Establishing diplomatic relations with Ice Saw Valley was not a condition Xu Nan had come up with on a whim. It was the result of discussions with the Gray Tower administrator and other City Hall members.
Although Xu Nan and Sanger were rivals in the looks quest, that did not mean the two cities had to oppose each other.
First, Ice Saw Valley was powerful enough. What Xu Nan wanted was not to dominate the Underground World, but to gain a foothold here first.
Finding a powerful ally was necessary.
Second, Xu Nan had major forces backing him as well, so he was not worried about getting the short end of the stick in a partnership with Ice Saw Valley.
Even the Primordial Number One Handsome Man would probably have to weigh his options before the imposing banners of Stephenson and Lost Paradise.
Third, the two cities were neither too close nor too far apart.
Anonymous City lay in the north, near the surface.
Ice Saw Valley, meanwhile, lay to the south, closer to the earth's core, in the Underdark south of the Great Vortex.
At the very least, there was no conflict between them when it came to territorial disputes.
The distance was also suitable for trade.
As for ideology, that was even less of a problem.
Perhaps some city-states had conflicts over religious customs and the like.
But according to the intelligence Xu Nan possessed, Ice Saw Valley and Anonymous City were strikingly similar in this regard—under absolute order, most people were equal.
This was also an important reason why the lich Sanger had remained standing for so many years and instead kept expanding the Ice Saw Valley fortress.
At least for now, Sanger was an excellent candidate for an alliance.
Besides, they were both handsome men. Wouldn't