novelsite Chapter 398 Probing at the Negotiation Table
Chapter 398 Probing at the Negotiation Table
Qingming Protector did not rush to answer Lu Sheng's question.
He stood across the table, his hands behind his back, his gaze lingering on Lu Sheng's face for three seconds.
Three seconds is enough time, under the perception of a Spirit Saint, to capture any change in micro-expression.
But Lu Sheng's face was completely blank.
It wasn't the kind of "nothing" that's deliberately suppressed, but a genuine complete lack of emotion. Just like he truly didn't know anything about ancient ruins.
The Azure Guardian made a judgment in his mind—either this person really didn't know, or his acting skills were so good that it was creepy.
He chose to speak frankly.
"Intelligence from the Pantheon indicates that an extremely ancient spatial anomaly exists on the edge of the star sector controlled by the Cleaners Alliance. The spatial laws in that region are extremely chaotic, and the flow of time differs from the outside world. For thousands of years, the Cleaners Alliance has attempted to enter that region, but has never succeeded."
Lu Sheng listened without saying a word.
"The Divine Court of Myriad Phenomena believes that the anomaly zone likely conceals the tomb or battlefield ruins of an ancient powerful being. And within those ruins might lie what the Celestial Venerable has been searching for—the Seed of Origin."
"The Seed of Origin." Lu Sheng repeated the word. "What is that?"
The Azure Netherworld Protector glanced at him. "You haven't heard of him?"
"No. I don't know much about the history of the universe. After all, I came from a low-dimensional planet, so my exposure to things is limited."
This statement is half true and half false.
Lu Sheng did not know much about the history of the universe, but he had already heard about the concept of the Seed of Origin from Li Xuan.
But he wouldn't let Qingming know this.
Information asymmetry is one of his greatest weapons. The more the other party thinks he is ignorant, the easier it is for him to reveal his weaknesses.
The Azure Netherworld Protector nodded.
"The Seed of Origin is a crystallized form of primordial energy left over from the very beginning of the universe. It contains the most original laws and power of the universe. Legend has it that cultivators who obtain the Seed of Origin can directly cross the barrier of the Spirit Saint Realm and touch upon the Spirit Immortal Realm or even higher levels."
"Sounds good." Lu Sheng's tone was casual. "What does it have to do with me?"
"Your Excellency has annihilated the Scavenger Alliance and seized their sector. If that spatial anomaly does exist, it is now within your territory. The Pantheon hopes—"
The Azure Netherworld Protector paused for a moment.
"—Let's explore that ruin together. The spoils will be distributed according to agreement."
Explore together.
Lu Sheng almost lost his composure.
join forces?
He had already explored the entire Old God Abyss by himself. He ate his way through all the good stuff inside, and his cultivation level directly advanced from the peak of Spirit Venerable to the mid-stage of Spirit Saint.
Now the Divine Court of Myriad Phenomena has stepped forward and said it wants to join forces to explore?
joke.
But Lu Sheng remained expressionless.
He leaned back in his chair, tapping his right index finger idly on the table.
"Azure Netherworld Protector."
"exist."
"I understand all three things you mentioned. Let me ask you a question first."
"Please ask, sir."
"Does the Divine Court of Myriad Phenomena even know the true level of my strength?"
The Azure Guardian's smile froze for a moment.
"Before descending, the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court only knew that you were a Spirit Saint Realm expert. Whether it was the early or mid-stage was uncertain," he said, looking at Lu Sheng. "But now I can confirm it."
"What was confirmed?"
"Your Excellency is at the mid-stage of the Spirit Saint Realm. And not just recently. Your control over power is already quite refined."
Lu Sheng chuckled. "Your perception is quite good."
"I dare not accept such praise. I was merely stating the facts."
Lu Sheng's fingers stopped.
"Since you know I'm a mid-stage Spirit Saint, then you should also know—the first two of your three claims are untenable."
The Azure Netherworld Protector's expression remained unchanged. "Please enlighten me, Your Excellency."
"I conquered the Scavenger Alliance sector all by myself. I conquered it all by myself. The Pantheon wants half of it? On what grounds?"
The Azure Guardian opened his mouth—
"Don't rush to answer," Lu Sheng interrupted him. "The second thing is even more ridiculous. You want the formula or samples of ancient metals? How much effort did I go through to get those things? You just ask for them, and your reward is high-dimensional crystals and cultivation techniques? Do you think I need those things?"
