Chapter 1197
The Old Father's Decision
Chapter 1197 The Old Father's Decision
Since Lao Shu has come with such great sincerity, and this matter concerns the Perfect Embryo and the Stars, I have no choice but to go there.
With that in mind, Xia Xiu agreed to the Golden Tree's request.
"Okay, I'll take this job."
The moment he agreed, the branches of the Golden Tree swayed slightly, a very obvious emotional response.
Then, three golden leaves slowly fell from its branches.
The three leaves did not fall directly, but floated slowly in the ether. Their structure was extremely stable, and each leaf emitted a soft but not negligible light. Fine patterns flowed faintly on the surface. These patterns were not decorations, but complete information structures, like a core information authority compressed to the extreme.
They didn't stop. Instead, they drifted slowly towards Xia Xiu's location, following the connection.
This is not a simple transfer, but a cross-level shift, that is, from the ether to reality.
Of course, this is on the premise that Xia Xiu allows it.
Instead of letting them pass immediately, he narrowed his eyes slightly and used his great spirituality to conduct a complete scan of the three golden leaves, directly touching their internal structure and analyzing their composition, origin, and operational logic.
The results came out quickly.
Xia Xiu's lips curled up slightly.
"So this is what it is... a divine spark, a purified divine spark."
His heart had already made its judgment. These three golden leaves were essentially a kind of divine core that had been thoroughly purified. They originated from the mid-level authority structure within the belief system, but after being processed by the [Golden Tree], they had been stripped of all will bindings and faith constraints, leaving only the purest form of information.
In other words, this thing becomes some kind of bloody eye, the plug-and-play kind.
After being tortured by abnormal capitalist forces, the old pantheon of gods only retains its most core ability to advance.
As long as it is handed over to a being at the pinnacle of the [Dominator] realm, the other party can directly condense their own [Virtual Crown] after the fusion is completed, and based on this, advance to a higher level, gradually crossing that most crucial threshold.
The value of this item is self-evident. And most importantly, the [Golden Tree] returns three at once.
"This golden tree is really rich. It seems that it has made a lot of money in the Ivy Wars these past few years."
After confirming this, Xia Xiu did not continue to restrict it. He directly released his great spiritual authority, allowing the three golden leaves to complete the final leap.
The next moment, the Ethereum connection was established.
The three leaves trembled slightly, piercing through the dimensional boundary, detaching from the Ether Ocean, and appearing in reality, slowly hovering in front of him.
The golden light dimmed slightly, yet remained stable and real. Xia Xiu reached out and grasped them without hesitation.
This also signifies that the fourth swordsman of Heaven has officially entered into a temporary cooperation with [Crisis Sequence: Golden Tree], with the goal of targeting another [Crisis Sequence].
The connection with the Golden Tree quickly closed after reaching a consensus. The passage connecting the ether and reality slowly dissipated as if it had been actively shut down. The Golden Tree, which had originally unfolded at the intrinsic level, also disappeared, leaving only the black sun quietly suspended in the deep ether, restoring the original silence and oppression.
Xia Xiu opened his eyes again.
He remained seated on the ethereal throne of Blackrock Fortress, a vast energy circuit circulating beneath him, maintaining a stable connection between the fortress and his consciousness. However, his thoughts had shifted from the fortress itself to the core of the information he had just received.
—The womb of the Great Old Ones.
Instead of acting hastily, he first reviewed the entire chain of information in his mind, from the dimensional rupture to the failed embryo, then to Moradin's sacrificial act, and finally to that terrifying being.
That's not something that can be measured by conventional hostile units; it's a true star-level variable.
Xia Xiu was very clear about one thing: he was not yet qualified to confront a Star Realm being, especially one that was clearly superior.
He's not qualified to compete with that kind of arm wrestling on his own.
He had no unrealistic ideas about this, nor did he intend to show off; instead, he made a very standard choice.
Boss, help me!!!
Lao Xia always chose to report things to higher authorities. He never tried to shoulder the burden himself, but instead asked the organization to help him.
"Eden".
His voice rang out from the throne, getting straight to the point without any beating around the bush.
"Organize and archive all the information just now, report it to the Kingdom of Heaven genealogy with the highest priority, and push it directly to the resolution meeting. I need all the resolution members present to intervene immediately and conduct a joint assessment and handling of this matter."
He paused for a moment, then emphasized his words slightly.
"This is a crisis sequence event, and there is no need to follow the normal procedures."
