Chapter 497 Trial Day · Invincible Realm Battlefield (3)
Li Tianlan looked at the silent w.a.n.g Tianzong and the silent screen, but he did not say anything.
w.a.n.g Tianzong’s meaning was very simple.
In desperation, he did not really care about whether the Shadow Throne was powerful or not.
Only the life and death of KingTong and Paul were his bottom line.
Li Tianlan was deep in thought.
With w.a.n.g Tianzong’s current status, he would not threaten him with anything even though he cut a sorry figure at the moment.
He said that this was the bottom line.
Then it was the bottom line.
Li Tianlan believed that w.a.n.g Tianzong did not just say that to him.
At this moment, even Zhongzhou State knew this sentence.
This sounded like a threat, but also like a deal.
w.a.n.g Tianzong could be imprisoned here because he kept the rules and did not want to touch the bottom line of all of Zhongzhou State.
So what he meant by this sentence was that he did not want Zhongzhou State and Li Tianlan to touch his bottom line.
This completely showed that the relationship between the w.a.n.g family of Beihai and Rothschild was far deeper than everyone had seen. Otherwise, w.a.n.g Tianzong would not have done such a thing as threaten Zhongzhou State.
This sentence’s bottom line was undoubtedly a difficult problem for Li Tianlan.
The situation tonight was completely led by Li Tianlan. He had already had no choice but to advance.
If Paul and KingTong did not die, Li Tianlan would die.
But now, w.a.n.g Tianzong stood there with a calm face. If Paul and KingTong died, Li Tianlan would also die.
Li Tianlan could only leave the problem to w.a.n.g Tianzong.
He did not have to kill Paul and KingTong.
He could also choose not to kill the Dark Knights and the Qin Clan.
If the Vatican, or the Heroes’ Club, or Fantasy World, or the Men in Black killed them, would w.a.n.g Tianzong also blame Li Tianlan?
It sounded unreasonable, but the problem was that Li Tianlan really did not know the answer.
When w.a.n.g Tianzong had stated his bottom line, the other forces chose to kill Paul and KingTong. If w.a.n.g Tianzong took action, both of them would suffer some injuries.
But after weighing the pros and cons, Li Tianlan’s injury would still be more serious.
Because w.a.n.g Tianzong would kill him directly.
After that, he might be punished by Zhongzhou State in a rage, and the w.a.n.g family of Beihai might pay a high price.
But when he had shown his bottom line, Li Tianlan had touched his bottom line first. Then who had violated the rules of the game first?
Li Tianlan looked at the screen quietly without saying a word.
He was waiting for w.a.n.g Tianzong’s answer.
That kind of fear and tension began to rise from his heart again, constantly hovered, and finally occupied his perception.
w.a.n.g Tianzong did not move at all.
But Li Tianlan felt that w.a.n.g Tianzong was a storm that could easily swallow him, even all of the Office of the President.
This storm was very soft, but it was extremely oppressive and piercingly cold.
w.a.n.g Tianzong did not know how long it took before he slowly withdrew his gaze from the screen.
He glanced at Li Tianlan.
Li Tianlan was also looking at him.
Both sides looked at each other calmly.
“I’ve finished speaking.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong said, “I don’t care to watch this show.”
He slowly turned around and directly left Li Tianlan’s room.
Li Tianlan sat still on the spot. But for the first time, his face became extremely gloomy.
He said that he would not kill Paul and KingTong.
But he did not say that others would not kill them.
w.a.n.g Tianzong was familiar with such an obvious word game.
Li Tianlan just wanted to test w.a.n.g Tianzong’s att.i.tude. If someone killed KingTong and Paul, what would he do?
But w.a.n.g Tianzong’s att.i.tude was void of any att.i.tude.
He did not care about Li Tianlan’s word game at all.
He walked into the room, said his bottom line, and then left.
He was not here to negotiate. All of this was like an order, or perhaps a notice.
w.a.n.g Tianzong did not care about the Shadow Throne.
He did not even care about Li Tianlan, who had locked him up here.
What he cared about were the rules.
According to today’s rules, he would not leave the Office of the President or allow KingTong and Paul to die.
That was all.
