Chapter 35: The Great Emperor
Cotton-like residual ash fell from above. The weather, which had been cold recently, was warming up—likely a chain reaction from repelling the Nether forces.
The first round of combat ended in victory for our side. Platinum Capital was now a scene of utter devastation. In fact, it wouldn't be long before people forgot the name "Platinum Capital" altogether.
Amid the rubble and broken walls, Su Xiao stood at the former site of the World Gate. He grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground. The dry soil slipped through his fingers, and the Nether energy mixed within gradually dissipated, dissolving into the air.
Previously, Nether energy had been highly aggressive and adhesive. Now, not only had its aggression sharply decreased, but it also lacked any adhesive quality—as if it had lost its source.
Su Xiao didn't believe this victory could destroy the Nether forces. Their main base was in the Underworld. This defeat was, at most, a failed external expansion that hadn't touched their core.
There was another matter. When the World-Eating Swarm had swept past earlier, Su Xiao hadn't received a kill notification for Wu Ying·Suo Laluo.
Su Xiao estimated that the other party hadn't died but had retreated to the Underworld by some means. As a cost, their setup for invading this world had completely failed.
Our current advantage was that, due to Wu Ying·Suo Laluo's withdrawal, the energy resonance between this world and the Underworld had been severed. In other words, it would be difficult for the Underworld to come here, and equally difficult for us to enter the Underworld.
Previously, the Nether forces' invasion had taken a total of 10 days of infiltration to successfully reach Pandora Star.
Now, the initiative was in our hands. With the special fate blood of the World Child, Lai Ke Li, constructing a passage to the Underworld wouldn't take long.
Thus, we had turned from passive to active. Once prepared, we could counterattack the Nether forces.
Su Xiao leaped onto the dragon's back. He still had much to do. This victory over the Nether forces involved a great deal of luck. If the World-Eating Swarm hadn't been summoned, the outcome of this battle would have been uncertain.
What a pity that the World-Eating Swarm hadn't been banished to the Underworld. If that had happened, there would have been quite a spectacle.
Ba Ba Tuo Si spread its wings and took off, heading back to the base camp.
The door to the Underworld couldn't be opened until we were fully prepared. Once the Underworld Gate opened, either we would deal with the Nether forces, or they would trample us—there was no third option.
The matter of opening the Underworld Gate must never reach the Empire. Now that the Nether forces had been repelled, whether they would invade again was unknown.
Under these circumstances, the Empire naturally wouldn't want to take risks. They had truly had enough of being caught between two factions that could mass-produce armies. The experience had been nerve-wracking from start to finish.
When Su Xiao returned to the base camp, the scene before him was far from optimistic. Of the over 700 brutal turrets, nearly half were destroyed. The upper part of the mother nest was pitted and scarred. The entrance was littered with elite demon beast remains. Of the 10 Titan Beasts, only four remained, one of which had been shattered into pieces by a sharp weapon.
The one who had shattered that Titan Beast had an attack that was both sharp and elegant. According to Amu's messages in the team channel, it was Xiao·Fu Li Ya.
[Tip: Your follower, Winter War Bull·Amu, has killed Xiao·Fu Li Ya.]
[This is a special unit required for the main mission kill; no World Source reward will be granted.]
[You have obtained an Immortal Chest: Silver Owl.]
[Your optional main mission: Know the Times (completion conditions met).]
[Yes/No to complete this optional mission. If completed, you will return to Reincarnation Paradise within 5 minutes.]
……
Su Xiao chose not to complete it for now. The situation was so favorable that leaving would be a waste. Originally, he had thought the odds were against them, but the World-Eating Swarm's interference had turned them into the dominant side. Su Xiao suspected that his recent luck had all been used on this matter.
Su Xiao walked into the main passage of the insect nest. The ground was littered with broken carapaces. As he had predicted earlier, Xiao·Fu Li Ya had attacked, attempting to assassinate Ji La.
