Extraordinary Pedigree.

Chapter 694 The Bloody Ivy War System!
"Silver Moon Maple Tree..."

Xia Xiu repeated the name in a low voice, raised his hand and gently supported his forehead, his thoughts drifting to the information related to the Silver Moon Maple Tree.

The Silver Moon Maple Tree is no ordinary creature. Its leaves glow with an enchanting silver light under the moonlight, and it is one of the symbols of the Moon God recognized by all the heavens and worlds.

In the mythological system of all heavens and worlds, this maple tree is inseparable from the moon, the night sky, and even certain gods.

Especially in magic rituals under the moonlight, the Silver Moon Maple Tree is an indispensable existence. It seems to have the ability to introduce the mysterious power of the moon into the mortal world.

This wood is not only beautiful, but also ideal for making magic wands, especially for those who manipulate the magic of the moon.

It can store the power of moonlight, so that the staffs and magic items made from it can produce extremely strong enhancement effects when casting moon magic.

It can also be used to make night-lighting rune carving materials, which have the strange power to guide light in the darkness.

Xia Xiu frowned, and countless use cases of the Silver Moon Maple Tree flashed through his mind.

This wood is not just a material, it also involves a more complex cross-dimensional resource economic system.

The Silver Moon Maple is one of the abstract exchange woods designated by the [Golden Tree]. In the Ivy War, the abstract value of this wood was recognized by multi-dimensional forces.

This is not just an exchange of material resources, but also a manifestation of a modified value economy - material and abstract values ​​reach a consensus through the conversion between multiple dimensions.

According to the Golden Rule, the so-called "1 unit of wood" does not refer to actual physical wood, but a standardized unit generated by the completion pool through an abstraction process.

To explain the Golden Rule and the modified value economy of the completion pool in a simple and easy-to-understand way, it can be summarized as follows:

Concrete → abstract process.

There are four steps in total:

1. Specific collection stage:
Each plane or region harvests according to the actual resource situation, for example, 100 silver moon maple trees in a forest are harvested and processed. This is the specific form of resources.

Second, the abstraction process:
When these specific resources are handed over to the replenishment pool, the replenishment pool uses the correction value and the power of the Golden Tree's rules to convert these resources into abstract units. Through the standardization of the Golden Law, these 100 trees are re-quantified into 1 unit of wood.

3. Dependence of correction value:

This abstraction process essentially relies on modifiers. In order to convert specific material resources into abstract units, the replenishment pool needs to consume a certain amount of modifiers. This makes modifiers not only an important currency for maintaining construction progress, but also the core of resource circulation.

4. Circulation of abstract units:
Once a resource is abstracted into units, it can be circulated between different planes.

For example, 1 unit of wood can be used as a standard currency in planes without direct supply for building materials, magical crafting, etc. Planes can trade with each other using these units without actually transporting physical resources.

The Golden Rule states bluntly:

The Completion Pool is responsible for converting various material resources into abstract units according to standardized ratios for free trade between planes.

Abstract units for each resource type are created based on standards set by the Gold Tree, and are driven by modifiers.

The completion pool system is supervised by the Lord of the Planes, and its abstract results must conform to the principles of the [Golden Tree].

When executing resource abstraction, each resource unit must go through the standard processing of the completion pool to ensure that the abstraction of the resource is consistent with its actual value.

The ratio of abstract units of different resources varies according to their physical properties, rarity, and quality level.

After resources are converted into abstract units through the replenishment pool, they circulate in the markets of the universe as equivalents.

Taking the Silver Moon Maple tree as an example, the average wood yield of each Silver Moon Maple tree is about 50 cubic meters, which includes the comprehensive utilization of the trunk, branches and leaves. After processing and magical amplification, these woods are further compressed and refined into efficient building materials or magic item making materials.

Therefore, 1 unit of wood roughly corresponds to 5000 cubic meters of wood, which is the total wood production of 100 Silver Moon Maple trees.

Please note that the 100 Silver Moon Maple trees here refer to wood of ordinary quality.

According to the supplementary regulations of the law, the quality of wood is divided into superior wood, ordinary wood and inferior wood, and the exchange rate is set.

Superior wood: flawless, with even and beautiful texture, usually with extremely high strength and durability. This type of wood is used for high-end furniture, mid-to-high-end buildings, or high-end magic items, and has great market value.

Ordinary wood: has slight defects or ordinary texture, used for general construction, basic materials manufacturing, daily tools and common handicrafts.

Secondary wood: lower quality, often with more defects, mainly used as industrial raw materials such as pulp, fiberboard, plywood, etc. This kind of wood is in the upstream market and needs further processing before it has market value.

