A Meal Is Worth Eating, but Not Selling Your Life

Qiongqi watched Lu Yuan fall deep into thought, and gradually relaxed.

As Qiongqi saw it,

the invitation was already more than half accepted.

With the entire Northern Land's fierce Sha resources laid before them, few cultivators could refuse.

Especially when this Grand Void Sky Whale clearly needed to devour fierce Sha Qi to grow.

Those terms were practically tailored to Lu Yuan.

Qiongqi flapped its wings, hovering in front of Lu Yuan's head as it waited patiently.

Lu Yuan was indeed giving the offer serious thought.

Shen Ni's forces were powerful now.

What did the northern continent have in greatest abundance?

Sha Qi.

Residual Chaos Qi.

Ferocious beast flesh and blood.

All of it was useful to him.

If he really could join Shen Ni, he would surely save himself a lot of trouble with resources.

He wouldn't have to search everywhere for them anymore.

He could just wait for meals to be served every day.

It sounded like a pretty comfortable life.

But...

Lu Yuan also knew full well:

there was no such thing as a free meal.

If Shen Ni was willing to provide so many resources, he would naturally expect Lu Yuan to work.

With that in mind,

Lu Yuan asked directly, "What would I usually have to do after joining?"

Qiongqi wasn't surprised by the question.

"The Beast Emperor has many powerful experts under his command. Naturally, we wouldn't need you to act in every little matter."

After listening, Lu Yuan pressed on. "What about at critical moments?"

Qiongqi answered directly. "Naturally, you would have to follow the Beast Emperor's orders."

Lu Yuan nodded inwardly.

Fair enough.

If you drew a salary, you had to work.

He asked again, "If you go to war with other races, would I have to go too?"

"Of course."

Qiongqi spoke as though it went without saying. "Countless races now populate the Primordial World. If the Ferocious Beast Clan wishes to truly rule all under heaven, wars of conquest are inevitable."

Lu Yuan continued, "If Shen Ni attacks the east, west, and south in the future, would I have to follow him there too?"

Qiongqi frowned slightly.

It could already tell there was something off about Lu Yuan's questions.

But it answered anyway. "Once you join the Imperial Court, you must naturally serve the Beast Emperor."

Lu Yuan understood.

The resources were real.

So was the mountain of work.

Joining Shen Ni meant taking the Ferocious Beast Clan's side.

Once the Fierce Beast Calamity fully erupted, there would be no escaping it for him.

When Shen Ni led the entire Ferocious Beast Imperial Court into battle against the countless races of the Primordial World, Lu Yuan would have to fight on the front lines too.

Lu Yuan had no interest in that kind of life.

His biggest goal right now was simple.

Eat.

Grow up.

Eat some more.

Grow some more.

If he didn't have enough resources, he could find them himself.

There was no need to tie himself to a great ship doomed to capsize just for a free meal ticket.

When Lu Yuan remained silent for a long time, Qiongqi finally couldn't help asking, "What have you decided?"

Lu Yuan came back to his senses.

"Forget it."

The smile froze on Qiongqi's face.

"Forget it?"

"Yeah."

Lu Yuan's tone was calm. "The resources you're offering are good, but I don't want to follow you into battle every day."

Clear astonishment appeared in Qiongqi's eyes.

Judging by Lu Yuan's reaction just now, he had clearly been tempted.

And now he was simply refusing?

"Are you sure you've thought this through?"

Qiongqi's voice gradually deepened. "Who in the entire Northern Land would dare claim to possess more resources than His Majesty the Beast Emperor?"

"With your cultivation method, if you lose the Imperial Court's support, I'm afraid it won't be easy to find enough places rich in fierce Sha for you to grow."

Lu Yuan acknowledged that.

"It would be a little troublesome."

"But I can find them myself."

Qiongqi's frown deepened.

"You'd rather search everywhere for resources yourself than join the Imperial Court?"

"Something like that."

Lu Yuan shifted his body slightly.

His enormous form rose and fell gently, making the nearby ground tremble with it.

"I like my peace and quiet. When I'm hungry, I eat. When I'm sleepy, I sleep. If you want to fight for supremacy in the Primordial World, that's your business."

Qiongqi stared at him for a moment.

For the first time, it felt a sense of absurdity.

Living beings in the Primordial World cultivated.

Who among them didn't want to contend?