The result was that Xiao·Fu Li Ya had used a general assault by the Corrupted Ones to successfully sneak near the mother nest. No one had noticed her at the time, but she was unlucky. A Titan Beast near the mother nest was blown up by a soul wizard, and the resulting plasma shockwave had knocked Xiao·Fu Li Ya out of the Nether Mist.
Normally, an assassin who was exposed should retreat immediately. Xiao·Fu Li Ya was not normal. She drew her twin blades and charged into the mother nest.
Xiao·Fu Li Ya succeeded, but also failed. When she reached the core of the mother nest, she saw the Winter War Bull, holding a Dragonheart Axe with one hand, waiting for her.
Besides Amu, the female form of Ai Sai Ya was also there. She could change her gender; in male form, she was stronger in one-on-one combat, while in female form, she favored mid-range combat.
As one of the Four Knights Under the King, if Xiao·Fu Li Ya had faced Ai Sai Ya alone, she wouldn't have died—at most, she would have failed to assassinate Ji La.
The problem was that Xiao·Fu Li Ya had encountered her nemesis, Amu. Besides being exceptionally durable, Amu was also known for its slowing ability.
Once hit by Amu, even if the target blocked its attack with a weapon, they would be afflicted by the annoying freezing slow effect. This was a powerful slowing effect born from Amu's own freezing ability combined with the Dragonheart Axe's source characteristics.
This slowing effect had been tested many times. Feather God, Eternal One·Luo Ge Shi, Ultimate Insect, and others had all endured it, proving its high priority.
Xiao·Fu Li Ya suffered this slowing effect while also fighting Ai Sai Ya. The outcome was predictable.
Before Su Xiao returned, Xiao·Fu Li Ya had already been defeated, frozen into an ice sculpture by Amu, awaiting Su Xiao's decision.
Now, just as Su Xiao arrived at the mother nest, Xiao·Fu Li Ya died. This was clearly no coincidence. She had sensed Su Xiao's aura, realized there was no way out, and to avoid being interrogated for information, she self-destructed as an ice sculpture, shattering into a cloud of ice shards.
Ice mist dispersed ahead. Su Xiao arrived at the open area in the middle of the mother nest, where the battle had taken place. Amu and Ai Sai Ya were both there.
"She sensed your return and ended herself," Ai Sai Ya said. With her psychic power, she gathered the scattered ice shards from Xiao·Fu Li Ya's explosion, reforming them into the shape of the ice sculpture. It depicted a slender but not frail female knight. Her armor was mostly covered by cloth lining, and the bone mask on her face was covered in cracks.
"I'll go bury her. I respect people with backbone."
Ai Sai Ya, holding a can of mandarin oranges, walked out, with Xiao·Fu Li Ya's ice sculpture floating behind her.
Ji La was safe. Su Xiao went to the core of the mother nest. Due to filtering out a large amount of Nether energy, the core had turned a deep green, though the color was gradually fading.
The main body of the Primordial Mask was indeed with the undead girl, keeping her in disguise. But a tiny fragment of the Primordial Mask remained in the mother nest, feeding on Nether energy—this was the wisdom of eating.
Now that the Nether forces had retreated, it was a golden opportunity for Ji La to advance to the Queen level. However, before that, one thing needed to be settled: the Empire.
Not by destroying the Empire—that would be a thankless task. On the contrary, extorting the Empire now would be a better choice for both sides.
Why? Because during this battle to repel the Nether forces, the Empire had done nothing. Under these circumstances, if the Sun Nest told the Empire that they would not attack each other and would each take half of Pandora Star, the Empire's high-ranking officials would have insomnia that very night.
From a macro perspective, such a gentle attitude could only mean one thing: a sugar-coated bullet. It was meant to appease the Empire, stabilize the situation, and then destroy them later.
Su Xiao didn't plan to do this. First, the Empire's own combat strength was considerable. Second, what benefit would come from destroying the Empire? Their resource vault?
