Versatile Mage: Get the Desert Emperor clone at the start

Chapter 468 An Indefinable Relationship!
Let's rewind to thirty minutes ago.

After receiving Shao Zheng's solemn guarantee.

Qin Xiaonan began by posing a simple yet crucial question:

"Grand Speaker, in your opinion, where is the starting point, or rather the eye of the storm, of this upheaval on Blue Star that is sweeping across all demonic empires and overturning the existing order?"

Shao Zheng frowned slightly, not understanding why Qin Xiaonan was asking a question she already knew the answer to.

But he still concluded: "Naturally, it's the Shurima Empire on the African continent! They were the first to unify Africa, and then their military might extended to the entire globe!"

“Yes, the Shurima Empire.” Qin Xiaonan repeated the name softly.

Immediately afterwards, he made an extremely simple movement—he slowly raised his right hand, palm up, fingers slightly curled.

There was no incantation, no complex star chart drawing, and not even a clear process of magic gathering.

As if with just a thought, the space above his palm began to distort slightly.

An ancient and pure magic began to gather and condense—

In an instant, a miniature yet incredibly solid and detailed phantom of a sun disk appeared out of thin air in his palm!
It rotates slowly, radiating a magnificent aura and warm heat that are of the same origin as the golden net of light that covers the entire globe outside the window!
The ancient runes on the disc were clearly visible, and the flowing light pulsed rhythmically!

hiss--!
Shao Zheng's pupils suddenly contracted, and he almost instinctively gasped!
He knows this logo all too well!
This is the undisputed symbol of the Shurima Empire's sweeping conquest of the world—the Sun Disc!
In the Lop Nur region of China, there stands a sun disc, which conquered the demon tribes that originally inhabited the Lop Nur area.

They once sent out elite magical expeditions to investigate in detail!
Shao Zheng also has some understanding of the fluctuation characteristics of this force!

Many high-level mages can simulate the "appearance" of a sun disk using their magical control.

However, the power emanating from this illusory image before us is the purest power of the Sun Circle!
Shao Zheng's face instantly turned extremely ugly, his ashen complexion revealing unbelievable shock.

A chill ran down my spine and straight to the top of my head.

His hand, which was under the table, even subconsciously gathered a trace of magical energy, but his strong self-control forced him to suppress the urge to act immediately.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Qin Xiaonan.

He was clearly waiting for Qin Xiaonan's explanation.

Despite the pressure and doubts posed by Shao Zheng, Qin Xiaonan's expression remained largely unchanged.

The illusory image of the sun disc in his palm quietly dissipated.

"As you, High Chancellor, have witnessed firsthand, I possess power that originates from the same source as the Shurima Empire. This is beyond question."

"Furthermore, to be honest, I have a certain say in the high-level decision-making of the Shurima Empire."

Seeing the sudden glint of light and heightened vigilance in Shao Zheng's eyes, he continued without waiting for the other to question him: "So, regarding the thing you and China are most worried about—whether the Shurima Empire will march eastward and attack China."

"I can give you a clear answer here: they will not. You can rest assured about that for now."

"The right to speak? You're in league with demons?!" Shao Zheng's voice suddenly rose.

"Those monsters around you, that sand fox... so they weren't just simple totem beasts or mutated species, but came from the Shurima Empire?!"

Faced with Shao Zheng's almost accusatory questioning, Qin Xiaonan did not rush to deny or defend herself, but instead asked again:

"Speaker, you can try to recall."

"Since the rise of the Shurima Empire and the outbreak of war across the globe, have you ever seen a single instance of the demons under Shurima's command launching an attack on any city or civilian settlement in China in an organized manner?" "..." Shao Zheng was suddenly taken aback.

The demonic armies of the Shurima Empire wage war in Africa, battle emperors on the Antarctic ice sheet, wreak havoc in the Indian Ocean, and confront ancient number spirits in the Amazon rainforest…

But their military might has never been directed at the territory of China!
All the current tensions and defense plans are based on worst-case scenarios and preemptive deductions, on an instinctive distrust and fear of that behemoth, rather than on the reality that has already occurred!

This realization cooled Shao Zheng's boiling emotions slightly, but it deepened his doubts.

He stared intently at Qin Xiaonan, trying to find any trace of guilt or deception on her face, but all he saw was an unfathomable calm.

"Then what is the purpose of Shurima sending you to China?" Shao Zheng changed his questioning style, his tone still stern, but less impulsive in his immediate urge to take action.

"Is it to persuade them to surrender? Is it to monitor them? Or... is there a deeper scheme?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaonan's lips curled into a helpless smile.

He shook his head, his tone carrying for the first time a hint of decisiveness, even... a subtle arrogance:

"Speaker, I think you've misunderstood the most crucial point."

“My relationship with the Shurima Empire is not the kind of subordinate or dispatched relationship you think it is.”

“I don’t work for them,” he emphasized, emphasizing each word.

“To go further,” Qin Xiaonan’s gaze deepened, “they also have no right to command me.”

These words were spoken calmly, but their content was extremely arrogant!

The Shurima Empire, that behemoth capable of easily crushing polar emperors and subjugating demons worldwide, actually... has no right to command him?!
Shao Zheng was completely stunned.

He found himself completely unable to keep up with Qin Xiaonan's train of thought; every word she said overturned his previous assumptions.

Seeing the ever-changing expression on Shao Zheng's face, Qin Xiaonan knew that the information was shocking enough and that she needed to give him time to process it.

He timely made the most practical promise, which was also what Shao Zheng cared about most:
"Right now, I can tell you two things, and you can adjust your strategy accordingly:"

"First, the Shurima Empire will not attack China proactively. I can guarantee that."

"The worst-case scenario that you and the Magic Council are worried about will not happen in the short term."

"Secondly, there's the potential for sirens to harass the coastal areas..."

"However, at most there will only be small-scale, sporadic attacks, and there will never be a large-scale, organized landing attack led by the Siren Emperor again. The order of the ocean is being reshaped."

After saying this, he said no more, but just quietly looked at Shao Zheng, waiting for his reaction.

Silence fell over the meeting room once again, with only Shao Zheng's heavy breathing faintly audible.

He needs time to reassess the young man before him, and... the future of the entire nation of China.

Judging from Qin Xiaonan's tone, the other party was neither controlled by demons nor threatened by them. He showed no fear when talking about the Demon Empire.

There is a relationship between Qin Xiaonan and the Shurima Empire that is difficult for him to define.

What role is he playing exactly?!

(End of this chapter)