Chapter 158.2: This Is My Home, I'll Rent It to Whomever I Please

With those words, Gu Xiaoyao, Jiang Ya, Qi Yuan, and the others entered the great tent.

The representatives hurriedly rose, bowing with respect. "Greetings, honored ones!"

Luo Xi lifted his head, studying the twenty young cultivators before him. His gaze turned solemn. Every single one of them felt terrifying. He doubted he could defeat even one.

Is this the foundation of the Canglan World?

They are so young, yet so powerful?

The others shared the sentiment.

True Lord Luo Mu briefly introduced both sides, then said, "From here on, you may negotiate among yourselves."

Ling Jiao immediately seized the opportunity, her tone imperious, "My maternal grandfather is a Yin Spirit, and my father is the Palace Master of Water Cloud Palace, the foremost power of the Shuixian Continent. We also possess a Yin Spirit artifact. I have only one requirement for choosing an ally: large territory. Offer too little, and you're not worth my time."

As an addition, she said coldly, "Also, I’ll be in charge when we fight the Moluo Clan. I won't tolerate anyone pointing fingers at me."

The seven representatives were stunned. A Yin Spirit was a legendary sixth-tier existence, but her latter demand left them struggling to respond.

Jiang Ya then said calmly, "Our Heavenly Ascension Pavilion doesn't demand much land. One city to settle in will suffice. However, we require cultivation manuals. The more, the better."

Several representatives were visibly tempted.

Lord Great Wisdom muttered, "That old man Wutian is still collecting techniques?"

Jiang Ya glanced at him but said nothing.

Back then, Elder Wutian had wanted to take True Lord Great Wisdom as his disciple, only to be rejected outright. Lord Great Wisdom said that following Wutian led nowhere. That incident had shaken all of the Eastern Lands. After all, second only to the Yin Spirits, countless prodigies begged to enter his sect. True Lord Great Wisdom was the first to reject him.

Following Jiang Ya, the Eastern Land prodigies declared their backgrounds and demands. Qi Yuan couldn't help but marvel. Anyone who ranked within the top twenty of the Eastern Lands Prodigy List came from a major power. Even Xu Tongchen's Seven Words Sect had a Violet Palace cultivator. Meanwhile, Qi Yuan’s village-level sect’s strongest was only a Nascent Soul cultivator.

The tent was filled with discussion, bargaining, and careful calculation.

With her formidable background laid bare, Ling Jiao naturally drew the most attention. If they were to ally with anyone, it had to be the strongest. After all, the Moluo Clan was terrifyingly powerful. A weak ally would only spell disaster.

At this point, Ling Jiao didn’t even bother concealing her arrogance.

"Three cities? You think that’s enough to earn my help?" She sneered. "Even three cities from the Canglan World wouldn't catch my eye, let alone these run-down, broken cities of

your

Moonwatch Continent."

When speaking with fellow prodigies, she could still maintain a polite facade. However, she had no patience for the natives, openly looking down on them.

Mocked to his face, the elderly man who had spoken earlier flushed with embarrassment. Still, what else could he do besides swallow his anger and remain silent?

About half an hour later, most of them had reached an agreement. The dozen or so prodigies now wore proud expressions, satisfaction gleaming in their eyes. It was obvious the negotiations had gone exactly as they wished. In contrast, the seven representatives were haggard and grim. Even after securing alliances, the gloom in their expressions had not lifted in the slightest.

Meanwhile, Qi Yuan turned to the bald man, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Do you know the Southern Qian Empire?"

He could tell the bald man before him was no monk. His lack of hair was a side effect of cultivating within the Xuanyuan Forbidden Zone. Qi Yuan had personally set its rules: push-ups, pull-ups, and the like would strengthen one's body. The price, however, was hair loss. It was obvious that Luo Xi had trained there.

Hearing the question, Luo Xi seemed puzzled. "I do not know."

Qi Yuan appeared a bit dejected. "When you have time, take me to see your Fenggui Empire."

Luo Xi's face lit up, but then he hesitated. "Sir, the Fenggui Empire only has three cities. We cannot cede territory to you."

Just moments ago, he had tried to ally with other prodigies, yet none were willing to accept his terms.

Qi Yuan only smiled. "What use would I have for your cities? Aren’t they mine to begin with?"

Luo Xi's expression shifted, completely unable to understand what Qi Yuan meant.

At his side, Ling Jiao could no longer hold back. "Thick clothes, thick skin too. Are you trying to seize land by force?"

Qi Yuan didn't even bother looking at her. He could feel his strength growing with every passing moment. Though it could disappear once he left this world, what mattered was the present. His old brazenness reared its head.

"How am I seizing anything by force?" he said indignantly. "Moonwatch Continent is my home, I even have the deed! Even if they offered me cities, I wouldn't want them. They're already mine. What would I need them for?"

The prodigies wordlessly exchanged glances. Jiang Ya gave Qi Yuan an odd look. For some reason, this turtle-shell-carrying man felt familiar...

True Lord Great Wisdom, however, asked in astonishment, "Fellow Daoist, is Moonwatch Continent truly your home?"

"Yes!" Qi Yuan nodded emphatically. "Absolutely true!"

"No wonder..." True Lord Great Wisdom murmured. "If that's the case, shouldn't our earlier deal be void? How about this, me and the forces behind me will help you resist the Moluo Clan. In exchange, you rent me a bit of space in your home."

Coming from anyone else, those words would have sounded absurd. Yet spoken by True Lord Great Wisdom, they felt strangely reasonable.

Qi Yuan thought for a long moment, then nodded. "Deal."

True Lord Great Wisdom had helped him many times before, this favor was worth repaying.

Ling Jiao chortled. "How ridiculous! Do you really think Moonwatch Continent belongs to you?"

Only then did Qi Yuan look at her and say flatly, “I won’t rent my house to you. Get lost.”

Ling Jiao was furious, but said nothing. She shouldn’t have argued with a madman to begin with! The others also paid Qi Yuan no mind, dismissing him as nothing more than a lunatic.

Qi Yuan went on. "Anyone else wants to rent, speak now! I'm heading to the Fenggui Empire soon, so I don't have time to chat."

The crowd grew even more bewildered.

This turtle-shell man truly thinks he is the master of Moonwatch Continent?

"Since no one else wishes to rent," Qi Yuan said, turning to the seven representatives, his voice distant and resonant, "Children, your agreements with them are void. In a moment, I'll go see for myself who dares act so brazenly in my home."

There was something strangely compelling in his words. The natives stared at Qi Yuan and felt an inexplicable warmth, akin to children meeting their father.

"Void?" the elderly man murmured in confusion.

The others struggled internally, fierce debates raging in their minds.

"Yes, void!" Qi Yuan declared. "Moonwatch Continent is my home. If wicked guests have come, I will personally drive them out!"

The old man didn't know why, but some overwhelming force compelled him to say, "Fine! Void!"

"We'll void ours too!"

"So will we!"

One after another, the representatives of the seven empires spoke, declaring all previously negotiated agreements null and void.