The Imperial Reception Hall was prepared not with excessive, custom luxury, but with meticulous, quantifiable perfection. Every cushion, every vase, and every line of tile was laid according to a Standardized Aesthetic Protocol generated by the System—a subtle, unspoken demonstration of the new Emperor's absolute control.
The Standardized Reporting Unit displayed the converging threats: Elder Mu (Stage 9) of the Heavenly Sword Sect, whose chaotic spiritual domain was intended to intimidate and probe; and Governor Kael (Stage 5 Engineer) of the Western Confederacy, whose highly refined, non-standardized tools were designed for technical espionage.
Arion needed a logistical solution that was both elegant and absolutely effective. He needed a tool to normalize the diplomatic environment.
"The greatest threat in diplomacy is the unknown variable," Arion calculated. "Elder Mu's Stage 9 power is subjective, Kael's tools are unpredictable. I must create a field of Standardized Neutrality that neutralizes all non-standard variables within the hall."
He focused on the blueprint.
BLUEPRINT 109: DIPLOMATIC SYNTHESIS ARRAYA Class 9 integrated sensor network disguised as ornate furniture and decorative arrays. It generates a stable, low-energy counter-field that nullifies all non-standardized Qi fluctuations within its perimeter. The array is powered by Arion's Stage 8 Logistical Certainty, making it an extension of his will.Focus: Diplomatic Standardization, Counter-Espionage. Input Required: 20 Units Purified Low-Grade Jade (for stealth sensors), 5 Units Refined Gold Alloy (for decorative housing), 1 Unit Purified Silk (for acoustic dampening).
Arion used the resources and the System quickly crafted the components. The array was manifested as a set of eight intricately carved jade pillars and four gilded bronze braziers, strategically placed throughout the Reception Hall. General Taeyong and Commander Joon oversaw the seamless installation—the first deployment of Arion's Tier 2 infrastructure. When activated, the Array created a field of Standardized Neutrality. Within this field, no cultivator—not even Stage 9 Elder Mu—could use the chaotic, subjective nature of their domain to intimidate or attack without causing an immediate, quantifiable reaction.
The Duel of Politics and Power
The diplomatic meeting began. Elder Mu, a stern, imposing woman whose presence alone could crush the resolve of Stage 7 ministers, sat opposite Arion, flanking the beautiful and formidable Lady Seraphina. Seraphina was Stage 8, possessing the traditional power of Spiritual Insight, and watched Arion with a complex, unnerving blend of political scrutiny and personal interest.
Governor Kael, a small, meticulously dressed man with sharp, calculating eyes, stood behind the Western Confederacy's trade envoy, his attention less on Arion and more on the structural details of the pillars.
"Emperor Hwa," Elder Mu began, her voice naturally commanding, imbued with the subtle weight of her Stage 9 Domain. "We have observed your rapid ascent to Stage 8. Such acceleration is usually the result of unstable, chaotic methods. The Heavenly Sword Sect demands proof that your power is stable, or we must declare your reign a spiritual hazard."
Elder Mu subtly released her Stage 9 Domain, a chaotic, spiritual pressure designed to crush Arion's Stage 8 presence and force a nervous concession. The pressure instantly hit the Diplomatic Synthesis Array. The Array did not resist; it normalized. The chaotic Qi from her domain was instantly absorbed and neutralized by the field of Standardized Neutrality. The air in the room remained perfectly neutral, perfectly standardized.
Elder Mu frowned, her most powerful intimidation technique failing without explanation. She felt no resistance, only a void of perfect, unyielding Order.
Arion simply smiled. "Elder Mu, my power is not derived from chaotic insights. It is derived from absolute Order. My domain is Logistical Certainty. If your Stage 9 power attempts to introduce chaos into my domain, the domain will, by definition, stabilize it. You will find that within my borders, Chaos is Inefficient, and Inefficiency is Impossible."