Li Tianlan’s face turned pale.
w.a.n.g Tianzong’s every move looked arrogant to him.
His warning was so clear and straightforward that Li Tianlan could only feel the contempt for him in it.
Li Tianlan took a deep breath and reluctantly relaxed his expression.
He took out a cigarette and lit it. He bit the cigarette b.u.t.t hard and looked at KingTong and Paul on the screen, lost in thought.
w.a.n.g Tianzong did not answer his question.
So Li Tianlan did not know how he would react if someone killed KingTong and Paul.
The reason why he didn’t know was that he was not sure.
Precisely because he was not sure, Li Tianlan suddenly felt great pressure and scruples in his heart.
“Let’s do it quickly. Kill him.”
A clear and calm voice suddenly rang out.
A pair of white and tender hands appeared on Li Tianlan’s shoulder.
Dongcheng Rushi gently rubbed Li Tianlan’s shoulder with a calm face.
Li Tianlan’s taut body slowly relaxed under Dongcheng Rushi’s kneading.
He leaned on the sofa, shook his head wearily, and said with a wry smile, “How to kill him?”
“I have Silence,” Dongcheng Rushi said.
Her Martial Arts seemed to belong to Jade Pool.
But if it was divided in detail, the famous sword Silence of Jade Pool was her real path.
Her cultivation was simple and pure. It was the sword intent left by the first few Invincible Realm Sword Lords when practicing Jade Pool.
She and Li Tianlan were the same age.
They were born on the same day, the same month, and the same year.
It was almost no distance for the 22-year-old Dongcheng Rushi to reach the Peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm, as if she would break through at any moment.
If she could completely merge the sword intent in Silence tonight, she could have entered the Invincible Realm in one night.
Of course, Dongcheng Rushi could not do that.
But now, she had the famous sword Silence in her hand. The moment when the sword edge was unsheathed, it was the real Invincible Realm attack.
Even if the power of this sword strike could not reach the Peak of the Invincible Realm, once the majestic sword intent in Silence burst out, it would be comparable to the power of a master in the middle of the Divine List.
In a sense, Dongcheng Rushi’s special Martial Arts limited her achievement limit. But it also made her very special.
Dongcheng Rushi, who was holding the famous sword Silence, was equivalent to a master holding a murderous weapon at the Peak of the Thunder-shocking Realm.
These were the forces that were powerful enough to make the Invincible Realm experts retreat and avoid trouble.
The only problem was that the murderous weapon consumed a lot of energy.
But Silence consumed a person’s life.
“No.”
Li Tianlan shook his head without hesitation. After a pause, he said again, “Not enough.”
He could not let Dongcheng Rushi pull out her sword.
Dongcheng Rushi’s current realm was still a little low. But what was left in the Silence Sword was more than the sword intent of one Silence Sword Lord. There were a few sword intents that came from Silence. They looked the same, but their subtle changes were extremely complicated. Dongcheng Rushi wanted to use her sword intent to barely control the Sword Energy and sword intent in the Silence Sword. But she would only be seriously injured and not die due to drawing the sword after she could reach the Half-step Invincible Realm, which was infinitely close to the Invincible Realm.
As for now, Dongcheng Rushi struggled to pull out her sword. The chance of her survival was less than 10 percent. It was totally a close call.
What could happen after Dongcheng Rushi drew her sword?
The Silence Sword could be said to be in the Invincible Realm.
Li Tianlan himself could be considered to be in the Invincible Realm.
Even if Qin Xilai and Rafael were here, together with Situ Cangyue and Tribulation from Sigh City, and the six of them attacked together, they would not be w.a.n.g Tianzong’s opponent.
w.a.n.g Tianzong did not even need to draw his sword.
Including the Master of Samsara Palace and Lin Fengting.
They were the eight Invincible Realm experts.
Only if Lin Fengting, who was at the Peak of the Invincible Realm, was here could Li Tianlan feel that there would be some chances of winning the battle.
Of course, there was also a more reliable line-up.
If it was added up by Deity of the Purgatory of Heaven Capital.
Or Deity could replace Dongcheng Rushi.
Only under this condition could Li Tianlan really want to give it a try.
However, he did not take the rules into consideration.