Contend for providence.

Contend for spirit treasures.

Contend for cultivation grounds.

Contend for opportunities to attain the Great Dao.

At Qiongqi and Lu Yuan's level, they should have understood better than most that one step ahead meant staying ahead at every step.

The Beast Emperor Shen Ni was at the height of his power.

The entire Ferocious Beast Clan was flourishing.

Joining the Imperial Court meant gaining an enormous backer.

Any other ferocious beast king of the Northern Land would probably have accepted such an invitation long ago.

Yet Lu Yuan found it too much trouble.

A trace of displeasure gradually rose in Qiongqi's heart.

"You seem to lack reverence for His Majesty the Beast Emperor."

Lu Yuan glanced at it.

"I've never even met him."

That answer made Qiongqi's expression turn even uglier.

"Lu Yuan, His Majesty personally ordered us to invite you. He has already shown you the utmost respect."

"Which of the Northern Land's kings would dare defy the Beast Emperor's decree?"

The Great Luo pressure around Qiongqi gradually spread.

The ferocious beasts in the distance that had been watching in secret sensed it and backed away in terror.

They hadn't dared go too far before.

They had mainly wanted to know what would happen after this Great Luo giant found Lu Yuan.

Now, seeing fierce Sha surging around Qiongqi, they all knew the negotiations had most likely gone wrong.

A black-scaled giant python hid in a valley tens of thousands of miles away and cautiously poked its head out.

"Roar..."

A Golden Immortal ferocious beast beside it let out a low, suppressed sound.

The two ferocious beasts glanced at each other.

Each saw tension in the other's eyes.

The Heaven-Splitting Hou had been strong enough.

But Qiongqi and the Heaven-Splitting Hou weren't even on the same level.

Qiongqi was a true Daluo Golden Immortal-level ferocious beast.

Even in the entire Northern Land, it stood at the very top.

If this giant beast dared refuse even Qiongqi...

The black-scaled giant python suddenly felt that something big might happen again today.

Lu Yuan naturally felt Qiongqi's pressure.

A Daluo Golden Immortal.

Very strong.

Far stronger than the Heaven-Splitting Hou.

Even so, Lu Yuan didn't change his mind.

"Shen Ni can be his Beast Emperor, and I can eat my food. There's no conflict between the two."

Lu Yuan looked at Qiongqi, his tone still steady. "I won't rob your Imperial Court, and I won't interfere with whoever you fight. If I need suitable resources in the future, I can just find them myself."

After hearing that, Qiongqi completely lost the patience to keep persuading him.

It gently spread its wings.

Billowing black clouds surged along with them.

"His Majesty the Beast Emperor wishes to see you."

"Today, you're coming whether you want to or not."

As Qiongqi's voice fell, the ferocious beasts watching from afar all jolted.

One Golden Immortal ferocious beast's eyes widened.

"Ao!"

It suddenly let out a low roar and rapidly retreated.

They really were going to fight!

The other ferocious beasts likewise began putting more distance between themselves and the two.

None of them wanted to be caught in the aftermath of a clash between Daluo Golden Immortals.

Seeing this, Lu Yuan wasn't particularly surprised.

The Primordial World was, after all, a place where strength did the talking.

If they couldn't reach an agreement,

it was only natural to resort to force in the end.

Lu Yuan slowly raised his head.

"Then let's try."

The fierce light in Qiongqi's eyes flared in an instant.

Its Daluo Golden Immortal pressure erupted in full.

Rumble!

The entire sky suddenly sank.

Fierce Sha Qi from hundreds of thousands of miles around surged wildly toward Qiongqi.

The commotion this time far exceeded that of the Heaven-Splitting Hou's earlier attack.

The ferocious beasts that had already retreated far into the distance still felt a tightness in their chests.

The black-scaled giant python went so far as to press its body flat against the ground, its eyes filled with horror.

"Great Luo..."

That presence, utterly above Golden Immortals and Taiyi, bore down on it until even lifting its head became difficult.

Qiongqi hovered high in the sky.

Black clouds billowed behind it.

"I'll ask you one last time."

"Are you coming with me or not?"

Lu Yuan looked at it.

"No."

Qiongqi said no more.

A massive claw slowly rose.

The Daluo Principle flowed with it.

The air between heaven and earth grew unbearably oppressive in an instant.