The Azure Guardian remained silent.
Lu Sheng's words were very straightforward. There were no diplomatic phrases, and he didn't give the other party any face.
But every sentence hit the nail on the head.
The three conditions proposed by the Divine Court of Myriad Phenomena can be summed up in one word: robbery.
It's just that the way they robbed it was more respectable.
"What you say makes sense," Protector Qingming said after a few seconds of silence. "My conditions are indeed somewhat presumptuous. So, what do you think would be a reasonable arrangement?"
Lu Sheng looked at him.
"Whatever you want, state your price. Don't beat around the bush."
The Azure Guardian took a deep breath.
He knew that the person in front of him was not someone to be fooled.
"To be frank," the Azure Nether Protector's tone was no longer so polite, becoming much more direct, "the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court truly desires only one thing—that ancient ruin. Star sector division and resource exchange are secondary."
"The Celestial Venerable has been in seclusion for hundreds of years, waiting for an opportunity to break through to the Spirit Saint realm. The Seed of Origin is his only hope."
"If you are willing to reveal the location of that ruin and allow the Divine Court of All Things to send people to explore it—"
The Azure Guardian lowered his voice.
"The Divine Court of All Things is willing to sign a one-hundred-year non-aggression pact with you. During this hundred years, the Divine Court of All Things will not covet your star sector. Furthermore, the Divine Court of All Things is willing to provide you with three remains of Spirit Immortals as a token of our sincerity."
Three sets of remains from the Immortal Realm.
Lu Sheng's heart skipped a beat.
What did the remains of a Spirit Immortal Realm expert mean to him? It meant three feasts. The essence content of each Spirit Immortal Realm remains far exceeded that of ordinary high-dimensional crystals. If he could devour three Spirit Immortal Realm remains, his cultivation at the mid-stage of the Spirit Saint Realm would at least increase significantly.
But he did not comment.
Because he had done the math in his head.
The three remains of immortal beings are indeed valuable.
But the star-sized remains in the Old God Abyss are far more valuable than the three Spirit Immortal realm remains. That thing is his private granary, enough for him to eat until he reaches the peak of the Spirit Saint realm or even higher.
If the Divine Court of All Things knew the location of the Old God Abyss, would they obediently just send people to explore it?
will not.
Once they discover the value of that celestial remains, they will unleash the full power of the entire Pantheon.
Four Spirit Saints and one Myriad Manifestations Celestial Venerable who is suspected to be a Spirit Immortal—that lineup is enough to crush any opponent.
Including him.
At least for now.
"Three remains of Spirit Immortals." Lu Sheng read it aloud. "The sincerity is indeed considerable."
The Azure Guardian's eyes lit up.
"However," Lu Sheng changed the subject.
The Azure Guardian's gaze dimmed again.
"I need time to think about it," Lu Sheng said. "You can rest here tonight. I'll give you an answer tomorrow."
The Azure Netherworld Protector looked at Lu Sheng, and the smile on his lips returned.
"Of course. Your matter is of great importance, so caution is warranted."
Lu Sheng stood up. "Luo Tianfei, arrange a room for the guest."
Consort Luo stepped forward. "Please follow me."
Qingming Protector nodded slightly to Lu Sheng and followed Luo Tianfei out.
Lu Sheng was the only one left in the command room.
He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes.
My mind was racing.
Three sets of remains from the Immortal Realm.
A century-old non-aggression pact.
It looks very tempting.
But he couldn't agree.
The Ancient Abyss is his trump card. That celestial remains are his only reliance for breaking through to the peak of the Spirit Saint realm or even the Spirit Immortal realm in the future.
Giving this away is tantamount to ruining your own future.
But he couldn't refuse outright.
Refusal means the negotiations have broken down. If the Divine Court of All Things judges that he possesses what they want but is unwilling to hand it over, then the next step will not be to send an envoy—but to send an army.
"We have to delay." Lu Sheng opened his eyes.
He needs time.
The more time he has, the stronger he becomes.
Once he advances from the mid-stage of Spirit Saint to the peak of Spirit Saint, even if the Celestial Venerable of Myriad Manifestations comes in person, he will have the confidence to overturn the table.
The key question now is—how do we stall?
Lu Sheng thought for a while, and then a smile slowly spread across his face.
He has a solution.