Kaze, General Michaels, Agent Ryker, and the special forces team walked to a remote section of the campus that housed what used to be a guest house.


    The building was quickly converted into a military-grade telmunications shelter.


    There was ayer of t-walls as a firstyer barrier, and the building''s outer walls had a secondyer of reinforced concrete with five-inch steel ting.


    Soldiers also built a third floor to install a control room and antenna for long-rangemunications and missile detection systems.


    General Michaels gave an order to soldiers standing guard outside, and they opened a steel gate to the building.


    Then he led Kaze inside and gave a brief tour.


    "As requested, we created a st-resistantmunications building with backup generators that canst three months without additional fuel." The general exined.


    "The bottom floor houses the servers."


    He led the emperor down the stairs, entering a room withrge green server stacks.


    Servers areputers meant for storing data or performing software-rted tasks. They''re the [home] for code.


    Video streaming services house all of their movies and shows on servers. If they got destroyed all of the content would disappear simultaneously. That''s why it''s important to buildmunications shelters to prevent them getting damaged.


    His servers housed the anti-missile defense systems. So long as the servers were running, the defense system would automatically detect and destroy iing threats. That''s why they needed heavy protection.


    "Very good. I''ll have an engineer check itter, but I assume it''s highly secured." Kaze nodded with confidence, making the general sigh a breath of relief.


    They walked up the stairs together and headed to the top floor.


    "We house telmunications, satellite, and tracking systems in here." General Michaels said, moving past two armed soldiers into a control room.


    "As requested, we have provided missile defense systems for the base.


    Once we sign our agreement, we will load the anti-missile interceptors into ce.


    Then it will function around the clock, attacking any projectile moving at high speeds and heat signatures."


    Anti-missile defense systems send missiles or other objects to intercept a missile.


    Once the enemy missile hits the object, it explodes in the air before it can cause damage.


    Software hosted in the server room worked around the clock to activate the rockets automatically without human intervention and would continue doing so for three months [without refueling].


    If a human had to identify the missiles, everyone would be dead. That was the beauty of modern defense systems.


    Kaze smiled, satisfied that the government was destroying itself while building his base.


    Soon the military would turn to Immortal Skye, demanding that he teach them, house them, and provide them with cultivation resources.


    However, he''d deny them, and their missiles wouldn''t work within 20 miles of them. If was beautiful.


    "Everything looks good, General." Kaze nodded in satisfaction, "Let''s discuss our agreement."


    General Michaels and Agent Ryker swallowed nervously, following behind the emperor as they made their way to the main mansion and walked inside.


    The seven rainbow-colored jesters were still cleaning from the morning, a reminder that they had thrown a raging party in the mansion just nights before.


    As before, they saluted the emperor and the military members nervously as they walked past and returned to work when he ignored them.


    Kaze grinned when he saw the general and agent''s reaction to the group.


    The sight confirmed the emperor treated ipetant professionals like jesters and made ipetent people into real jesters. It wasn''t a joke—it was a fact.


    Marilyn waited at the top of the stairs with Daniel, both wearing charcoal grey business attire.


    As usual, both were terrified as the military members approached. However, Marilyn quickly opened the door, and Daniel and the rest entered and sat at the new table.


    Kaze smiled slightly, looking at their nervous faces. "I assume you have processed the treaty and provisions?"


    "Correct." General Michaels replied, pushing a man envelope across the table, "Immortal Skye will be officially recognized as a country once we receive the mass distribution techniques.


    It already has a high ssification grade, and only the pilots and management know of the location."


    "Excellent." Kaze nodded, looking at the documents quickly.


    A hyperthymesic memory doesn''t make a person read faster. However, he memorized the documents and could [read themter] from memory alone. It was a surreal disorder.


    "I trust these documents are legitimate, as they''re only symbolic." The emperor smiled, "I don''t ept loopholes or legal technicalities for our rtionship.


    So long as you abide by the simple principles of our agreement, I''ll do the same."


    General Michaels shuddered. Kaze''s treaty leashed Malta''s government and forced them to ept inaction—it wasn''t a provision.


    The real agreement was five ambiguous verbal agreements that were entirely subjective.


    Kaze motioned to Daniel, and the man lifted a briefcase, put it on the table, and entered a pin.


    Every military member tensed up, but when it opened, their eyes widened, and they breathed a sigh of relief.


    It contained stacks of printed cultivation techniques in the thousands.


    Kaze pulled out one and slid it across the table to General Michaels. "Here''s the simple cultivation technique."


    The general epted it and studied it for less than twenty seconds before he turned to the emperor in confusion. "That''s it?"


    "Yes, that''s all it would''ve taken to avoid this crisis." Kaze replied mercilessly, "You''re just confused because your technique is vastly higher grade."


    General Michaels gave him a wry smile. The technique was so simplistic that it seemed like an article about how to breathe naturally.


    "Can I examine the other techniques?" He asked calmly, openly skeptical of the technique.


    Kaze gave the man a mocking smile and presented the calming technique.


    When the general received it, his eyes trembled in shock. "W-Wh-What the hell is this?"


    "That''s a lower sky-grade Spirit Qi technique." The emperor replied mockingly, "It''s the lowest level technique I have for this task."


    "D-Did you just say—"


    General Michaels, Agent Ryker, and the special member forces members'' hearts beat like war drums when they heard the technique was a [sky-grade].


