Ch. 298 - The Global “Friendly Exchange” Plan

The Empire of Luminaris' Chief Commander sat frozen in shock, unable to muster a single word.

The Xuanyuan Sword still hovered perilously close to his throat.

Ultimately, he swallowed his pride and shame, slipping away to another seat with his face drained of color, humiliated.

Fang Xiu claimed the head seat, his posture commanding as he sat tall, his expression calm yet unreadable. His sharp gaze swept across the room, piercing through the tense atmosphere.

The assembled Chief Commanders reacted in varied ways—some seethed with rage, others wore grim, dark expressions, while a few looked visibly shaken, struggling to process what had just happened.

Though all of them were powerful psychics, their thinking hadn't fully adjusted to the new reality. Deep down, they still clung to the mindset of ordinary people.

In their view, this conference—where Chief Commanders from every nation gathered—was meant to serve as a stage for diplomacy and cooperation.

Rivalries and conflicts might simmer beneath the surface, but outright confrontation was unthinkable, especially in the sanctity of the United Bureaus' halls.

They assumed that at such a high-level meeting, decorum was everything. Important figures should act the way they should.

But Fang Xiu's bold slap had shattered those illusions.

The sharp sound of the blow wasn't just an act of defiance—it was a jarring wake-up call.

The leaders in the room began to grasp an uncomfortable truth: The era had changed.

When individual power becomes potent enough to alter national balances, a new rule emerges: the strongest make the rules.

Previously, even the mightiest nations were subject to checks and balances—financial systems, energy dependencies, social pressures, and other factors. Presidents relied on the people's support to lead.

But psychics were different. Their power came from within, independent of external systems. This freed them from many of the constraints that bound ordinary leaders.

Not everyone in the room fully understood this new paradigm—at least not yet.

The Chief Commander of the Mexialis stood up angrily, his voice filled with defiance.

"Fang Xiu, your actions are a direct challenge to the United Bureaus!"

Fang Xiu's response was immediate and icy. "Fang Moli, kill him."

SWISH!

The Xuanyuan Sword sliced through the air, a golden blur of energy blazing like a comet.

The Mexialis Chief Commander's expression twisted in terror as he hurriedly activated his Domain. But just as it materialized, a deafening boom echoed.

The sword's radiant energy pierced through his Domain and his chest in a single, unstoppable motion.

Blood sprayed across the room. His eyes widened in shock as he clutched his chest, a gaping wound bleeding profusely.

He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came. The light in his eyes faded, and he crumpled lifelessly to the floor.

He was dead.

The room froze, stunned into silence.

Every Chief Commander stared in disbelief. Fang Moli's strike had been so swift and decisive that none had time to react.

The guy had actually killed someone in the United Bureaus—right in front of representatives from every major nation.

They hadn't just broken the unspoken rules; they'd obliterated them.

No one had killed, or even hurt someone, at a global summit. 

They couldn't believe Fang Xiu had the audacity to do this, to defy the entire world. 

The leaders shot out of their seats, their faces twisted with shock and fury. 

Spiritual Energy surged wildly as Domains flickered to life, the tension teetering on the edge of all-out conflict.

Fang Moli stood calmly behind Fang Xiu, gripping the Xuanyuan Sword, her expression unflinching though her body was subtly poised for action.

The room felt like a powder keg, one spark away from exploding.

Then Fang Xiu's calm voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "From now on, I don't want to hear any reckless words in this room. Those who dare… will be executed on the spot."

Though his tone was even, every word carried a chilling weight.

One of the smaller nations' Chief Commanders shouted back, desperate to rally the others.

"Fang Xiu! Don't be so arrogant. Sure, a fifth-tier psychic is strong, but if we all attack together, Fang Moli's Spiritual Energy will run out before she can kill us all!"

Fang Xiu chuckled softly in response.

The sound wasn't loud, but it sent chills down every spine. It wasn't the laughter of a madman; it was the laughter of someone entirely in control.

His cold, detached eyes swept over the room, taking in every tense face and flicker of fear.

"You're right," Fang Xiu said, his voice tinged with mockery. "Fang Moli wouldn't be able to kill all of you today, but he WILL."

The room fell deathly silent as they hung on his every word.

"Fang Moli," Fang Xiu continued, his tone calm but commanding, "if a fight breaks out, your priority is to break through and retreat. Afterward, visit each nation's Investigation Bureau one by one and carry out assassinations—targeting their leadership."

The silence grew heavier.

Fang Xiu's words struck like thunder. 'Assassinations? Decapitation strikes?'

A chill swept through the room.

