Chapter 1189: Return of a Great Power
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Everyone knew that surging and turbulent instability was hidden beneath the current prosperity that the Heavenly Treasures Street experienced. Spies and scouts from various powers grew in number there as w.a.n.g Zhong’s reputation gradually lost its restraint and influence over these powers. Unforeseen events could happen at any time. Thus, many merchants in the Heavenly Treasures Street, including Old Cow and Mugthol, waited anxiously every day. Eventually, this day arrived.
It was the Blue Demon Race.
At that moment, a large group of tall and burly Blue Demons surrounded Old Cow’s flower shop. The Blue Demon Race was considered a large race in Catanlyke District. They were a standard powerful level-6 civilization, and there were even Gold Cores on guard in their race. They occupied three streets in Catanlyke District, including an area in the central district. Out of the many powers in Catanlyke District, they had the greatest strength and power.
When w.a.n.g Zhong was still around, the Blue Demon Race had been acquaintances of the Heavenly Treasures Street. They had never asked anything about the Heavenly Treasures Street or showed hostility towards them. However, among the many powers to cast covetous eyes towards the Heavenly Treasures Street, the Heavenly Treasures Street never expected it would be the Blue Demon Street that would take the lead in causing trouble. They had probably taken a fancy to the prosperity brought about by the Ocean Empire Pill Shop. The current Heavenly Treasures Street was like a large piece of meat that did not seem to lose out to the central areas of Catanlyke District.
At that moment, three Void Core experts with shocking auras led several dozen Blue Demons to block the door of the flower shop, preventing anyone from entering or leaving. The surrounding neighbors who saw the commotion had already filled up the street, but even with such a large crowd, they remained silent at that moment as unscrupulous talks could be heard from inside the shop. And they had no intention of caring about those “eavesdroppers” outside. On the contrary, they raised their volume, as if they wanted the entire street to hear them clearly.
“The Earth is no more than a pseudo-level-5 civilization. According to the rules of the Star Alliance, you only have the right to establish a communications point. What rights do you have to occupy the Heavenly Treasures Street and collect management fees from so many merchants? The Blue Demon Race is giving a warning out of goodwill. If you are so ignorant as to ignore the rules of the Star Alliance, be careful not to cause a disaster that destroys your race.”
“The lawful owner of the Heavenly Treasures Street is me, Mugthol from the Goblin Race! I simply employed the Earth to help with the management and care of the Heavenly Treasures Street. The Goblin Race is a proper level-7 civilization with a proper place in the middle circle. Do you have any issues with that?”
“Heh heh, you’re a criminal who was sentenced to fifty years of labor in the Heavenly River Sandpit and was chased out of the Goblin Race fifty years ago as well, right? Furthermore, you rejected the Goblin Race’s order to return, so can you be considered a member? And you dare to raise the flag of a level-7 civilization and apply for legal possession rights over the Heavenly Treasures Street?”
“Ha ha ha!! Even though I was sentenced to do labor at the Sandpit and was chased out from the Goblin Race, I have finished my sentence and have naturally regained my ident.i.ty as a first-cla.s.s citizen of the Star Alliance. Even without the protection of a level-7 civilization, I have enough qualifications to establish a new power with my combat abilities. The Crocodile Divine Palace is my brand, and the Heavenly Treasures Street is affiliated to the Crocodile Divine Palace, not the Goblin Race! If you want to cause trouble, you might want to clarify the details before returning.”
“Combat power? Ha ha ha, this is the reason why we came here today to warn you. Do you think that you really have the combat power to occupy the Heavenly Treasures Street?”
“The Star Alliance has acknowledged my possession of this locale. Is the Blue Demon Race able to rob this from me so openly?”
“Heh heh, the Blue Demon Race will not violate the rules of the Star Alliance.” The voice laughed in an unbridled manner that contained a hint of contempt and mockery. “However, just as my elders have said, if you are sensible enough to hand over the Heavenly Treasures Street to the Blue Demon Race, not only will the Heavenly Treasures Street remain peaceful, we will also ensure that you will be free from worries in Catanlyke District. However, if you are not sensible, then the Blue Demon Race will stroll around the Heavenly Treasures Street every day. Every time we see you, we will deal with you. Don’t try to hide, because it’s of no use. Heh heh… Of course, I’m willing for you to choose the latter. After all, it has been a very long time since anyone rejected the Blue Demon Race in Catanlyke District. Our days are too calm, and we need to find some fun to change that. Brother Mugthol, what do you think about this suggestion?”
A loophole in the rules of the Star Alliance was being used again. Mugthol already possessed all rights over the Heavenly Treasures Street. Under normal circ.u.mstances, as long as he did not commit any mistakes, other powers could not openly rob these rights from him. However, the Blue Demon Race did not mention that they would rob him, just cause trouble for them every day. This was the exact same method that the Sh.e.l.l Shade Faction had used, but more imposingly. They did not cause trouble for the ordinary merchants, but for the manager instead. They would fight until he gave in and fell.
