Otherworld Advance Team
Chapter 1236 - 1229: Checking into Lingyuan City

Chapter 1236: Chapter 1229: Checking into Lingyuan City

Luo’er felt that either there was another conspiracy within the Dongsheng Empire or Linglan was lying. After all, there were people willing to execute orders, but no one did business at a loss.

However, looking at the current situation, it was an indisputable fact that the Dongsheng Empire had become enemies with Abisien, so no matter what the two sides intended to do next, it should be taken seriously.

For now, Luo’er still planned to wait and see whether it would be necessary to intervene in this war because, according to the information obtained so far, the Dongsheng Empire had both an air force and ground magic troops, their strength probably not inferior to the modern military of the Western Continent.

However, at the moment, they only had a single cruiser carrier that could participate in combat; the other four were unarmed supply ships, which might truly be inadequate for dealing with a conflict in West Outer Heaven.

In light of this situation, the best approach was deterrence rather than direct confrontation. They could demonstrate formidable military strength to the Dongsheng Empire’s troops, forcing them to compromise or retreat.

The best form of warfare was to subdue the enemy without fighting, for if it really came to a battle, the Dongsheng Empire might not necessarily be at a disadvantage, as this was their home ground. The concept of home advantage was something that the Advance Team from Earth remembered vividly.

Years ago, the once-unbeatable Earth military invaded the Otherworld, only to be routed by the Otherworld Allied Army, which held the home-field advantage, leaving tens of thousands of their men defeated in the Otherworld.

After Luo’er and his companions finished asking their questions, it was Linglan’s turn to inquire. She immediately posed the question she was most curious about, "How did you come to the West Outer Heaven?"

"We crossed the sea," Luo’er gestured simply.

"You can cross the sea?" Linglan squinted her eyes, clearly not believing their statement.

"Um, more precisely, we came from the sky," Luo’er hesitated for a moment and then corrected himself.

"The sky, do you also have Kunzhou?" Hearing this, Linglan showed an obviously astonished expression.

"How do I put this, it’s not Kunzhou, but our own built airships that can soar across the ocean, coming from the distant Western Continent to your West Outer Heaven," Luo’er explained with hand gestures.

"You..." Upon hearing this, Linglan stared blankly for a while, then silently observed the Advance Team’s attire and weaponry. Although she couldn’t discern their purpose, she felt that these people were very formidable.

"Can you help us? We need assistance!" Mustering her courage, Linglan looked earnestly at Luo’er and asked.

"This..." Luo’er, stared at so intently by her, suddenly found himself confounded, as if mesmerized by her, unsure of what to say.

"Guests from afar should be treated with hospitality. Isn’t it somewhat inappropriate for leaders like Linglan to seek help from guests instead of offering it?" Zhuyan Yu walked up to the two, her eyes narrowed with a slight smile.

"It’s natural... Please forgive my impudence," Linglan coughed, retracting her captivating gaze.

Obviously, her intent was clear; she wanted to test the limits of Luo’er and his team, then see whether they could help Abisien through this difficult time.

But it wasn’t just Linglan who was testing the waters; the Advance Team was doing the same. Rashly meddling in the affairs of another state was strictly prohibited by their headquarters.

Luo’er and his companions had been adventuring in the Western Continent for many years and dared not easily violate this principle. Even the friendly relations with Ilanadale and the cooperation with Princess Melia had to be approved by the headquarters before any action could be taken. Letting the Advance Team handle these matters on their own was not only prohibited by headquarters, but they also lacked the courage to do so.

Moreover, this expedition was a collaboration between the headquarters and Ronisca, with the entire air force being Ronisca’s and headquarters having only their team. To intervene in the conflict between the Dongsheng Empire and Abisien, they needed the approval of Ronisca, or more specifically, Captain Reimer’s nod; otherwise, no matter how willing they were, they would be powerless.

"Leader Linglan, please don’t be too anxious. There is a natural order to the world, and if the invasion by the Dongsheng troops goes against this order, we will certainly not stand by idly. We will try to mediate the conflict between the two sides, after all, peace is always our primary principle," Zhuyan Yu continued to reassure.