[Command received]
[Data integration in progress...]
[Information encapsulation completed]
[Upload path: Heavenly Genealogy - Core Node]
[Target Terminal: Resolution Meeting]
[Currently present decision-makers: 12]
An emergency overclocking meeting has been initiated.
[Meeting Status: In Progress]
Information feedback is extremely fast, with almost no delay.
The Heavenly Kingdom's leadership has always responded directly and efficiently to events of this magnitude.
While the resolution meeting was in full swing, Xia Xiu did not rest. Instead of continuing to monitor the progress of the meeting, he turned his attention back to reality and looked at the three golden leaves in his hand.
Xia Xiu's gaze lingered on them for a moment, then he began to think about who should receive them.
His core forces are actually structured very clearly, consisting of three lines: the high-ranking members of the Courtyard responsible for the operation of the system, the Burial Squad specializing in handling high-risk targets, and the Courtyard Legion Master who directly controls military power.
For each line, there were suitable candidates, but for the first one, he hardly hesitated.
"The first one is for Tours."
Tulls Colbert, the vice principal of the courtyard and the number one wage slave under Xia Xiu, felt a little guilty for not giving the first golden leaf to Tulls.
Over the years, Turs, like himself, has almost never stopped working.
From the establishment of the civilian system to the allocation of resources and the connection with various unusual capital, a large part of the credit for the stable expansion of the courtyard to its current scale belongs to him.
In terms of strength level, Turs had long been stuck at the peak of [Dominator], only one step away.
Now is the perfect time for a promotion.
Xia Xiu gently put away one of the golden leaves, his eyes calm, but he had already made his decision.
"It's time to give him a promotion."
With this in mind, Xia Xiu stopped thinking and directly activated the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy's permissions, encapsulating an urgent command into a high-priority communication and sending it out through the core node.
The email was brief and unambiguous, stating simply that he needed Tulls to come to Joseph Gardens immediately and inform him that he would be given an opportunity to transcend rank.
The response came very quickly after the message was sent.
Within a few breaths, a confirmation message appeared on the genealogy network. Turs didn't hesitate at all, and didn't even bother to follow the format completely. He sent a confirmation email using the shortest path, his tone filled with undisguised urgency and excitement. He clearly stated that he had begun mobilizing Abelio's ship resources and would leave his current affairs as quickly as possible to head directly to Joseph Garden to meet with Xia Xiu.
Xia Xiu couldn't help but laugh when he saw Turs's eager response.
"It seems this guy has always wanted to go further."
He stroked his chin with his right hand, continuing to murmur thoughtfully:
"Speaking of which, the Crowned Ones seem to be more efficient at handling tasks. Should I assign more tasks to Turs in the future? After all, with great power comes great responsibility..."
The unscrupulous boss has already started planning how many more tasks he should assign to the vice principal in the future.
After deciding who would receive the first golden leaf, his attention returned to the remaining two. Now he needed to decide who should receive them. There were only two options left—the Burial Squad and the Courtyard Legion.
Two directions, two completely different systems.
"The current strength of the Burial Squad is sufficient. Their role is a highly mobile task force that can quickly deal with high-risk targets, rather than a core force that can directly withstand the impact of a higher level. Even if some of them have indeed stepped into the realm of the Overlord, they are still a long way from being able to digest this level of structure."
His thinking was very clear. He was not distracted by the seemingly fair logic of equal distribution, but instead focused on selecting targets based on suitability.
"Then only the Legion Commander remains."
Six names appeared one by one in his mind.
Six perfect embryos, six individuals fully capable of carrying this promotion structure.
In terms of qualifications, each of them is more than capable of consuming these two golden leaves. In fact, it could be said that they are the most suitable group of people in the current courtyard system to use this thing.
"We're back to the old problem: who should we give it to..."
Xia Xiu's gaze darkened slightly.
He didn't rush to make a decision because he knew very well that these two leaves were not just a reward, but also a kind of tilt. Once they fell on two people, it would mean that their rank would be significantly higher than that of others in a short period of time.
This disparity will affect the balance of the entire system.
He was silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice.
"Then we'll have to choose carefully."
Xia Xiu's consciousness was completely immersed in thought at this moment. He no longer looked at the golden leaf in his hand, but let his thoughts follow the trajectory of time, according to the order of their return, and brought the names of the six legion leaders into his field of vision one by one.
Lupercal.
Fenrir.
Lionel.
Manun.
Vulcan.
