"I told you Little Nine was quick."

"I'm a king! The king of the Black Tortoise Clan! Doesn't that news get any reaction out of you?"

Chen Fan sighed softly. After a pause, he said quietly,

"Kings..."

"I've seen too many."

To be honest.

When he first learned that Jiu Wu was the destined Dark Monarch of the prophecy, he had indeed been stunned. But afterward, he had met rather too many kings. Even Xiaowen was a king now. Who couldn't be one?

He was a king himself.

He was the king of the Sky-Piercing Pillar.

Mr. Na was a king too—the king of white-cut chicken.

His purpose here was simple.

He just wanted to check in, complete the Uncrowned King mission, and gather a little profound cold ice while he was at it. That was all. Finding the Black Tortoise Clan hiding here had been a complete accident, and he had no other thoughts about it.

His only thought.

Was—

He had lost a pearl.

That was it.

The human and the Black Tortoise fell silent. Some little Black Tortoises hiding behind the enormous one poked their heads out curiously to look at them. Chen Fan had no intention of speaking. He simply stood there, leaning on his cane and staring into space.

It was chilly.

The cane warded off much of the cold.

An incense stick's worth of time later.

The Black Tortoise finally could not hold back any longer and spoke again, his voice somewhat subdued this time.

"Chen Fan."

"The Third Dark Turmoil is about to begin. This time, every race will have to choose a side. No one can stand apart and keep themselves unscathed. The Black Tortoise Clan can't hide here forever either. We cannot join the Strange Entity Clan. You and I both know what would happen if we did."