Don't even think about it. Before the Empire fell, those high-ranking officials would immediately take that huge sum of money and flee, possibly even leaving Pandora Star to return to their home planet, Ao Kai Star, which was full of Corrupted Ones.
Defeating the Empire would only yield over 50 million people. More troubling was that these people couldn't be touched. They were the last bearers of civilization in this world. Without them, the reputation ranking would shut down immediately. The reward of 5,000 Soul Coins every two days and the final eight-star title would all be lost—a huge loss.
Su Xiao only had two eight-star titles: [Sky-Sweeping Surge] and [War Lord]. The weight of such titles was self-evident.
In other words, after great effort to defeat the Empire, not only would there be no benefit, but he would also have to support 50 million Empire citizens. There were no production or job opportunities now; they would just be a burden. If they turned out to be a bunch of troublemakers, it would be even more annoying.
Thus, defeating the Empire would be a huge loss. Conversely, extorting them now and then negotiating to help them reclaim their home planet, Ao Kai Star, at a certain cost, would lead to a situation where the Empire occupied Ao Kai Star and the Sun Insect Clan occupied Pandora Star. The Empire would definitely vote in favor.
Most importantly, the Empire's population had sharply decreased. After reclaiming Ao Kai Star, they wouldn't consider expansion for three generations.
The Nether forces' invasion only targeted intelligent insect clans. So, as long as the Corrupted Ones on Ao Kai Star were dealt with, that place would still have blue skies, white clouds, clear waters, and green mountains. Resources originally meant for billions of people would now be used by 50 million—more than enough.
Under these circumstances, what price would the Empire be willing to pay to reclaim Ao Kai Star?
Thinking of this, Su Xiao sat cross-legged on Ji La's sleeping platform, ignoring Ji La, who was playing a fighting game with Bubu Wang and gradually grinding her teeth. Su Xiao took out a communicator and contacted Monarch·Ao Er Ding. The call connected quickly.
Monarch·Ao Er Ding began, "Lord Bai Ye, congratulations on winning this great battle. It holds extraordinary significance for all of us."
"Mm, congratulations to the Empire as well for winning this battle at the smallest cost."
Hearing this, Monarch·Ao Er Ding on the other end was momentarily speechless. He changed the subject, saying, "How about holding a victory banquet in New Star City?"
"I think it would be more fitting to hold it on Ao Kai Star."
Hearing this, Monarch·Ao Er Ding fell completely silent. Seeing this, Ba Ha beside Su Xiao said:
"Hey, we're not mocking you. If we wanted to mock you, I'd be the one talking from the start."
Ba Ha's tone began to carry a hint of sarcasm.
"So, Lord Bai Ye's meaning is?"
Monarch·Ao Er Ding was no ordinary man. After a moment's thought, he grasped the hidden implication in Su Xiao's words.
"Pandora Star is vast, but it cannot accommodate two factions."
"Indeed. To be honest, the Empire's citizens miss home very much. But now…"
Monarch·Ao Er Ding didn't continue, clearly worried that Ao Kai Star still maintained some connection with the Underworld.
After Ba Ha explained the situation, Monarch·Ao Er Ding understood the full picture. First, the connection between the Underworld and this world had been severed. Ao Kai Star indeed still had many Corrupted Ones, but once these deceased were cleared out, everything would return to normal.
After learning this top-secret information about the Nether invasion, Monarch·Ao Er Ding didn't respond immediately but asked for a brief pause. That was how rulers operated—they never made snap decisions. They had to consider most factors before making a multi-angle judgment.
Monarch·Ao Er Ding didn't keep Su Xiao waiting long. After about an hour, he verified the top-secret information just received and immediately decided to invest heavily in modifying the existing space device to connect it to their home planet, Ao Kai Star.
The Empire's attitude was clear: if they could return to Ao Kai Star, they wouldn't stay on Pandora Star for a second longer. They had truly developed a phobia from watching the two mass-production factions fight.
