an aura of profound tranquility.

"We failed to keep him."

The figure shook his head slightly. "That Source Spirit Clan Saint ultimately didn't hesitate to abandon his Physical Body, splitting his Mental Will into billions of fragments. In the end, a few dozen fragments of his Mental Will managed to escape..."

"Although we didn't kill him, it will be impossible for him to recover without hundreds of thousands, or even millions of years."

The figure added.

Restoring Physical Body Energy wasn't difficult; it merely required piling up enough resources.

But Mental Will? After losing ninety-nine percent of his Mental Will, the target likely couldn't even maintain his consciousness. As for recovering? His only option was to slumber through the long river of time.

"I understand."

Strategist Merlin nodded slightly, her expression remaining perfectly placid without a hint of disappointment.

"This scheme failed to achieve its primary objective, but it wasn't completely fruitless. At the very least, we've incapacitated a Source Spirit Clan Saint from taking action for the next hundreds of thousands to a million years."

Strategist Merlin's gaze deepened. "There are also the nine Source Spirit Clan Stellar Life Forms who infiltrated our borders..."

She had long known the exact coordinates of the nine infiltrating Stellar Life Forms, yet she hadn't deployed any Saints to hunt them down. She merely ordered the various major family factions to mount a defense.

Her intention was precisely to deceive that Source Spirit Clan Saint into believing that the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire didn't place much importance on the Source Sand Star incident.

Thereby luring him to make a move.

Now that the Source Spirit Clan Saint had fled, there was no longer any need to let those Stellar Life Forms run free.

"Leave them to me."

The figure volunteered.

At present, of the nine infiltrating Source Spirit Clan Stellar Life Forms, six were already dead, leaving two still in hiding.

These two Stellar Life Forms were exceptionally skilled in concealment. Let alone hunting them down, other Stellar Life Forms at the same level wouldn't even be able to detect them.

However, for a human Saint, this naturally posed no difficulty.

The only reason they hadn't struck earlier, allowing these Alien Race Stellar Life Forms to flee and wreak havoc, was to bait the big fish.

Now, naturally, there was no need to hold back anymore.

In a dark, secluded region of the Starry Void.

A twin-horned Source Spirit Clan Stellar Life Form was hiding there.

The Source Spirit Clan was completely unlike the human race. They were born within a Secret Realm, Life Forms nurtured directly by the world within that Secret Realm.

Therefore, the criterion for identifying a member of the Source Spirit Clan lay not in their physical structure, but in whether they originated from that Secret Realm.

'With my concealment techniques, as long as I avoid frequent spatial jumps, human Stellar Life Forms will never discover me,'

The twin-horned Source Spirit Clan Stellar Life Form thought to himself.

Spatial jumping could certainly traverse vast distances.

But equally so, the spatial ripples caused by such jumps were incredibly difficult to conceal.

The twin-horned Stellar Life Form only performed a spatial jump once every so often. The resulting disturbances were naturally much smaller, which was why he had remained undetected until now.

'Although it's a bit slower this way, the advantage lies in safety.'

The twin-horned Stellar Life Form thought inwardly, 'What use is speed? Arriving at the Source Sand Star alive is the only thing that matters.'

Whoosh—

Right at that moment.

Hidden deep within the spatial folds, the twin-horned Stellar Life Form's expression drastically changed.

He suddenly felt the surrounding space, which usually flowed smoothly like water, abruptly freeze solid.

He was like a fish in the water, normally able to swim freely, but now, with the space solidified, he was completely paralyzed.

'This...?'

Peering through the spatial fabric, the twin-horned Stellar Life Form faintly saw the very sector of space he occupied being continuously compressed. Ultimately, the space—along with himself—was condensed into a solid crystal sphere. Imprisoned in its very center, he found himself resting in the palm of a slender hand.

"One left."

The perspective widened, revealing a blurry human silhouette. Stowing away the crystal sphere, the figure took a single step forward and vanished without a trace.

Within the Source Spirit Clan's Secret Realm. A figure shrouded in gray fog sat at the highest peak, cloaked in silence.

An illusory starlight materialized out of thin air, forming a phantom figure. However, compared to when it had first left the Secret Realm, this phantom figure was terribly indistinct, practically on the verge of dispersing.

"We failed. It was a trap laid by the human empire. An ambush was already lying in wait on the Source Sand Star... and it was a human Saint whose abilities specifically countered mine..."

The phantom figure gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"How severe are your injuries?"

The gray fog figure immediately asked.

"I won't die."

The phantom figure shook his head. "But I will have to fall into a deep slumber for quite some time. I won't be able to take any action during this period."

"Go."

The gray fog figure nodded.

Buzz— The phantom figure vanished.

"Sigh..."

The gray fog figure let out a deep sigh as he sat upon his Throne.

He had long suspected that this entire situation might be a setup by the human empire, but he still hadn't been able to resist taking the gamble.

Originally, the gray fog figure believed that even if they couldn't secure the Source Sand Star, the phantom figure would have no problem Retreating Unscathed with his specific abilities.

The Supreme Power wielded by the phantom figure heavily specialized in self-preservation. Even if Saints of the same level joined forces to besiege him, they shouldn't have been able to harm a single hair on his head.

However, the human empire's powerhouses had deployed a Saint who was the perfect counter to the phantom figure. This was completely beyond the gray fog figure's expectations.

"Forget it."

The gray fog figure shook his head slightly, completely discarding any lingering thoughts about the Source Sand Star.

