Ever since being defeated by the Heavenly Principles, Apep had spent most of its life in misery. Seeing its junior Azhdaha looking so smug now naturally left a bitter taste in its mouth.
They were both members of the Dragon Race, both among the Seven Sovereigns of the elements. Yet simply because it had chosen to seek revenge against the Heavenly Principles, it had endured in hiding beneath this uninhabited desert for nearly ten thousand years.
Azhdaha, on the other hand, had chosen early on to cooperate with Morax and with humans. Now he enjoyed the respect of humans and the trust of friends. Wasn't a life like that far more comfortable than life before the Heavenly Principles arrived?
Apep asked with some hesitation, "Join your faction? What would I gain from that?"
Yucheng sneered. "Gain? At the very least, compared to fighting alone, you'd have a somewhat better chance of ultimately defeating the Heavenly Principles."
Apep said, "You aren't even fully resolved to oppose the Heavenly Principles, yet you think you can defeat them? What a pipe dream."
Yucheng folded his arms. "That's still far more sensible than your approach of throwing an egg against a rock."
After a long silence, Apep asked, "If I join you, is there anything you need me to do?"
Yucheng felt a surge of delight at those words and answered, "Nothing at all. Your top priority right now is to rest and build up your strength, restoring yourself to your prime. However, to make communication between us easier, I need you to sign a Summoning Contract with me!"
At Yucheng's words, both Apep and Azhdaha beside it looked alarmed. Apep asked, "The same kind of contract you signed with Azhdaha? Are there any specific requirements?"
Yucheng said, "Nothing much. Once we sign the