It wasn't that the Empire lacked backbone. Any normal faction would feel the same. After generations of hard work to build up their military strength, the other side could mass-produce an army in two hours. Anyone would be stunned.
As the saying goes, "Out of sight, out of mind." The Empire's current attitude was basically to return to Ao Kai Star and live peacefully. From now on, they would avoid getting involved in matters between the Nether and the Sun Nest as much as possible.
At noon, on the second floor of the wooden building, Su Xiao had just finished lunch when Bubu Wang ran in.
"Woof."
"Mm, bring him in."
"Woof."
Bubu Wang turned and went downstairs. Before long, Pei Di arrived. He was originally a representative of the company, slightly overweight but with a kind, honest face that naturally inspired goodwill.
Pei Di had originally been a subordinate of the company's largest shareholder, Ai Tai Qi·Fu Ke. Now, the company was essentially gone. Before Platinum Capital fell, the company's high-ranking officials had fled to New Star City.
Now, the Empire and the company had reunited. In fact, the company's independence had originally been a deliberate move by the Empire to gather the second-class citizens from the colonies who didn't speak the common tongue, preventing them from causing chaos.
Now that the Empire's total population was just over 50 million, there was no need for such tactics. The relationship between Ai Tai Qi·Fu Ke and Monarch·Ao Er Ding was also made public. They were cousins. The previous conflicts between the Empire and the company were all pre-arranged by the two brothers—how to start, how to escalate, and how to end it were all meticulously planned.
Su Xiao had suspected this all along. A total of 80 million civilians had been relocated to Pandora Star: 50 million in New Star City and 30 million in Platinum Capital. This clearly indicated that the two factions were one and the same.
The envoy, Pei Di, didn't stay long. After a flattering exchange of pleasantries, he hurriedly left. What he said was secondary; the main point was to convey the Empire's sincerity.
Outside the window, a gentle midsummer afternoon breeze blew. Su Xiao looked at the alloy case before him. He had refused the Empire's offer of life ores and instead requested resources for strengthening. After developing for so long, it was time to reap the benefits.
Su Xiao opened the alloy case. The first thing that caught his eye was a neatly stacked pile of Soul Crystals (Complete).
He picked one up and bit into it with a crunch to taste it. Mm, the quality of this Soul Crystal was good.
[You have obtained 216 Soul Crystals (Complete).]
After putting away the Soul Crystals (Complete), Su Xiao opened the case's compartment. Inside were 12 Soul Crystal Cores.
Not counting the number of Soul Crystal Cores obtained from each high-level Empty Seat Banquet, these 12 were a huge fortune. Normally, fighting through an entire world might not yield 12 Soul Crystal Cores.
Opening the lower compartment, at the very bottom of the case were a withered, over 20-centimeter-long purple index finger, a piece of armor fragment covered in dark green rust, and finally, a terminal core.
[You have obtained Evil God Index Finger (Evil Sacrificial Offering).]
[You have obtained Underworld Emperor Armor Fragment (World-Class Item).]
[You have obtained C-17 Terminal Cluster Chip (Immortal·Tech Side Item).]
……
All good items. Su Xiao first gave the [C-17 Terminal Cluster Chip] to Bubu Wang. This was the Empire's highest-tier technology.
Although Su Xiao could use it, his terminal was mostly used for recording maps and playing puzzle games to pass the time. Equipping it with an Immortal-level tech item like the [C-17 Terminal Cluster Chip] would be a waste.
It was different for Bubu Wang. Sometimes, the things it did could fully utilize the chip's extreme performance.
Su Xiao took out the [Evil God Index Finger] from the case. This was a good item. He checked its attributes.
[Evil God Index Finger]
Type: Offering.
Introduction: A representative item of the Evil God, Scaly Scale Lord.
