"Haha, what are you standing around for? Get ready to welcome your honored self, Temple Master!"
Desmond Mansfield patted Evan Chu's shoulder and laughed.
In the whole Dragon-Chen Legion, only he would dare act this bold. Evan Chu's mouth twitched—this guy really knows how to handle things!
Originally, Evan Chu knew just how important that item was. And according to Lynton Chu, it was even more crucial for him—it would determine his future transformation and growth.
At first, Evan Chu planned to break into the Flowing-Light Dynasty by force. Whether he could actually get the item was another question, but with the Starry Void Sigil in hand, he figured their top experts wouldn't be able to keep him here. But with Desmond Mansfield taking charge and analyzing the situation, the army lined up, and without shedding a drop of blood, the Flowing-Light Dynasty just lowered its posture!
Of course, things aren't as simple as they look. First off, there had to be a clever person inside the Flowing-Light Dynasty—and Desmond knew Warren Wu was right here.
But just like Evan Chu said, the process doesn't matter—the result is all that counts.
Evan Chu didn't slack off, either. He put on his newly forged Stellar Battle Armor, starlight bursting forth—the armor was set with four high-grade stars, each one shining brilliantly!
Sure enough, the moment he appeared, the Flowing-Light side's soldiers were all shocked. Those stars were packed with powerful Stellar Power, and now they were just being used to make armor?
In reality, Evan Chu had already extracted the Star-souls from those stars. The leftover power was just for show—the armor didn't have any special tricks, except for being bright and flashy...and tough enough to take a beating!
"Which one of you is the Flowing-Light Holy Emperor?"
The supreme ruler of a dynasty takes the dynasty's name as his title—so here, it's the Flowing-Light Holy Emperor.
"I am here. Upon hearing that Temple Master Chu has arrived, I came in person to welcome you."
Night Wuming revealed himself—the supreme Holy Emperor of a dynasty appeared in person! This time, every soldier in the Dragon-Chen Legion held their heads high, overflowing with pride and honor!
Who else could make the Holy Emperor of a whole dynasty roll out such a welcome? Who else?!
"Heh, Flowing-Light Holy Emperor, there's no need for so many formalities."
Night Wuming didn't bow his head, but he'd already lowered his stance—everyone could see it. And it wouldn't be long before today's events spread across the whole Star-River Sacred Domain.
By then, Evan Chu's name... would shake the four directions!
"Since Temple Master Chu is here, please, all my brothers—come inside, have some tea and rest awhile. Let me show you proper hospitality as host."
"Alright, please!"
Evan Chu stepped forward—his cultivation might only be early Saint Venerable, but his aura was no weaker than those Holy Emperor experts. No wonder he's the Temple Master of Dragon-Chen Hall!
Seeing Evan Chu's lineup, Night Wuming could only sigh—he couldn't compare to such a heaven-defying talent. Right now, maybe his cultivation was far above Evan Chu's, but at Evan's growth rate, he'd surpass him soon enough. And it wouldn't take long.
Elder Warren Wu had already spelled this out for him.
All two hundred thousand Dragon-Chen Legion soldiers moved into the Flowing-Light Dynasty's base star-region, treated as VIPs. This was nothing like meeting old enemies!
Just a short while ago, the two sides were enemies in different camps, locked in fierce battle over resources.
But now, the situation was changing fast.
Desmond Mansfield, still dressed in spotless white, stood three steps behind Evan Chu, folding his fan as he followed Evan into the main hall of the Flowing-Light Dynasty.
Alongside Evan Chu were Nathan Yates and Lance Li—two Holy Emperor-realm experts, one on each side, guarding him. The sight left everyone stunned.
Since they already knew Evan Chu and the Dragon-Chen Legion, the Flowing-Light Dynasty's central authorities naturally had plenty of intel on Dragon-Chen's main officers.
Lance Li and Nathan Yates were already famous long before this—but back then, both of them were only Saint Venerable level.
Status and identity aside, they're simply not on the same level anymore.
But ever since they started following Evan Chu? Their development soared, their strength skyrocketed, and now they've stepped into the Holy Emperor Realm—yet they still willingly bow their heads to work for Evan Chu!
Even a fool could see it—Evan Chu must have unimaginable benefits tempting them. Or rather, at this point, their futures are already tied to Evan Chu. They're certain that sticking with him will only make them stronger.
Originally, plenty of Temple Masters and Thrones doubted Elder Warren Wu's words. But now, all that doubt vanished—Evan Chu felt completely out of reach!
"Little Chen, you handle the negotiations. This time, you fully represent me."
"Alright."
Desmond Mansfield nodded, then stared straight at Night Wuming. "Flowing-Light Holy Emperor, let's talk somewhere private."
Desmond's realm wasn't high—at least, compared to Night Wuming, he was still an ant that hadn't grown up.
But Night Wuming knew he had to restrain his aura—if Desmond sensed any pressure, things could get ugly.
Desmond's presence made it clear—he was Evan Chu's official spokesperson, with absolute authority. If Evan Chu let him speak, it meant Desmond could fully represent him.
Night Wuming didn't dare slack off, and even Elder Warren Wu behind him didn't dare, either.
Inside a secret negotiation chamber, Night Wuming and Desmond Mansfield sat face-to-face, while outside, a grand banquet was held in the main hall—Evan Chu, Nathan Yates, and Lance Li were enjoying themselves.
All those high and mighty Holy Emperor Temple Masters and Thrones were now circling around Evan Chu. They'd never dreamed they'd see a day like this.
In the future, they'd feel lucky that this day happened at all.
Desmond Mansfield smiled at Night Wuming. "Holy Emperor, my Temple Master's intentions are already pretty clear, aren't they?"
"That's right. We've been guessing at Temple Master Chu's intentions for quite a while now. To be honest, these past days... we've been struggling."
Night Wuming gave a bitter smile. He was actually speaking to a Saint Venerable ant like this. But he didn't feel ashamed—in fact, he felt relieved.
"I hope this really is an opportunity. From the moment I stepped out of the dynasty's star-region to welcome you, everything was already clear. So, Young Master Mansfield, I'll get straight to the point—we can hand over that item, but there are some conditions we need to make clear first."
"Please, Holy Emperor, speak freely."
"We can give you the item, but not for free, right? If the Flowing-Light Dynasty runs into trouble in the future, what kind of help will the Dragon-Chen Legion provide?"
Night Wuming spoke tactfully, but Desmond Mansfield just burst out laughing and, in a bandit-style tone like Lena Lin always used, said, "Submit, and we’ll cover you—everything will be fine. If you only want diplomacy, we'll help according to the benefits involved."
Put simply, there are no eternal friends—only eternal interests. But before coming, my Temple Master gave me one instruction to make clear to you.
"What did Temple Master Chu say?" Night Wuming tensed up inside.
Temple Master doesn’t like fickleness. If you’re friends, it’s for life. Otherwise, it’s better to eliminate a hidden threat than let it linger. Waffling isn’t good. So, once you hand over that item, the Flowing-Light Dynasty must see this through to the end. Want to regret it? You might have the intention, but you won’t have the life to act on it. That’s the bottom line.
Of course, you don’t have to hand it over—we won’t force you.
Desmond was still smiling, but Night Wuming’s face looked anything but pleasant.