The Heavenly Treasures Street was quiet. Everyone heard what was said in the flower shop extremely clearly.
Ever since the Earth and Mugthol took over the Heavenly Treasures Street, the taxes had been kept at the lowest level in Catanlyke District. On the contrary, business started to grow, and all the merchants were grateful towards w.a.n.g Zhong, Mugthol, and the Earth from the bottom of their hearts. At that moment, when they heard the Blue Demons threatening Mugthol, many people displayed expressions of anger. Of course, there were also many people who were worried about their unknown fate in the future. Putting the Earth aside, they had built a friends.h.i.+p with Mugthol over the past two years. Furthermore, the taxes in the districts governed by the Blue Demon Race had always been the highest in Catanlyke District. Once the Blue Demon Race took over the Heavenly Treasures Street, their taxes would definitely be adjusted.
Everyone perked their ears at that moment as they waited for Mugthol and Old Cow’s answer. If they chose to give up, everyone would understand. However, this would mean that their happy days were over.
“Ha ha ha ha!” Closely after, Mugthol’s loud laughter could be heard from the room. The lofty sentiments in his laughter energized everyone in the Heavenly Treasures Street. “If I, Mugthol, was afraid of death, I would have knelt down to the Sh.e.l.l Shade Faction a long time ago! Now it’s your turn? Since we have put aside all pretense of cordiality, there is nothing else worth talking about.”
He fiercely banged the table and faced the Solid Core Blue Demon elder in front of him without any fear. Then, he shouted in a stern voice, “Go away this instant! The Heavenly Treasures Street is not for sale or transfer! If the Blue Demon Race has any underhanded methods, use all of them. If I furrow my eyes before closing them, then I am not the son of my mother!”
“Uncle Thol is amazing! Go, Uncle!”
“The Heavenly Treasures Street will not be sold, nor will its owners.h.i.+p be transferred. Give up on that idea!”
“The Star Alliance has its own rules. The Heavenly Treasures Street belongs to Uncle Thol. If the Blue Demon Race wants to forcibly seize it, let us go to the Star Alliance to judge who is right!”
“The Blue Demon Race! Get out of the Heavenly Treasures Street!”
The originally quiet street finally started to seethe with excitement from Mugthol’s lofty words. The current Heavenly Treasures Street was flouris.h.i.+ng every day and had many opportunities to get rich. None of the merchants were willing to change owners at this moment. Countless voices of support rose from the street. In an instant, the street was like a boiling cauldron where public sentiment surged.
“Heh heh, a bunch of ants dares to scold the Blue Demon Race. All of you, shut up!”
With the calm command from that person, several Void Cores who were on guard outside smirked and attacked at the same time!
Pa pa pa pa pa pa!
A series of clear slapping sounds could be heard, and the street instantly fell silent. Closely after…
Thud thud thud thud!!
The ones being slapped were the Void Core Blue Demon experts! Several figures that had jumped into the air were sent flying outside Old Cow’s shop door at an even faster speed. They could not stop their retreat and staggered before eventually falling on their b.u.t.tocks. They felt dizzy, and their faces were swollen and numb, to the point that they lost all feeling.
“Who gave you the guts to attack people on my Heavenly Treasures Street?”
Before the Void Cores could recover from their shock, they heard a calm voice reverberating from the sky.
At that moment, the Void Cores were still dizzy and could not see who exactly the figure hovering in the sky was. However, the surrounding crowd suddenly exploded after a short period of absolute silence.
“My G.o.d! Uncle—Uncle Zhong?”
“That’s Uncle Zhong! Uncle Zhong isn’t dead! Uncle Zhong is back!”
“Those were all rumors! Ha ha ha ha ha! I just knew that those were all rumors! Uncle Zhong is so impressive. How could he suddenly die at the hands of a few rats from the underground world.”
Several screams followed, and the Heavenly Treasures Street instantly seethed with excitement as frenzied cheers penetrated the skies.
Closely after, a thumping sound could be heard from inside the house as several figures rushed out.
Mugthol, Old Cow, and Little Muddle Head had surprised faces, and their eyes were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with tears. There were also two Blue Demon Solid Cores with extremely ugly expressions on their faces.
“w.a.n.g Zhong!!” Little Muddle Head could not help but scream.
Lao w.a.n.g smiled at her. Closely after, he turned his gaze towards the two Blue Demon Solid Cores. “Were you the ones who asked them to shut up?”
Pap!
The Solid Core Blue Demon reacted extremely quickly and simply slapped himself in the face. A moment ago, he had been full of arrogance, but at this moment, he was full of smiles. “Master, you are mistaken. I was scolding my disappointing subordinates and wanted them to shut up. I didn’t know that these beasts would make such a mistake. If Master w.a.n.g Zhong had not stopped us in time, I’m afraid that the Blue Demon Race would not be able to avoid the crime of bullying the weak. I am extremely grateful!”
