An In-Depth Talk, a Revered Old Senior!

In the days following the three-way alliance but before the beast tide had even gathered.

The Evil Water Marsh deep into the Western Region.

Beneath a low hill covered in moss lies a hidden underground river.

The underground river flows gently and is not deep, only knee-deep. Sparse fluorescent moss grows on both sides of the river, barely illuminating the surrounding outline.

Wanxiang, seemingly unperturbed, lay on a flat rock in the underground river, waiting for someone.

It didn't take long.

A slight ripple appeared on the surface of the water, and then a polar bear, several times smaller than its original size, quietly emerged from the entrance of the underground river.

"Senior, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Shi Jian addressed him as "senior," which was a sign of respect.

On Wanxiang's old face, wrinkles piled up, and he managed to squeeze out an expression that could be called a smile, his attitude gentle.

He was much more amiable than when he was dealing with the Venomous Flood Dragon King.

Between the two, Wanxiang clearly prefers Shi Jian, the younger generation.

"You came quickly."

"You've already delivered the message to my doorstep, it wouldn't be right for a junior not to come and say hello."

Shi Jian shook off the water and found a rock by the dark river to lie down on.

The two Demon Beast remained submerged in the dark river, with several meters of thick rock above them and the faint green glow of fluorescent moss surrounding them.

The location was well chosen.

It's remote and secluded; Venomous Flood Dragon King's spies can't reach this place.

The fact that Wanxiang took the initiative to meet with Shi Jian speaks volumes.

"I have something to say first."

Wanxiang's voice was old and hoarse, and he spoke very slowly, "Seven days ago, the Venomous Flood Dragon King summoned this old man and the Bee Queen to the Dragon-Binding Abyss."

"They intend to unleash a beast tide, attacking from three directions, to drive you out of the Northern Region."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jian remained remarkably calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

It was expected; it was only a matter of time.

"So you agree?"

"I agreed."

Wanxiang answered frankly and without any concealment, "I won't agree. The Venomous Flood Dragon King will devour me next. That dragon has a temper and is used to being domineering."

"Dragons consider themselves the rulers of all water beasts; how could they possibly respect us lowly demons?"

This world is vast, so vast that it is boundless and limitless; the entire Profound Spirit Continent is but a small island in this Boundless Sea.

"This world is also very, very small, so small that we, as lowly Golden Core demons, don't even have a chance to survive and breathe."

"Everything I've done wasn't for one thing: to live!"

"Live peacefully with your people."

Shi Jian remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Wanxiang fell silent for a while, with only the sound of flowing water heard in the underground river.

"Young friend, I have lived for eight hundred years."

"Over the past eight hundred years, I have witnessed far too many things."

Three hundred years ago, there was a fox demon tribe on the outskirts of the Evil Water Marsh. After generations of cultivation, they finally produced a Golden Core cultivator, but what happened?

"A Golden Core cultivator from the Human Race came and wiped out the entire nest and its offspring, taking away the Spirit Vein and territory in one fell swoop. The Golden Core fox demon fought desperately, but was ultimately skinned alive and its skin was refined into a Law Treasure."

Five hundred years ago, the Flood Dragon Python Clan in the south clashed with Human Race cultivators on the border of the Liang Kingdom. The previous Venomous Flood Dragon King personally led the battle and won, thus protecting that area of water.

"And what happened six months later? The Liang Kingdom sent a Nascent Soul True Lord, and the previous Venomous Flood Dragon King didn't even have a chance to escape; he was killed on the spot."

Wanxiang slowly turned his head, and in his cloudy old eyes, he saw the outline of Shi Jian.

"In my lifetime, I have witnessed far too many of my kind die at the hands of Human Race."

"I've also witnessed far too much of our own kind slaughtering each other, killing one another for a Spirit Vein or a body of water, becoming a disorganized mess..."

"So, I have a question..."

"What exactly do you, Shi Jian, want?"

"Are you genuinely cooperating with the Human Race, or are you using them? I haven't sensed any restrictions binding you, and your bloodline aptitude is unparalleled in my life..."

"I'm really curious, what exactly do you want to do?"

"You subdued the Golden Crocodile and incorporated the five crocodile beast lineages into your system. You built the Abundant Water Lake, established a no-hunting zone, and my spies have been watching you for years."

