Chapter 1920: Negotiation (I)
Chapter 1920: Negotiation (I)
The peak sixth rank exalted emperor was listening with extreme interest when the speaker’s voice suddenly sounded by her ear. It was utterly incredible that he could reach through the mirage and find her!
She was not the creator of the mirage in Myriad Dao Pavilion. But because she was the powerhouse in residence here, she was in charge of the illusory realm. Under normal circumstances, even high ranks found it difficult to trace the source of the mirage. That was because it was yet another high rank behind its creation.
Such a mirage realm existed in many alliance cities, providing a place for the exchange of great dao.
The dao of illusion was not a difficult one to navigate. It had plenty of cultivators as well. But to create an illusory realm that exalted emperors couldn’t see through... that was very difficult.
What was even more of a challenge was to endure so much mental strength projected from exalted emperors. That meant that the mirage itself possessed an immense capacity in itself.
However, someone had pierced through it at this moment.
“If I may trouble the fellow daoist... I am journeying through the chaos and stumbled upon this place with immense delight. To think that there would be a platform for the purposes of exchanging dao! I am quite overjoyed. Is the fellow daoist willing to converse with me?”
The exalted emperor in charge of the island paled slightly. This was a true high rank! And they might not be weak among high ranks. Otherwise, normal seventh ranks would find it difficult to peer through the illusion, lock onto her location, and send a message.
Nerves taut, a multitude of thoughts ran through her mind.
An unknown high rank was a very big threat for a sixth rank dao master. Dao masters held sway over a dao universe, something that many high ranks coveted. They either wished to devour it for themselves or use it to nurture more seventh ranks.
There were plenty of high ranks in the outer regions, but they operated under a certain set of restrictions. The alliance cities were immensely useful in this regard. It gave pause to many high ranks who would just seek to devour a sixth rank world.
This particular dao master mentally prepared herself to send out a call for help before responding, “It is Ninth City’s honor that the senior has come to visit the ninth city of the alliance cities... I thank the senior for your enormous generosity in sharing knowledge of dao domains...”
She exchanged some pleasantries before quickly saying, “This junior respectfully awaits any guidance that the senior may choose to share...”
She didn’t decline Li Hao’s offer, but neither did she offer to meet. It was an exceedingly dangerous prospect to meet with a seventh rank.
“My name is Li Hao and I come from the four regions...”
The peak sixth rank nearly choked on her spit when Li Hao introduced himself.
Li Hao! The Silver Moon king!
How would she not know this person??
Anyone who paid the slightest bit of attention to current events in the east would know of this person!
Deeply shaken, the dao master wanted to run away. This group of people were too brutal. They toppled Gemini right after walking out of their homes! They’d almost beaten Reincarnation as well. That was the foremost faction of the east!
“I come in peace!”
“Senior.... senior... “ stammered the sixth rank. Was she going to die here today? Is he here for my dao universe?
Even if I send a request for help right now or other alliance members rush to my aid, these guys are savage and violent! Will the addition of seventh ranks by my side be of any use whatsoever??
Her heart quailed!
“We happened to pass through this area on our journeys,” Li Hao continued. “And happened to learn of the existence of Myriad Dao Pavilion. Upon entering for a look, I have some thoughts and feel that I might share a similar language with the alliance cities. Perhaps we can work together...
“And please don’t misunderstand, fellow daoist. Those who walk out of the four regions aren’t necessarily all bloodthirsty types. Not everyone is like the New Martial Human King...”
The sixth rank rolled her eyes to herself. Just listen to yourself. Your reputation isn’t necessarily any better than his. The Human King killed Drifting Life, but you killed Earth Yang. Aren’t you supposed to be at Thunder World? What are you doing here?
Are you here alone or with a lot of people?
“Our original destination was the south,” Li Hao transmitted while the sixth rank grappled with her thoughts. “We wished to witness the dao of Spring Autumn for ourselves. However, I now have other ideas in mind. I raise this with the fellow daoist because I wish to discuss this in person, or with the leaders of the alliance of mid worlds.
“Of course, this isn’t a trap and neither are we doing this to seize your dao universe. I have three eighth ranks and multiple seventh ranks on my side. We conceal our presences just to avoid unnecessary trouble. There is no intention of scheming against others.”
The sixth rank nearly ground her teeth to bits. Three eighth ranks?? Weren’t there only two?? When did you get another?!
And are you just being honest with me, or was that supposed to be a threat?
Three eighth ranks and a large sum of seventh ranks! This level of strength is enough to destroy the entire alliance!
“What might... the Silver Moon king wish to discuss?”
“Can we meet in person?”
The sixth rank sighed. Could she refuse?
She was only a sixth rank. Despite the proximity of her world and dao universe, that only gave her confidence to fight a seventh rank. Wouldn’t it be outright death to exchange blows with a group of high ranks?
What difference was there in meeting face to face or not? She had nowhere to go if they decided to kill her.
“Naturally, of course...” she said, belying her thoughts.