According to Article 8 of the current Golden Law, the exchange rate of various types of wood is set according to their quality grade, tree species and rarity. The exchange rate of Silver Moon Maple is:

Superior wood: Every 50 Silver Moon Maple trees = 1 wood unit.

Ordinary wood: every 100 Silver Moon Maple trees = 1 wood unit.

Secondary timber: Every 150 Silvermoon Maple trees = 1 wood unit.

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Xia Xiu lay on his back on the ergonomic chair behind him, his eyes slightly closed, and his whole body seemed to melt into the back of the chair.

At this moment, there were countless thin lines entangled in his mind. Every expense and every debt were like ropes, entangled in his thoughts layer by layer, making the headache more obvious.

He gently pressed his temples to ease the heaviness in his head.

"Although the abstract unit system of the replenishment pool efficiently standardizes the exchange of wood and other resources," Xia Xiu whispered, his voice full of helplessness, his golden eyes staring into the distance through the ceiling.

"But some planes or companies still rely on a monetary economy. They have a higher demand for the actual physical form of wood, especially when a certain wood resource is extremely scarce."

To his side, Secretary General Pansy Jane stood straight, her fingers holding the document slender and long, her face still calm, she nodded slightly, indicating that she understood Xia Xiu's troubles, then opened the document in her hand, lowered her head to take a look, and a shrewd gleam flashed in her eyes.

"According to my dimensional market research report, the timber market cannot only consider the modified value market, but also the impact of the physical market and the currency market."

Her voice was calm and clear:
"For example, in a scarce plane or a high-demand market, the price of a high-quality Silver Moon Maple can reach 150 gold coins, especially in planes with a lack of high-quality wood supply. On the contrary, in a plane with abundant resources, the price may be as low as around 120 gold coins."

The Secretary-General continued:

"Some forces will step up their efforts to develop the real economy in order to accumulate huge points of correction value. This strategy can gain resource advantages in the short term, but it will cause some planes to become overly dependent on the real economy. This phenomenon is particularly obvious for those planes with scarce resources."

She paused and raised her eyes to look at Xia Xiu, as if waiting for him to digest this information before continuing.

"Of course," she continued, "each plane can use its own correction value reserves to directly exchange the correction value for the abstract unit of the Silver Moon Maple Tree."

"For example, one unit of Silver Moon Maple can be purchased with a certain amount of modifiers, and the specific ratio is determined by market conditions and resource scarcity. When the modifier contribution of a plane increases, its economic strength increases, which drives down the price of Silver Moon Maple because the plane can directly obtain resources with modifiers. On the contrary, planes with depleted modifiers will have to rely on gold coins for payment, and as a result, the price of wood will naturally rise."

Xia Xiu sat on the back of the chair, with a blue ring on his right index finger, tapping the back of the chair rhythmically, making a faint sound.

The golden eyes flickered with an obscure luster, and the method was pondering some complicated calculations.

His expression remained calm, but the thoughts in his heart were rising and falling like a raging tide, as if a series of invisible wars were rapidly playing out in his mind.

"Corrected value economy and real economy..."

His voice was low, but with a certain elusive calmness, he began to state a secret truth hidden among many planes:

"The two combined with the Golden Rule created the Ivy League War - a bloody war without the smoke of gunpowder, with monsters dripping with blood and filth from every pore."

Behind the seemingly peaceful battle lies a struggle for resources, power, and the future of the plane.

Although there is no real bloody massacre, the fate of countless planes is being changed or even destroyed in this invisible war.

Xia Xiu opened his eyes and continued, "In this war, two economies will inevitably develop - a colonial economy and a pirate-style plundering economy." His tone gradually became cold and steady, as if he was explaining an inevitable fate.

"The modified value economic system plays a core role in cross-plane transactions. The powerful plane that controls the modified value can influence the economic structure of other planes through the control of the modified value."

He paused slightly, his fingers still tapping on the back of the chair, his thoughts racing.

“For example, the colonizing plane deprives the colonized plane of its physical resources through resource replacement and abstraction mechanisms with modified values.

These resources are then handed over to the completion pool, converted into corrected values ​​or abstract units, and circulated again, ultimately forming an exploitation chain.

Those deprived planes are left with nothing but emptiness, and even the most basic resources may be drained away, losing the basis for survival. "

The fourth sword-wielder in heaven spoke in a calm tone, as if he was narrating an established fact, but the implied ruthlessness made people feel cold.