Ruling a race required one to be free of impulsiveness and perfectly weigh the pros and cons. The Source Sand Star was certainly important, but if claiming it meant sacrificing the lives of several Saints within the clan, or even going to full-scale war with the Canglan Cosmic Human Empire...

Then it simply wasn't worth it at all.

"Mr. Ming, my father rewarded me with a large amount of resources! I've set aside a portion for you, roughly equivalent to two billion Azure Surge Coins."

Tejia Chiyun enthusiastically sought out Su Yuan and excitedly reported.

"Thank you."

Su Yuan didn't refuse, accepting the gift openly.

On the surface, Tejia Chiyun had already paid Su Yuan his compensation of one billion Azure Surge Coins.

In reality, however, the benefits Tejia Chiyun reaped far exceeded the price he had paid. It was only natural for him to offer an additional token of appreciation after the fact.

Of course, Tejia Chiyun could have chosen not to offer anything more, but if he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Su Yuan, he definitely couldn't be stingy over such petty gains.

In fact, when the Patriarch of the Chiyun Family had bestowed the rewards upon Tejia Chiyun this time, he specifically instructed him to share a portion with Su Yuan.

"Mr. Ming, my father wishes to meet with you," Tejia Chiyun said, probing carefully.

"The time has not yet come for your father and I to meet," Su Yuan said, shaking his head.

The Chiyun Family Patriarch's intention in meeting him was simply to discern Su Yuan's true identity and which faction he belonged to.

To Su Yuan, this held absolutely no meaning and would yield no profit, which was why he couldn't be bothered to attend.

Naturally, on a certain day in the future, Su Yuan would choose to meet with the Chiyun Family Patriarch.

When that time came, it would be because the Chiyun Family needed to beseech his aid, and the meeting would be for the sake of extracting compensation.

"Tejia Chiyun," Su Yuan said, looking at the red-eyed man standing before him. "Do you have any interest in the Patriarch position of the Chiyun Family?"

"The Patriarch position?"

Tejia Chiyun was slightly stunned. He had, of course, dreamed of becoming the Patriarch of the Chiyun Family.

But it was purely a fleeting dream. Who hadn't fantasized? Many ordinary Imperial Citizens even fantasized about becoming the Empire Ruler.

But fantasies were fantasies, and reality was reality.

The Chiyun Family possessed far too many outstanding talents, especially his older brothers. What qualifications did he have to compete against them?

As for winning his father's favor? When it came to inheriting the Patriarch seat, the current Patriarch's affection didn't hold much weight.

Otherwise, over the long river of time, the Patriarch seat of the Chiyun Family wouldn't have rotated among the various main branches.

"In all things, the most important factor is whether you want it or not. As long as you possess the desire, there is hope."

Su Yuan looked at Tejia Chiyun with keen interest.

His true intention was to propel Tejia Chiyun to the Patriarch seat of the Chiyun Family.

After all, Tejia Chiyun was easy to control and willing to follow his instructions.

Furthermore, his background was relatively clean, meaning he wouldn't be easily swayed by external factors.

If he chose to support Tejia Chiyun's highly capable older brothers instead, it might be easier on the surface, but it would ultimately prove far more troublesome.

Who knew how many factions were backing those popular Patriarch candidates? If Su Yuan haphazardly inserted himself into their ranks, he would definitely face exclusion and resistance.

"Mr. Ming, I want to be the Patriarch! I want it desperately. I dream of it,"

Tejia Chiyun instantly declared his true feelings. Before meeting Su Yuan, his greatest aspiration had merely been to join the family's high-ranking officials.

Nothing more.

As for becoming the family Patriarch?

There was practically zero chance.

But after interacting with Su Yuan, the man's ingenious strategies had not only smoothly elevated him into the upper echelons of the family but also earned him his father's favor.

Under these circumstances, and further prodded by Su Yuan's words, Tejia Chiyun genuinely began to feel that perhaps he really could become the next generation's Patriarch of the Chiyun Family.

"Mr. Ming, as long as I can claim the Patriarch seat of the Chiyun Family, I... I will obey your every command."

Tejia Chiyun was keenly aware that he currently lacked the capital to hire Su Yuan to assist his bid for the seat. His only option was to promise future loyalty.

"Obey my every command..."

Su Yuan's expression remained calm. He once again consulted the gray mirror regarding Tejia Chiyun's future. Only after confirming that the man would honor his promise did he nod and say, "Deal."

Elevating Tejia Chiyun to the position of Patriarch and subsequently seizing control of the Chiyun Family through him was a plot Su Yuan had laid down long ago.

On Bluestar, Su Yuan sat cross-legged within the control room of his warship.

'Over these last two months...'

Su Yuan's thoughts wandered. During this period, he had devoted the vast majority of his energy to his own cultivation. His comprehension of the Five Elements Power had fully met his personal requirements.

Thinking of this, Su Yuan cast his gaze toward the gray mirror hidden deep within his sea of consciousness.

The gray mirror's surface churned with a hazy mist before manifesting the detailed, updated data of Su Yuan's Physical Body.

[Metal Element Power: 95%]

[Wood Element Power: 95%]

[Water Element Power: 96%]

[Fire Element Power: 97%]

[Earth Element Power: 95%]

[Power of Ultimate Yang: 1%]

[Power of Ultimate Yin: 1%]

[Combat Bonus: 29,321%]

'My comprehension of all five elements has surpassed ninety-five percent. It is time to study the Shattering-tier Martial Arts Manuals and Fully Comprehend these five variations of the Five Elements Power...'

Su Yuan thought to himself leisurely.