……
The item description was very brief. Seeing this, Su Xiao felt disappointed. He couldn't use this to lure the Evil God. The last time he had made "Evil God Heart Stir-fried with Peppers," the main ingredient had been the Evil God, Scaly Scale Lord. This was an Evil God he had already dealt with, so it was no wonder the [Evil God Index Finger] had such sparse information.
It could only be said that, aside from the Moon God, Su Xiao also had some connection with this Evil God named Scaly Scale Lord.
Just as Su Xiao was about to put away the [Evil God Index Finger], a thought struck him. Did Evil Gods have something like a divine core? For example, the concept of "divine core indestructible, divine throne eternal." If so, could he have some evil entity devour the [Evil God Index Finger] and become the new Scaly Scale Lord?
That way, he could artificially create a wild boss, kill it for rewards, and maybe even enjoy another meal of Evil God Heart Stir-fried with Peppers?
Putting away the [Evil God Index Finger], Su Xiao picked up the last item, the [Underworld Emperor Armor Fragment]. If his guess was correct, this was what had initially attracted the Nether invasion. However, that level of invasion would have only brought a mid-level Nether commander here—a small-scale incursion.
[Underworld Emperor Armor Fragment]
Origin: Min Guang World (Underworld).
Quality: World-Class.
Effect: Offer it to the Four Knights Under the King or directly to the Underworld Emperor to join the Underworld faction as any race or identity (requires no hostility with the Nether forces).
Rating: None.
Introduction: No pain compares to betrayal. From this shattered armor fragment, one can still see how decisive and fatal the blow from behind was. The cause of it all was that the inheritance of civilization is both glory and self-destruction. The closer one gets to the peak, the more the endless greed derived from civilization will devour everything. But even if people suppress their greed, something called curiosity will still make them repeat the cycle: birth, exploration, prosperity, peak, destruction, reincarnation—until everything ends.
Price: This item cannot be sold temporarily but can be traded or transferred.
Tip: If you can kill the Underworld Emperor and use this item to absorb his source power, this item will undergo a great change.
……
The [Underworld Emperor Armor Fragment] couldn't be used for now, but its introduction was very interesting.
Undoubtedly, this was a fragment of the Underworld Emperor's armor. Countless years ago, the Emperor was ambushed from behind by someone he trusted, causing this fragment to shatter.
Su Xiao seemed to understand why the Underworld Emperor's army specifically targeted intelligent races. If his guess was correct, the Underworld where the Nether forces resided was originally a higher-ranked world, likely a Ninth Rank world.
The Underworld Emperor was the ruler of Min Guang World. But as the civilization of Min Guang World progressed and reached a certain limit, a disaster descended—most likely an Abyss invasion.
Because of this Abyss invasion, Min Guang World turned into the Underworld. Its civilization was downgraded, and the scarred Underworld was demoted from a Void Tree-certified Ninth Rank world to an Eighth Rank world.
A lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Even though the world rank had dropped, the Underworld's foundation remained. Moreover, after enduring the brutal cost of the Abyss invasion, Nether energy was born.
Su Xiao speculated that during that Abyss invasion, all of the Emperor's close associates and subjects died. That was the despair of an Abyss invasion. Although there were subsequent benefits, it would cause a mass extinction of life.
One thing didn't add up. If the Emperor came from the era before the Abyss eroded Min Guang World, how did he survive the Abyss invasion process? This wasn't a matter of months or years. Being invaded by the Abyss for a few thousand years was common.
If the Emperor truly endured this process, even if the Underworld was an Eighth Rank world, the Emperor's combat power would have a peak limit. But the peak between Eighth and Ninth Rank was somewhat ambiguous, as seen with Su Xiao, Lai Yin·Ge De, Lai Ke Li, and the Sun Saint·Wa Ge.
Su Xiao realized a problem. The current situation was that defeating the Nether's main army was one thing, but defeating the Underworld Emperor was equally important.
If the Emperor truly endured a direct Abyss invasion, then without a doubt, he was the strongest enemy Su Xiao had ever faced—stronger than the old knight, who had carried the Dark Blood. This Emperor had directly carried the source power of the Abyss.