Xia Xiu's eyes turned slightly colder, and he continued:

"The other economic model is the pirate organizations that make a living by plundering. They target planes of abundance, especially those that cannot use portals to transport resources directly due to spatial instability, spell prohibitions, or wars."

He pictured caravans and transport ships being plundered, and the air seemed to echo with the noise of fighting and looting.

He raised his head slightly and continued:

"These caravans or transport ships have to take traditional physical transport routes, which provides opportunities for pirates. They ambush on major transportation routes or remote inter-dimensional paths and carry out plunder. Not only for gold coins and material wealth, in the modified value economic system, robbing resources and abstracting them into modified values ​​is also profitable."

“Pirate groups may use illegal replenishment pool systems to convert looted resources into modifiers, which they can then use to further expand their economic influence and military power.”

Xia Xiu's eyes flickered slightly, as if he could see through the turmoil and struggles in countless dimensions.

He leaned back in his chair, the sound of his fingers tapping gradually stopped, and a depressing atmosphere filled the air.

Behind this seemingly smokeless war, there are countless calculations, exploitation and cruelty.

The modified value economy seems to be a path to the future, but it has also become an abyss for many planes to sink into.

After hearing Xia Xiu's analysis, the Secretary-General was silent for a while, his eyes flashed with thought, and then he pulled out a few documents from the folder and said in a calm but thoughtful tone: "What you said is actually happening every moment."

She gently flipped open the document in her hand and continued to report:
"For example, the colonization of the 'Shattered Star Wasteland' by the Eddiesi Federation Government is a typical example."

She explained slowly, "In order to alleviate the depletion of resources, the Federation decided to colonize the Broken Star Wasteland. On the surface, this plane is uninhabited and magic is scarce, but underground there are rich mithril mines - this core material for making advanced magic equipment is very precious."

Her eyes flickered slightly, and then she continued:
"The Federation controls the exchange system of correction values, making the resource transactions in the Shattered Star Wasteland completely dependent on Terra's replenishment pool. At the same time, the Federation monopolizes the portal system, and only authorized caravans can enter the wasteland, which completely deprives local residents of the opportunity to trade independently."

Xia Xiu's eyes flickered slightly as she described, and the Secretary General continued:

"Local residents were forced to become miners, mining mithril ore with extremely low modifier returns. Eventually, almost all of the resources of the Broken Star Wasteland flowed to the Federation, while the residents lived in extreme poverty."

The Secretary-General's tone, with an imperceptible calmness, painted a very clear picture of the reality of colonial exploitation.

The Federation’s colonial strategy is very classic and consists of three steps.

1. Modified Value Control: The Federation controls the modified value exchange system of the Shattered Star Wasteland (funding the construction of replenishment pools or even building them for free, but the Federation controls the exchange of replenishment pools), forcing the plane to rely on Terra's replenishment pools for transactions, making the resource export of the Shattered Star Wasteland completely dependent on Terra's modified value economy.

2. Portal Monopoly: The Federation has established a portal system, but has imposed a portal ban on the Shattered Star Wasteland. Only caravans with permission from Terra can freely enter and exit the plane, making it impossible for the local area to trade independently through other planes.

3. Labor Exploitation: The residents of the Broken Star Wasteland are forced to become miners, mining mithril ore and selling it to the Federation at extremely low prices. The Federation exploits these workers through low modifier returns and resells the mithril ore to other planes at high prices.

The final result of the colonization was that the economy of the Broken Star Wasteland was firmly controlled, and almost all of the exported mithril mine resources flowed to the Federation. The plane itself was under economic oppression, and the residents lived in poverty and lost their autonomy, completely becoming a remote colonial plane of Edisi.

Pansy Jane paused and flipped through the next document:
"Look at the control of the Emerald Forest plane by the Eldarin Empire - this is a multi-dimensional 'empire' dominated by the elves."

"They are an elven nation that strictly adheres to the 'corrected value economy' and attempts to expand by controlling the rules of the universe through corrected values. Their colonial methods are even more extreme than those of the federal government."

"This is their most classic colonial case."

"The empire's elves have set their sights on a plane full of magical energy - the Green Feather Forest. This plane is famous for producing Silver Moon Maple trees."

"The Eldarin Empire first controlled the economy of the Green Feather Forest through the replenishment pool abstraction system, abstracting a large number of Silver Moon Maple trees into correction values. The local Silver Moon Maple trees can only be converted into monetary value through the Empire's replenishment pool, making the forest's economy completely dependent on the Empire.