In an instant, unbridled laughter could be heard from the surroundings. Once Lao w.a.n.g returned, everyone in the entire Heavenly Treasures Street immediately felt as if they now had confidence. The Blue Demon Race that was once una.s.sailable to the Heavenly Treasures Street was now like a Pekinese pitifully wagging its tail. This scene made everyone feel proud and elated.
“…” Lao w.a.n.g was speechless. It was a skill for someone to be this shameless. He calmly looked at the Blue Demon. “I heard that the Blue Demon Race wants to chase the Earthlings and Mugthol out of the Heavenly Treasures Street?”
“Master, you are mistaken once again! The Blue Demon Race has already occupied three streets in Catanlyke District. Even if Master gives the Heavenly Treasures Street to us, how can the Blue Demon Race manage it?” The Solid Core was full of smiles. “I simply said so as there were too many people casting covetous eyes at the Heavenly Treasures Street. I simply wanted to lend Brother Mugthol and the Earth civilization a helping hand using the name of the Blue Demon Race. Since Master has returned to frighten those scoundrels, no one will dare to seize the Heavenly Treasures Street. The Blue Demon Race can also retire now.”
In reality, one could not blame the Blue Demon Race for being this useless. If a mere level-6 civilization had a Gold Core, they might be considered a powerful presence in Catanlyke District, but in the entire Land, they would not be considered much, regardless of whether it was in terms of their power or their weak Gold Core who was not that famous. Otherwise, they would not have remained as local tyrants in the middle circle after living in the Star Alliance for so many years. Furthermore, the levels of the people that w.a.n.g Zhong interacted with were actual high-leveled civilizations in the Star Alliance, such as the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race. In fact, even the Blood Demon Race, who w.a.n.g Zhong treated with disdain, was considered an outstanding civilization among the level-7 ones. How could the mere Blue Demon Race challenge a person like w.a.n.g Zhong? This was someone who had even eliminated Phumetheus. If they actually provoked him, even the almighty Gold Core expert in their race would suffer.
Most importantly, many things had happened, and he did not die even after falling into the Netherworld River. No matter what happened, they could not provoke him.
Thus, at that moment, even though there was no end to the roars of laughter in the surroundings, the Blue Demon Solid Cores did not mind them and even smiled obsequiously.
“I have never liked beating around the bush.” w.a.n.g Zhong simply looked at him calmly. “You should slap yourself a hundred times to compensate Mugthol. Then, get the Blue Demon Race to send over 500,000 Gold Star Stones. This matter will then be settled. If not, go back and tell your Blue Demon Ancestor that w.a.n.g Zhong will definitely make a personal visit to witness the methods of the top almighty Gold Core expert in Catanlyke District.”
The Solid Core’s face instantly turned ghastly pale.
The Blue Demon Ancestor was the G.o.d of their race, but he was being taken lightly by someone else. To be honest, if another Solid Core dared to speak in this manner, they would definitely not live to see another day. But this was w.a.n.g Zhong…
“Today’s matter is my fault. My ancestor has always admired Master as well. If he knew about this, my punishment might be even more severe.” The Solid Core was alert and placed all the responsibility on himself as he was afraid that it would appear as if the Blue Demon Ancestor was afraid of w.a.n.g Zhong. “Master, you are extremely generous with this matter. I am extremely grateful for that.”
“You, go back to the race and bring 500,000 Gold Star Stones back!” he instructed his Void Core subordinate.
Pa pa pa pa.
There was a series of slapping sounds as the Solid Core Blue Demon continuously slapped himself. By the time he finished slapping himself 100 times, the money had arrived. The Blue Demon politely gave the money to w.a.n.g Zhong at the entrance of the flower shop before running off and vanis.h.i.+ng.
The entire street instantly burst out into shouts and jumps of joy as everyone shouted “Uncle Zhong”.
Over the past few days, the news of w.a.n.g Zhong’s death had left the entire Heavenly Treasures Street in a state of worry and fear. They felt as if they had lost their support. Now, their support had returned and suppressed the ambition of the Blue Demon Race with such power. With such a powerful protector, who would worry that the Heavenly Treasures Street would not prosper?
Lao w.a.n.g looked at the excited and fanatical crowd that filled the streets. With his vision, he could easily recognize many unusual gazes that contained shock and unease. They were probably the spies that were placed in the Heavenly Treasures Street by various races. It was likely that the news of his return would immediately spread throughout the entire Star Alliance in an hour.
Furthermore, with w.a.n.g Zhong being one of the key figures in the incident that involved the Netherworld King and the Ninth Shade Faction, the allies like the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race and the Machinery Race would send their greetings, while plans and traps set by enemies like the Fire Demon Race and the Blood Demon Race would come one after another. The rare days of peace that he had obtained had also reached their end.
