Douluo: Dragon King's Star Devouring Wings

Chapter 552 The White Tiger Empress (Bonus Chapter for 4k Chapters)
Xue Chaoyang said, "Master of the Ancient Tower, we are determined to obtain the Soul Armor. Name your price, as long as it is within our means."

Qian Gu Huang Yu didn't expect Xue Chaoyang to be so direct, but still said, "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm lying to you, but the Soul Armor has already been classified as a restricted weapon in the Sun and Moon Federation."

"It's on the same level as a level nine fixed-position soul-guided cannon shell. If I were to sell the soul armor to you, I would be committing treason."

Xue Chaoyang said with some surprise, "Master of the Ancient Tower, the Soul Armor is your invention, and the ownership is in your hands. How did it become the property of the Federation?"

Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "I did invent the Soul Armor, but like the Battle Armor, the Soul Armor requires a blacksmith to forge a large amount of rare metals."

"But in the Sun and Moon Federation, most blacksmiths are managed by the Blacksmith Association, which in turn is influenced by the Federal Parliament."

"In addition, the Federation has very strict control over rare metals. If the Federation insists on restricting us, the Spirit Pagoda's rare metal reserves will not last long."

This is a lie. The Spirit Pagoda had already completed the recruitment of blacksmiths in the Sun and Moon Federation. Moreover, given the Spirit Pagoda's vast size and resources, its reserves of rare metals are naturally terrifying.

Qian Gu Huang Yu was just using this as an excuse to reject Xue Chao Yang.

Xue Chaoyang quickly replied, "Master of the Ancient Tower, although my Douling Empire does not have any divine craftsmen, we still have quite a few blacksmiths."

"Moreover, the Sun and Moon Federation is short of resources, but my Douling Empire is rich in resources. As long as you are willing, I can provide you with both resources and blacksmiths in the first instance."

Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "I understand Your Majesty's determination, but if I stay in the Dou Ling Empire for too long, it will inevitably arouse suspicion from the Federation, which will be extremely detrimental to the Spirit Pagoda!"

Seeing that Qian Gu Huang Yu's attitude was beginning to soften, Xue Chaoyang quickly said, "What if we send over some people who know how to manufacture the Soul Armor?"

Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "That's impossible. Soul Armor is already in short supply in the Sun and Moon Federation, and the Soul Armor production department has always been operating at overcapacity."

"If a large number of people leave, the efficiency of soul armor production will inevitably drop significantly."

"By then, even a fool would know what's going on. To be honest, Your Majesty, although I am the deputy tower master in charge of the Soul Armor, this position is more of an honor."

"The real power is not with me; I don't even have the ability to mobilize any of the Soul Armor makers."

Xue Chaoyang's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "Master of the Ancient Tower, in that case, what if I secretly send someone to the Sun and Moon Federation to study?"

"So you're sending some blacksmiths and a group of talented soul masters to disguise themselves as members of the Spirit Pagoda and secretly follow you back to learn soul armor?"

"Of course, I will not shortchange you on the relevant resources. Just ask for any rare metals that my Douling Empire possesses."

"Finally, they've taken the bait." A slight smile appeared on Qian Gu Huang Yu's lips.

Qian Gu Huang Yu's initial goal was to swindle a large amount of rare metals and various resources from the Dou Ling Empire without any investment.

In reality, the boost that Soul Armor provides to Soul Masters is nowhere near as great as that of Battle Armor. After all, Battle Armor directly boosts the Soul Master, while Soul Armor boosts the Soul Spirit and then feeds back to the Soul Master.

It was after witnessing the battle between Qian Gu Huang Yu and Ye Ling Chang that Xue Chaoyang came to believe that the bonuses from Soul Armor were far greater than those from Battle Armor, and that's why he was willing to go to any lengths to obtain it.

This created a seller's market, giving Qian Gu Huang Yu the opportunity to ask for exorbitant prices.

He even won the emperor's favor by making Xue Chaoyang believe that Qian Gu Huang Yu was on his side through his battle with Ye Ling Chang.

After a moment of silence, Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "Your Majesty, it's not that I don't want to help your country overcome this crisis. As you know, the Sun and Moon Federation has mobilized its entire nation this time."

"The Federation's strongest Sea God Legion, the Central Legion, and even the Temple of War will all be involved in the battle. If we help you at this critical juncture, the Spirit Pagoda will be in an extremely disadvantageous position."

Xue Chaoyang was a shrewd old fox, and he knew that Qian Gu Huang Yu was about to agree, but he just wanted to ask for a higher price again.

Moreover, Xue Chaoyang was unaware that the Federation would mobilize such a terrifying force. Under the pressure of the Thousand Ancient Phoenix Feather, Xue Chaoyang's desire for the Soul Armor rose to a new level.

