stonecrandall Chapter 460 - 453: Wind and Cloud
Chapter 460 - 453: Wind and Cloud
The upper echelons of every country in the world keenly sensed the scent of war.
Many of the rebel forces in the Black Continent were equipped with standard-issue weapons from the Starry Sky Country. Furthermore, it was an open secret among many nations that the Desolation Organization maintained close, clandestine ties with the Starry Sky Country.
This major development forced every nation to wonder what exactly the Starry Sky Country was planning.
As for the general public, the widespread turmoil in the Black Continent sparked widespread panic.
It had been decades since the end of the last world war, a veritable global meat grinder, and peace had long become the world’s norm. For people living comfortable lives to suddenly be told that a world-spanning war might be on the horizon, the resulting panic was almost unimaginable.
Immediately, the Far East Alliance countries, led by Donghua, sternly protested the Starry Sky Country’s actions. They accused the Starry Sky Country of secretly supporting the rebel armies in the nations of the Black Continent, attempting to drag the world into the abyss of war. They demanded that the Starry Sky Country cease such actions that harmed world peace and withdraw its influence from the Black Continent.
On the other hand, the Starry Sky Country reacted swiftly, claiming that Donghua had been the first to dispatch multiple S Class and above individuals to infiltrate the Black Continent, attempting to secretly usurp the position of the large non-state organizations there. This, they claimed, caused these organizations to collectively retaliate, leading to the current, nearly out-of-control situation. They demanded that Donghua withdraw all its armed forces from the Black Continent, including individual combatants, and stop its peace-disrupting actions.
The allied nations led by the Starry Sky Country also made a statement, claiming that the very existence of Donghua and the Far East Alliance had concretely harmed the interests of nations worldwide, and they must be stopped from continuing their reckless behavior.
Across various nations, numerous anti-war organizations began to emerge, with endless parades and demonstrations.
In the name of maintaining world peace, the allied nations led by the Starry Sky Country decided to dispatch a joint transoceanic fleet to the Black Continent. The Far East Countries, not to be outdone, also prepared to dispatch their own joint fleet.
With events having developed to this point, the clouds of war were drawing ever closer, and the world was plunged into a state of panic. Both sides were major powers controlling destructive strategic weapons. If a real war broke out, the consequences would be simply unimaginable.
The United Nations had no choice but to convene an emergency meeting to mediate the matter. However, the importance of the Black Continent incident was self-evident. This time, neither side showed any inclination to compromise. Instead, the atmosphere at the mediation meeting was tense and confrontational, extremely grim.
Only at the very end, under the threat of devastating strategic weapons, did both sides make the slightest of concessions and sign a final agreement.
Both sides agreed not to dispatch large-scale combat troops into the Black Continent for the time being to avoid triggering a large-scale, extinction-level war. However, they reserved the right to dispatch small, elite forces to intervene in the situation on the Black Continent.
Donghua feared that the other side might recklessly use their weapons of mass destruction, and the Starry Sky Country harbored the same fear. Thus, both sides took a step back.
A large-scale war was temporarily averted, letting the people of the world breathe a sigh of relief. But they knew that the dispute was far from over. In the time to come, both nations would inevitably dispatch a continuous stream of elite forces to the Black Continent.
It was set to become a new, localized international battlefield, and the results of the fighting there would influence the entire global landscape.
...
...
「Donghua.」
The Black Continent incident caused a massive stir domestically as well. Online, discussions about the matter remained fixed at the top of the trending charts.
Regarding the stance of Donghua and the Far East Countries, opinions online were divided.
"Donghua is awesome! The Martial Artists are awesome! We’re not the weak, poor country that anyone could push around anymore! We’ve grown into a soaring dragon, and this expedition to the Black Continent is the dragon’s great campaign!!"
"Go, Martial Artists! Go, Principal Zhou! You must come back alive!"
"You are heroes in our hearts! Upvote for our heroes!"
These comments came from netizens who felt invigorated and proud of Donghua’s firm stance. The majority of people sided with their motherland, supported Donghua’s actions, and believed that Donghua would not proactively disrupt world peace.
However, not everyone thought that way.
"Why do we have to fight? Can’t we just back down a little? It’s ’Black Continent’ this and ’Black Continent’ that everywhere... my idol can’t even make the trending list anymore!"
"This war is so reckless. The Donghua government has gotten carried away by its recent rise in power. Our country is still a long way from a superpower like the Starry Sky Country. Rushing into conflict is a short-sighted decision. By the time we lose, it’ll be too late to save anything."
"The Donghua government is such a disappointment. Meddling in the Black Continent’s affairs by sending Martial Artists was wrong to begin with. If a war starts, it’s not going to affect my study abroad plans in the Starry Sky Country, is it?"
"..."
These were the posts from pessimistic netizens.
Regardless, the international situation and the nation’s decisions caused domestic unrest. Fortunately, Donghua Official had extremely strong Control Power at home and quickly suppressed the voices of dissent.
"No wonder I haven’t seen the principal or the vice-principals around lately. Turns out they’ve all gone to the Black Continent!"
"I wonder who exactly went to the Black Continent this time. I heard it’s the continent that values individual power the most. How fascinating!"
"It’d be great if we could get real-time updates on the situation in the Black Continent. If I had the chance, I’d want to go there and test my mettle, too."
The Martial Arts University’s internal forums completely blew up.
’War...’
In his dorm at the Martial Arts University, Xiangtian scrolled through the news on his phone. A dazed look flickered in his eyes as he read the discussions on the campus forums.
’In the past, even as a Martial Artist, he’d thought war was something distant. But now, it was right on his doorstep.’
’The turmoil of an entire continent... The horror of it is unimaginable.’
’Still...’
The scene he witnessed during the Dongfan exchange conference replayed in his mind.
He would never forget that figure, charred black from head to toe, yet still exuding an immense aura.
’That power, that presence, that charisma...’
’As long as that person is there... we can’t possibly lose this war, can we?’
...
...
「Black Continent, Gelu, Capital of the Liya Republic.」
Inside a bar, a tall, yellow-skinned young man in casual clothes sat at the counter. He casually placed a thick wad of cash on the bar, and the bartender’s eyes instantly lit up.
"What information do you want this time?"
The bartender asked his regular.
"I want all the intel on the attackers in Jimis City."
The tall, yellow-skinned young man said calmly.