Then come!
Lao w.a.n.g was already prepared, especially after he knew that the Earth had dealt with a Solid Core from the Blood Demon Race. The Earth’s situation and their potential were worlds apart from that of in the past. The Sea King was right that there were definitely many people who were casting covetous eyes at the Earthlings. Rather than pa.s.sively waiting for them to take apart their own conspiracies, it was better to actively attack. It was time to go all out!
…
As expected, the moment he contacted Ma Dong through Old Cow to understand the current situation on Earth, news from various places were also transmitted to the Heavenly Treasures Street in an endless stream. The Street was linked to the Star Alliance communications hub and was able to enter the civilization network of the Fifth Dimension. Thus, they received information from the various large civilizations extremely quickly.
First up was the news from Machine Rhode D, Wanwan Min from the Insect Race, and several others. After all, the Machinery Race had a shared network among themselves, and a law enforcement squad was on duty in the Heavenly Treasures Street. However, the Blue Demon Race had restrained their words, and the law enforcement squad did not have the right to involve themselves in the incident. However, the moment w.a.n.g Zhong appeared, the Machinery Race law enforcement squad noticed and sent the information to their shared network. Thus, everyone in the Machinery Race knew about this. If the Machinery Race knew about this, then the Insect Race would know about it as well. However, these people had sent messages using their personal ident.i.ties. They simply wanted to confirm what Lao w.a.n.g’s current situation was like before expressing their excitement and joy.
After that, there was a message from Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent Erza. As the ruler of the Heavenly Gates, she had the best access to information. However, there was not much in her message. w.a.n.g Zhong was asked to immediately return to the Heavenly Gates and meet her before reporting the results of the Celestial Honors a.s.signment.
Even if the Superintendent did not instruct Lao w.a.n.g to do this, he would have done so. The Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race had been extremely generous and loyal towards the Earth this time, to the point that Lao w.a.n.g was slightly surprised. Lao w.a.n.g was grateful towards the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent. Furthermore, if he wanted to communicate the matters regarding Mu Zi to the higher-ups in the Heavenly Gates, the first person he had to contact was the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent.
After that, there were messages from the various powers or his good friends in the Heavenly Gates. Perhaps they received the information more slowly, but their reactions were naturally enthusiastic as well. There was no need to mention the reactions of his good friends, but even the civilizations and powers that did not have much relations with w.a.n.g Zhong and the Earth sent congratulatory messages respectively. They sounded very close to the Earth and w.a.n.g Zhong, and seemed extremely happy about this.
w.a.n.g Zhong could see that regardless of whether the Earth would encounter a period of trouble, at the very least, more people were paying attention to them, and their influence had grown. This was the true reality.
“That’s amazing!” When w.a.n.g Zhong finished explaining everything regarding Mu Zi to him over a video call, Ma Dong finally felt a sense of relief. w.a.n.g Zhong was still the main pillar of support for the Earth but so was Mu Zi. If Mu Zi had been seized by the Netherworld King just like what was said in the rumors, then the impact on Earth would have been far too detrimental.
It was good now. w.a.n.g Zhong was fine, and so was Mu Zi, who had also subdued the Netherworld King. Furthermore, looking at the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race’s att.i.tude in dealing with this matter, the dangers that the Earth encountered over the past few days would be easily resolved when w.a.n.g Zhong returned to the Heavenly Gates to negotiate. The Earth might even level up as a result.
Ma Dong said a.s.suredly, “You don’t have to worry about the Earth. After we dealt with all the bad sheep back then, the Patriarch Society is now united. When I publicize the news of your return, everyone will put down their burdens and unite. I dare say that the Earth has never been this united!”
Ma Dong laughed out loud. It was obvious that the ma.s.sive weight in his heart had finally been lifted, “Also, Emily and the rest keep saying that they want to come to the Land, especially after slaughtering that Solid Core Blood Demon. This bunch has become extremely arrogant. w.a.n.g Zhong, could you…?”
Since they were able to eliminate a Solid Core, this bunch of people felt they had sufficient ability to make a living in the Land.
“There’s no hurry. As long as there are Aura laboratories, they still have much room for improvement even if they stay on Earth. Furthermore”—there was a glint in w.a.n.g Zhong’s eyes—”this time, there will be some large waves when I return to the Heavenly Gates. I’m afraid that I cannot distract myself with making arrangements for them.”
“I understand.” Ma Dong nodded his head. “What is happening there is most important. As for Emily and the rest, I will appease them. No matter what you are doing, just let everything go and do it! Furthermore, with our current speed of development, I believe that the Earth can give you actual help and support very soon.”
The Earth was not idling throughout this period of time either. Other than actively reorganizing their people and uniting them, they had been advancing in areas including information collection and a.n.a.lysis. Lao w.a.n.g obtained information from Ma Dong which listed data about all the large civilizations who had relations with the Earth, as well as their att.i.tude towards it.
