Chapter 1562: Negotiations

North Qin City was located on the border between the two Heavenly Emperor powers. It was also not far from where the Other Disaster had broken out and thus, the two sides had chosen to negotiate there.

The city's wide streets were nearly deserted. In fact, the atmosphere was depressing.

This was all because of the Other Tide.

The Other Disaster had caused ample destruction across the area throughout the past two years. Many of the neutral powers from the region had been annihilated by it. Countless cities and homes were left in ruins and countless lives were lost, turning the area into a desolate land filled with death. As a result, many powers and cultivators had chosen to leave this area.

Thus, the border cities were no longer as prosperous or lively as before.

There was a manor in the center of the city, and the Heavenly Emperor powers were engaged in negotiations inside.

A woman with a sharp and domineering voice said, "It's fine if you want an alliance. However, when the Other Tide recedes, three hundred out of the three hundred and eighty-two cities in the neutral area will belong to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin. As for the thirty-two mountain ranges, the southern twenty will also go to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin, and the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li's soldiers will have to leave them."

Crack!

Tantai Lan smashed her teacup onto the table, destroying the cup so thoroughly that not a single drop of tea was left, yet the table was unharmed. She coldly stared at the individual who had spoken up. It was a middle-aged lady with a head of fiery hair. Her face was thin and her lips were as sharp as a knife's blade. This lady was known as Qin Qu, one of the six Palace Masters of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin, a Single Crowned King belonging to the Divine Melody Hall.

"Why don't you just absorb the entire Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li directly?" Sitting beside Tantai Lan was the Dragon's Scale Lineage's Lineage Chief Li Qingying. The usually good-tempered person was frowning furiously, probably because she was offended by Qin Qu's greedy words.

A black-robed elderly man that was sitting beside Qin Qu spoke up. "Lineage Chief Qingying, you are taking this too personally. The neutral area doesn't belong to the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li, so what's there to lose?" His voice was low but filled with oppression. Lightning flickered in one of his eyes and flames burned in the other. This was Qin Zhiming, the Lightning Flame Holy Palace Master.

"The Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin remains as shameless as ever. You went out of your way to bully someone weaker when you went after me all those years ago, and despite being the cause of the Other Disaster, you still want to take as much as you possibly can. You've truly opened my eyes," Tantai Lan said scornfully.

Her words were aggressive, and they immediately infuriated Qin Qu, who glared as she shouted, "Tantai Lan, we spared your life all those years ago. You should consider yourself lucky."

Tantai Lan glared back, responding in a voice suffused with killing intent, "Old hag, you should be thanking the stars that I'm currently acting as a Lineage Chief. Otherwise, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin would have lost yet another Palace Master by now."

It was none other than the Divine Melody Hall's Palace Master Qin Qu who had pursued her and Li Taixuan without regard for her status, forcing them to leave the Heavenly Origin Divine Continent riddled with injuries. As a result, a deep grudge existed between the two sides.

Even so, Tantai Lan wasn't merely spouting empty words. If she wasn't here as the Dragon's Fang Lineage's Lineage Chief, she would have made arrangements for Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e and then silently waited for an opportunity to assassinate Qin Qu, taking revenge for what happened all those years ago.

After sensing the overflowing murderous intent radiating from Tantai Lan, Qin Qu's expression shifted nervously. Her gaze was filled with fury and fear. She had never expected that the puny Duke she had bothered so long ago would end up becoming a Greater Transcendent Duke. In terms of strength, Tantai Lan was superior to even peak Dual Crowned Kings, whereas she was still stuck as a peak Single Crowned King.

Another voice rang out from within the hall. "Why must Lineage Chief Tantai bring up the past? Palace Master Qin Qu chose to hold back at the time. Otherwise, would you have been able to survive after encountering a King?" A middle-aged man sitting at the head of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin's contingent had spoken. He was dressed in long, grayish-black robes and had a calm expression. This was the new leader of the Bloodline Heavenly Emperor Qin, the Deep Abyss Palace Master Qin Zhongyuan.

Tantai Lan coldly smirked. "I am not as broad-minded as you think. Just wait until the day I reach the Heavenly Emperor Stage. At that point in time, I will have a clean accounting of the grudge."

Her words were domineering enough to even make Qin Zhongyuan's eyelids twitch. After all, Tantai Lan's threat was filled with pressure. If anyone else had said that they would reach the Heavenly Emperor Stage, Qin Zhongyuan might simply have treated it as a joke. However, Tantai Lan was different—she was already a Greater Transcendent Duke!

Qin Zhongyuan fell silent for a few moments before saying, "There is not much point in talking about the enmity from so many years ago. That feud was between Qin Lian and you. Qin Lian has been slain by your son, Li Luo, and it was done right before her daughter."