Even if Li Tianlan could really summon everyone and even pull Deity over, w.a.n.g Tianzong, after all, was the Sword Emperor of Zhongzhou State. How could he do anything to w.a.n.g Tianzong?
Li Tianlan silently thought of his team and w.a.n.g Tianzong’s current realm.
His heart suddenly became more depressed.
Dongcheng Rushi noticed his mood, and her movements became gentler.
“There’s something you have to remember.”
Li Tianlan stood up and looked at Dongcheng Rushi. “You’re not allowed to unsheathe your sword on this trip to Eastern Europe. You can’t even have such thoughts, do you understand?”
Dongcheng Rushi let out an “ah” and gawked at Li Tianlan, looking dull.
“Don’t play dumb.”
Under such a severe situation, Li Tianlan couldn’t help laughing out loud. He reached out and pinched Dongcheng Rushi’s tender face, and then said with a smile, “If you disobey me, I’ll leave you all alone.”
He got up and walked out of the door.
“Where are you going?” Dongcheng Rushi suddenly asked.
Li Tianlan paused and chuckled. “I just asked His Majesty Sword Emperor a question, but he didn’t answer me. So I have to ask him again.”
He pushed open the door and walked out.
w.a.n.g Tianzong’s residence was just next door, separated from Li Tianlan’s residence by a courtyard.
Li Tianlan pa.s.sed by the garden in the courtyard, and stopped in front of w.a.n.g Tianzong’s door.
He had asked the same question once, and now he asked again.
This was truly a little awkward.
However, Li Tianlan’s face was still calm. He reached out and was about to knock on the door.
“Come in.”
w.a.n.g Tianzong’s voice rang out in the room.
Li Tianlan narrowed his eyes, took a deep breath, pushed the door open and went in.
w.a.n.g Tianzong sat on the sofa in the living room, with a pot of tea on the coffee table in front of him.
w.a.n.g Tianzong knew that Li Tianlan came in and closed the door. He did not look back, but just asked calmly, “What’s the matter?”
“I have something to tell you.”
Li Tianlan sat opposite him, reached out for the teapot, and poured himself a cup of tea.
“Speak,” w.a.n.g Tianzong said in a bland tone.
Li Tianlan thought about it for a while, but with all his dignity, he could not ask the question.
If he asked this question once more, he would already be a little embarra.s.sed.
So Li Tianlan got straight to the point.
“I won’t kill KingTong and Paul.”
He looked at w.a.n.g Tianzong’s eyes with a sincere face. “But if someone else kills them, will you kill me, Your Majesty?”
w.a.n.g Tianzong froze and looked up at Li Tianlan.
Li Tianlan was also looking at him, and his eyes became more and more sincere.
w.a.n.g Tianzong finally laughed. He seemed to think that the current situation was interesting. “Are you afraid?”
“Yes.”
Li Tianlan looked at w.a.n.g Tianzong’s smile and laughed himself. “I’m scared to death.”
The images on the screen kept changing.
Dongcheng Rushi, who was staying alone in the room, stared blankly at the image that could make anyone in the Dark World feel extremely nervous. She was lost in thought.
Li Tianlan had been away for nearly 20 minutes.
Dongcheng Rushi thought for a moment, then stood up and made a cup of tea for Li Tianlan.
Tonight was bound to be a sleepless night. Li Tianlan did not sleep, so she did not want to sleep.
So she found some more snacks and put them on the tea table.
The images on the screen changed silently.
Dongcheng Rushi took a handful of melon seeds and looked at the screen with her eyes wide open, as if she was watching a modern magic war drama.
The door was pushed open from the outside.
Dongcheng Rushi stood up subconsciously, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and whispered, “You’re back, eh…”
Her voice suddenly disappeared, and her delicate eyebrows wrinkled slightly, as if she was recalling something.
A middle-aged man who she had never seen before but she was very familiar with came in through the doorway.
The man looked ordinary, but his face was clean. He wore a black casual suit that seemed to be seen everywhere. With a gentle expression, he walked in slowly. His ordinary features did not let Dongcheng Rushi feel any aura.
But Dongcheng Rushi’s body tensed up reflexively.
This person was too simple.
