Chapter 1378: The Origin of Summoners (First Update)
Long Xiao was startled inwardly. "Go to the Great Void? That world created by the Creator gods who fled the Ancestral Court?"
"That's right."
Qin Mu said, "That's the place. The Creator gods built the Other Shore Void there. You can take the giant beasts there to thrive and multiply. Of course, the Heavenly Court is attacking that place, so you'll need to contribute."
His divine consciousness rippled, transmitting the current situation of the Other Shore Void into Long Xiao's mind.
Long Xiao hesitated. If the Heavenly Court was attacking the Other Shore Void, and they went there, he and the ancient giant beasts would have no choice but to join the battle. Judging from the situation Qin Mu had conveyed to him, if the Heavenly Court was determined to destroy the Other Shore Void, the Great Void, the Void Bridge, and even the Other Shore Void itself would be absolutely indefensible!
Even if he and the ancient giant beasts from the back of the Ancestral Court could flee there, it would only delay their deaths.
Qin Mu watched his expression and said unhurriedly, "If you choose not to go to the Great Void, there is another opportunity: to join forces with the Eleventh Heavenly Lord."
Long Xiao was stunned, not understanding.
Qin Mu said, "The Eleventh Heavenly Lord of the Heavenly Court is not among the Ten Heavenly Lords. She has a unique ability: forging the Divine Artifacts of Imperial Lord Yu. Moreover, all the Divine Artifacts of Imperial Lord Yu were created by her, and she knows the weaknesses of all of them. However, because she is not among the Ten Heavenly Lords, allying with her also carries great danger. Both you and she could be destroyed by the Ten Heavenly Lords."
Long Xiao's expression shifted between uncertainty and gloom.
The second path Qin Mu pointed out to him also carried immense risk. The Ten Heavenly Lords of the Heavenly Court would not tolerate him falling into the hands of any single Heavenly Lord. Allying with the Eleventh Heavenly Lord would also lead to being annihilated by the Ten.
Moreover, the path Qin Mu had shown him was also fraught with hidden dangers.
As long as he followed Qin Mu's guidance, the Ten Heavenly Lords would go to war with him and the Eleventh Heavenly Lord, tearing heaven and earth apart, turning the back of the Ancestral Court into a second battlefield!
"Is there a third path?" Long Xiao asked.
Qin Mu smiled faintly. "The third path is the most dangerous one. When the Ten Heavenly Lords left just now, they invited me to the Heavenly Alliance meeting to discuss how to divide the back of the Ancestral Court and other major matters. I will carve out a territory in the back of the Ancestral Court, and you can openly pledge allegiance to me, becoming a general under my name."
Long Xiao's face changed drastically, and he shook his head. "You can't even protect yourself. How can you protect me?"
"Precisely because I can't protect myself, there is a glimmer of hope."
Qin Mu laughed. "The Ten Heavenly Lords are not a unified entity; they each have their own rivalries. But they also share a common goal: maintaining peace among themselves before eliminating other enemies. They won't completely fall out with the Eleventh Heavenly Lord of the Heavenly Court, so they will allocate a portion of the back of the Ancestral Court to her. They can give a share to the Eleventh Heavenly Lord, and they can also give one to me, because I have someone among the Ten Heavenly Lords."
Long Xiao frowned. "You can protect yourself, but I have no one among the Heavenly Lords. If I pledge allegiance to you, will they tolerate me?"
"If you pledge allegiance to any one of the Eleven Heavenly Lords, it would break the balance. But pledging allegiance to me does not break it. We are the weakest, the Twelfth Heavenly Lords, so there is a chance to survive."
Qin Mu said unhurriedly, "The chance is slim, but it's worth striving for."
Long Xiao paced back and forth, indecisive, then suddenly looked up. "Is there a fourth path?"
Qin Mu fell silent.
Seeing this, Long Xiao quickly smiled. "Lord Mu, whether there is a fourth path or not, I am very grateful to you and still consider you my ally! Rest assured, I will never betray you!"