Tantai Lan's gaze flickered and involuntarily shifted towards another part of the hall. Only the peak experts of the Heavenly Emperor powers were qualified to participate in this discussion, but there was a girl sitting in the room as well.

She was dressed in a light-blue gauze skirt that outlined her slender curves. Pure water resonant power flowed across her clothes, causing it to sparkle and give off a unique charm as she sat there quietly. The hem of her skirt spread outwards like bloomed lotus leaves and her soft, black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her eyes were like the surface of a lake reflecting gorgeous moonlight, rippling with a mysterious light that could charm anyone.

This was Qin Lian's daughter, the Fairy of Water Qin Yi.

She had not spoken a word and neither had she participated in the discussion. It was only when Qin Zhongyuan had mentioned Li Luo's name that the look in her eyes changed.

Tantai Lan didn't say anything more. No matter how much she hated the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin, she didn't wish to talk about these matters before a daughter who had lost her mother.

"This old fox..."

Meanwhile, Li Tianji sighed in his heart upon seeing this. Qin Zhongyuan was someone who didn't lose out in terms of smarts or brawn when compared to Qin Jiujie. A single sentence from him had caused Tantai Lan, who had often left him helpless, to back down.

Despite only leading the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin for two years, Qin Zhongyuan had completely suppressed the negative ramifications of Qin Jiujie's betrayal.

And today, he was planning to take advantage of the situation to snatch food from the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li's mouth! At the end of the day, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin was still a power with a deep and exceptional foundation.

Seeing that Tantai Lan was done, Qin Zhongyuan said to Li Tianji with a heavy tone, "Lineage Chief Tianji, this is not the right atmosphere for a discussion of an alliance. The Other Tide on the side of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li has not subsided and many of your forces are locked in combat against the Others. Each day this drags on, more lives are lost."

Li Tianji frowned as he calmly said,"You want too much."

"This Other Disaster has been a gigantic burden for both of us. I think the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li has allocated a significant amount of manpower and resources to deal with it, especially when it comes to Pinnacle Dukes. It is very costly to recruit them, but their presence is indispensable. After all, we Kings cannot approach the Stygian Rain and thus need their help to destroy the Stygian Rain Core Platforms. But that job is very dangerous, and a Pinnacle Duke from your side was almost killed, right? Ever since news of that incident spread, some of the Pinnacle Dukes that wanted to join you were frightened to the point that they joined us, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin, instead.

"Additionally, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin has been able to handle every Other Tide with ease, resulting in us having fewer casualties than you. If the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li is willing to accept our proposal and form an alliance, the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin will definitely do our utmost to help you resolve all Other Tides in the future. After which, we simply have to await our Heavenly Emperor ancestors to return and resolve the issue. Lineage Chief Tianji, giving up a few territories that didn't even belong to you in the first place to avoid more losses is not a bad deal. Those areas have been corrupted, so it will take a lot of time and effort to comb through and purify them after the Other Tide recedes. This will require significant investment."

Qin Zhongyuan spoke resolutely, each and every word so convincing that it was impossible to refute.

Li Tianji fell silent for a moment before replying, "It looks like we will be unable to reach a consensus at this time."

Qin Zhongyuan gave a shallow smile and unhurriedly lifted his teacup to his lips. "No matter. We have plenty of time."

This was how negotiations unfolded. One had to chip away at the other's bottom line gradually until they gave in.

With each day that passed, the casualties would pile up on the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li's side. The foundation of the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Qin had been harmed severely and thus, they had to take control of the resources in the vast swathes of neutral land in order to make up for their losses.

As the discussion reached a deadlock, a peal of youthful laughter rang out from outside the hall.

"Since we can't come to terms, then we should just give up and return home."

This voice caused the Kings on both sides to pause. When they turned their heads, they saw two youths make their way in.

𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Tantai Lan immediately knew who it was. "Li Luo? Qing'e? You're finally back!"

Seeing the two kids who she had sorely missed day and night caused a look of excitement to appear on her face. She immediately walked over to the duo and put her arms around them.

"Mother!" Seeing Tantai Lan's elated expression also caused the two to beam like the sun.

At this point, the quiet Qin Yi raised her head and looked in their direction.

"Li Luo and Jiang Qing'e?" Li Tianji and Li Qingying were also taken aback by their appearance. They had not expected that these two youths would suddenly show up here after being gone for two years.

Meanwhile, Qin Qu's eyelids twitched at this unwelcome interruption, and her aloof and shrill voice resounded throughout the hall. "These children's words are brazen and without thought. Is this how the Bloodline of Heavenly Emperor Li teaches their young? Is this a place where they are allowed to even speak?"