Chapter 2179: Give Me a Chance, and Also Give Yourself a Chance
Jiu Lan stood there in a daze, staring at Jiangnan. At this moment, Jiangnan pointed at the starry river, spoke boldly, and recklessly laid out his ambitions!
Trapped within Ming He Death Prison in this small corner, his heart had already extended to the entire starry sky!
In that instant, Jiangnan gave her a familiar yet unfamiliar feeling!
She had thought she understood him well enough, but now she realized that the Jiangnan she knew was merely the tip of the iceberg.
This Southern Man seemed to have endless unknowns that made people want to explore!
At a level below Star Breaker, he pointed at the starry river and stirred up the winds and clouds of the starry sky!
The Era Lord of humanity—whether in courage or boldness—was top-notch in the entire starry sky!
He was like the rising morning sun, radiating boundless vitality!
Jiangnan had once told Jiu Lan what he planned to do in Ming He Death Prison and what might happen.
From the looks of it now, everything was unfolding exactly as Jiangnan had imagined!
He had truly turned a situation unfavorable to him into one that was favorable!
He found a way out of a dead end and even proposed the idea of cooperating with the Netherworld Race!
This was simply unbelievable.
If... if the future really turned out as Jiangnan had said, with the Netherworld Race joining the Starry Sky Sequence, freely roaming the starry sky, and standing on their own—
How beautiful would such a future be?
The seed of freedom buried in Jiu Lan's heart was now taking root, sprouting, and growing vigorously!
She couldn't help but look at Youming with eyes full of hope.
Youming stared fiercely at Jiangnan. Just how much ambition was hidden in his heart?
"As the Era Lord of humanity, you've already fulfilled your mission, yet you're still unsatisfied."
"Not only do you want to be the Era Lord of the past era, but you also want to be the blazing sun of the starry sky era?"
"Once a person tries to do something beyond their ability, the outcome can be very tragic."
Such ambition—even Youming, a Star-Swallower, dared not think about it. What Jiangnan wanted to change was the very pattern of the starry sky, to become the rule-maker, the one who plays the game!
Jiangnan smiled: (˶‾᷄↼‾᷅) "I'm very greedy. How do I know I can't do it without trying? Better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."
"Being expected of others is addictive. If I'm going to do it, I'll be the most dazzling sun in the starry sky."
"Only a future whose ending is unknown brings surprises and anticipation. And how the future will turn out—whether it will become what I hope—is up to me to decide."
"So? Interested?"
Youming's eyes flickered. To be honest, he was tempted.
That future was worth fighting for, but the difficulties and obstacles along the way were unavoidable.
Youming wouldn't easily change his decision just because of a few words from Jiangnan. He had many things to consider.
"Don't talk about anything else. You've gone too far around the bush. All this talk is just to get a chance to leave from me."
"That's your original goal. What we're discussing now is the purification and separation of Stygian energy! Are you giving it or not?"
"In life, nine out of ten things don't go as you wish. Plans never keep up with changes. If, as you say, my Netherworld Race gets involved in your setup, the risk is too great."
"The ten thousand races of the starry sky are not just decorations. The Silicon-based, energy beings, and material life forms won't just sit by and watch your so-called Carbon-Based Alliance rise. My Netherworld Race is not like the others. Our situation is already extremely difficult. One wrong move will only make things worse."
If the Netherworld Race really got involved, and Jiangnan's ambitions were cut down, humanity would have its hands full. Once they failed, the Netherworld Race would truly face a situation of total isolation.
Races like the Apocalypse Race could still manage—they had their Sequence status and their own racial foundations, able to endure and afford losses.
But the Netherworld Race didn't even have a Sequence status. The risk was too high.
Jiangnan's expression turned serious: "Risk is often proportional to reward. Besides, before the Carbon-Based Alliance takes shape, there's no need for the Netherworld Race to take sides or resist the ten thousand races."
"Your Netherworld Race can still be the obedient pawn of the Sacred Law Council—a good little baby. Accidentally letting me escape is just one mistake; it's not enough to sever ties completely."
"You can still flirt and be lovey-dovey with the Sacred Law Council. As for the alliance, everything will be done in secret. Even if we later supply the Netherworld Race with mine resources, it will be through covert transactions."
"Most of the risk is borne by me. When it's time for the Netherworld Race to take a stand, that's when you'll need to come out and make your position clear. This avoids frontal conflict in the early stages."
Youming's face darkened. Of course, he understood what Jiangnan meant.
But it sounded like doing something bad—sneaking around behind someone's back, having an affair...
Jiangnan pressed on: "I know you don't trust me. But in the early stages, the Netherworld Race has two choices—keeping one foot in each boat."