Then, forced logging began; the imperial army stationed in the Green Feather Forest forced the local residents to cut down the Silver Moon Maple trees on a large scale by force, while controlling the regeneration rate of the forest and giving priority to obtaining high-quality wood. In order to ensure high profits, the Eldarin Empire strictly controlled the export volume of Silver Moon Maple trees, causing the price of Silver Moon Maple trees to continue to rise in the international market.

At the same time, in order to further consolidate its control, the Eldarin Empire instilled elven culture into the residents of the Green Feather Forest, encouraged local residents to worship the 'elven pantheon', and assimilated the cultural traditions of the plane through various systems to weaken their local consciousness. "

"Their colonization based on the modified value system was very successful. The Emerald Feather Forest became a subsidiary plane of the Eldarin Empire. Its main economic pillar, the Silver Moon Maple resources, were monopolized by the Empire. The local residents lost their independent economic capabilities and were completely dependent on the Empire's modified value system."

Her eyes turned to another document:
"The Iron Alliance is a more brutal example. It is a special alliance composed mainly of humans and supplemented by dwarves. They colonized the Black Rock Plains plane and, through industrial exploitation, forcibly transformed this agricultural plane into a heavy industrial mining base.

Then came the large-scale mining, and they collected the ore without considering the plane's ecosystem, so even the original inhabitants' agricultural self-sufficiency was destroyed. Now the residents of Black Rock Plains completely rely on the synthetic food provided by the Alliance to survive, and all the modifiers flowed to the Iron Alliance. "

The colonial economy between different planes in the Ivy War ranges from resource control to cultural assimilation to the plunder of modifiers. Each plane implements colonial rule in different ways.

By exploiting labor, monopolizing resources, and controlling the economic system, powerful planes can transform colonies into their own sources of wealth, while the colonized planes fall into dependence and oppression and lose the ability to develop independently.

The Secretary-General was silent for a moment, then slowly said:

"And the other kind of plundering economy you mentioned - the plundering behavior of pirate groups and other pirate organizations, has actually become the norm under the modified value economic system."

"The Rift Pirates are an illegal organization active in multiple planes. Their base is hidden in plane rifts that are difficult to locate. Those rifts are gaps in time and space between planes. Ordinary teleportation spells cannot enter at all. Only pirates who master cross-plane spells can enter and exit freely."

"Due to the limited portal network of the rich planes, many caravans have to rely on traditional inter-planar routes. It is on these routes that pirates target caravans carrying mithril ore, magic potions or high-grade magic wood."

She lowered her head to glance at the document and continued:

"The Rift Pirates take advantage of the unpredictability of the plane rifts and space-time ambushes to attack caravans and rob their goods. They appear and disappear in secret, and then quickly resell these high-value items to the black market on the plane, and even use illegal replenishment pools to convert them into modifiers to maintain the operation of the pirate group."

She looked up at the silent Xia Xiu and continued, "They continue to accumulate wealth through this rapid resale method, disrupting the order of cross-dimensional real economic transactions."

Xia Xiu quickly summarized the thinking logic of the Rift Pirates in his mind.
The logic of the Rift Pirate Economy: cross-dimensional plunder → quick resale → accumulation → arming the fleet → continuing cross-dimensional plunder.

A very simple and crude looting economy, but also very effective.

Of course, this was still one form of plundering economy, but Pansy Jane quickly identified another:
"The Void Sea is another dangerous place," the Secretary General explained as he flipped open the next report. "It is filled with unstable space cracks and magical storms. Normal portals cannot function, and caravans can only rely on physical routes to transport resources. The Black Fire Pirates ambush merchant ships traveling from rich planes to barren planes in such an environment."

She glanced at the document. "These pirates use magical storms as cover, hiding at the edge of the Void Sea, waiting for unsuspecting caravans to enter unstable areas before launching surprise attacks. Not only do they plunder goods, they also set up a complex smuggling network, selling the looted resources through secret channels to planes in urgent need of resources, making huge profits."

Her tone was slightly cold. "This illegal smuggling not only seriously disrupts the economic order of the Void Sea, but also forces legitimate caravans to pay 'protection fees' to ensure their own safety."

Smuggling networks, looting and ransom...

Xia Xiu quickly summed up another logic of looting.

Behind this Ivy League war, there is invisible exploitation and manipulation.

The Secretary-General slowly put away the documents in his hand and added softly:

"These are just the tip of the iceberg in the Ivy League War. Similar things have long been commonplace in the universe. The real purpose of the war is probably far more complicated than what we see."

A cold light flashed in the eyes of the fourth sword-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven, and he said in an extremely calm tone:
"The shadow of the Ivy War is destined to cover countless planes until - the strong completely control everything, or everything is destroyed in the flames of war."

(End of this chapter)