Thinking of this, Su Xiao understood why this main mission was so "thoughtfully" designed with an optional mode.
Su Xiao estimated that even if they attacked the Underworld, using a swarm tactic to surround the Emperor was unrealistic. If the Emperor had truly endured thousands of years of Abyss energy erosion, then his location would definitely be filled with dense Abyss energy.
This wasn't Su Xiao's speculation. The optional main mission 3 was:
[Emperor's Wrath (Mission Content: Kill the Underworld Emperor and close the Abyss passage at the bottom of the Underworld).]
There was an Abyss passage there, so it was normal for the Emperor's location to have dense Abyss energy.
Under these circumstances, using a swarm tactic to charge into Abyss energy was no different from feeding the enemy.
To defeat the Emperor, they had to find a way to temporarily neutralize the Abyss energy's erosion. Su Xiao didn't have such a method, but Kai Sa did.
Specifically, it was a product of the Abyssal Jar that could temporarily grant immunity to Abyss energy erosion, but it didn't last long—at most a few hours. Kai Sa had mentioned this in the Treeborn World.
To obtain this item, it was useless to find Kai Sa. He had to trade with the Abyssal Jar. Kai Sa's relationship with the Abyssal Jar was subtle—part cooperation, part like attracts like.
Su Xiao had previously obtained five pieces of [Precipitated Glass]. He estimated that the Abyssal Jar wouldn't refuse this.
Assuming he could exchange five pieces of [Precipitated Glass] for five doses of combat qualification, Su Xiao didn't need to fight the Emperor alone. He could team up with the Sun Saint·Wa Ge, the Empire's Hand·Lai Yin·Ge De, and finally Ai Sai Ya—four of them together to take on the Emperor.
With a plan in mind, Su Xiao decided to first deal with the Empire. Once they left Pandora Star, he would let Ji La advance to the Queen level, to avoid any trouble from the Empire during the mother nest's dormant period.
To prevent this, Su Xiao decided to send 200,000 Demon Beasts, 300 Demon Flame Dragons, and the leader-level Demon Beast, Ya Ba Dun, to accompany the Empire's fleet to Ao Kai Star.
This served three purposes: 1. Clear out the Corrupted Ones on Ao Kai Star while gaining massive bio-energy. 2. Prevent the Empire from pulling any tricks. 3. Take the opportunity to reap benefits.
When Ao Kai Star was occupied, some civilian supernatural forces didn't have time to evacuate. This meant that on Ao Kai Star, in hidden places, there were resources needed for strengthening.
Just as Su Xiao was pondering the next steps, the Empire sent word that their space track was ready. They would depart tonight to reclaim Ao Kai Star.
Putting down the communicator, Su Xiao was somewhat surprised by the Empire's efficiency. He didn't know that the Empire's haste was entirely due to being stimulated by his side and the Nether forces.
The situation on Ao Kai Star was actually bad. Wu Ying·Suo Laluo had retreated, but on Ao Kai Star, there were many cult organizations that Wu Ying·Suo Laluo had supported. These organizations could command the Corrupted Ones to some extent.
Sending only Ya Ba Dun this time wouldn't work. Ya Ba Dun was the type who wouldn't say a word for days. Apart from Su Xiao and Ji La's orders, it ignored everyone else. Well, occasionally it listened to Amu and Bubu Wang. Ba Ha's orders depended on the situation.
If Ya Ba Dun was sent to liaise with the Empire, within three hours, it would probably chop them all down. So, our side needed to send someone.
Who to send was a difficult decision. Bubu Wang, Amu, and Ba Ha each had their roles. If they left, various problems would arise at the base camp.
Soon, Su Xiao thought of three people. The Apocalypse Sisters downstairs had repeatedly complained about being bored to death. Since they were so bored, this "good opportunity" definitely included them.