Only a few races, including the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race, the Machinery Race, the Illusion Race, and the Ocean Empire Planet, could be considered good friends of theirs. However, only the Blood Demon Race was confirmed to be an enemy.
Most of the other civilizations maintained a neutral stance. After all, the Blood Demon Race had just suffered greatly at the Heavenly Gates because of the Earth. Right now, no one was sure of what att.i.tude the higher-ups in the Heavenly Gates took towards the Earth. Furthermore, in the past, many people looked down upon the Earth as they thought that the Earth only had w.a.n.g Zhong. There were numerous civilizations with only one or two great experts that had risen to power by coincidence, but these civilizations typically did not have any actual strength and were only impressive for a period of time. One should not think that the Gold Core Realm was eternal, as only their lifespan was eternal. On the contrary, after one achieved this Realm, they would typically encounter brutal people. With little support behind them, if they were slightly careless and offended someone powerful, this could become a disaster that wiped out their race. It was not easy to be able to s.h.i.+ne for several hundred years. Thus, there was no need to treat such civilizations differently.
However, besides w.a.n.g Zhong, the Earth also had the Netherworld King from the underground world and the rising star of the Arena. In fact, besides these three people, there were even people on the Earth who had the ability to instantly kill a Solid Core. Thus, it was completely different… Many civilizations now treated the Earth as a standard level-6 civilization. Regardless of whether it was their words and actions or their att.i.tude towards the Earth, they would be much more cautious and would not easily offend a civilization with the strength of a standard level-6 civilization. This was a standard that most people in the Star Alliance acknowledged.
Thus, frankly speaking, the only enemy that the Earth had was the Blood Demon Race. Perhaps the Fire Demon Race was still hiding in their shadows, but this was the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race’s problem.
Looking at the list in his hand, a rudimentary plan had started to form in Lao w.a.n.g’s mind.
The Sea King was right. Their reputation would be built upon the corpses of thousands. If the Earth wanted to establish a stable footing, they had to be powerful! They could only ensure that the neutral parties would not become enemies of the Earth when everyone realized their power and strength.
The Blood Demon Race… They would be his first target!
…
Upon his return to the Heavenly Gates, he followed the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent’s instructions and went to the Internal Gates. He thought that only the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent would be waiting in the Superintendent Hall but never expected that there would be two other surprise guests.
They were Chief Judge Lyune and Arbitrator Wikans from the Machinery Race.
“w.a.n.g Zhong, let me introduce them to you.”
The Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent was full of smiles. Just as she was about to introduce the two of them to w.a.n.g Zhong, Arbitrator Wikans said, “Superintendent, we are acquainted with w.a.n.g Zhong.”
“w.a.n.g Zhong, we meet again.” Even though Chief Judge Lyune had the unchanging poker face of the Machinery Race, his voice was filled with an amiable tone.
“Good day, Superintendent, Chief Judge Lyune, and Arbitrator Wikans.” w.a.n.g Zhong smiled.
The last time he had seen these two Machines was when he had gone to the Machinery Palace to partic.i.p.ate in their law-enforcement-game compet.i.tion. However, he did not interact much with them.
The Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent did not seem surprised. After all, everyone in the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race now knew about the relations.h.i.+p between w.a.n.g Zhong and the Machinery Race. Some said that w.a.n.g Zhong had built relations with the Machinery Race with a stroke of good luck by using the “law enforcement game”. However, the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent, as well as several higher-ups in the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race, knew that it was the Machinery Race that had gotten w.a.n.g Zhong into the Heavenly Gates. This was long before the law enforcement game had trended.
“No need for these formalities.” These three figures had rather easygoing personalities. Of course, this “easygoingness” depended on who they were talking to.
However, the moment he finished speaking, a carefree voice suddenly sounded from outside the hall. “I heard that w.a.n.g Zhong from the Celestial Honors Cla.s.s has returned to the Heavenly Gates and has brought first-hand information regarding the Netherworld King incident. According to the rules of the Celestial Honors Cla.s.s, w.a.n.g Zhong should immediately report the results and any feedback to the a.s.signments department. Yet, the Superintendent instantly invited w.a.n.g Zhong to the meeting hall. Is there something confidential that had to be discussed in private?”
This voice resembled that of Elder Miehill from the Fire Demon Race. Furthermore, there were many shuffling sounds from outside the door. It was obvious that more than one or two people were outside.
“Not bad. Right now, the Netherworld King incident is not settled yet. w.a.n.g Zhong has just returned from the underground world and is involved in this matter. Thus, his ident.i.ty is sensitive. I think that the Superintendent’s actions are improper.” This was the voice of Elder Baifan from the Natural Race.
