Persuasion, an Agreement Reached!

"You've arrived?"

Should I not have come?

"You know what I'm trying to say, so stop with the fancy stuff."

A complex emotion flashed in the Golden Crocodile's eyes. After a long silence, he finally asked, "What exactly do you want?"

After asking that question, the Golden Crocodile continued to lie on the hill.

At that moment, a flash of lightning appeared, and Shi Jian appeared in front of the giant crocodile, a seven-zhang-long bear and a hundred-zhang-long crocodile.

The two giant beasts remained silent.

After a moment, Shi Jian did not answer directly, but tilted his head and asked in return, "How many years have you been in this Evil Water Marsh?"

"Four hundred and seventy years," the Golden Crocodile answered crisply.

"Four hundred and seventy years." Shi Jian repeated the number, "How has your Crocodile Beast Clan developed in these four hundred and seventy years?"

The Golden Crocodile remained silent for a moment.

How is it developing?

Of the five lineages of his clan, he was the only one who had cultivated to the Golden Core stage. Among the five lineages of his Crocodile Beast clan, there were only about forty Foundation Establishment Great Demons, and the rest were all Level One Crocodile Demons.

It's been over four hundred years, and it's still the same.

It's not that he doesn't want to develop, it's that he lacks resources; the land is too barren.

This wretched place, Evil Water Marsh, is filled with miasma. Although the quality of the Spirit Vein is still acceptable, they are polluted by various chaotic energies. The better Spirit Plant spirit medicine have to be snatched up from the other three parties.

The Crocodile Beast Clan occupies the northern region, which has the smallest territory and the smallest body of water.

Although the quality of the Spirit Vein is acceptable.

However, those few third-tier Spirit Vein underground had their Spiritual Qi almost completely eroded by the surrounding poisonous miasma, making them utterly useless.

It's tasteless to eat, but a pity to throw it away.

Meanwhile, the Flood Dragon Python Clan in the south possesses three high-grade third-tier Spirit Vein.

The water is clearer and the environment is more harmonious.

The Turtle Clan in the west has a natural, nascent Blessed Land. Although it is not much different from the Crocodile Beast Clan, it is more newly developed.

The insects to the east control the only mountain range in the Evil Water Marsh, the Spirit Valley.

To his north, the area is dirt poor.

For four hundred and seventy years, he has only raised one Golden Core. His offspring have either died or scattered, and generation after generation has come and gone.

"That's pretty tragic," Shi Jian commented.

The Golden Crocodile narrowed its vertical pupils. "What right do you have to say I'm miserable? You're a bear, Human Race. How are you any better off than me?"

If any other Demon Beast had said that, the Lord Rat would have jumped up and bitten him long ago.

Shi Jian, however, was not annoyed and chuckled twice.

"Who will be whose lackey? We'll see who gets the meat in the end."

Shi Jian rolled over, shifting to a more comfortable position, and lay prone. "Why do you think I should follow the Human Race?"

"They're after their cultivation resources, what else could they be after?" Golden Crocodile replied without hesitation.

"Then why don't you go?"

Golden Crocodile was speechless. Of course he wanted to, but the problem was, who would take him in?

He's a level-five demon; which Human Race sect would dare let him in?

Even if it's for taming as a spirit beast, people have to think twice about whether they can keep it alive.

In the world of cultivation, Demon Beast are either tamed by Human Race from a young age, losing their wild nature and spending their lives as beasts of burden, becoming slaves.

Or they could end up like him, left to fend for themselves in the wilderness.

Perhaps one day, he will be killed by a passing Human Race cultivator as a sacrifice to the flag!

There is no third option.

"Golden Crocodile, you're wrong." Shi Jian's voice had softened considerably. "There's another way."

"Turn yourself into the rules."

Golden Crocodile frowned, not quite understanding.

Shi Jian didn't keep anyone in suspense.

He selected some of the most important events from the past two hundred years at White Cloud Temple and told them to Golden Crocodile.

Starting as a mere second-tier demon, he has now reached the Golden Core Middle Stage, ruling over a region and commanding tens of thousands of Demon Race from various lineages.

Five strongholds, scattered across the area.

Ming Province, Transformation Province, Yuan Continent, Liang Kingdom, Supreme Purity Sect —he has pawns in every place.