"What you've done is unlike anything I've ever seen from any other demonic Demon Beast."

Shi Jian lay on the rock, his front paws crossed, his chin resting on the back of his paws.

"Does the old man want to hear the truth?"

I would like to hear more details.

"Exploitation. It's all about exploitation."

Shi Jian put it bluntly. "Use the resources of the Human Race to support my Demon Race. Use the framework and order of the Human Race to secure a territory for the Demon Race where they can survive and continue to grow."

"But utilization is one thing, utilization is another."

Shi Jian raised his head, and a flash of purple-gold lightning streaked across the depths of his pupils:

"Some of those people at White Cloud Temple have been cooperating with me for over two hundred years. They don't owe me anything, and I don't owe them anything either."

"Everyone gets what they need, and all is well."

"Whether you call this exploitation or cooperation, what's the difference?"

Wanxiang stared at him for a long time.

Eight hundred years of experience have given this old tortoise a look in its eyes that reveals a sense of vicissitudes, as if it has witnessed countless births, deaths, rises, and falls.

Throughout his long life, he witnessed the rise and fall of countless Demon Beast, as well as the rise and fall of countless Human Race.

The ability to live for eight hundred years is not due to strength.

That's a good assessment.

"Your Abundant Water Lake..."

Wanxiang clicked his tongue. "May this old man take a look at the situation over there?"

"If you'd like to see it, you can, anytime."

Shi Jian didn't care. "However, there's one condition: after you finish reading, you'll have to make a choice."

What choice?

"The Venomous Flood Dragon King plans to unleash a beast tide. How much effort do you intend to contribute?"

The underground river fell silent again.

The sound of flowing water echoed back and forth between the cave walls, ethereal like the sound of a chime.

After a moment's thought, Wanxiang gave his reply, "I must send troops; this is both to show my stance and to preserve my people."

"But once the various tortoise tribes arrive on the battlefield, they can put on a show and play it safe; they won't actually charge in your direction..."

"After all, I'm just trying to find a way to survive."

Shi Jian's lips curled into a slight smile.

"In addition."

Wanxiang added, "The Venomous Flood Dragon King plans to make his move in half a month, launching a simultaneous attack from the south, west, and east with three separate forces."

"The Bee Queen's swarm of insects marched east, the python took the main attack south, and my old turtle genus marched west..."

"Don't worry about the feint attack on the western front."

"I won't play dirty tricks on you behind your back, but I have to keep up appearances. Otherwise, if the Venomous Flood Dragon King becomes suspicious, my old bones can't withstand the strain."

Shi Jian nodded.

"Alright, it's good that you have your own plans, senior. The western route is in your hands, but there's one thing I need to tell you beforehand..."

"After the battle, I can leave you a piece of your turtle territory. When the order of the Evil Water Marsh is redefined in the future, your Azure Wave Turtle Clan will surely have a place."

Upon hearing this, Wanxiang blinked.

"You're quite generous."

"Five hundred years ago, when the previous Golden Core cultivator of the Crocodile Beast died in battle, didn't the old senior also protect the unborn Golden Crocodile?"

Wanxiang's old eyes narrowed slightly; not many demons knew about this.

When the former Golden Core Ancestor of the Crocodile Beast Clan perished, it was he who secretly intervened and moved the nest of eggs where the Golden Crocodile was located to a safe place; otherwise, the bloodline of the Crocodile Beast Clan would probably have been extinguished long ago.

That's how we came to be today, with the birth of the Golden Crocodile.

"You even found this out."

Shi Jian smiled and said, "An elder who doesn't want to see his people perish, you're willing to lend a helping hand, and I'm equally willing to help you."

Wanxiang has been silent for eight hundred years.

His shell was covered in moss, and his carapace was worn and pitted by the years, but the things in his heart were never worn away.

The Demon Race is one of the most powerful races in this world!

If this place weren't so barren, and no powerful demons were to even glance at it, how could these Demon Beast live such a miserable existence...?

From beginning to end, Wanxiang harbored the ambition to restore the Demon Race race of the Profound Spirit Continent.

But Shi Jian showed him a glimmer of possibility!