He was simple to the extreme, so he became real.
As he appeared, everything in the room seemed to become fake.
Only he was real.
The most real person.
The simplest person.
Dongcheng Rushi did not say anything, nor did she warn him. She just stared at the man in a daze, who was extremely familiar yet very strange to her.
The middle-aged man did not seem to expect to see Dongcheng Rushi in Li Tianlan’s room. There were anger and complexity in his eyes. He asked softly, “Do you live together?”
“Who are you?” Dongcheng Rushi asked while staring at him blankly.
The man quickly narrowed his eyebrows. Then he smiled and asked gently, “You really don’t know me?”
Dongcheng Rushi’s countless memories kept changing, and finally, they were fixed on a certain picture.
It was a few days before the final battle of Heaven Capital more than three years ago.
When he and several other young people from East Emperor Palace had been encircled by a prince of East Island, Dongcheng Rushi had also wanted to unsheathe her sword in a desperate situation.
It was just that the sword had been suppressed back by someone.
That man’s most obvious feature in Dongcheng Rushi’s memory was his pair of eyes.
They were clean, clear, simple, gentle, and friendly.
“You…”
He hesitated for a moment. “More than three years ago, you saved me in East Island.
“I’m not a bad guy,” the middle-age man said softly.
There was a flash of disappointment in his eyes.
Of course, this was not what he wanted to ask.
He asked if Dongcheng Rushi really didn’t know him, but he didn’t ask Dongcheng Rushi either.
It was another personality in Dongcheng Rushi’s body that had been silent for a long time.
“How did you get in?”
Dongcheng Rushi was a little curious.
There was no doubt that the other party was a strong man.
But now the defense of the Office of the President could not be resolved by a strong man.
The reason why w.a.n.g Tianzong was imprisoned here was that he had obeyed the rules, and more importantly, he could not leave here without being discovered by the Snowdance Corps.
In other words, even if w.a.n.g Tianzong could not get out, the people outside could not get in without a sound.
Unless he was stronger than w.a.n.g Tianzong.
In this way, there was only one possibility.
“Are there your own people in the Snowdance Corps?”
Dongcheng Rushi’s eyes seemed to flash with sharpness. “Who the h.e.l.l are you?”
“The Purgatory of Heaven Capital.”
The middle-aged man smiled and said, “Deity.”
Dongcheng Rushi’s eyes were still clear, but her expression suddenly became extremely vigilant.
“Don’t be nervous. After all, I saved you. You know I mean no harm, don’t you?”
Deity looked at Dongcheng Rushi, and his eyes were a little dazed.
Dongcheng Rushi was silent for a while, then she asked softly, “What are you doing here?”
Deity certainly had something to do.
But it wasn’t to talk to Dongcheng Rushi, he had something to talk about with Li Tianlan.
However, as he walked into the Office of the President, he suddenly discovered an extremely important problem that even made him a little uneasy.
This problem became a new one.
He looked into Dongcheng Rushi’s eyes and said softly, “Little girl, can you tell me where the high-level members of the Snowdance Corps went tonight?”
Dongcheng Rushi froze for a moment and subconsciously looked at the screen.
Only then did she realize that ever since the war at the Caesar Hotel broke out, not a single high-level member of the Snowdance Corps had ever appeared on the battlefield.
Not a single high-level official had appeared.
Then where did they go?
Dongcheng Rushi was silent for a while, then suddenly said in a serious tone, “They’re having dinner.”
Zhongzhou State.
Hidden Dragon Sea.
Jinqiu Pavilion.
When the Invincible Realm battlefield of Recchi City was fully opened, it was already the afternoon of August 18 in Youzhou.
Jinqiu Pavilion was filled with solemnness and seriousness.
The satellite of Zhongzhou State had been connected to the signal of Wulan State.
The screen in Jinqiu Pavilion’s study was displaying the battlefield in front of the door of the Caesar Hotel in Recchi City.
The scene was delayed for a while, but it did not affect the a.n.a.lysis of the situation from the Zhongzhou State President Li Huacheng.
This man, who was considered the most powerful man in Zhongzhou State, stared at the screen with a frown, and suddenly said, “Is this Tianlan’s plan?”