Although a research officer, Zhuyan Yu was actually quite eloquent. After all, she had been known as a genius in her early years, possessing advanced academic qualifications at a young age, and such rhetorical skills naturally came to her with ease.

Her meaning was clear, which was to maintain an observant posture. If the situation turned dire, they would then intervene. Their expedition fleet had come from afar, and they were not here to interfere with affairs in the East Continent, but to conduct scientific investigations.

"Please forgive my presumption, esteemed guests. While you stay in Lingyuan City, if the Dongsheng troops attack, we will prioritize evacuating our guests from the city, ensuring your safety," Linglan said with a hint of an apology.

Clearly, Linglan also understood that hoping for Luo’er and his group to intervene in their conflict with the Dongsheng Empire was unrealistic at this stage. They had not traveled such a long distance to help in a war.

But even though she had not fully grasped their depth, Linglan still felt that the more friends, the better. The founding principle of Abisien was unity and cooperation, calling for the various clans to set aside old grievances and band together, which they should continue to uphold.

After some pleasantries, Linglan arranged for Luo’er and his party to stay temporarily in Lingyuan, while they waited for the various clans to assemble in Lingyuan City, preparing to counterattack the Dongsheng Empire’s offensive.

Now that the southern part of West Outer Heaven had fallen, Lingyuan City had become a salient point. If it could not hold, the Qingqiu Clan would have to continue retreating north, until they were driven into the sea.

This invasion was unlike any before, as it was clear that the Dongsheng Empire was serious this time, not the kind that would retreat once their food supplies were depleted. Before Luo’er’s group arrived, the invasion by the Dongsheng Empire had already lasted for over three months. They had been tilling the land in the south, planting crops, obviously planning to settle permanently in West Outer Heaven.

After settling in Lingyuan City, Luo’er’s group, under the direction of Zhuyan Yu, continuously collected information about the East Continent, sparing no detail, even the rumors. Thanks to their proficiency in the Demon Clan’s language, they had no problems communicating within Lingyuan City, as if they were at home.

After a period of intelligence gathering and exchange, they had obtained a wealth of valuable information, including geographical and climatic conditions of the East Continent, as well as the distribution of national powers.

Here, a misconception needs to be corrected. In fact, the proper name of the Dongsheng Empire is not Dongsheng, which is only the term used in the context of the Demon Clan’s language.

The formal name of the Dongsheng Empire is neither Dong nor Sheng, nor is it Dongsheng. Its proper name should be Tiansheng Empire, with the word ’Tian’ signifying that it was granted a prosperous era by the heavens, drawing from the phrase "heaven grants a prosperous foundation."

Of course, this is the result of translation embellishment. If translated directly, this phrase conveys that the heavens have bestowed an era of prosperity upon the empire, with ’Yuan,’ in the context of the Dongsheng Empire, meaning foremost. Therefore, people from the Dongsheng Empire often refer to themselves as part of the Heavenly Dynasty, and almost never as Dongsheng.

So, how did the name Dongsheng come about in the Demon Clan’s language? In fact, ’Dong’ here refers to direction. Since the Dongsheng Empire styles itself as Tiansheng, their enemies, the Demon Clan, naturally would not agree with such a self-proclamation. Thus, they do not call it Tiansheng, but refer to their location, calling it Dongsheng, meaning the Tiansheng Empire of the east, which is shortened to Dongsheng Empire.

However, when Zhuyan Yu translates these terms, she generally emphasizes the concept of primacy, as they acquired the concept of Dongsheng Empire from the Demon Clan. Therefore, future records will also use the term Dongsheng instead of Tiansheng.

This method of naming based on location is quite common in West Outer Heaven. For example, the East Prosperous Empire they mentioned earlier is actually meant to signify the Prosperous Empire in the east. ’Chang’ is the empire’s name, and the Chang Empire was the predecessor of the Dongsheng Empire, which supplanted it more than two hundred years ago.

Although that dynasty had fallen, the name ’Chang’ was retained. The successor to the Chang Empire is a powerful empire located in the northeastern part of the Dongsheng Empire. They claim the name of Chang, promoting themselves as the true successors to the Chang Empire and denouncing the Dongsheng Empire as an illegitimate regime.