Alliance

Zhu Huang said, "I had no intention of involving myself in the continent's conflicts, but if your treasure truly can aid my cultivation, an alliance is not out of the question. However, I will not serve as your Nation-Protecting Douluo."

Seeing that Emperor Xue Ye looked somewhat disappointed, Zhu Huang changed tack. "But I can send one or two subordinates to hold down the Heaven Dou Empire. If you encounter an enemy you cannot deal with, I will naturally take action as well."

Emperor Xue Ye's heart leaped with joy, and he probed, "Then, may I ask what level of cultivation the person Your Excellency sends would have?"

Zhu Huang said, "Would a rank ninety-six Title Douluo be enough?"

He made a rough estimate. After Tao Yaoyao, A Rou, Xiao Wu, Shi Lie, and Xiong Da transformed, their strength would be roughly equivalent to that of rank ninety-six Title Douluo, while Da Ming and Er Ming, because their bloodlines were stronger, would be roughly equivalent to rank ninety-seven Title Douluo after transforming.

He had not yet decided who to send when the time came. There were still several Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, as well as those few kings of the Extreme North, who had yet to be subdued. He would see when the time came.

There were also some eighty- or ninety-thousand-year soul beasts who, after transforming, would possess the strength of ordinary Title Douluo. In any case, he had many powerful experts under him. Sending a few over at random would be more than enough to hold the line.

Hearing "rank ninety-six Title Douluo," Emperor Xue Ye was shocked. He had not expected that Sky Demon Island still had such powerful beings, and from the sound of it, there was more than one. It was truly unbelievable.

"Enough, enough!"

Emperor Xue Ye's voice trembled. At that moment, he felt that if he could cling to Sky Demon Island's thigh, then a state-protecting divine artifact that he could not use and whose symbolic meaning outweighed its practical significance was completely not worth feeling pained over.

As for whether this would be inviting a wolf into the house, giving the other side a chance to seize his empire, that was simply a false proposition. With the strength Sky Demon Island had displayed, if they wanted to rule and dominate, they would long since have become a superpower like Spirit Hall, towering above all sides. They could just violently seize his empire outright. Why go to so much trouble?

Now it depended on whether the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud could move the other party. Emperor Xue Ye silently prayed.

In the imperial palace, after Emperor Xue Ye entertained them for a while, he ordered someone to bring over the state-protecting divine artifact.

Zhu Huang was secretly on guard. Although he knew that the Sea God's divine thought within the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was asleep, what if the aura on his body stimulated the other party into waking?

Even though he was confident that the Sea God's divine thought could not see through his identity, he could not be careless. If he exposed a flaw, his current self had no ability to contend with a god.

Fortunately, however, when the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was brought up, there was no reaction at all.

Zhu Huang looked at the water-blue, triangular-cone-shaped shroud in his hand and examined it carefully. This thing contained divine power, and it would be of considerable reference value for his comprehension of divine power and his breakthrough to the divine level. Although his cultivation system was different, the essence of power still arrived at the same destination by different paths.

Therefore, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was also very valuable to Zhu Huang. It could be said that it would save him many years of cultivation. If he had to comprehend a breakthrough on his own, that would be equivalent to a soul master creating a divine seat by himself. How could that possibly be easy?

As for the Sea God's divine thought inside...

Zhu Huang slowly closed his eyes and connected with the Sky Demon Creation Jade Book in his sea of consciousness. An invisible force surged out from the jade book and wrapped around the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.

The next moment, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud vanished directly from his hand, then appeared in his sea of consciousness, suppressed there by the rosy light emitted by the jade book. Something terrifying seemed to awaken within it, but the jade book merely trembled slightly, and the divine thought that seemed about to wake immediately sank back into silence.

It really worked!

Zhu Huang's heart settled. He had known that this jade book, which recorded the supreme inheritance of the demon race, was a supreme treasure. How could a mere half main divine artifact possibly escape the jade book's suppression?

Ning Fengzhi, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo had also been examining the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Seeing it suddenly disappear, they knew that this Excellency had accepted Emperor Xue Ye's offered treasure.

Not only was Emperor Xue Ye excited, Ning Fengzhi was equally delighted.

Zhu Huang said, "This treasure is of some use to me. I accept your request. From now on, Sky Demon Island and the Heaven Dou Empire are allies. As long as I live, this alliance remains in effect."

Emperor Xue Ye did the math. His Excellency the Death God was only in his forties. According to him, someone with his cultivation could easily live for several hundred years. In other words, this alliance could last for several hundred years. During that period, the empire would have nothing to worry about. It was completely worth it.

As for several hundred years later, they could see when the time came. He believed that after several hundred years of development, Sky Demon Island and the empire would certainly be bound together even more deeply. By then, the emperor of that time would possess the bloodlines of both families, so naturally, they would no longer distinguish between one another.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

The great stone in Emperor Xue Ye's heart finally fell. His whole being was filled with excitement, and he felt that he had made the wisest decision of his life.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency. Congratulations, Your Majesty. From now on, we are all on the same side. To celebrate the alliance between both parties, Your Majesty should hold a grand banquet."

Ning Fengzhi said with a smile.

"Yes, yes, yes, we should hold a grand banquet. And while we are at it, have Xue Xing apologize to His Excellency in public."

Emperor Xue Ye fully agreed.

Zhu Huang waved his hand and said, "There is no need for a grand banquet. I do not like making a fuss. As for Xue Xing, since we are all on the same side now, there is no need for him to apologize either. In a while, I will be going to Dugu Bo's place, so I will not stay for long. If Your Majesty is not at ease, you may draft an alliance pact for both sides to sign. Sect Master Ning can serve as witness."

"I will immediately have someone prepare the alliance pact."

Emperor Xue Ye at once instructed an attendant to prepare it, while smiling and saying, "It is already noon. It will not be too late to go to Poison Douluo's place after eating first. Since Your Excellency prefers quiet, then we will not make a fuss. Just the few of us can celebrate together."

Zhu Huang nodded, and they went to the dining hall together. A moment later, a table full of delicacies from land and sea had been prepared.

Under the curious gazes of the others, Zhu Huang removed the mask from his face, shocking Ning Fengzhi and the other three once again.

"I never imagined Your Excellency would look so young. It truly is unbelievable."

Seeing Zhu Huang's true appearance, all four of them exclaimed in admiration. Ning Fengzhi praised, "Your Excellency's bearing is something that even if I exhausted every word at my disposal, I could not describe even one ten-thousandth of it. If gods exist in this world, they are probably like Your Excellency."

The other three all nodded. Zhu Huang's flawless, world-toppling beauty, along with his noble, elegant, and mysterious air, far surpassed everyone they had ever seen. Those so-called young talents, compared with Zhu Huang, were like rubble beside a bright pearl.

Zhu Huang smiled calmly and accepted Ning Fengzhi's praise. The others took turns to toast Zhu Huang with a cup of wine, then began to eat.

When they had almost finished eating, Zhu Huang suddenly said, "I have a son named Zhu Huang, who was born not long ago."

Everyone's eyes lit up, and they listened carefully as Zhu Huang continued, "Although the island is peaceful, it lacks the vitality of ordinary life. Children who grow up on the island lack tempering in the mortal world, and also lack a complete childhood, which is not beneficial for their future cultivation. So I plan to send him to the continent to grow up a few years from now, after his martial soul awakens. I have already entrusted Liu Erlong to help look after him. Since we are on the same side now, when the time comes, I would also ask all of you to help watch over him."