But if people were aware that wisdom, whether from ancient times or remote antiquity, could still shine so brightly in later generations, one can imagine the kind of impact it would have on the Federation! Furthermore, it might even entirely stimulate the development of ancient secret scriptures. This could make martial arts like the Eight Extremes Fist—clearly powerful yet useless during the waiting period before reaching the Martial King realm—fully functional for those below the Martial King level, or even allow them to play a significant role among ordinary people. It would change the previously ignored situation, thus rapidly enhancing the overall strength of the Federation once again.

What's more, if Wang Zhan discovered that this casual creation of his could already deceive a Martial Emperor, he would likely realize immediately. This was true imitation, so perfect it could pass for the genuine article. It was almost comparable to the legendary feats from Ancient Times, like plucking stars and snatching the moon! In that case, the things he could do and the options available to him would, in an instant, burgeon before his eyes like an explosive growth, allowing him to strategize with greater mastery!

However, the truth about this casual creation could probably only be confirmed once Wang Zhan arrived at the Federal Center and met Yao Yao. Because in Wang Zhan's plan, while he had indeed told the mad man some secret codes for contacting Yao Yao, he truly hadn't anticipated that the mad man would be so audacious as to actually dare accept Edward's invitation. Of course, perhaps this was precisely why Wang Zhan had chosen to dispatch the mad man in the first place and entrust him with such an important mission! After all, if he couldn't even assess situations and adapt accordingly, what qualifications would the mad man have to be considered a rare genius in that Small World? And why would Old Master Zao, even while watching him seemingly go to his death, insist on sending him to Wang Zhan's side to be part of a long-term plan?

However, just as Edward and the others entered this tightly guarded prison, the long-silent Federation erupted into turmoil, precisely when the young 'Wang Zhan' was proving his strength!

Through the tireless efforts of countless noble families and the overnight printing and production by ordinary workers, by the mere break of dawn, stacks upon stacks of newspapers were delivered to destinations large and small, quickly flooding every street and alley of every city. At the same time, this served as a stimulant to the Federation, which was still half-asleep, jolting it further awake!

Without a doubt, this was an unprecedented joint effort between the Federation's great noble families and major financial groups. The root cause of their alliance lay in the immense pressure brought upon them by the Federation Science Institute, which Yao Yao had backing her. Because, if the Federation were to quietly see the rise of the Eighth Elixir Company, then who could be sure that when these powerful figures awoke beside their maids or lovers the next morning, they wouldn't face a bleak new reality. Although their line of sight would still fall upon territory belonging to the Federation, yet as far as the eye could see, there might no longer be a single corner left for these noble families or financial groups to maintain their footing. Their very ability to do so was the cornerstone of their enduring power.

Therefore, one can imagine what a horrifying scene that would be. It would be so horrifying that even if the women beside them were still fawning over them, desperately trying to curry favor, these men would have utterly lost all backing and desire, turning into utterly powerless, limp Snot Worms!

So, what followed on that ordinary yet palpably tense Federation morning were the headlines, printed uniformly in bold black lettering across those newspapers. They also represented the will of all those behind the scenes who were prepared to defend their ground!

Such as...

"Federal Departments Interfere in the Private Elixir Industry, What's Their Intention?"

"Elixir Black Tide: Who Is Manipulating Our Future, And Who Wants to Make Us Slaves?"

"Establishment of the Federal Eighth Elixir Company, Backing Financial Group Speaks for the First Time: This Will Be Another Victory for Us..."

And so on.

Apart from a few newspapers leaning more towards the official stance, which featured reports with a noticeably more questioning attitude, nearly a hundred other publications were filled with articles expressing opinions against, or propaganda opposing, the establishment of the Federal Eighth Elixir Company. Some smaller newspaper companies, or even 'small workshop' type publications from roadside stalls, went as far as directly naming names. As if presenting serious exposés, they began to disseminate all sorts of inflammatory statements designed to stir public unrest.

For example...

"...The Federation already has seven major Elixir Companies! Yet, since their establishment, they have fixed all elixir prices, quickly turning these into an unspoken, collusive agreement within the Elixir Industry! Because of this agreement, most ordinary people have to spend nearly their entire fortunes just to buy a single elixir for our children that might completely change their destiny.