The relaxed atmosphere in the hall instantly vanished and became slightly more solemn and quieter. Since the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent could receive the news that w.a.n.g Zhong had appeared at the Heavenly Treasures Street, the other races would definitely be able to as well. Furthermore, it was obvious that any interested people from the races in the Heavenly Gates could easily obtain information about w.a.n.g Zhong’s whereabouts, when he had returned to the Heavenly Gates through the transmission pathway, and even what time he had walked out of the transmission pathway and into the Internal Gates. Thus, they knew that he was in the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent’s meeting hall at that moment, so it was not strange for a large group of people to come over.
If only Elder Miehill was here, perhaps Superintendent Erza would not have paid much attention to him. After all, the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race and the Fire Demon Race stood opposite of each other. If he made any irresponsible and sarcastic remarks, she could simply ignore them. However, Elder Baifan was different. He represented the Natural Race, one of the four great races in the Heavenly Gates.
The four great races in the Heavenly Gates were the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race, the Fire Demon Race, the Natural Race, and the Soul Race. As for the Machinery Race and the Insect Race, who were also level-8 civilizations, their main responsibility was the management of the Star Alliance, not the Heavenly Gates. Thus, when it came to all the decisions within the Heavenly Gates, their influence was much smaller than these four great races.
Over the past few days, the debates regarding the Netherworld King, the Earth, and various other matters in the Heavenly Gates had reached a climax.
On the one hand, they definitely had to send a team of Celestial Honors Masters to kill the Netherworld King. However, the underground world had not confirmed his exact location, and the selection for the Celestial Honors team had not been determined either. Thus, they had not taken action.
On the other hand, there were rumors that the Netherworld King was an Earthling. The Blood Demon Race insisted on convicting the Earth, while the Fire Demon Race secretly supported them and helped them to win many votes from the neutral parties. As a result, they formed a completely opposing stance from the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race and the Machinery Race, who were guarding the Earth.
Both parties were of equal strength, and each stuck to their own argument. They were both competing for the support of the Soul Race and the Natural Race, who had maintained a neutral and fair stance all along. It was now the crucial period when the dispute was about to come to an end. It could be said that whoever convinced the Soul Race and the Natural Race would be able to possess absolute influence over this matter.
Furthermore, w.a.n.g Zhong’s “revival from the dead” was obviously a turning point. His words could influence the judgment of the Natural Race and the Soul Race towards this matter to a very large extent. But now, the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent had first summoned w.a.n.g Zhong solely, as if she wanted to hear his “confession” first. There was a faint sense of hiding the truth from the public. It was obvious the neutral Natural Race and the Soul Race were somewhat unhappy about this, Elder Baifan’s tone had already revealed his dissatisfaction towards the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race.
“Elder Baifan, you are exaggerating. I was not attentive in my considerations. However, I am just concerned about w.a.n.g Zhong. When I found out that he was not dead after experiencing a catastrophe, I just wanted to meet him. I have no other intentions.” Superintendent Erza waved her delicate hand. The door of the hall was already open. “Since the Elders have all arrived, then it’s fitting. There’s no time like the present. Everyone, come and listen to what w.a.n.g Zhong has to say about this matter.”
w.a.n.g Zhong turned to look outside the door. At that moment, 17 or 18 people were standing there. There were both people he recognized and many he did not. There was Supervisor Tsargesimon from the Combat Cultivation Hall and Elder Yimo from the Pill Refinery Hall, as well as the Fire Demon Race, the Blood Demon Race, the Natural Race, the Soul Race, the t.i.tans, and so on. They were all almighty Gold Core experts, elders, or leaders of the various races. They were also high-ranking senior officials in the Heavenly Gates and were overlords.
At that moment, the doors of the hall were opened, and everyone walked into the hall in a single file. Firstly, they greeted Superintendent Erza, Chief Judge Lyune, and Arbitrator Wikans. Elder Miehill was full of smiles as he looked at w.a.n.g Zhong. “Little w.a.n.g Zhong really has exceptional talents. You were able to survive even after suffering severe injuries and falling into the Netherworld River. You are truly deserving of respect.”
The moment he finished speaking, someone beside him responded, “Ha ha, Elder Miehill might not know this, but the Earth civilization is not ordinary and definitely has a special connection to that Netherworld River.”
w.a.n.g Zhong looked at the person who spoke. It was Elder Aikesi from the Blood Demon Race.
“There has not been any solid evidence on whether or not the Earth has any relation to the Netherworld King. Elder Aikesi, you’re insinuating too much with your words. Are you intentionally hinting at something?” Supervisor Tsargesimon obviously sided with the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race. Even though the t.i.tan Race was only a level-7 civilization, their strength was the highest among all the level-7 civilizations. In fact, many people placed the t.i.tan Race on the same level as level-8 civilizations. It was obvious that they also had relative influence in the Heavenly Gates.
Elder Aikesi glanced at him slightly. Even though he did not say anything, the disdain on his face was as overflowing as that of his words.
w.a.n.g Zhong silently observed. He could already tell what extent the factional struggle within the Heavenly Gates had reached just from this conversation.