Su Xiao went downstairs and knocked on the door of Mo Lei's room. The door opened, revealing Mo Lei yawning, and Yue Shi Tu and Hao Mei gripping controllers under the screen.
"The Nether has retreated. You should leave."
Su Xiao didn't directly mention going to Ao Kai Star. Without thinking, if he brought it up directly, Mo Lei and the others would refuse outright.
They had been arranged by Su Xiao many times. Now, whenever Su Xiao mentioned words like "plan" or "cooperation," Mo Lei and the others would instinctively be on guard.
"We paid 70,000 for just a few days. Even if it's 10,000 a day, it hasn't been seven days yet," Yue Shi Tu said, looking like she was about to slam down her controller in anger. Before paying, Yue Shi Tu was timid. After paying, she was a bit bolder.
"There's a cooperation. If you're interested, I can let you command some Demon Beasts."
Su Xiao spoke. Hearing this, Mo Lei's eyes lit up.
"What cooperation?" Mo Lei asked most urgently. She had been bored out of her mind lately.
"Counterattack the Underworld. If you want, you can be the vanguard—"
"I'm not going!"
"I'm not going either."
"Even less for me."
Mo Lei, Hao Mei, and Yue Shi Tu all stepped back in unison. Without even thinking, they guessed that the Underworld was the Nether forces' home base.
Leading the insect clan to counterattack the Underworld as the vanguard? Mo Lei's thought was that no normal person would do such a thing.
"There's another cooperation. The Corrupted Ones on Bai Ni Ni Star have developed a group consciousness. You can take 150,000 Demon Beasts to purge—"
"Wait, how many Corrupted Ones are there?"
"About 500 million."
"Hahahahaha."
Mo Lei laughed heartily. Then she snatched the wine bottle from Hao Mei's hand, tilted her head back, and took a few gulps.
"Isn't there any cooperation that isn't so morbid?" Yue Shi Tu covered her face with one hand and sighed tiredly.
"The Empire is going to counterattack Ao Kai Star. My side will send 200,000 Demon Beasts to assist."
"Deal."
Hearing Mo Lei's words, Ba Ha on Su Xiao's shoulder said, "You wish. Deal? Ao Kai Star is a big cake now. As long as you have the strength, you can eat it however you want."
"Well…" Mo Lei was at a loss for words. She nudged Yue Shi Tu with her elbow, signaling her to cough up some more Soul Coins to secure this deal.
"I'm out of money."
"Liar. You were bragging yesterday that you still had 5,000 Soul Coins left."
"I lost it!"
Yue Shi Tu was so angry she wanted to punch Mo Lei, but knowing she couldn't win, she muttered a few words under her breath and decided to pay for this cooperation.
For this cooperation, Mo Lei, Hao Mei, and Yue Shi Tu were all full of anticipation. They were sure that even if they didn't gain much during the process, when they returned to Apocalypse Paradise, the world settlement evaluation would be ridiculously high.
Especially Mo Lei. To make the Sun Nest an official faction and gain Void Tree certification, she had been tricked into becoming the Sun Nest's "legal representative." Now that the Sun Nest had repelled the Nether forces, she naturally benefited. If the counterattack on the Underworld succeeded, Mo Lei would be the first person in history to win by lying down.
Mo Lei and the others soon left, accompanied by 200,000 Demon Beasts, 300 Demon Flame Dragons, and the leader-level Demon Beast, Ya Ba Dun.
But what Mo Lei and the others didn't know was that while Ao Kai Star was a great place to gather resources, the cult organizations there were particularly insane.
Although Mo Lei and the others left, one summoned creature stayed behind—Xian Lu Lu, under Yue Shi Tu's command.
For the fifth slot to fight the Emperor, Su Xiao planned to bring Xian Lu Lu.
"Big shot, long time no see~" Xian Lu Lu said in a crisp voice. As a cat-form light spirit, it jumped onto Su Xiao's shoulder. If Bei Ni saw this, she would be so angry she wouldn't eat for several meals.