“Yes.”
Beside Li Huacheng, Dongcheng Wudi, who was dressed in a military uniform, nodded with a calm expression.
“The plan is too big, and it’s too hasty.”
Li Huacheng frowned tightly and said, “In war, taking a risk is a big taboo. Since Eastern Europe has become a chaotic situation, how can peace be restored in one night? What Tianlan should do now is to guard Recchi City and slowly digest the results. It’s not surprising to see such a big scene delayed for two or three years. Why is he in such a hurry?”
Dongcheng Wudi didn’t say anything.
The chaos in Eastern Europe involved so many people that it had affected all of the Dark World.
Li Huacheng was right. In such a situation, it was not surprising to drag it on for two or three years.
But the problem was that everything was ready on Tiannan’s side.
Li Tianlan couldn’t drag it on.
Moreover, Qin Weibai had prepared for such a long time.
Qin Weibai couldn’t drag it on either.
Two or three years?
Two or three months were too long.
“The intelligence of the Samsara Palace is still very accurate. Since Tianlan dares to use its intelligence to make a layout, he must be quite confident. Let’s wait and see.”
“Wait and see…”
Li Huacheng shook his head silently. “You should know Tianlan’s character. He has just started, and he is not like us. He will not leave any room for himself now. If there is a chance, he will put all his strength in one go, and he believes in a lion fighting a rabbit. This style is naturally crazy, and many things can also be solved vigorously and speedily. There is no room for improvement, and it is a big taboo. This means that he can’t make any mistakes in any part of the process, otherwise, he will either win or lose. The plan tonight is too big, and it involves too much. Who can be sure that Tianlan’s plan is not wrong? I think he himself is not sure about it.”
Dongcheng Wudi was silent for a moment.
Even if he trusted Qin Weibai very much, he couldn’t believe that Qin Weibai’s intelligence was correct.
Any mistake in the information provided by Qin Weibai might be fatal to Li Tianlan’s plan.
“That’s it…”
Dongcheng Wudi said slowly, “I can only hope everything goes well.”
After a long silence, Li Huacheng shook his head with a wry smile. “I hope so.”
The light in the study suddenly jumped.
The pictures on the screen began to change.
An incomparably elegant and graceful figure appeared on the screen.
The woman’s face, which had completely defeated time, was flawless, but she was dignified and beautiful. With a smile on her face, she was not nervous at all in the face of the two most powerful big shots of Zhongzhou State in the chaos. She just smiled softly and said, “Mr. President, Minister, it’s been a long time since we last met.”
Li Huacheng and Dongcheng Wudi looked at each other and saw confusion in each other’s eyes.
This woman looked familiar.
But perhaps because they hadn’t seen each other too many times, they couldn’t remember where they had seen each other for a while.
“Tianzong asked me to pa.s.s on a message to you two. He really wants you two to communicate with Marshal Li.”
The woman’s voice became softer and softer, making people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.
“Summer Solstice!”
Li Huacheng finally reacted and subconsciously raised his voice.
Summer Solstice smiled and bowed slightly. “I will reach Youzhou in three hours.”
Li Huacheng frowned and said nothing.
“Mrs. w.a.n.g, you just said that Tianzong asked you to pa.s.s along a message? What message?” Dongcheng Wudi, who had been silent, suddenly asked.
“Tianzong asked me to tell you that he doesn’t care about the Shadow Throne, but KingTong and Paul have to live. That’s his bottom line. Marshal Li seems to have some misunderstanding with Rothschild, so Tianzong wants you two to communicate with Tianlan. Rothschild is the most important ally of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, and has a lot of deep cooperation with Zhongzhou State. This isn’t a cooperation partner who we can give up easily, but it is the bottom line, the real bottom line!”
Li Huacheng looked calm.
Dongcheng Wudi’s expression changed.
The reason why the bottom line was the bottom line was for something that could not be touched no matter what.
He subconsciously glanced at Li Huacheng.
Li Huacheng was still looking at Summer Solstice, and his eyes were drifting somewhat.
Dongcheng Wudi’s heart sank slightly, and he sighed secretly.
“I will go to Hidden Dragon Sea directly after arriving in Youzhou. As for the details, we can talk about it face to face,” Summer Solstice said with a smile.