Under his protection, the various branches of the Demon Race survived and multiplied, acquiring their own territories, resources, and heritage. Although they were subordinate to Human Race sects, the Demon Beast had their own rules and order.

Human Race can use them if they want.

But it's not enslavement, it's cooperation, a more sophisticated form of parasitism!

Cooperation requires give and take. You have to give me resources, and I will work for you, but you cannot treat my people like livestock.

White Cloud Temple has been guarding this route from beginning to end.

"Is this your third path?"

After listening, the Golden Crocodile swept its tail across the mud. "It sounds appealing. But frankly, isn't it still about depending on Human Race?"

"To put it another way, this should be called parasitism," Shi Jian replied frankly.

"That's the current situation. Human Race control 99% of the resources on the Profound Spirit Continent, and the remaining scraps have to be fought over by tens of thousands of different kinds of Demon Beast."

"If you don't rely on them, you'll only be able to stay in this godforsaken place, growing up eating poisonous miasma."

Golden Crocodile remained silent; how could he not understand this principle?

But no one had ever talked to him so frankly, after all, the Demon Race race wasn't truly united.

The Demon Beast in the Evil Water Marsh have always been independent and each governs its own affairs.

The Flood Dragon Python Clan looked down on him, the Turtle Clan ignored him, and the insect clan didn't associate with anyone.

For over three hundred years, he hasn't had a single peer with whom he can speak.

Today was a disaster. I was beaten, scolded, and given empty promises by a foreign bear demon. It was all very well said, but it was still a bitter experience.

"..."

"What exactly do you want me to do?" Golden Crocodile finally spoke, asking the real question.

Shi Jian straightened his body, and purple-gold lightning flowed through his hair, illuminating the surroundings.

Two things.

"First, bring your five crocodile beast lineages into my system."

"I'm not asking you to be my slave, I'm asking you to join the group."

"You manage your people; I won't interfere in your internal affairs. But in important matters, you must obey my commands and respect me as your king!"

"Second."

Shi Jian's gaze fell to the south. "You have to help me take down the Evil Water Marsh."

"The Human Race has its eyes on this territory. If you don't help me take it today, the next attack will likely be a complete bloodbath by the Human Race!"

The Golden Crocodile stared at Shi Jian for a long time.

What happens after you take it down?

"Those Demon Race who wish to stay may remain; those who do not wish to stay, let them go."

"At the southern end of the Evil Water Marsh, the waterway connects to the Boundless Sea. Those who wish to leave can follow the waterway out, enter the Boundless Sea, and never return to the mainland."

"Not kill?"

"Don't kill."

Shi Jian paused, then added, "Of course, those who are blind to the danger are an exception."

The Golden Crocodile remained silent for a long time, then swept its tail across the muddy ground, stirring up a cloud of murky water. It had already begun to ponder what Shi Jian had said.

"I can only believe about 30% of what you're saying."

"Thirty percent is enough."

Shi Jian smiled and said, "You can decide for yourself what the remaining 70% is."

The Golden Crocodile rested its head on its front paws, its vertical pupils staring at Shi Jian as if it were re-examining the bear. Being beaten into submission was one thing.

But being truly convinced is another matter entirely...

But regardless, the path is now before us.

Following this bear is at least better than hiding in the Evil Water Marsh and eating mud.

"OK."

The Golden Crocodile uttered two words, officially agreeing.

However, there is one thing.

"No Human Race is allowed to touch the cubs of my tribe."

The Golden Crocodile's voice carried a fierce edge. "Anyone who dares to lay a finger on my people, I don't care if they're Foundation Establishment cultivator, Golden Core cultivator, or even Nascent Soul cultivator, I'll bite them to death."

Shi Jian threw a spirit fruit at the crocodile's head. The fruit hit the crocodile's scales, bounced a few times, and rolled into the mud.

"Don't worry, the rule here has always been: humans don't offend beasts, and beasts don't offend humans."

"Now that you've joined this system, your people are my people. Anyone who harms my people, I'll take care of them for you."

The Golden Crocodile pulled the spiritual fruit out of the mud, smelled it, and swallowed it in one gulp.

It tastes good.

It tastes much better than miasma.