The atmosphere at the scene was fraught with tension, giving the impression that conflict could erupt at any moment. This was certainly not the outcome Zhang Nu had hoped for, yet he maintained confidence in Han Kexin. This woman had a high intellect; her assertiveness was likely well-thought-out and strategically planned.
As anticipated, Ijin Shinju broke the deadlock, initiating the conversation with, "Let's get down to business. How much are you asking for?"
"We're prepared to purchase the Sealing Magic Pearl in your possession."
The Succubus Queen nodded in satisfaction. "Good. The willingness to pay shows a hint of sincerity. However..."
Her tone shifted as she continued, "Considering the involvement of the Empress's Tomb and even the Azure Water Covenant, can you genuinely meet the price? This is an invaluable treasure, you know!"
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the three members of the Deep Sea Hermits Association once again darkened. They had not anticipated that the Succubus Queen had already investigated the worth of the Sealing Magic Pearl. However, it was not too surprising, given her earlier display of formidable abilities in psychic and soul-related techniques.
Recently deployed to Holy Tides City, the subordinates assigned to track the Sealing Magic Pearl had almost all met mysterious deaths. Speculation easily pointed to the Succubus Queen. With her powerful abilities, gathering information before eliminating targets was undoubtedly a simple task. However, this situation presented a challenge to negotiations. The value of the Seal Magic Pearl was indeed immeasurable.
Ijin Shinju remarked, "This thing is of no use to you! A single pearl is insufficient to unlock the seal in the Calamity Trench, especially considering the stringent defense near the trench by the federation. You, a mere outsider Demon King with no insider assistance and not even part of the aquatic race, cannot possibly approach the Empress's Tomb."
Han Kexin nodded and replied, "Perhaps this magic pearl may indeed be useless in my hands."
"But it holds significant value for you. Since it's valuable to you, it becomes valuable to me as well... So, what if I hand over the magic pearl to the high-ranking officials of the Azure Water Federation?"
Upon hearing this, a surge of hostility filled the air. Ijin Shinju, Kondo Kyohei, and Saiki Daioh were all angered. If the Succubus Queen were to surrender the Sealing Magic Pearl to the Azure Water Federation's high command and reveal the plans of the Deep Sea Hermits Association, it would be disastrous. The Deep Sea Hermits Association could forget about entering the Empress's Tomb.
Unable to contain her anger, Ijin Shinju sternly retorted, "What do you want? If you think we are easy to bully, you are gravely mistaken. Antagonizing us will bring you no benefits!"
Han Kexin smiled faintly and said, "I want nothing, but if the Empress's Tomb is to be explored, I must be given a share."
Hearing this, the three members of the Deep Sea Hermits' Association were taken aback. They had not anticipated that the Succubus Queen would propose such a condition. Ijin Shinju, on high alert, questioned, "What is your motive?"
The Succubus Queen shrugged and replied, "Don't misunderstand. I have no interest in disrupting the situation in the Azure Water Federation, and therefore, I'm not interested in the Azure Water Covenant either. However, the Empress's Tomb itself is an incredible treasure spot worth exploring, isn't it?"
It made sense. The Empress's Tomb was an area undoubtedly of high level, and currently, there were likely no Demon Kings who could locate such a higher level area than this. Such places were usually encountered by chance. As the top-tier Demon King, it was not surprising that the Succubus Queen would be interested in the Empress's Tomb.
Ijin Shinju said sternly, "Fine, but you're not allowed to bring along any other forces."
"Rest assured, I won't bring anyone else, just this Mr. Long here," the Succubus Queen pointed to the discreet figure in the cloak.
Ijin Shinju directed her gaze back to the cloaked figure and asked, "May I inquire about this person?" Zhang Nu did not respond.
The Succubus Queen answered, "You can call him Mr. Long. He's just a trivial follower under my command. Surely, you're not afraid of a minor follower of mine!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Nu could not help but smirk. Han Kexin, this woman, was truly cunning. Always clinging to his early history of making a fortune by selling potatoes and now seizing an opportunity to take advantage of him. When the chance arises, he'll have to settle scores with her.
