Tricking You Without Negotiation (Reset)

"Brother Mubai, this isn't the place to talk. Why don't we go to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel and chat?"

Li Xiaoyao didn't directly refuse Dai Mubai's request.

Tang San was a white-eyed wolf who couldn't be nurtured.

Oscar was too deeply tied to Shrek Academy.

These two were not worth his investment.

As for Dai Mubai, Li Xiaoyao was more optimistic about the Star Luo Empire's population, which represented such immense faith.

Although Chronos could grant him immortality, he still wanted to become a god, even someone the Douluo God Realm couldn't touch.

"Alright! I'm treating today!"

Li Xiaoyao's agreement made Dai Mubai's heart, which had been hanging, suddenly settle. His tightly furrowed brow immediately relaxed, and a hint of imperceptible joy flashed in his eyes.

With Li Xiaoyao leading the way, the group soon arrived at the top floor of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Hotel.

After securing a tea room and ordering some food, they resumed their earlier conversation.

Setting down his teacup--

Li Xiaoyao began to speak.

"Brother Mubai, as I said earlier, my family has regulations against leaking our exclusive secret recipes. I ask for your understanding on this matter."

"However, if you wish to purchase the finished product, that would be no problem. As for the cost, you will bear it yourself, and you only need to give me some compensation afterward!"

With two years left until the Soul Master Elite Competition, he could lay the groundwork for the future beforehand.

If Dai Mubai could become the Emperor of the Star Luo Empire, accumulating faith power would be easy, which would greatly benefit his future godhood.

"Uh... this... Brother Xiaoyao..."

"Your request is that simple?"

Dai Mubai couldn't believe that Li Xiaoyao would make such a simple request. It was practically giving it away for free.

Due to the caution and suspicion of the Star Luo royal family, Dai Mubai always felt there was a trap waiting for him to fall into.

A trap?

Of course, there was a trap!

What was the cost of this secret recipe? Wasn't that up to him, Li Xiaoyao, to decide?

While emptying Dai Mubai's pockets to make money, he could also pave the way for his own future godhood. He was practically making a killing.

For him, it was just a small matter of spending some time, but he could gain the Star Luo Empire's endless faith power in the future. This deal was a sure win.

As for whether Dai Mubai would fail in his bid for the throne?

That question was undoubtedly impossible.

With his help, Dai Mubai's claim to the Star Luo Empire's throne would be as stable as an old dog's. It all depended on whether the other party could offer him a satisfactory price.

Of course, he wouldn't reveal these things.

So--Li Xiaoyao spoke again.

"Brother Mubai, rest assured!"

"The reason I'm making such a simple request is merely a small investment in you."

"If you can defeat your elder brother, Dai Weisi, in the Soul Master Elite Competition two years from now, then my family and I will continue to increase our investment in you."

"But if you fail in your bid for the Star Luo throne, I will cease all investment and will no longer provide any assistance."

"After all--

I, Li Xiaoyao, never make losing deals."

Upon hearing Li Xiaoyao's words, Dai Mubai suddenly understood.

So, Li Xiaoyao valued his status as a prince of the Star Luo Empire and wanted to invest in him early.

As long as he defeated Dai Weisi in the Soul Master Elite Competition two years later, he would receive the support of Li Xiaoyao and his family.

Similarly, if he lost to Dai Weisi in the Soul Master Elite Competition two years later.

It would prove that he was already dead and had no future, thus requiring no support from Li Xiaoyao and his family.

After figuring all this out--

Dai Mubai actually breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hoo! Brother Xiaoyao, your kindness is beyond words!"

"I understand your intentions."

"In the Elite Competition two years from now, I will personally defeat Dai Weisi! I, Dai Mubai, am determined to claim the Star Luo Empire's throne!"

"Should I be able to rule the Star Luo Empire then, your family will be the most steadfast ally of my Star Luo Empire. Anything you seek, as long as it is within my power, Dai Mubai will not refuse!"

Li Xiaoyao smiled and did not reply.

He instead brought up another topic.

He then said—

"Brother Mubai, there's no need to be so polite."

"If you ask me, things aren't as serious as they seem!"

"Besides defeating your elder brother, Dai Weisi, you actually have another path you can take."

Dai Mubai: ∑(O_O;)

Ah... this...

I have a second path?

How come he didn't know about this?

"Brother Xiaoyao, what exactly do you mean by that?"

If there truly was a second path, he could have kept it as a backup.

Li Xiaoyao just smiled and said slowly.

"Brother Mubai, it doesn't matter if you lose to Dai Weisi. Find a place to cultivate in seclusion for ten or eight years. Once your Soul Power breaks through to Titled Douluo, then return to Star Luo with the force of thunder."

"By then, even if Dai Weisi sits on the throne, what of it? No matter how many troops he commands or how many Soul Masters he has, they absolutely won't be able to keep a Titled Douluo who wishes to leave."

Li Xiaoyao's tone was light and breezy, as if he were discussing something utterly ordinary.

"Titled Douluo are the apex combatants of the continent. Stirring up seas and crossing vast distances is nothing extraordinary. Even if Dai Weisi mobilizes the entire nation to intercept you, he can only watch from afar."

"More importantly, the Star Luo royal family will never let a Titled Douluo like you perish! You are of royal blood, the empire's apex combatant. Once you break through, you will be Star Luo's most precious foundation."

Li Xiaoyao's tone carried an undeniable certainty.

"Whether it's the royal clan, the military elders, or the court officials, they will absolutely not stand by and watch the Star Luo Empire lose an apex combatant like a Titled Douluo. They certainly won't allow Dai Weisi to commit such a foolish act of destroying his own foundation."

After all, one Titled Douluo is enough to elevate the Star Luo Empire's strength by another level.

"As long as you break through to Titled Douluo, you won't need to hide. The royal family will only try their best to protect you."

Even if Dai Weisi hates you to the bone, he'll have to grudgingly accept it. Does he dare to defy the will of the entire royal family and engage in an endless feud with a Titled Douluo of the royal family?

Li Xiaoyao picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and his gaze was sharp as a blade.

"There are two paths before you: either compete for supremacy in the elite competition in two years, or endure ten years of patience to break through to Titled Douluo.

At that time, no one in the Star Luo Empire will be able to stop you or dare to harm you. Taking back everything that belongs to you will be a matter of course."

The Douluo Continent, in the final analysis, is a world where the strong reign supreme.

As long as Dai Mubai is a Titled Douluo, just watch. The Star Luo Empire's royal family, those marshals in the military, and the court officials—who will remember he was a failed contender for the throne? Who will care that he lost to Dai Weisi?