Chapter 384 - 26: Gang Qi Nurtures a Divine Monarch

Chapter 384: Chapter 26: Gang Qi Nurtures a Divine Monarch

Amid the uproar, the most tempting promise came not from the scions of noble families, but from the young girl at the center of the crowd.

Her name was Su Lin’Yin, and she was a princess of the Celestial Cloud Kingdom.

The young nobles who had arrived with her promised on her behalf, offering to present the Celestial Cloud Imperial Family’s treasured Treasure Vault to the Celestial Sea King in exchange for his military aid.

Then, without any prompting, the still-childish young girl turned to the newly arrived members of the Celestial Patrol and made a declaration. "I am a legitimate daughter of the Celestial Cloud Imperial Family. With the deaths of my elder brothers and sisters, I have the right to claim the throne."

"Whoever can drive the Quanrong Barbarian Ghosts from the lands of the Celestial Cloud Kingdom, I will marry them! Our child will be the next Sovereign of the Celestial Cloud Kingdom!"

"BUZZ—!"

As soon as she spoke, the recently arrived members of the Celestial Patrol erupted in an uproar, and the blood of countless talented young men began to boil with excitement.

The temptation of the Sovereign’s throne of the Celestial Cloud Kingdom was enough to make anyone’s heart race.

However, just as everyone was getting excited, Zhong Ming’s brow furrowed slightly.

From the anxious expressions of these young nobles, he sensed something unusual.

’They’re too desperate!’ he thought. ’We’ve only just arrived, and they’re already offering such a huge reward, even willing to hand over the Sovereign’s throne... This isn’t a plea for help. They’re terrified we’ll just turn around and leave, abandoning the Celestial Cloud Kingdom to its fate!’

’But why are they so terrified? Our entire purpose for coming here was to help them fend off the Quanrong... This level of desperation is unnatural. Did something else happen to the Celestial Cloud Kingdom while we were en route?’

With no one under his command to use, Zhong Ming could only speculate for the time being.

But just because he lacked information channels didn’t mean others did. Shen Wanshang, Ji Qingyue, and the others, sensing the strange atmosphere, had already used their Secret Techniques to contact their respective families and inquire about the latest developments in the Celestial Cloud Kingdom.

A few minutes later, the women relayed one piece of grim news after another to Zhong Ming.

Shen Wanshang was the first to receive news. With a grave expression on her pretty face, she spoke in a low voice, "Zhong Ming, the situation is dire. In the few days we were traveling here, the Quanrong Tribe joined forces with heretics from an Evil Cult and performed another massive sacrificial ritual. Large numbers of the Evil God’s minions have been summoned, and the strength of the Quanrong Barbarian Soldiers has surged by severalfold!"

Immediately after, Ji Qingyue also received a message from her family. Her voice was strained as she said, "The Three-Eyed Race from the Northern Wilderness has also pledged allegiance to the Evil God and joined the Quanrong Alliance Army."

After the two women, Ji Hao arrived beside Zhong Ming and the others with Ji Yao in tow. He wore a complicated expression as he delivered his news. "The Right Minister of our Immortal Dynasty has already sent an envoy here. What’s more, he has invited the sovereign leader of the Quanrong Tribe, apparently with the intention of negotiating for peace."

"..."

The moment he heard this, Zhong Ming understood why the surviving members of the Celestial Cloud Kingdom’s direct lineage were so desperate and terrified.

Their enemies’ strength had skyrocketed, while their own reinforcements were already thinking of retreat. Trapped in such a pincer of internal and external crises, how could they not panic?

After all, if the Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty were to withdraw its troops, the Celestial Cloud Kingdom would face certain annihilation.

And if the Frost Moon Immortal Dynasty were to be shameless about it, these surviving young nobles could be used as bargaining chips in the peace talks and handed directly over to the Quanrong Barbarian Ghosts.

At this moment of life and death, they naturally had to grasp at the last straw, no matter the cost.

"..."

After relaying all the information, the women saw Zhong Ming still frowning in deep thought and tactfully remained silent.

Beside them, even though Ji Hao and Ji Yao had a thousand things they wanted to say, they ultimately just opened their mouths, not daring to step forward and interrupt.

Zhong Ming’s silence cast a pall over the area, plunging it into a dead quiet. The oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating.

Seeing this, the faces of the Celestial Cloud Kingdom’s nobles turned ashen. Some felt their legs go weak and collapsed to the ground, their desperate wails rising and falling. They assumed that Zhong Ming’s group had also decided to retreat and had completely given up hope.

However, while some despaired, others’ eyes darted about as their minds raced.

Min Qiu was one of them.

As a child prodigy from the Celestial Cloud Kingdom, long known for his intelligence, Min Qiu keenly observed a particular detail amid the chaos. ’The most distinguished people here should be Princess Wanshang from the mansion of the Celestial Sea King, or Ji Hao from the Silver Moon Royal Mansion. So why is everyone’s attention subtly fixed on that young man named Zhong Ming? Who exactly is he? What gives him the right to command the obedience of all these princes and nobles?’

Lacking information, he couldn’t grasp the full picture for the moment. But there was one thing he saw with perfect clarity.

’His cultivation is at the Cultivating Evil stage... That’s the precise stage where one is most desperate for Gang Qi—especially high-quality Gang Qi!’

At this thought, Min Qiu’s eyes suddenly lit up. He abruptly raised his head and called out loudly to Princess Su Lin’Yin, "Princess Lin Yin! I remember the Celestial Cloud Royal Treasure Vault contains reserves of Gang Qi, and... it’s Heaven-grade Gang Qi, right?!"

"Huh?" Su Lin’Yin paused, startled. Though she didn’t understand why Min Qiu had suddenly brought this up, she still nodded obediently and replied in a clear voice, "Yes, we do. The family has accumulated a great deal of Gang Qi, all of it sealed away in the royal Treasure Vault."

"WHOOSH—"

As she spoke, Min Qiu clearly saw a bright glint flash across Zhong Ming’s deep-set eyes.

This sight made Min Qiu’s taut nerves suddenly go slack.

"Phew..." ’The Celestial Cloud Kingdom might have a chance to survive after all!’

...

Zhong Ming truly had no intention of retreating. Prizing himself on being unmatched at the Foundation Establishment realm, he wasn’t the least bit afraid of a war with the Quanrong Barbarian Ghosts.

His earlier contemplation hadn’t been about retreating, but about how to persuade the Silver Moon King and the Celestial Sea King to join the battle. He might be invincible at the Foundation Establishment realm, but he couldn’t necessarily take on a Golden Core expert. If the Celestial Sea King, the Silver Moon King, and the others chose to withdraw, then even if he wanted to fight, his hands would be tied.

Without Golden Core masters like the Celestial Sea King to hold the line, the Quanrong Barbarian Ghosts certainly wouldn’t abide by some unspoken rule that Golden Core experts should stay out of the fight.