Dongcheng Wudi twitched the corner of his mouth, then smiled and said, “Of course, Madam, welcome.”
Then the video call was hung up.
Li Huacheng remained silent for a long time, not saying a word.
Dongcheng Wudi tried to speak several times and just groaned in the end.
“Summer Solstice is at the Peak of the Invincible Realm, right?”
Li Huacheng looked at Dongcheng Wudi and said slowly, “This is their bottom line.”
Dongcheng Wudi’s expression became extremely ugly in an instant. He reluctantly nodded, took out his mobile phone, and said, “I’ll call Tianlan right now.”
Li Tianlan and w.a.n.g Tianzong had talked for half an hour.
As soon as he left w.a.n.g Tianzong’s room, his cell phone rang.
Li Tianlan looked at the phone and was a little surprised, but he still picked it up right away.
“Minister, this is Li Tianlan,” he said calmly.
When the first word came out, his expression had completely calmed down. No one could see the result of the negotiation with w.a.n.g Tianzong from his expression.
“Tianlan, I have a piece of news,” Dongcheng Wudi hesitated and said in a low voice.
“Oh?”
Li Tianlan asked directly, “What news?”
“Summer Solstice.”
Dongcheng Wudi took a deep breath and said, “The hostess of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai just had a video call with me and the President.”
Li Tianlan narrowed his eyes and looked back at w.a.n.g Tianzong’s residence. He didn’t speak, but just listened quietly.
Dongcheng Wudi gritted his teeth.
With his status, some things were really not suitable for him to say out loud. The impact was not too big, but it was hard for him to say it. He glanced at Li Huacheng again and finally sighed, then said with a bitter smile, “The w.a.n.g family of Beihai asked us to keep Paul and KingTong alive. That’s their bottom line.”
Li Tianlan listened quietly.
Dongcheng Wudi also fell silent.
“What did you say?” Li Tianlan suddenly asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Dongcheng Wudi said calmly, “The most important thing is that Summer Solstice seems to be a little worried, so now she is on her way to Youzhou. Within three hours, she will enter the Hidden Dragon Sea. The President and I can’t stop her from entering the Hidden Dragon Sea.”
Dongcheng Wudi deliberately emphasized the word “President”.
Li Tianlan frowned slightly.
Dongcheng Wudi continued to remind him, “Summer Solstice is also in the Peak of the Invincible Realm.”
Li Tianlan completely understood what Dongcheng Wudi meant. He suddenly felt it a little absurd. “How dare they?!”
“Don’t you understand? It’s not a matter of whether they dare to do it or not.”
Dongcheng Wudi gave a wry smile.
Li Tianlan stayed silent.
Indeed, there were some things that were not a matter of whether the w.a.n.g family of Beihai dared or did not dare to do them.
It was a question that some people dared or did not dare to bear.
For example.
President Li Huacheng!
Now the Academics and the Giant Group were in the period of cooperation honeymoon.
However, cooperation was, after all, just a cooperation. It was for the expected benefits and some risks that they could bear now.
However, once the risk of cooperation was greater than the risk for the future, it could be imagined how fragile such a cooperation would be.
If Li Tianlan didn’t listen to his advice and touched the bottom line of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, who would dare to keep a peak Invincible Realm expert of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai by his side?
“I see,” Li Tianlan gritted his teeth and said in a cold voice.
Dongcheng Wudi sighed and hung up the phone.
Li Tianlan stood where he was, and he didn’t move for a long time.
Only by standing in his current position could he truly understand how uncomfortable it was to be forced to compromise in the general trend.
This was his first compromise.
He had to compromise.
If he insisted on killing KingTong and Paul, not to mention what would happen to the w.a.n.g family of Beihai, Li Huacheng would probably call in person the next moment and order him to keep Paul and KingTong alive.
If it went on like this, there would be an extremely obvious rift between the Academics and the Special Operations Group.
This was not something that would benefit both sides.
But in contrast, Li Huacheng absolutely did not dare to let Summer Solstice stay in the Hidden Dragon Sea when he touched the bottom line of the w.a.n.g family of Beihai.
This was the real threat.