Xiao Ren came downstairs in a daze, looking like he was sleepwalking, his hair sticking out in tufts here and there from sleep.
"Uncle, Auntie, Ling Ling, something came up at the academy, so I'll head over first. Take your time eating." Seeing Xiao Ren come down, he urged, "Xiao Zai, hurry up and eat breakfast. I'll head out first."
"Where are you going?" Xiao Ren asked with a yawn.
"The academy."
Xiao Ren rubbed his eyes and finally came fully awake, while Chen Tian had already dashed out the door.
Soon, Chen Tian arrived at the academy building, where Li Chengtian had been waiting for him for quite some time.
"What sort of unwelcome guest has arrived? With you and Old Dean here, can't you handle it?" Chen Tian asked as he walked ahead.
Li Chengtian replied from beside him, "That person has quite a background, and what he wants to discuss isn't something Old Dean and I can decide."
"Discuss something?"
They took the elevator to the top floor and walked straight into the conference hall ahead. Through the transparent glass, Chen Tian saw a man in his fifties sitting across the rectangular conference table from Old Dean.
As they entered and brushed past each other, the corners of Chen Tian's lips lifted slightly. Without anyone knowing, he and the man had just exchanged a round, and it was obvious that Chen Tian had won.
Li Chengtian sat to Old Dean's left, while Chen Tian sat to his right and turned to look at the man. The man revealed not even a trace of killing intent, yet his gaze toward Chen Tian was filled with murderous intent! His jaw was clenched tightly, and he refused to yield under Chen Tian's stare. His eyebrows curved like two drawn blades, radiating an intimidating force!
Chen Tian merely smiled faintly and looked at him as if nothing had happened. His dark eyes seemed like bottomless abysses, swallowing the man and the murderous intent he released.
Li Chengtian seemed to notice something strange as well. He looked at Chen Tian, then at the man, ready to intervene. In the end, the man backed down and withdrew his killing intent. Seeing this, Chen Tian also reined in his aura.
The man then suddenly leaned back in his chair and let out a breath with an extremely subtle movement. A bead of sweat slid unconsciously down the back of his neck.
"Since everyone is here, let's begin." Old Dean Feng Ming spoke. "Di Xiong, tell us why you came."
Hearing the name, Chen Tian was somewhat surprised. Di Xiong? Wasn't he the Alliance Leader of the NO.1 Alliance?
His organization had led the siege against the academy. If Li Chengtian hadn't arrived in time, perhaps they would now be the ones coming here to confront Di Xiong.
Di Xiong sat up straight and adjusted the suit and tie over his chest. "My purpose in coming to the academy is very simple. I want to cooperate."
"Cooperate?" Li Chengtian said incredulously.
Anyone would know—and even a fool could see—that cooperation between the academy and the NO.1 Alliance was impossible! It was like asking monsters to obediently submit to humanity: utterly unrealistic!
"Go on. Explain it clearly," Chen Tian said.
Di Xiong took out a projector and placed it in the center of the table. A flat map of the land appeared afterward.
"This is a detailed map of the Ten Thousand Stars Land. It was compiled by combining countless maps from the Old World. It shows every place on the land that can and cannot be reached," Di Xiong explained.
"The reason I came to seek cooperation is that I have a plan—a plan to drive every monster off the land, or even exterminate them there. The plan has a very high chance of success, fifty percent higher than the Hunting Plan!"
Di Xiong held up five fingers. The plan he proposed had a success rate a full fifty percent higher than the Hunting Plan organized by Long Ye and Tian Gang back then!
Old Dean Feng Ming did not answer immediately. He knew all too well that, back then, even Long Ye himself could not guarantee that the Hunting Plan had a fifty percent chance of success!
Yet Di Xiong, whose strength was inferior to those two, could confidently guarantee the success of his plan?