Superintendent Erza disrupted the low discussion voices and simply said, “w.a.n.g Zhong, before you went on your a.s.signment, you should have read records regarding the generations of the Netherworld King. Furthermore, you just came back from the underground world and should know the importance of this issue. There are also some senseless rumors saying that the Netherworld King is an Earthling and that the slaughter of the Ninth Shade Faction was because of you… Heh heh, but rumors do not reach the wise. I was just chatting to the Chief Judge and the Arbitrator about the Netherworld King. Now that the elders of the various races are all present, everyone wants to listen to your opinions. If these rumors are the result of people trying to intentionally harm the Earth and challenging the relations.h.i.+p between the Earth and the Star Alliance, we will not let them off lightly.”
She was also afraid that Lao w.a.n.g would say the wrong thing. However, the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent’s hint was excessively obvious.
The Heavenly Gates had always sealed up and suppressed the Netherworld King. They also took high-handed measures against the civilizations that produced the Netherworld King’s physical body. These civilizations simply went extinct in order to prevent future disasters.
Lao w.a.n.g understood that the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent wanted to give the Earth a way out, as well as to protect w.a.n.g Zhong and the Earth. As long as w.a.n.g Zhong could disprove the relations.h.i.+p between the Earth and the Netherworld King, the Earth could stay aloof from this matter. To be honest, if they had not signed a contract with the Netherworld King, this might have been the only way that Earth could survive. After all, even the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race could not publicly challenge the tradition of the entire Star Alliance and not care about the safety and interests of the many races. Otherwise, only death would await them, even if it was the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race.
But now…
“I’ve worried the Superintendent. Indeed, the Netherworld King controlled my good friend Mu Zi for a period of time and used his body to do a few things. However, after contesting with him, we found a way to punish the Netherworld King on h.e.l.l Island. Right now, the Netherworld King has signed a slave contract with Mu Zi, so he no longer poses any threat to the Star Alliance.”
The moment he finished speaking, the hall instantly fell silent.
Even Elder Aikesi from the Blood Demon Race, as well as the opposing or neutral parties in the hall, all did not react, let alone the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent.
“Since I said so, I will definitely let Mu Zi prove it. All who are present here are seniors and almighty experts, and there is no need to doubt such a small matter. As for the Ninth Shade Faction,” said w.a.n.g Zhong with a stern expression, “they violated the rules of the Star Alliance and targeted a member of the Celestial Honors Cla.s.s with a Gold Core from their Faction. They wholeheartedly wanted me dead. This counts as a crime of extinguis.h.i.+ng a race. Thus, a member of my race eliminated the entire Ninth Shade Faction and was standing up for justice on behalf of the Star Alliance. I’m afraid that no one can put the blame on the Earth as a result. If we were to take the blame, then I have something else to report. The Ninth Shade Faction was bought by the Blood Demon Race, which was why an almighty Gold Core expert was sent to attack me. I personally witnessed and experienced this. This was an attempted a.s.sa.s.sination of a CHC member. Elder Aikesi of the Blood Demon Race, do you deny this crime?”
w.a.n.g Zhong forcibly took the initiative. He needed to lead the rhythm in this fuzzy situation and give the other party some face.
Elder Aikesi did not seem to mind his words. He smiled and said, “Dear w.a.n.g Zhong, the Ninth Shade Faction incident has concluded, and the Heavenly Gates is chasing the remaining members who have run away, including Elder Hades, who was said to have committed violence against you in the rumors. As for whether or not this matter was orchestrated by the Blood Demon Race, you can naturally extort a confession when you capture those members. But before that, let’s not talk about matters without any evidence. There’s no significance to that. Furthermore, pay attention to your ident.i.ty. The problem of the Ninth Shade Faction is very serious and cannot be resolved with a casual statement from you.”
Controlled the Netherworld King? Made him submit? What kind of ma.s.sive joke was this? The will of the Netherworld River had always been an inconvenience to them.
“A mere Solid Core is so insolent. He is simply talking nonsense!”
“Heh heh, a mere Solid Core from a mere low-leveled civilization dreams of controlling the Netherworld King. How hilarious!”
“w.a.n.g Zhong.” The Heavenly Sh.e.l.l superintendent interrupted their mocking. Then, she looked at w.a.n.g Zhong with a complex expression in her eyes. “Do you have proof?”
“Yes, Superintendent. The Netherworld King is still on standby and is waiting for the Heavenly Gates to summon him. However, I have prepared the proof.” w.a.n.g Zhong waved his left hand, and a simple video gadget from the Machinery Race appeared in his hand. “Everyone, please take a look.”
He turned on the switch, and a ray of light swept past. Then, a three-dimensional video image was projected in the hall.
w.a.n.g Zhong, Mu Zi, and Grai appeared in the video.