The void in front of her rippled as soon as she responded and a person appeared. The sixth rank’s eyes widened—he’d come so quickly and so easily! So this was the Silver Moon king who’d walked out of the four regions? He was apparently... incredibly young, less than one hundred.
Incredible!
......
Li Hao appeared with a faint smile on his lips, the very image of gentlemanly grace.
The sixth rank had been seated cross-legged and sprang to her feet, inclining at the waist for a bow. Although she was very shocked, she said respectfully, “Junior Wan Qiu greets the Silver Moon king!”
“You’re too polite.” Li Hao smiled back. “I am the one imposing on you, I hope that Fellow Daoist Wan Qiu doesn’t mind.”
I do mind!
But I don’t dare say that!
Wan Qiu wanted to look wordlessly at her visitors, but didn’t dare express any of her emotions. They rarely involved themselves in the fights and conflicts of high ranks. It didn’t matter to them who was the overlord.
So long as these people didn’t randomly kill people or destroy worlds, then that would be the greatest boon of all.
Li Hao could tell that the other was wary, but he sat down instead of saying anything else. He took up the role of the host, despite being the guest.
“The fellow daoist did not build Myriad Dao Pavilion, did you?” he asked curiously.
Wan Qiu remained standing and responded politely, “No, this junior would hardly have the ability to do so. My constructions would never be able to support high rank guests. It was built by another high rank.
“Although the alliance of mid worlds is precisely as it seems, high rank worlds were once mid worlds. The alliance has existed for a very long period of time, so some of our members have become high rank worlds as well. We even have eighth rank worlds among our number!”
She snuck a glance at Li Hao after these words. She said this out of interest for self preservation, despite it not necessarily having any effect.
Would these guys really care about an eighth rank world?
Li Hao inclined his head.
“The powerhouse who built the mirage is a wandering cultivator by the name of the Exalted Myriad Changes Emperor! He is a peak seventh rank who likes to travel through various worlds. The exalted emperor is an important member of the alliance and one of its elders!
“Alliance members tend to be masters of mid worlds, with some wandering cultivators and some masters of major worlds involved...”
She proactively offered information that everyone was aware of.
“What kind of partnership might the Silver Moon king like to propose? As a peak sixth rank, I have produced my own dao universe. Hence, this junior is fortunate enough to be an elder of the alliance. If what the senior speaks of is within my jurisdiction, then this junior can take care of any issues.”
She wanted nothing more than for these people to leave immediately. It didn’t matter what kind of price she had to pay. So long as she didn’t have to relinquish her dao universe, she would give them anything.
This plague must depart her island!
Just one Silver Moon king was more than enough for her. Judging from the sound of things, his entire group was here! That was horrifying!
Li Hao, however, was in no hurry to get down to business. Instead, he asked with puzzlement, “So you mean to say that there are many alliance cities? And that this is city number nine of many...”
“Yes, many!” Wan Qiu answered promptly. “The alliance cities are primarily located in the lower and mid third realms. Each layer has an alliance city to facilitate transactions and discourse between exalted emperors. There are cities even in the north, south, and west.
“However, ones in different regional directions are autonomous. We aren’t in contact much, but will interact slightly if we come in contact with each other. For the moment, there are 189 cities in the eastern region. There are 47 in the sixth layer and this is the ninth city.”
Li Hao nodded. That was a decent sum of cities, but it wasn’t enough.
189 cities located in various parts of each barrier sounded plentiful, but each region was so massive that one might travel for a very long period of time and not encounter a single one.
“Does each city have a sixth rank in residence, or a dao master like the fellow daoist?”
“Not quite.” Wan Qiu was resigned that she had no choice but to answer Li Hao’s probing questions. What could she do against powerhouses like these? “Only some of the more important cities or key locations of the sixth layer will have people like us.
“The key determinant is if the city will encounter high ranks from the seventh layer. Relatively speaking, we stand a chance of conversing on equal footing with seventh ranks.”
“Does the Myriad Dao Pavilion exist in all of the cities?”
“Not quite, either. Only a few of the alliance cities have such a locale. The Exalted Myriad Changes Emperor is a free spirit. He builds them whenever he’s seized by an urge to. The alliance has no way to compel him to take action, nor would it do so. This is just a place for exalted emperors to interact and not a place for profit.”
She was guessing that Li Hao was here for the Myriad Dao Pavilion, but didn’t understand such an action at the same time. It was useful for mid and low ranks, but useless for someone like Li Hao, no?
It was also immensely limiting.
The pavilion simply offered a forum for people to engage in. Strictly speaking, it was less important than some low rank worlds in some people’s eyes. If they really wished to exchange dao, they could head to a low rank world or any place in the chaos.
There was just one benefit to the mirage realm, and that was one could enter it through the mind. It kept one’s identity a secret, which made it safer. And with the alliance of mid worlds behind it, that was a further guarantee for most.
That was the key. And yet, why did Li Hao care about this? As a powerhouse who could conquer major worlds, the mirage realm didn’t even count as a dao universe. Was he interested in this?