Coastal Treaty! Dai Tianfeng is Furious, Calm, Helpless, and in Pain: Ceding Territory!

The more the Star Luo Empire was battered and drained of its vitality by the Great Sun Prince Mansion.

The more it was carved up and bled dry.

For the Heaven Dou Empire.

Or, to be more precise, for the "new Heaven Dou Empire" that she intended to usurp and control in the future.

It was nothing but a tremendous stroke of good fortune.

If the Great Sun Prince Mansion could wipe out the elite forces of the Star Luo royal family.

Then, when she, Qian Renxue, unified the continent in the future, wouldn't that save her countless soldiers, horses, and resources?

Therefore, whether it was ceding territory or paying reparations, that was the flesh of the Star Luo Empire; what did it have to do with her, Qian Renxue?

At this moment.

Qian Renxue looked toward Xu Zhao.

"What a remarkable Xu Zhao..."

Qian Renxue whispered to herself in her heart, her pulse skipping a beat uncontrollably.

As a peerless genius possessing the Six-Winged Angel martial soul and an Innate Soul Power of twenty, Qian Renxue had been arrogant since childhood.

In her eyes, so-called geniuses of the same age were nothing more than ants and commoners, unworthy of her attention.

Even those like Hu Liena, hailed as the Golden Generation, were merely mediocre in her view.

But this Xu Zhao before her...

Qian Renxue's keen perception told her that Xu Zhao was not lying, nor was he using any sleight of hand.

The faint, flickering aura emanating from him, resonating subtly with the laws of heaven and earth, was truly the pressure that only a Title Douluo could possess!

"It seems... he appears to be two or three years younger than me."

Qian Renxue narrowed her eyes slightly, her fingertips subconsciously stroking the hilt of the sword at her waist, while a storm raged within her heart.

She was in her early twenties; although her cultivation progress had been delayed by her infiltration mission, she considered her talent and aptitude to be the absolute pinnacle of the continent.

Yet this Xu Zhao, judging by his bone age, was certainly no older than twenty.

He had actually crossed that threshold which countless soul masters could not reach in their entire lives, achieving the rank of Title Douluo!

This was not just a blow to her pride; it was a thrill that made Qian Renxue tremble.

"In this world, there truly exists someone even more monstrous than me..."

Qian Renxue looked at Xu Zhao's sharp-featured, exceptionally handsome profile.

She watched his calm, unyielding demeanor as he faced Golden Crocodile Douluo.

She watched the world-dominating arrogance he displayed while mocking Zhao Lai.

Qian Renxue's heart rate quickened.

"Unparalleled in beauty, possessing an incomparably domineering temperament, and talent that surpasses all throughout history..."

"Xu Zhao... Great Sun Prince Mansion..."

"It seems this trip to Martial Soul City will not be boring after all."

Zhao Lai collapsed into his chair in despair.

Their Star Luo Empire...

What kind of sin had they committed!

To be saddled with such a disastrous calamity.

Xu Zhao looked at Qian Renxue and chuckled inwardly.

He hadn't expected Qian Renxue to join in the fun as well.

Qian Renxue removed her helmet, looked straight at Xu Zhao, and spoke in a clear voice:

"Special Envoy Zhao, rather than begging for reinforcements here, you should think carefully about what you can offer to appease the wrath of a Title Douluo."

"After all, in this world, the weak... have no right to refuse."

Xu Zhao slowly stood up from his seat and walked step by step toward Zhao Lai.

Each step he took felt like it was landing on Zhao Lai's chest, making it increasingly difficult for him to breathe.

Xu Zhao looked down from above at the limp Zhao Lai, who was slumped in his chair.

He sneered:

"Special Envoy Zhao, since you mentioned 'sincerity' just now, I might as well speak plainly."

Xu Zhao's voice was soft, yet it clearly drilled into the ears of everyone present:

"The Great Sun Prince Mansion has just arrived in these lands and truly does not wish to resort to major conflict or cause widespread suffering."

"Therefore, I will give the Star Luo royal family one chance."

Having said this, Xu Zhao leaned down slightly, staring into Zhao Lai's trembling pupils, and enunciated word by word:

"Go back and tell Dai Tianfeng."