"You can test the waters and see if I keep my promise, see if my ship sinks, and then decide whether to join us."
"Even in the worst-case scenario, if the Netherworld Race becomes a public enemy, you still have Minghe Star Domain to fall back on. That's your ultimate insurance."
"As for the method to purify Stygian energy—don't think about it for now. When the Carbon-Based Alliance succeeds, when the Netherworld Race enters the Starry Sky Sequence, when several carbon-based races form an unbreakable united front, I'll naturally give you the method. After all, by then, helping you is helping myself."
Even if Jiangnan wanted to give it now, he couldn't. He could only push it off.
Because Jiangnan himself didn't know any purification method—it was all speculation based on existing information.
When the time came, he'd figure out how to purify it.
For this, Jiangnan could only hope to cross that bridge when he came to it.
Youming's eyes flickered. Indeed, operating this way minimized the Netherworld Race's risk to the smallest extent.
As for whether Jiangnan was trustworthy, that could be judged later. If it didn't work out, the Netherworld Race could cut their losses in time.
They would only lose the resources the Sacred Law Council had promised them.
But if it did work, it was worth a gamble. Maybe they could truly fight for a free and glorious future for the later generations of the Netherworld Race.
Youming squinted at Jiangnan: "I talk to you about the Dali matter, but you talk about racial future and starry sky politics."
"If you didn't have that mouth, your strength would be reduced by at least 99%, right?"
Jiangnan rolled his eyes: (꒪ั～꒪ั*) "Thanks for the compliment. I don't want it either. After all, who would bother using their brain if they could solve problems with force?"
"It's just that my strength isn't enough yet, so I have to make do with my brain."
Youming sneered: "You chose to enter my Ming He Death Prison with the intention of expanding your starry sky connections and recruiting talent, right? Bold enough."
Jiangnan gave a dry laugh: "Just going with the flow. So? In or out? Give me a straight answer."
"Give me a chance, and also give yourself a chance."
As he spoke, Jiangnan stood up and extended his hand toward Youming.
Jiu Lan watched Youming with eager anticipation.
Agree, please. It's worth a try. It's not impossible.
But Youming stared at Jiangnan's outstretched hand and fell silent. He did not take it.
Jiangnan only looked calmly at Youming, saying nothing more.
He had already taken 99 steps forward. Now, Youming had to make the decision himself and take that final step.
Otherwise, it would all be empty talk.
Youming took a deep breath and looked straight at Jiangnan with an expressionless face: "What I want is simply the Dali formula. And I can get it in a more stable, more convenient way."
"As long as I don't relent, you'll never escape Ming He Death Prison. I can keep dragging this out with you."
"Five years. Ten years. A hundred years. Until you hand over the Dali formula. Only then is cooperation possible."
"Since you want to cooperate, show some sincerity. It can't all be on your terms. I can afford to wait—I can even keep dragging it out forever."
"But you can't hold out. How long can you live? A long time is enough to wear down all the passion in a person's heart. And your heart isn't here—it's always been outside."
Not to mention a hundred years, even five years might be too long for Jiangnan. The outside world was changing rapidly. Opportunities once missed were gone forever.
Jiu Lan's expression changed. Huh? He... he's not agreeing? She was getting anxious.
Clearly, Youming wanted to get the Dali formula first before talking about anything else. Even if he let Jiangnan go and Jiangnan proved untrustworthy, the Netherworld Race would be blamed by the Sacred Law Council and have some resources withdrawn.
But with the Dali formula in hand, the Netherworld Race wouldn't lose out.
Jiangnan smiled unchanged: "You're a bit greedy, aren't you?"
He was in Youming's territory, his life in Youming's hands. Using the advantage to maximize his own benefits was normal.
But Jiangnan wouldn't agree, because he had no clue how to purify it!
Youming chuckled: "You said it yourself. Human nature is greedy, right?"
Jiangnan said flatly: "Are you so sure I can't escape? I said there's almost no way, not that there's really no way."
Youming squinted: "Go ahead and try. I'm quite confident about that. In the coming days, I'll personally oversee Ming He Death Prison and watch your performance."
Jiangnan grinned: (๑¯ิٹ¯ิ) "Oh? Then it seems there's nothing left to discuss. Right?"
With that, he slowly withdrew his outstretched hand. Youming just casually said:
"You may leave now."
Jiu Lan said urgently: (งᵒ̌﹏ᵒ̌)ง "Lord Youming? We..."
"Leave! Do your job!"
Jiu Lan shrank back at the rebuke and said dejectedly:
(′◔‸◔`) "Yes... yes, Lord Youming!"
She turned and led Jiangnan out of the office. But Jiangnan didn't seem too disappointed; a slight curve remained at the corner of his mouth.