Back then, merely eliminating one of the most dangerous monster regions had ended with every War God inside suffering a crushing defeat! Di Xiong's plan was even more dangerous than the Hunting Plan—more difficult! And he was claiming it had a success rate fifty percent higher? Fifty percent higher! That meant there would be an eighty percent chance of driving the monsters from the land! How could Old Dean Feng Ming possibly believe such a ridiculous pipe dream?
It was utterly absurd! If not for their past ties, Di Xiong would not only have been barred from the academy's top-floor conference room—he might not even have been allowed half a step through the main gate!
"Do you know what you're saying?" Old Dean Feng Ming said coolly, his tone turning somewhat cold.
Di Xiong was not surprised by Old Dean's attitude. He merely curled his lips into a smile. "Our NO.1 Alliance has developed a drug specifically targeting monsters. Its effects are extremely potent, and its success rate is ninety-nine percent!"
Li Chengtian hesitated before asking, "What kind of drug targets monsters?"
As a former Advanced War God, he was not only powerful but also widely connected. He had been involved in certain secret histories and covert experiments.
He knew of only one type among the equipment, weapons, and drugs developed to target monsters.
Someone had raised a question, proving there was still room for discussion. Di Xiong gathered his thoughts and continued, "This drug was painstakingly developed by our NO.1 Alliance. It destroys monster genes, then recombines them."
"Isn't that—" Old Dean Feng Ming began, but stopped himself.
Di Xiong let out a soft, mocking laugh. "That's right! Dean, it's exactly what you're thinking! People outside may not know, but there's no way you don't. How were the monsters born, and who brought them into being?"
Old Dean Feng Ming's expression first froze, then twisted with pain, and finally ended in a helpless sigh.
Li Chengtian said nothing either. He knew what Di Xiong was referring to, and Old Dean knew it even more clearly. Wasn't humanity itself the reason the monsters had been born?
The source of everything ultimately lay in humanity itself.
"Dean, there's no need to put on such a pained expression. After all, you weren't the only one who caused it, were you?" Di Xiong looked at Old Dean with a hint of amusement, as if Old Dean's sorrow gave him a sliver of pleasure.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
Old Dean Feng Ming no longer spoke sharply. In its place was a kind of weathered weariness. His vitality and spirit had withered like a deflated balloon, making the already elderly man look even more aged.
"Heh, back to the point. The smell of this drug makes monsters nauseated, so they instinctively avoid it. Coincidentally, the drug has to be injected into a monster's body before it can exert its intended effect."
"So I'm offering the drug as the condition for cooperation, and my demand is very simple: half of your academy's resources. That half must include everything."
Slap! "What?!"
Li Chengtian slammed the table and shot to his feet. Di Xiong's outrageous demand had sent his hair standing on end. He wanted to exchange one lousy drug for half the total resources of the Two Great Academies?!
Old Dean Feng Ming gestured for Li Chengtian to sit down and calm himself. Then he said, "I'm not the academy's acting dean. You should take your demand to them. Besides, even if I were, I wouldn't agree to it."
Chen Tian said nothing. He simply watched Di Xiong make a fool of himself.
"My demand isn't excessive. You're the ones facing the impact of the Beast Tide right now, while we won't be affected at all!" Di Xiong spread his hands.
"Hmph! Who knows whether your drug is real? Perhaps it's nothing more than a gimmick. As for the Beast Tide, there's no need for you to trouble yourself!" Li Chengtian said forcefully.
"Hahahaha!"
Di Xiong burst into loud laughter, seemingly finding Li Chengtian's words hilarious. "When the monsters move out in full force, your Hua Xia City District will be surrounded by enemies on all sides! Never mind anyone else—even if Long Ye and Tian Gang were here, could they guarantee the safety of the Hua Xia City District?"
Pfft!
Chen Tian, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly laughed at the most inappropriate moment. Di Xiong froze on the spot, and the atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
"My friend, it seems you have a different opinion." Di Xiong narrowed his eyes, though he did not dare say much more.
Supporting his cheek with one hand, Chen Tian looked sidelong at Di Xiong and said with leisurely ease, "It's only a Beast Tide. Do you really need to go to all this trouble?"
Before you continue