"Cede half of the Star Luo Empire's territory."

"Using Star Luo City as the boundary, all southern provinces, sea territories, and resources shall belong to my Great Sun Prince Mansion!"

"We intend to establish a nation here!"

BOOM!

As soon as these words were spoken, even Golden Crocodile Douluo and Qian Renxue, who had long been mentally prepared, could not help but have their pupils constrict slightly.

A lion's share!

This was practically carving away half of the Star Luo Empire's foundation!

"You... what did you say?!"

Zhao Lai's eyes widened violently, his complexion instantly shifting from pale to deathly gray.

His lips trembled so much that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence:

"Half... half of the territory?!

Establish... a nation?!"

"This is impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

His Majesty will never agree to such an absurd demand!"

Zhao Lai practically shrieked; this wasn't just cutting off a piece of flesh, this was taking the life of the Star Luo Empire!

Facing Zhao Lai's hysteria, Xu Zhao merely smiled.

"Not agree?"

Xu Zhao straightened his back and said in a flat tone:

"Special Envoy Zhao, I think you might have misunderstood one thing."

"I am not requesting, nor am I negotiating."

"I am notifying."

Xu Zhao turned around, his back to Zhao Lai, his voice suddenly turning cold and filled with an overbearing sense of supremacy:

"If Dai Tianfeng is unwilling to part with this half of the empire, that is fine too."

"Although my Great Sun Prince Mansion is not populous, gathering seven or eight Title Douluo and mobilizing a few Steel Fleet units is more than enough."

"When the time comes, I don't mind leading the troops myself and flattening everything in our path."

"I believe that with the firepower of my Great Sun Prince Mansion, leveling Star Luo City, wiping out your Dai Clan royal family, and taking your place..."

Xu Zhao tilted his head, his peripheral vision sweeping over Zhao Lai like a blade:

"It shouldn't take much effort, should it?"

Hearing this naked threat of war, Zhao Lai felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to his crown, as if he had fallen into an abyss.

Seven or eight Title Douluo?!

And that kind of Steel Fleet capable of instantly destroying a city?!

If anyone else had said this, Zhao Lai would have laughed his head off on the spot and called the other person a lunatic.

But this person before him...

He truly possessed the strength to do it!

Zhao Lai felt despair.

This madman, he was serious!

Moreover, the Great Sun Prince Mansion really had the strength!

Once war broke out, having lost the checks and balances of Martial Soul Hall, and potentially facing a stab in the back from the Heaven Dou Empire, the Star Luo Empire would absolutely be unable to withstand the iron hooves of these monsters!

"Haa... haa..."

Zhao Lai gasped for air, cold sweat having long since soaked through his clothes.

He desperately wanted to retort with a tough "If you want war, then let's have war," but he dared not.

Because he knew that if those words were spoken, the Star Luo Empire might face total annihilation by tomorrow.

This was simply not a burden he could bear.

After a long while, Zhao Lai stood up, trembling.

Lowering his head, he spoke in a hoarse and feeble voice:

"The words of... Heir Prince Xu... I have... remembered them."

"This matter is of great importance, concerning the very survival of the nation... I... I have no authority to make such a decision."

"I shall depart for the capital at once and report the Heir Prince's... 'demands' to His Majesty, without omitting a single word."

Having finished these words, Zhao Lai seemed to have exhausted every ounce of his strength.

He offered a haphazard bow toward Xu Yu and Golden Crocodile Douluo at the head of the hall, not even bothering with basic etiquette, before turning and stumbling toward the exit as if fleeing for his life.

Watching Zhao Lai's disheveled retreating figure, Xu Zhao's lips curled into a playful, cold sneer.

Although Xu Zhao never truly intended to carve up half the territory of the Star Luo Empire.

One had to open their mouth like a lion to demand a high price.

Even if they had to 'haggle' later, he could at least secure two or three provinces to establish his own nation.

Qian Renxue looked at Xu Zhao, muttering to herself in her heart.

"Ceding half the empire..."

"Xu Zhao, your appetite is truly large enough to be endearing."