Chapter 85: The Stirred Present World

Duan Wenxuan should have hurried back to the Lanruo Temple World, as he had left an idle move there - Wu Shi, his elderly disciple. With minimal influence yet established, leaving him unattended in a realm teeming with demons and monsters could lead to unfavorable outcomes. However, the issue was that Duan Wenxuan genuinely couldn’t spare the time.

Following his fabrication of mysterious forces, countries worldwide experienced an unprecedented surge in enthusiasm for discovering their own national powers. This even became seen as a reflection of a country’s historical depth and current underlying strength.

Without such backing, nations found themselves at a disadvantage on the global stage.

Take the Li Kingdom, once considered insignificant, albeit not as obscure as Suvalle due to its maritime prominence. Now, however, they flexed their newfound might, frequently asserting, “We have our Mountain God,” leaving others powerless against them.

Indeed, no one dared to underestimate the Mountain God. As the spiritual tide subsided and internet connections resumed, many witnessed the dense swarms of logged-in sea spirits online. Conventional weaponry proved utterly ineffective against them.

If not for the Mountain God, the sea spirits would have advanced from the Li Kingdom towards Hanming Country. With their relentless numbers, all of Xuanlan Star would have faced a genuine crisis.

During this great calamity, it was the Li Kingdom’s Mountain God who, with divine might, contained the sea spirits’ rampage, keeping them firmly restricted to a specific area.

Previously, the Li Kingdom had been seen as relatively weak on the international stage, but now no one dared underestimate them. With the apocalypse upon us, everyone is looking out for themselves, and given that other nations may someday need their assistance, there was little reason for fear.

As for Hanming Country, its ancient history and longstanding presence made it formidable from the outset. The mysterious force currently revealed within its borders was reportedly the weakest among them; truly powerful sects awaited until the spiritual tide fully recovered and the air brimmed with sufficient profound spiritual energy before opening their sealed blessed lands. This only intensified envy and jealousy worldwide.

Beyond each nation secretly yet fervently searching for their own mystical forces, another undercurrent stirred—the selection of license holders by the Hermit Union.

So far, eighteen license holders have been chosen, nine from the Southeast Alliance and nine from the Western Alliance.

This distribution seemed fair at first glance, but both alliances were dissatisfied. In the Southeast Alliance, led primarily by Hanming Country, Duan Wenxuan’s victory over Yang Kai had already sparked efforts to stabilize public unrest following the spiritual tide. To bolster national unity, they eagerly announced Duan Wenxuan as the designated successor to lead the Hermit Union.

With the restoration of global networks, enthusiasts had created specialized websites dedicated to tracking and documenting mysterious forces emerging within each country, complete with detailed descriptions.

Initially, these efforts were driven by individuals’ curiosity, but due to the potential for controversy, national institutions eventually took over their management. Governments worldwide collaborated, making these sites more credible and official. Known as ‘Mystical Force Tracking Websites,’ they quickly became household names, often abbreviated as “Secret Net.”

On Secret Net, Hanming Country temporarily held the top spot, featuring various biographical details about Duan Wenxuan. It was inevitable that he would be envied; regardless of how one looked at it, Duan Wenxuan had been just an ordinary individual among the masses. However, fate seemed to smile upon him, granting him a legendary encounter overnight, catapulting him to the status of a ‘Crown Prince.’

Setting aside the fervent discussions surrounding Duan Wenxuan, let’s focus on the selection process for license holders.

Hanming Country’s dissatisfaction stemmed from its citizens questioning why, if Duan Wenxuan is the successor of the Hermit Union, wasn’t its headquarters located in Hanming instead of benefiting the Jindar Empire? Although the Hermit Union originated in the Jindar Empire, since becoming its heir, Duan Wenxuan primarily represented Hanming Country.

As for the Jindar Empire, their dissatisfaction was even simpler. The Hermit Union originated from within their borders, so why choose someone from Hanming Country as the successor? Now, due to the supposed patriotic mindset of this heir, they must relinquish half of their license holder spots!

Despite these complaints on both sides, most grievances remained covert. Publicly, no one dared to cross the new ‘Crown Prince’. Whether it was the Western or Southeast Alliance, regardless of the reasons, any overly critical online comments about Duan Wenxuan swiftly resulted in account bans and unannounced visits - euphemistically referred to as checking the water meter service.

The Wanqi United Nations, due to its geographical location, has nearly half of its territory experiencing winter-like conditions year-round. However, this does not diminish its overall national strength. Prior to the rise of mystical forces, as the largest country by land area on Xuanlan Star, it boasted highly advanced heavy industries, making it exceptionally powerful.

Wanqi’s main drawback lies in the vastness of its territory; significant portions are sparsely populated or uninhabited. Additionally, its governance structure involves a joint management system led by tribal chiefs, which often leads to internal conflicts within the nation.

At present, the current Great Chief appeared visibly troubled.

Most Wanqians have prominent and distinct facial features, and the Great Chief was no exception. He wore a long white headscarf, tightly wrapped around his head, with slightly sunken eyes reflecting deep concern.

Wearing a headscarf is a traditional practice among the Wanqians. After marriage, both men and women are expected to wear a white headscarf when leaving home. Of course, society has become more open now, and if one chooses not to wear it, there isn’t much enforcement.