"Master of the Ancient Tower, please do not worry. We are willing to cooperate with all the actions of the Spirit Pagoda, and as long as we can afford it, we will provide more than enough resources!"

As soon as Xue Chaoyang finished speaking, the shuttle bus arrived at its destination. Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "In that case, let's go to the negotiation room to discuss this in detail."

...

Ultimately, the Spirit Pagoda and the Douling Empire reached a private agreement, with the Douling Empire purchasing Soul Armor equivalent to 100 billion Federal Credits from the Spirit Pagoda.

Furthermore, the Douling Empire will provide the Spirit Pagoda with a large amount of resources and various rare metals.

At the same time, the Douling Empire will send a large number of blacksmiths to the Sun and Moon Federation as members of the Spirit Pagoda to help the Spirit Pagoda forge rare metals.

Furthermore, they will send a group of people to the Spirit Tower headquarters of the Sun Moon Federation to learn Soul Armor technology, and have paid for this at a cost equivalent to 10 billion Federal Credits.

The Douling Empire will first pay the Spirit Pagoda half of 100 billion Federal Credits as a deposit and 10 billion Federal Credits as tuition fees, totaling 60 billion Federal Credits.

At the same time, the Douling Empire will begin transporting resources to the Spirit Pagoda in batches from now on.

The remaining 50 billion Federal Credits will be paid after all the Soul Armor forged by the Spirit Pagoda for the Douling Empire is in place, and after the blacksmiths and those who have learned how to make Soul Armor are sent back.

...

It has been two and a half days since Qian Gu Huang Yu and Gu Yue Na left the Dou Ling Empire aboard the Black Dragon.

When Hu Yanxiao learned of the final outcome of the negotiations, an expression of disbelief immediately flashed across his face.

Although he wasn't entirely sure about the price of the Soul Armor, it was definitely not comparable to the vast resources and rare metals that the Douling Empire had promised to provide.

Compared to that, even the 100 billion federal dollars seems insignificant.

Qian Gu Huang Yu then instructed Hu Yanxiao to keep this secret and not tell anyone, and also promised to forge a set of three-word soul armor for Hu Yanxiao and his son respectively.

Hu Yanxiao immediately understood and readily agreed.

...

"Huang'er, doesn't your conscience hurt? The price offered by the Douling Empire is more than five times the price of the same Soul Armor in the Sun and Moon Federation."

"And this five-fold price is only for the portion we've already acquired. With future resources included, it will only be more." Gu Yuena couldn't help but click her tongue in amazement.

On the cruise ship bound for the Star Luo Empire, Gu Yuena looked at Qian Gu Huang Yu and said with a smile, "Huang'er, doesn't your conscience hurt? Xue Chaoyang really treated you like one of his own, and you still betrayed him like this."

After the agreement was reached, Xue Chaoyang readily took 60 billion federal dollars from the national treasury, along with a lot of resources and rare metals, and gave them directly to Qian Gu Huang Yu.

Because their next destination was the Star Luo Empire, it wasn't convenient to travel with too many people, so Xue Chaoyang didn't send any blacksmiths or people learning soul armor. However, this was precisely Qian Gu Huang Yu's goal; acquiring so many resources and money was already enough. If Xue Chaoyang wanted to send more people later...

The Eternal Phoenix Feather can be delayed by citing a crisis within the Sun and Moon Federation, or by arguing that the conditions do not allow it.

Anyway, the Douling Empire might be gone in a few years, and then there won't be any collaborators left, so the cooperation will naturally be null and void.

Qian Gu Huang Yu took a sip of her drink through the straw, her pure face displaying an innocent expression. "Gu Yue, how could you slander someone like that?"

"I got money and resources, and Xue Chaoyang got psychological comfort. This is clearly a win-win situation!"

"You won twice, so it's a double win, right?" Gu Yuena complained helplessly.

Qian Gu Huang Yu gave an awkward smile, neither admitting nor denying it.

Gu Yuena said, "But speaking of which, Huang'er, what exactly do you want to do with all these resources now that you have them?"

Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "I'll keep a portion for myself, and the rest will be the funding for the Yi Xin Association."

"After all, the Yixin Society has only just been established, and there are a lot of subordinates eager to be fed. It's the perfect time to invest money in it."

"With Xue Chaoyang's reward, we've finally gotten through this urgent crisis."

Gu Yuena also took a sip of her drink through a straw, but she and Qian Gu Huangyu used the same drink cup.

"Huang'er, you've already sacrificed eight ten-thousand-year soul spirits and one hundred-thousand-year soul spirit, not to mention countless rare treasures and battle armor. Are you sure you can recoup your losses?"

At first it was fine, but now the dedication of Qian Gu Huang Yu to Yi Xin Hui has left Gu Yue Na speechless.

It's fortunate that it's the Phoenix Feather of the Ancient Era; no other young master of a major power could afford such a huge expense.