Arion turned his attention to Seraphina. "Lady Seraphina, you are an asset of Stage 8 power, yet you rely on external, non-standardized means (the trade disruption) to protect the Imperial City. Join my System. Let your power be multiplied by perfect synchronization."
Seraphina's eyes widened. She realized Arion knew about her tactical intervention during the currency crash—a secret move known only to her Sect's inner circle. This wasn't a political meeting; it was a logistical recruitment, a terrifying proposition of a man who could quantify her secret acts of chaos.
Countering the Western Conspiracy
The second threat, Governor Kael of the Western Confederacy, was far more subtle. Kael, realizing the spiritual intimidation was failing, activated a concealed, non-standardized Qi scope embedded in his thumb ring. He began meticulously examining the gilded bronze braziers (the Synthesis Array's housing) while talking to Commander Joon, attempting to map the underlying sensor network and steal the blueprint.
The Diplomatic Synthesis Array instantly detected the non-standardized energy pulse from Kael's scope—an erratic, chaotic fluctuation that violated the principle of Standardized Neutrality.
COUNTER-ESPIONAGE ALERT: GOVERNOR KAEL DETECTED.Activity: Attempting to map Blueprint 109 sensor network.System Response: Initiate Logic Overload Protocol.
The Array did not physically attack Kael. Instead, it sent a silent, focused pulse of Standardized Logic—a perfect, unassailable, non-chaotic energy signature—directly into Kael's Qi scope. Kael's custom-made scope, designed to read chaotic energy, was instantly overwhelmed by the sheer, perfect complexity of the System's Order. The scope fried, emitting a puff of harmless smoke.
Kael jumped back, shaking his hand, his eyes wide with fear. "An integrated defensive field! They have automated counter-espionage!"
Arion calmly addressed Kael. "Governor Kael, the standardization of the Hwa Empire is mathematically perfect. Any attempt to introduce non-standardized analysis will result in catastrophic failure of your non-standardized tools. Your purpose here is irrelevant." The entire Western Confederacy trade mission immediately broke down, their sophisticated sabotage plans neutralized by simple, perfect engineering.
The Standardized Proposal
With both antagonists neutralized—Elder Mu's Stage 9 power suppressed, and Governor Kael's espionage foiled—Arion focused on the final negotiation with Seraphina and Elder Mu.
"We accept your power, Emperor Hwa," Elder Mu conceded, defeated by the logic of the first two tests. "Your Order is stable. But the Grand Sky-Jade is the foundation of our Sect's external defense. It is not just a material; it is a sacred trust. What do you offer in return for the completion of your ultimate weapon?"
Arion did not offer gold or land. He offered Absolute Certainty.
"I offer the Standardization of the Hwa Empire as a perpetual, quantifiable asset to the Heavenly Sword Sect," Arion declared. "We will grant you Logistical Immunity. Your Sect will receive a perfectly guaranteed, non-fluctuating supply of all necessary resources—food, spirit jade, and refined metals—for the next thousand years. This supply will be managed by the Standardized Inventory Protocol and the Currency Exchange Network, making it immune to future political and economic chaos."
He continued, looking at Seraphina. "Furthermore, the Standardized Golem will operate under a Prime Directive that includes the perpetual protection of the Heavenly Sword Sect from all external threats Stage 10 and below. Your pursuit of the unpredictable Dao Insight will never again be jeopardized by the predictable chaos of resource scarcity or military threat."
Seraphina, the true political mind, made the decision. She was tired of the constant, chaotic struggle to keep the Sect supplied and safe.
"The promise of Absolute Certainty is worth more than any spiritual insight," Seraphina said, stepping forward. "The Grand Sky-Jade is yours, Emperor Hwa. You will use it to build the Anchor of the Realm."
Elder Mu, though still uneasy about the shift, bowed his head. The Logistical Trade was complete. The Sect had traded its ultimate material for the ultimate stability. Arion had secured the final, crucial component for the Stage 10 Standardized Golem. The diplomacy was over; the construction was imminent.