Gaelyovich’s expression was grim as he faced the seven or eight scholars before him. With the resurgence of spiritual tides and the emergence of mystical forces, it baffled him that even within the largest nation on Xuanlan Star, there should be hidden mystical entities!

Truthfully, if not for the severe losses Wanqi suffered during this latest spiritual tide, Gaelyovich might not have been so urgent in seeking out his country’s mystical protectors. However, upon comparing their situation with nations seemingly safeguarded by mystical forces, which incurred minimal damage, his desperation grew.

On another note, Gaelyovich harbored some concerns.

Why was their nation called the Wanqi United Nations, and why did they employ a joint chieftain governance system? The answer was simple: despite having the largest territory, Wanqi actually had the shortest national history, spanning less than a mere century.

Originally, this vast region was inhabited by numerous tribes such as the Icebounders, Gozarians, Baqiuans, and countless others. These small tribes never truly unified. Even just over a hundred years ago, the largest tribe here was known as the Yar Tribe.

The Yar people once controlled one-fifth of what is now the Wanqi Nation, an impressive feat at the time. They established a tribute system, demanding that other tribes annually contribute food, meat, animal hides, etc., to Anlu Port, the royal capital.

Indeed, over a century ago, when humanity worldwide was rapidly advancing into the era of firearms, these inhabitants had not even reached the Iron Age. They were still mastering the Stone Age with remarkable ingenuity. As technology progressed, explorers eventually discovered this unfamiliar land.

A vast unexplored region signified endless wealth.

The native populace, including the Yar people themselves, were brutally plundered and decimated. With the destruction of their original tribes and disappearance of much of the population, individuals from other countries began not only to loot resources but also to settle here, ultimately forming the present-day Wanqi United Nations. The nation’s short history, small population, and expansive territory hindered its ability to achieve true centralized unity.

This is precisely what Gaelyovich feared.

A hundred years ago, the Yar people had subjugated all other tribes, dismantling numerous haphazard tribal rituals along the way. Eventually, they unified under the worship of the Kozzi God. The name “Kozzi” itself is derived from the phonetic translation of the Yar language, as at that time, the Yar people did not have a fully developed written script.

In Yar folklore, Kozzi God was depicted as an enormous tiger. According to legend, during the primordial chaos when heaven and earth were one, it was a tiger that spat out the sun, bringing forth sunlight for the first time. With light and warmth, the world ceased to be cold, allowing humanity to emerge.

The biggest issue now was that nearly all the original Yar people had perished, leaving no pure-blooded descendants today. Additionally, statues and artifacts related to the Kozzi God from those times were either sold off by invaders as curiosities or destroyed outright.

Gaelyovich couldn’t bear to speculate: if this Kozzi God truly existed and merely fell into slumber due to the disappearance of profound spiritual energy, would it, upon awakening, choose cooperation like mysterious forces in other countries? Or would it prioritize their humane destruction?

Taking a more optimistic view, even if the Kozzi God were benevolent and forgiving, disregarding past mistreatment, would it still willingly protect these current inhabitants? To put it bluntly, their ancestors had exterminated or sold off its devotees, effectively erasing its followers.

”… Are you certain… that our country doesn’t have any notable mythological stories?”

The scholars were somewhat speechless; one cannot expect a newly established nation to possess deep cultural roots. Moreover, over a hundred years ago, Xuanlan Star was still in a state where mysticism had been severed, so how could it have its own mystical forces? Instead of pondering such thoughts, it would be more fruitful to study the various deities worshipped by the tribes in this country’s past, as those might offer better chances.

“Great Chief, the public’s reaction is strong, particularly among the tundra residents. They hope for your support in conducting a ceremonial sacrifice honoring the Kozzi God.”

The tundra region housed the highest number of mixed-blood individuals, primarily descendants from the remaining tribal members and later invaders, although their bloodlines had become quite diluted.

Rubbing his temples with a headache, Gaelyovich said, “Hold a press conference and inform them that we will consent to holding this ceremony.”

After dismissing the secretary, Gaelyovich summoned someone else. “Immediately contact museums both within and outside our country, along with private collectors. Tell them we want to retrieve everything related to the Kozzi God, regardless of price.”

“Understood.”

Just as the individual was about to leave, Galievich suddenly spoke up again, “Wait, for this upcoming Hermit Union’s license holder selection, we must also send our representatives. Ensure enrollment from both the Southeast and Western Alliances.”

Galievich had no choice; he needed to prepare for multiple contingencies.

The sins committed by their predecessors now demanded repayment. He could only hope that if the Kozzi God truly existed, they would not be held accountable upon its awakening. However, should it become enraged, they would have to rely on themselves for salvation. Currently, joining the Hermit Union seemed like the most suitable option.

Of course, they were not giving up on other avenues either - Hanming Country’s martial arts, Li Kingdom’s divine servants, Suvalle’s holy knights… They had already dispatched individuals to explore these possibilities in hopes of additional gains.

In reality, Wanqi Nation wasn’t alone in these endeavors; other countries were doing likewise. During this period, there was an unexpectedly high influx of foreigners from mysterious nations.

Hanming Country and the Jindar Empire, in particular, saw all sorts of diverse individuals attempting to get involved. Everyone coveted a spot among the Hermit Union’s license holders!