Ijin Shinju carefully assessed Zhang Nu. Despite her inability to completely discern his strength, she presumed him to be somewhere between a Level 5 to 6 overlord or a Level 5 monarch. Even if he were a Level 5 monarch, there was nothing particularly surprising. After reaching Level 5 as a Demon King, Ijin Shinju could summon eight different top-tier Level 5 overlord units, although unable to summon any monarch-class units. However, she had heard during Demon King conversations that some Level 5 Demon Kings, although not possessing any new summoned units, acquired the ability to upgrade existing units to monarch-class. Given the Succubus Queen's top tier bloodline, it was not that strange for her to obtain monarch-class underlings at Level 5.
"Alright. But only he is allowed."
Ijin Shinju sneered inwardly. This Succubus Queen was truly audacious, courageous but lacking in strategic thinking. Could such benefits be easily obtained? Putting aside the fact that her influence was not within the Azure Water Federation and that the deep sea was not her turf, she dared to come with only one seemingly monarch subordinate. Wasn't she just courting death with such overconfidence? Even though Ijin Shinju did not know where this woman got her confidence, she was absolutely certain that she could eliminate this flashy Demon King underwater!
"The Sealing Magic Pearl. I'll keep it for a few more days." Han Kexin deliberately took out the magic pearl and waved it around. "Whenever you're ready, just inform me. Better not to play tricks on me, or else I guarantee that within a day, the federation's high command will know of your plan."
"Agreed. It's a deal then!" Ijin Shinju said, "The guards near the Calamity Trench are extremely strict. We need some time to prepare and deploy to create an opportunity for entry. It will take about seven days."
As one of the forbidden areas of the federation, even the formidable Deep Sea Hermit Association could not just enter at will. Despite their strength, Ijin Shinju and her companions needed time to prepare and deploy. Han Kexin's confidence in participating in this operation stemmed not only from her own abilities but also from her knowledge of Zhang Nu. Han Kexin was proficient in all elemental magic, possessed formidable combat skills, and boasted top-tier psychic and soul talents, granting her exceptional control abilities. As for Zhang Nu, known as the Potato Demon King, he was adept at spatial and temporal abilities. Together, they had a powerful combination. In case of danger, they were confident in at least escaping together. However, additional preparations were necessary for this unique operation in the deep sea, unlike anything they had encountered before.
The two returned to Holy Tides City. Han Kexin sensed their surroundings and remarked, "We haven't been followed. They should understand that with their subordinates, it's impossible to track me."
Zhang Nu nodded, saying, "We need to prepare some items with underwater breathing or water-avoidance functions. To avoid the exposure of our secret relationship, I cannot risk being involved in these preparations. You'll have to go to the Demon King Market to initiate relevant purchases."
'What do you mean by a secret relationship? It sounds like some underground love affair,' Han Kexin thought to herself, rolling her eyes.
......
While Zhang Nu prepared for the upcoming adventure, in the main city of the Bachor Duchy, Grand Duke Bachor had recovered to about seventy percent of his strength after days of recuperation. The battle in Kolo, where he was defeated by the joint efforts of the three Dragon Kings due to geographical advantage, had inflicted tremendous losses. Not only did he permanently lose decades of his lifespan and spend a fortune on recovery, but he also depleted the family's secret reserve for resurrection, established at great cost.
Beyond these losses, Grand Duke Bachor's personal prestige and the honor and reputation of the Bachor family suffered an unprecedented blow due to his hasty actions. Furious and constantly thinking of revenge, he desired nothing more than to crush the three Dragon Kings with his own hands.
However, at this critical moment, the region of Kregi fell. With Count Kregi dead in battle and no available troops nearby, the Demon King was sure to pursue victory and expand the conquest. The fall of the Kregi region was expected, but upon receiving this news, Grand Duke Bachor felt an extraordinary frustration. After all, unlike Count Kolo, Marquis Kregi held significant influence in the southern territories, and his family had a long and illustrious history. The annihilation of such a noble estate and the betrayal of House Kregi were enough to shock and terrify other nobles in the southern territories.
Just then, a report came in: "Reporting to the Grand Duke, members of the Thunderous Society have arrived."