    However, the room was illuminated with a green aura, and their beating hearts slowed to a steady pace, their minds calmed, and each became rational.


    The effects of the [Forced Tranquility] technique were surreal.


    Everyone looked at the emperor in disbelief.


    "Do you understand the effects, gentlemen?" Kaze asked with a slight smile.


    General Michaels and Agent Ryker looked at each other in calm perplexion, unable to stay aggressively confused.


    "Yes." The general replied, "However, how can we confirm this technique is what you im it to be?


    I can feel it''s genuine, but it could take days or weeks for someone to learn this."


    Kaze smiled andced his fingers, putting them into hisp. "Once again, I''m willing to train soldiers.


    In the meantime, please allow me to transfer the technique directly so that you can confirm its veracity."


    General Michaels was confused, but his calm state let him ept the request.


    As promised, Kaze touched his forehead, and a painful wave of information crashed into his mind.


    The special forces members began to act, but the emperor froze them with Qi until the general recovered.


    "This…." General Michaels muttered in perplexion, staring at the printed technique on the table in disbelief.


    A moment ago, it looked like an insurmountable objective; now, he could read it clear as day.


    "Satisfied?" Kaze asked, removing Forced Tranquility and returning the lighting in the room to normal, "The cultivation technique is what you need, and I''m willing to teach it to special forces members."


    General Michaels gave him aplex smile, showcasing both gratitude and disappointment. While he benefitted greatly, he learned they [required] his training. Owing the emperor anything was deadly.


    "How do we extract Spirit Qi?" He asked hesitantly.


    "Spirit Qi surrounds us, but it''s very weak." Kaze exined, "Elemental Qi circtes in our systems until we need it as an energy source.


    When it links with our bodies, it creates Soul Qi, which cleanses impurities and prevents aging and sickness.


    When it links with our minds, it creates Spirit Qi. It''s released through human emotions and can''t be stored, so the techniques require high-emotion environments."


    "So… it just requires high emotions?" General Michaels rified.


    "Correct, and the type of emotion varies. Luckily, every person sick is in a state of high emotions." The emperor replied, "So it isn''t a concern."


    The general gulped nervously. "What else can you do with Spirit Qi?"


    Create illusions of a fake body, kill cultivators with killing intent, drive people insane, flood an enemy''s body with hormones for interrogation tactics, calm people down, make them excessively horny, freeze physical movements, and other useful applications.


    "You don''t want to know." Kaze smiled.


    General Michaels saw the malicious glint in his eyes and gulped. "I-I see. What about the military-grade techniques?"


    The emperor smiled and pulled out another technique, handing it to the man.


    When the general saw it, his eyes widened in surprise. He could immediately understand the technique but needed to practice it. "I already understand it…."


    "Yes, it''s like reading when you understand thenguage." Kaze exined, "After learning a sky technique, understanding earth-grade techniques bes easy unless it has another form of Qi."


    General Michaels dry-swallowed. "I see. We get this once we finish the base?"


    "Correct." The emperor confirmed, "Tomorrow, your people should be done with the main building and can install the weaponized systems.


    Once it''s done, everyone on site and 500 elites under age 28 can participate. The ratio of men to women must be 50%, just like with the builders. However, the rest can learn cultivation here."


    The general''s eyes widened in shock alongside the special forces team.


    They couldn''t understand Kaze''s generosity.


    However, they didn''t know that he wasn''t concerned with making a base.


    The emperor nned to turn every engineer and builder on-site into a faction member because they had specialized trades. He was farming talent.


    Now he was offering to train Malta''s top elites.


    Soon, everyone present would flock to him and would turn against Malta to save their own lives.


    So he''d have a small army of trade workers and elite special forces under his control.


    So, while the military brought him top talent to improve their strength, he was brazenly stealing them in broad daylight.


    His agreement was with General Michaels, not Malta. That''s why it wasn''t a betrayal in his eyes. On the contrary—


    "That''s very generous." General Michaels said nervously, "We''ll make the most of your offer. Is there anything else we can do for you?"


    "No, that''s all, General Michaels." Kaze smiled, reaching out his hand for a handshake.


    The general looked at his hand in shock but quickly epted it.


    "When people treat me with respect, I reciprocate it." The emperor said seriously, "Now keep the builders here working around the clock, and I''ll start teaching you the day after tomorrow.


    You two will get your sky techniques then, as well."


    General Michaels and Agent Ryker looked at each other in shock.


    "If there isn''t anything else, I''ll see you gentlemen in two days." Kaze said, moving to the door, "I have a lot to do today."


    "Y-Yes, Mr. Lexicon." General Michaels said in nervous excitement, overjoyed that he didn''t receive the emperor''s wrath and even came out personally benefitting.


    As for Agent Ryker, he was stunned in disbelief. The agent was grateful but also felt awful; he felt like Kaze gave him the technique for being a good punching bag or to make him a better one.


    Kaze smiled and saw them out. Of all the talent he was farming, he sought winning over General Michaels the most. He waspetent and adaptable to his authority, which was desirable.


    However, what he needed most was information on every military base and settlement in Malta, so his forces could conquer them one by one.


    Over 99% of the survivors would die by the end of the second wave. Instead of letting so much talent disappear, he nned to bring everyone under his control so he could rebuild civilization.


    While the Sky ne cultivators nned to farm cultivators in six months to a year, he didn''t n to leave for decades. During that time he would build a new world from the ground up.