"But my concern is not just this one point! Rather, I highly suspect that once the Federal Eighth Elixir Company is established, what kind of upheaval will the unspoken rules and private tacit agreements in this industry undergo? If someone with malicious intent tries to use the Eighth Elixir Company to amass wealth and then drastically raises prices, might we not lose our children's last glimmer of hope?"

The article was signed by a public welfare figure from the slums, who had chosen to remain anonymous. Then, as if having exhausted all thought, the article meticulously analyzed, on behalf of the Federation's lower strata, the potential future upheavals they might face.

After all, in the current Federation's Elixir Industry, although unspoken rules and tacit understandings had formed, for the vast majority of ordinary people, aside from the high cost—which could potentially wipe out a small family's entire savings at once—it was still something they could barely manage. In this era of Spiritual Energy resurgence, with the Beast Clan lurking in the Surroundings, this slim hope, barely attainable as it was, had become the only way for families desperate to have a Martial Artist emerge from their ranks to change their destiny.

However, the establishment of the Eighth Elixir Company was destined to be a momentous event. And now, two powerful Federation factions had already thrown their support behind Yao Yao. It was simply unprecedented.

Of course, while many people without a voice of their own tended to believe in Yao Yao, a woman who also hailed from the slums, just as the newspaper analysis pointed out, who could guarantee what position she would hold, or how much power she would wield, in the Eighth Elixir Company, should it be established in the future? One should know that people change. If Yao Yao were to abandon her original intentions, then what would become of these people from the lower strata, who had tirelessly worked for Yao Yao's aspirations and continuously offered their meager support? In the end, what could they hope to gain? A complete collapse of their destiny, or the utter annihilation of all future hope?

Following this section, the newspaper featured Yao Yao's speech from the press conference at the Federal Center the previous day. The writers of the critical article immediately seized upon this speech to add even more powerful support and factual basis to their own inferences. Their arguments appeared well-reasoned and evidence-based! So much so that it made everyone fully realize one crucial point, something they absolutely could not ignore—a point that had merely been overlooked previously due to Yao Yao's 'protective coloration': Yao Yao was someone from the original organization!

Although she might have entered the original organization and become their test subject due to her own helplessness and the cruel tricks of fate, who could truly know whether Yao Yao had been a willing participant or had been coerced during that process? In that case, how could people ascertain what kind of woman Yao Yao truly was? And how would they know what kind of operational style the Federation Science Institute backing Yao Yao would adhere to—a style that would be convincing enough for people, who were barely surviving in this chaotic and obstacle-ridden era, to choose to believe in this seemingly vulnerable woman and oppose the currently exorbitant prices of the Federation's elixirs?

In the final analysis, this was the first shot fired by the major factions in the Federation against Yao Yao and the powers supporting her. While it wasn't earth-shattering, it was enough to send a sudden jolt, like a clap of thunder on a clear day, through everyone's hearts. These people at the center of power, of course, wouldn't dare declare war on the Federation itself. But a mere Federation Science Institute was not enough to intimidate them. After all, which of their families lacked influence within the Federation?

And one mustn't forget, the various governmental departments of the Federation generally remained aloof. Even the Federal President had rarely appeared before ordinary people. Consequently, ordinary people naturally harbored little goodwill towards such figures. Apart from the various speeches by the Federal President broadcast on the color television sets in every household, which made people relatively familiar with his appearance, who else knew how many powerful departments were hidden within the Federation, or how many influential officials worked there? Knowing nothing, how could they choose what to believe or verify?

Therefore, the sharp-eyed major noble families and financial groups had undoubtedly seized upon a key vulnerability in this confrontation—and also the easiest point of attack! They would exploit the unfamiliarity and alienation felt by the Federation's people towards its various governmental departments to drive a wedge between the populace and Yao Yao. Seizing the opportunity, they aimed to sow seeds of doubt into the support for Yao Yao, support that was built upon this already fragile trust. Of course, this was their tactic, even if everyone knew that the Federal President, like those in the major governmental departments, had been fighting on the front lines all along.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.