Magus
These six names represent the core power structure of the Kingdom of Heaven, and the ownership of these two golden leaves essentially depends on choosing among these six individuals.
"Luppercar".
He made his first decision in his mind almost without hesitation.
From any perspective, this choice is uncontroversial. This child was the first to return and the one who accompanied him the longest. Within the entire legion system, he occupies a natural core position in terms of prestige, command, and execution.
more importantly.
Others also agreed.
This recognition is not based on blood ties, but on the result of time and accumulated achievements. If we were to bypass him in making allocations under these circumstances, that would be the real problem.
"This one is for him."
Xia Xiu made up his mind.
Without further thought, the ownership of the second golden leaf was decided.
And then comes the most difficult truth.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest of the throne, his brow furrowing slightly as he went through the calculation process of finding the optimal solution among various reasonable options.
Ultimately, this is a matter of distribution, and distribution is never simply about giving to whoever is stronger; it's about finding a balance between emotion and reason.
He couldn't help but raise his hand and rub his temples.
The father's headache was vividly displayed at this moment: he wanted to make all the children feel it was fair, but also to maximize the benefits of the entire system.
These two things are inherently difficult to reconcile completely.
"Let's eliminate one first." He had already made up his mind. "Let's eliminate Magus first."
The reason this name was immediately removed from the candidate list is not complicated.
"This child has only been back for a short time, and his prestige has not yet been fully established. Moreover, his current state is inherently unstable. He has refined himself into the Philosopher's Stone, and the path he has taken has become extreme. If he is given stronger structural support, it is easy for problems to arise."
Magus, the sixth son, has always been somewhat extreme in his approach. Now, if he is given even greater power, the boy will not be able to handle it.
After identifying the first target to exclude, his thoughts continued to move forward.
"Fenrir..."
When this name came to mind, Xia Xiu's expression visibly softened.
"Fenrir is carefree, warlike, and fierce, but he is by no means a madman who indiscriminately kills innocent people. He has a set of insurmountable wolf clan rules, and his adherence to honor and bottom line far exceeds that of most of his brothers. Of all his sons, he is the only one who will not be tempted by power, ambition, or vanity."
"However, his wildness is both his strength and his shackles..."
"Let's put Fenrir aside for now."
Xia Xiu's gaze darkened slightly; what followed was the part that truly needed to be weighed.
The next three options would actually be suitable for any of them. That is why this time the choice is no longer simply the optimal solution, but rather a bias.
"Third brother Lionel..."
Without a doubt, Lionel, who was raised by the Knights of Order, possesses all the chivalrous qualities a knight should have. At the same time, he is not rigid or bound by rules. He can choose the most appropriate means to achieve his goals, rather than the most correct means.
For example, his approach to dealing with individuals who cannot carry genetic seeds and have undergone mutations... is sometimes even more decisive than Fenrir's.
Actually, he wanted to give the golden leaves to Lionel, but the boy was the type who would take on more responsibilities the higher the expectations placed upon him; he was an overly sensible and good child.
Xia Xiu let out a soft breath.
"Let's leave it for now."
His thoughts continued to flow downwards.
"Vulcan".
The moment that name appeared, Xia Xiu's expression visibly relaxed.
"Having an immortal structure already puts him at an extremely high starting point. His combat ability, resilience, and recovery ability are all within an extremely stable range. Moreover, he has always maintained a high degree of restraint and rationality in the use of power."
Xia Xiu had a very high opinion of his son.
Vulcan will not abuse his power, nor will he lose control because of it; instead, he will restrain himself.
The fourth brother is approachable and lives among the legion's warriors and even ordinary civilians, without any airs of a legion leader. However, when facing enemies and oppressors, he can unleash devastating power and never waver in his principles.
At the same time, he was the son who understood his enlightened dictatorship the most among all of them.
Compared to Vulcan, Manun, though also a good kid, despises weakness, hesitation, and compromise. His will is extremely firm, even obsessive, a kind of almost mechanical execution. Once he sets his sights on a goal, he will never deviate from it.
Moreover, the fifth brother, Manun, is a bit too obsessed with... piloting Gundams.
Xia Xiu had sensed Manun's presence more than once with his great spirituality, piloting his own [Overlord Avatar Mech - Setrans] to wage war everywhere.
He could tell that Manun wasn't warlike; he was just addicted to it and liked to drive around in his "Gundam" all the time.
After much thought, I decided it would be better to give the third golden leaf to Vulcan.