Any normal person would tremble at the threat of a fifth-tier psychic's assassination. Unless they abandoned their posts and lived in hiding, no one was safe.

The outrage in the room gave way to grim, creeping fear.

Fang Moli, unshaken, frowned slightly. "If I retreat, what about you?"

"Don't worry," Fang Xiu replied, his tone serene. "I'll handle it myself."

"You've seen the future again?" Fang Moli asked cautiously.

"Mm," Fang Xiu nodded.

A Chief Commander from a smaller nation broke the suffocating silence; his voice laced with a nervous urgency. "Fang Xiu, the current Specter crisis is severe. This isn't the time for humanity to fight among ourselves. We don't need to let this escalate any further."

It was clear that most of the leaders didn't want to risk the horrifying prospect of being targeted by a fifth-tier psychic.

This is human nature: these leaders had no qualms about starting wars for profit or power. 

After all, it wasn't their lives on the line—it was their soldiers'. 

But when the threat became personal, when the deaths at stake were their own, the calculus shifted drastically.

Throughout history, wars have always been initiated by those in power, not by the masses. The leaders didn't have to fight in the trenches, so they rarely feared the consequences.

But now, the tables had turned.

Fang Xiu's voice, calm and steady, carried an air of undeniable authority. "It's precisely because of the global Specter crisis that I cannot allow the United Bureaus to harbor voices that contradict my own."

The tension in the room mounted as another Chief Commander snapped back angrily, "What do you mean by that? Are you saying you want to dominate this entire organization and force everyone to obey you?"

Fang Xiu's cold gaze swept across the room, silencing the growing murmurs.

"You all know the purpose of this meeting as well as I do," he began, his tone sharp and direct. "You're here to unite against me—to coerce me into helping your nations advance your fourth-tier psychics to the fifth tier.

"But I also have a plan of my own. Would you like to hear it?"

Not waiting for an answer, Fang Xiu continued.

"I call it the Global Friendly Exchange Program."

The name immediately drew wary frowns, its mockery thinly veiled.

"Once this meeting ends, I will arrange for Fang Moli to conduct periodic global tours. With his ability to fly on his sword and the protection of the fifth-tier Mindflare, there's no human technology currently capable of stopping him.

"But rest assured," Fang Xiu said with a faint, unsettling smile, "he won't act recklessly. He'll simply visit your national Investigation Bureaus… or perhaps your presidential palaces… as a guest."

The room fell into a heavy, deathly silence.

The message behind Fang Xiu's words was unmistakable.

This wasn't "friendly exchange". That was outright intimidation.

It was a calculated move to keep them perpetually under threat, dangling a sword over their heads and leaving them paralyzed with fear.

The term "friendly exchange" had never sounded so chilling to these psychics.

The Chief Commanders' faces paled as Fang Xiu's scenario played out in their minds. They imagined Fang Moli in his pristine white robes, soaring over their capitals on his sword, casually visiting their offices.

It wasn't diplomacy—it was global deterrence.

Meanwhile, Fang Moli seemed genuinely excited. His eyes gleamed with enthusiasm as he imagined himself flying through the skies, his presence revered and feared.

Fang Xiu wasn't done yet.

"Additionally," he said, his voice calm but heavy with menace, "you don't need to worry about Fang Moli finding you. My title, after all, is the Foreseer. Predicting your whereabouts is… trivial."

The suffocating tension in the room deepened.

Even the idea of hiding offered no solace. Fang Xiu's reputation as the Foreseer was legendary. He had uncovered the path to fifth-tier psychic breakthroughs through visions of the future.

There was no reason to doubt his ability to foresee their movements.

This was the power of perception. Even if Fang Xiu's abilities weren't as infallible as they seemed, the belief that they were made his threats all the more terrifying.

Finally, one leader broke the silence, his desperation forcing him to lash out.

"Fang Xiu! Don't think you can act this arrogantly without consequences. If you push us too far, we won't hesitate to use nuclear weapons to take you down. Even if we can't kill Fang Moli, we'll make sure you die."

Fang Xiu turned his gaze to the speaker, his expression ice-cold and indifferent.

"Oh?" He tilted his head slightly. "You don't need to worry about that. I won't give you the chance to use nuclear weapons."

The leader froze as Fang Xiu continued.

"Before you could deploy them, I would foresee the threat and eliminate it before it ever left its cradle.

"Here's some advice," Fang Xiu added, his voice growing even colder, "rethink your position. At the end of the day, you were all working as watchdogs. This time, you're just changing your masters. What difference does it make who you serve?"

The room erupted in chaos.

"What!?"

"How dare you!"

"Fang Xiu, this is too much!"

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