Qian Gu Huang Yu said, "We are still in the investment phase. Before long, when we enter the return phase, we will be able to operate the entire military from behind the scenes."

...

Star Luo Empire, Royal Palace.

"What does Your Majesty think of our Tang Clan's proposal?" Chen Yi asked slowly, looking at the imposing woman before her.

The person representing the Tang Sect and the Douling Star Luo Empire in this negotiation was none other than Chen Yi, the Vice Sect Master of the Tang Sect.

Sitting in front of Chen Yi was Dai Lingxun, the emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

Yes, the current emperor of the Star Luo Empire is a woman.

Dai Lingxun was tall and slender, with long, elegant golden hair that cascaded down to her waist. Her cold and aloof face was devoid of any emotion, making it impossible to read her thoughts from her expression.

Her heterochromatic pupils are proof of her Dai family bloodline, while the prominent breasts on her chest confirm that she has also perfectly inherited the Zhu family bloodline.

Even though she looked to be only in her twenties, the chilling aura emanating from her undoubtedly proved that she was a ruthless and decisive emperor, not a doll-like princess.

Chen Yi knew that Dai Lingxun, who stood before her, was a legendary figure among the emperors of the Star Luo Empire throughout history.

Originally, the emperor of the Star Luo Empire was Dai Wei, the elder brother of Dai Lingxun, but ten years ago, Dai Wei died in an attack caused by an evil soul master.

At that time, the oldest of Dai Wei's children was not even ten years old and could not inherit the throne. Helpless, Dai Lingxun, who was only nineteen years old, had to step forward and become the emperor of the Star Luo Empire.

After that, Dai Lingxun continued to develop the Star Luo Empire while carrying on her brother's legacy, and at the same time, she had to outwit and outmaneuver the relatives who wanted to inherit the throne.

At that time, the threat of evil spirit masters was imminent, the Green Skull Resistance Organization was constantly trying to provoke a war, and her relatives were always looking for a way to remove her from the position of Star Luo Emperor.

Even under such circumstances, Dai Lingxun withstood pressure from all sides and carried out a large-scale extermination of evil spirit masters, killing them so that they dared not show their faces.

It was only in recent years, when the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters moved to the Star Luo Empire, that the activities of the Evil Soul Masters resumed.

In addition, Dai Lingxun thwarted the Green Skull organization's attacks several times and gradually eroded their remaining territory.

Furthermore, a cooperation was established with the Tang Sect, and soul-guided technology and the economy developed rapidly. The ten years that Dai Lingxun ruled were also known as the 'Golden Decade'.

Because Dai Lingxun's martial soul is the White Tiger, she is also known as the White Tiger Empress in the Star Luo Empire.

Dai Lingxun remains unmarried to this day and is also known by the people as the woman who married the empire.

In response to Chen Yi's question, Dai Lingxun slowly said, "Price is not the issue, but I cannot accept the terms."

This wasn't the first time Chen Yi and Dai Lingxun had negotiated; each time, they couldn't reach an agreement on the use of soul-guided weapons.

The Star Luo Empire is much stronger than the Dou Ling Empire. Compared to Xue Chaoyang, Dai Lingxun is very confident that her country can withstand the attack of the Sun Moon Federation.

Therefore, Dai Lingxun would naturally not agree to the Tang Sect's restrictions, such as requiring the Tang Sect's permission to use weapons.

Dai Lingxun said, "I can raise the price by another 30%, but you must remove all restrictions. How about that?"

Because the soul-guided weapons of the Tang Sect are all equipped with self-destruct devices, they will self-destruct if opened in the wrong way.

Even if the Star Luo Empire wanted to reverse engineer, it wouldn't be able to do so, so Dai Lingxun hoped that the Tang Sect could ease some conditions.

As the emperor of a nation, Dai Lingxun could not entrust the safety of the empire to a sect, especially one that he could not control.

Chen Yi shook her head and said, "That's impossible. The Tang Sect would never want you to become strong and then launch a counterattack against the Sun Moon Federation, which would provoke a new war."

"Sect Leader Chen, did you know? The young lady from the Spirit Pagoda is also coming." Dai Lingxun knew that the negotiations had reached a stalemate, so she brought up the Spirit Pagoda to put pressure on Chen Yi.

"I don't only have to turn to your Tang Sect; we can also seek help from the Spirit Pagoda." That was what Dai Lingxun meant.

Chen Yi completely ignored the challenge, saying, "As far as I know, the Qian Gu Die Ting has given a strict order that Qian Gu Huang Yu will not be allowed to provide you with soul armor."

Dai Lingxun said, "What I mean is, if I have a way to snatch the method for making the Soul Armor from the Spirit Pagoda, would you be willing to help me and share the spoils of victory?"

Chen Yi was curious about Dai Lingxun's method, but only gave a vague answer: "If it is feasible, we will provide some assistance."

(End of this chapter)