Everyone in the underground world knew what Mu Zi and Grai looked like, and many people present who paid attention to the Netherworld King incident naturally knew this very well and immediately recognized them.
In the video, w.a.n.g Zhong signaled at Mu Zi with a nod. Then, Mu Zi smiled, and the Netherworld aura revolved around him as a summoning runic array immediately appeared on his chest.
Elder Aikesi from the Blood Demon Race and even Elder Miehill from the Fire Demon Race furrowed their eyebrows slightly. Black smoke rose from the summoning rune and turned into black fog that was completely made out of Netherworld aura before transforming into a humanoid figure.
“I, the will of the Netherworld River, have taken Earthling Mu Zi as my master. I am willing to follow my master for the rest of my life in this world. I will listen to all orders from my owner and never betray him!”
As he spoke, the Netherworld River in the background started to boil, and ma.s.sive waves that reached the skies rose. Then, they continuously nodded and bowed at the camera like a human would…
The video only lasted for a short span of just over ten seconds, and not much was said, but the information revealed was shocking.
Everyone present had good vision and could instantly recognize the soul that the Netherworld aura had formed. There was no doubt that it was the Netherworld King that had caused headaches for many civilizations! Only the fabled Netherworld King could control the Netherworld aura and the Netherworld River to this extent.
Furthermore, the summoning array on Mu Zi’s body was very familiar and was extremely similar to the soul contract array that the elemental spirits used. The rune details were so profound that even a few almighty Gold Core experts present could not understand them…
It was impossible for this video to be forged. If it was fake, these people would have immediately been able to recognize it. Furthermore, since the Netherworld King had submitted, the authenticity of this could be determined as long as the Heavenly Gates summoned him. Thus, it would be completely pointless to fake this.
It was actually real? The Netherworld King had submitted to Mu Zi the Earthling and took him as his master?
The hall was silent, and everyone was somewhat dumbstruck. Even the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent, who had never been shocked by anything, looked slightly fearful. This was simply unimaginable.
As an Earthling, his combat abilities were natural. w.a.n.g Zhong’s voice reverberated throughout the quiet hall. “The soul contract has now been signed. As long as Mu Zi achieves the Gold Core Realm, his life will be eternal, and the Netherworld King will exist in this world as a servant for the rest of eternity. He will be controlled by his owner and will never be able to cause disasters again. Won’t this resolve the matter once and for all, compared to repeatedly sealing and suppressing him? I hope that the Superintendent and the elders will make a judicious ruling!”
These words were extremely alluring. The Netherworld King had always been the worry of the Land. If they were able to resolve this once and for all, everyone would be glad to see this happen. Many elders who were pa.s.sionately debating over following the rules previously were moved at this moment.
However, Elder Aikesi said, “What a joke! Even if what you say is real, how difficult is it to achieve the Gold Core Realm? What if this Earthling cannot achieve his Gold Core? He will no longer live forever and will eventually die. When he dies and the Netherworld King regains his freedom, wouldn’t we have wasted our opportunity to conquer him!”
“Mu Zi and I were able to acc.u.mulate our Solid Core in the short span of one or two years after entering the Land. Who dares to say that we don’t have the possibility of achieving the Gold Core Realm?”
“Such empty words. Even a level-4 civilization dares to speak carelessly about achieving the Gold Core Realm so easily? What morals, abilities, insider information, and natural endowments do you Earthlings have to dare to say such words?”
“Heh heh, Elder Aikesi, you really need not worry about the ‘natural endowments’ of us Earthlings.”
“You?!”
w.a.n.g Zhong laughed scornfully. In reality, he knew the att.i.tudes of the various races just by looking at the expressions of the many elders in the hall. Aikesi was no more than a caged and wounded beast that was still trying to fight.
Frankly speaking, this video had not only helped the Star Alliance resolve a great inconvenience but also allowed the Netherworld King to announce that he had taken an Earthling as his master. How powerful was the Netherworld King who could control the Netherworld River? This alone was a ma.s.sive force.
It was fine if the Earth was alone, but the Earth just happened to have the Machinery Race, the Insect Race, and the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race behind them. In particular, the determination of the Machinery Race and the Insect Race put an end to their thoughts.
“That’s enough.” There was a slight smile on the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Superintendent’s face. The Netherworld King had become the servant of an Earthling, which meant that the strength of the Earth had increased significantly. If they were given some time, regardless of whether it was w.a.n.g Zhong or Mu Zi who had suppressed the Netherworld King, they would both be able to grow to a very terrifying extent. They would definitely become the right-hand men of the Heavenly Sh.e.l.l Race. “Elder Miehill, Elder Baifan, and Elder Yimo, what do the three of you think?”
“There are no inherently evil powers. It simply depends on what their owner uses them for.” Elder Baifan heaved a long sigh. “w.a.n.g Zhong is right. It is better to put a stop to this rather than letting it continue. I think that we can trust the Earthlings and the Netherworld King.”