Although Grand Duke Bachor refused the three Grand Dukes entry into the southern territories under the guise of reinforcement, Emperor Frelio could not afford to do nothing and allow the Demon King to plunder noble territories and imperial populations in the south. Considering that the Darkness City's Three Titan were not enough to shake the entire empire, there was no need to mobilize the forces of the four territories on such a large scale.
The Emperor gave face to the southern Grand Duke by not forcibly sending out the other three Grand Dukes or his personal imperial forces. Instead, he contacted the president of the Thunderous Society. The Emperor hoped to leverage the power of the empire's Hero forces to confront the Demon King. Since the Demon King's invasion, it had caused some damage to the empire, but at the same time, it had also successively eliminated many Heroes within the empire. The ambiguous result of whether the death of these Heroes was ultimately good or bad complicated matters.
In any case, for such a group that had gained astonishing growth, formed its own circle, and engaged in factionalism, any ruler or authority figure would not be pleased. Both the Sunset Empire and the Azure Water Federation attempted to send their Heroes to deal with the Demon King in their respective regions, and Emperor Freylio also hoped to take advantage of this force.
"Let them in!"
A few minutes later, a group of people walked in. There were a total of seventeen individuals, both men and women, ranging from the elderly to the middle-aged. Each of them was a renowned expert in the empire. Even the weakest among them were top-notch Level 5 overlords, with over a third reaching Level 6. These were all members of the Thunderous Society, the elite Heroes of the Thunder Empire, standing at the pinnacle of the entire empire.
In the entire empire, where millions of Heroes existed, they stood at the zenith. Bachor's gaze fell on the leading figure, and his expression immediately changed.
"Mage King Halyfax? You're also a Hero!?" The elderly figure, frail and seemingly on the brink of death, looked as if his life force could be extinguished at any moment.
Mage King Halyfax, the name resonated throughout the Thunder Empire -- the former president of the Magic Guild and the chief magical advisor of the empire. He was the most legendary folk magician in the empire's two to three hundred years of history. Halyfax was already 500 years old this year, an age considered the absolute limit for humans. For the human race, this lifespan was at the utmost extreme. Even for this legendary mage with strength comparable to Grand Duke Bachor, the age of 500 was already approaching the end of his life.
This acknowledged king of the magical realm in the Thunder Empire, now appeared before him as a Hero. This legendary mage, Halyfax, now also bore another name: Hero Luo Zheng, the strongest Hero in the Thunder Empire.
Luo Zheng was fortunate and, at the same time, unfortunate. He directly became one of, if not the most powerful mage in the empire, almost able to look down upon the empire's strongests. However, his body was extremely aged, and he had only a couple of years left to live. This young man of twenty or thirty years was suddenly reincarnated into an elderly man approaching the end of his life, and how could he accept such a reality?
"No need to be surprised, Grand Duke!" Luo Zheng, using the hoarse voice of an old mage, spoke, "I am the initiator and founder of the Thunderous Society, now serving as the president of the Thunderous Hero Society."
Grand Duke Bachor was overjoyed. "With a master taking action personally and so many powerful members of the Thunderous Society, the three Dragon Kings are doomed this time."
Luo Zheng said, "To be frank, I am not very interested in this Demon King, but I am interested in something within the Demon King's territory."
"What is it?"
"The Tree of Eternity," Luo Zheng's eyes revealed a fanatical look. "There's no mistaking it, I can feel it---the aura of the Ancient Tree of Eternity. The Demon King has a Tree of Eternity!"
Bachor's expression changed abruptly. "What? How is that possible? The Chaos Forest has a Tree of Eternity?!"
"This is also the reason why I specifically came to help the Grand Duke. We will help you deal with the Demon King, and we don't want any rewards. But that tree must belong to me."
Level 5 Demon King? Luo Zheng was not one bit interested. He possessed power not inferior to Bachor's. What difference would it make to kill a Level 5 Demon King? He did not crave power; his life was already on a countdown. Moreover, this elderly body could not enjoy anything.
What he wanted was more lifespan. He wanted to buy himself more time.
Luo Zheng's mind held the lifelong magical knowledge of the old mage. As long as he obtained the Tree of Eternity, he had a way to rejuvenate himself, at least live another two hundred years. This was more attractive than all the Level 5 Demon Kings combined!"