Qin Mu made up his mind and suddenly looked up. "There is a fourth path. Although this path is difficult, it is the best one, the easiest to achieve, and will even preserve your ruling position, freeing you from the control of the Ten Heavenly Lords and keeping you aloof from worldly conflicts! However, this path will weaken my interests. Therefore, I need you to promise to do three things for me. If you agree, I will fight for this path for you."
Long Xiao hesitated for a moment, then said solemnly, "Alright! I agree to your three demands!"
"The fourth path is for the Twelve Heavenly Lords to divide the back of the Ancestral Court, allowing the giant beasts to migrate to the backs of the Primordial Realm and other myriad realms, establishing a Giant Beast Great World."
Qin Mu's eyes flickered. "The Beast Realm will be independent from all other realms, with Long Xiao as its ruler, the sole ancient god. The giant beasts of the Beast Realm can establish summoning contracts with gods or cultivators, answering calls to descend from the Beast Realm and fight alongside them. After the battle ends, the giant beasts return to the Beast Realm. In this way, all Heavenly Lords can share in the power of the giant beasts, while controlling the Beast Realm through you. Therefore, they will all nod in agreement."
Long Xiao's eyes lit up. This path was indeed the best one. He would have no conflict of interest with the Twelve Heavenly Lords, nor would he be subdued by them and turned into a mount, nor would he face any danger to his life!
But was this path easy to achieve?
"The Twelve Heavenly Lords each have their own interests. This path won't harm anyone's interests, and they can also use the giant beasts' power for battle. As long as you remain impartial, it will actually be the easiest to achieve."
Qin Mu sighed. "But this path damages my interests. Without your help, I will become the weakest faction in the back of the Ancestral Court. However, precisely because of this, the other eleven Heavenly Lords will all agree to this proposal."
Long Xiao laughed. "This path is the best!"
Qin Mu glanced at him and said, "I can help you achieve this path."
Long Xiao quickly said, "I will not break my promise on the three demands I agreed to!"
Qin Mu relaxed his expression and said, "It's not that I don't trust you, but a basic contract is still necessary. You and I will make a Little Lord Tu oath. If you violate the contract in the future, Little Lord Tu will take your soul."
Long Xiao laughed. "That's only proper."
The two made the Little Lord Tu oath, but Long Xiao didn't feel where this Little Lord Tu was, thinking to himself, "Let alone a Little Lord Tu oath, even a Lord Tu oath can't restrict me. Although Lord Tu can take my soul, there are places he cannot reach. As long as I stay in my Beast Realm, Lord Tu can't enter and can't do anything to me. Can Little Lord Tu be more powerful than Lord Tu?"
Qin Mu said earnestly, "Long Xiao, I don't want to scheme against you, but I must warn you in advance. Little Lord Tu is different from Lord Tu. He is not bound by the laws of the Netherworld and can go anywhere in the world. If you violate the contract, when he arrives at the Beast Realm, it will be your death."
Long Xiao's face changed drastically, and he asked cautiously, "Then this Little Lord Tu is..."
Qin Mu did not hide it. "He is my blood brother, born with a fierce nature and extremely formidable. Even I fear him a little."
Long Xiao immediately felt relieved, thinking to himself, "Lord Mu is a fake Heavenly Lord. His blood brother can't be that powerful either. He can't do anything to me."
"For now, stay hidden and do your best to preserve your life. Wait for good news."
Qin Mu said, "Let Long Qilin stay with you. He is your adopted son, so you must take good care of him."
Long Xiao acknowledged, saying, "Rest assured. If the Beast Realm is established in the future, Long Pi will have half of it!" Then he burst into laughter.
Qin Mu got up and left.
Long Xiao asked, "Pi'er, is Little Lord Tu really Lord Mu's brother? How does his strength compare to the other Heavenly Lords?"
Long Qilin said, "He is a bit stronger than Lord Mu, but far inferior to the Heavenly Lords. However, he is indeed born with a fierce nature."
Long Xiao laughed. "This Little Lord Tu oath is also full of holes." So he paid it no mind.