Chapter 769
Negotiations with Powerful Clans, Secrets of the Black Stone
Of course, among all these things, Jiang Shu was most concerned about that intelligence report.
"However, we have already submitted our demands. As for how to actually say it, we will have to wait for the envoy from the other side to come and discuss it."
Zhan Feng spoke up, pointing at Jiang Shu:
"You'll definitely be participating this time."
"That's natural."
Jiang Shu nodded slightly.
This was a mastermind behind everything. He first concealed his strength, then instigated a fight and set up a challenge, and finally broke the deadlock all by himself.
If he doesn't show up, the other side might think he's up to something.
"In that case, I'll go into seclusion first. I've gained quite a bit this time."
Jiang Shu spoke, then turned and left.
He estimated that Zhan Jiuxiao and other high-ranking members of the War Alliance wouldn't have time to come to him for the time being, since negotiating with the Zerg and the Mechanical Race would inevitably take a lot of effort.
Several days later, someone came to Jiang Shu's residence.
"They've arrived?"
Jiang Shu finished his cultivation and stepped out of his room. He saw a guard wearing dark gold armor with an extremely refined aura kneeling on one knee and saying, "Reporting to the Venerable One, the Vice Alliance Leader requests your presence this morning. The Mechanical God Kingdom and the Endless Insect Nest have sent envoys who have arrived at the Welcoming Star Ring."
"It's finally here. I thought it would take much longer."
Jiang Shu nodded slightly, then leaped through space and teleported away, quickly finding Zhan Jiuxiao.
"Senior, I'm here."
"Ah."
Zhan Jiuxiao nodded slightly and said, "Let's go, let's go meet those two supreme powers."
He strode out, his movements sharp as a blade, followed by a group of human venerables, their momentum unstoppable.
This is the momentum they had gained from their previous victory.
At this moment, Zhan Jiuxiao was at the forefront, with Jiang Shu only half a step behind, leading among the many Venerable Elders.
Without a doubt, based on their previous performance, no one would doubt or question anything; they were all completely convinced.
Whether within or outside the human race, strength is always the most important principle.
In a short while, the figure moved into the spatial ripples again, disappearing instantly and reappearing in the main reception hall.
The main hall here is not luxurious, but simple yet magnificent, as if symbolizing the history of the War Alliance, full of profound heritage.
Around those forty-nine bronze pillars, on the floor paved with fragments of the Milky Way, figures appeared, mainly divided into two groups.
One of them was a powerful mechanical warrior whose body was clad in various streamlined armors and radiated a bright glow.
On the other side were various figures, some tens of feet long with more than a thousand abdominal legs, and others were Zerg powerhouses covered with armor plates.
Without hesitation, Zhan Jiuxiao sat in the top seat, smiling as he looked at both sides.
Jiang Shu naturally sat in the first seat on the left, with the other elders in order.
"It has been a long time since we last met. Vice Alliance Leader Zhan and Venerable Jiang, it's been a long time since we last saw each other. You are even more impressive than before."
The envoy from the mechanical race spoke softly, his voice deep and magnetic, like that of a middle-aged nobleman.
Zhan Jiuxiao's face was solemn, and he smiled and nodded.
Jiang Shu, standing to the side, smiled and looked at "Entropy" behind the envoy, saying, "Then I must thank that fellow Daoist. Last time in the Sage's Tomb, we had a life-or-death friendship."
His words made the atmosphere a bit colder.
It's a friendship that's been through thick and thin!
When Jiang Shu was in the Sage's Tomb, he was only poisoned by the laws of this mechanical genius. If it weren't for timely medical intervention, he would probably have already perished.
However, the mechanical genius "Entropy" spoke up, "Now that you have become a Venerable One, why bother with a junior like me?"
Jiang Shu couldn't help but laugh when she heard her words, which made her adopt the most humble attitude.
The reason the machine race did this was naturally to negotiate with them; otherwise, most of them probably wouldn't care about honor or disgrace.
"Well said!"
Seeing Jiang Shu nod slightly, the insectoid leader continued:
"The speed of Venerable Jiang's growth has indeed left us speechless. Last time we heard that he had just become a Venerable, we wonder what kind of opportunity he had to obtain to make such rapid progress."
He subtly hinted at the word "opportunity."
There were also clashes in their words.
Zhan Jiuxiao raised his hand and said, "No matter what, it is an opportunity for our human race, and it has nothing to do with you all."
Once he spoke, the other War Alliance Venerables echoed his sentiments and nodded in agreement.
Not to mention that they were members of the War Alliance, they were already on Jiang Shu's side.
Even ordinary experts who are envious of Jiang Shu's opportunities should consider whether they are qualified to explore them.
Jiang Shu was no longer a so-called weakling, but a carp that had transformed into a dragon, rising to the top in one step, becoming a true top expert.
The two sides went back and forth, subtly vying for power in their rhetoric, with undercurrents surging beneath the surface, yet neither mentioned the captured late-stage Venerable expert.
There's no other reason than that whoever brings it up first is naturally impatient and will inevitably be caught out.
The alliance didn't care, since the prisoners wouldn't escape here anyway. After sealing their cultivation and power, keeping them wouldn't take much energy.
After exchanging many pleasantries, the Zerg powerhouse suddenly spoke:
"In that case, would it be possible for us to meet those two?"
I'm losing my temper!
These words were like a stone thrown into a deep pool, creating ripples. Zhan Jiuxiao's face showed a hint of a smile, and Jiang Shu also smiled faintly.
"That's perfectly fine."
Zhan Jiuxiao clapped his hands, and a light screen suddenly appeared in front of him, displaying the images of the two Venerables who had been captured.
"Perhaps ordinary people cannot tell the difference, but as a Venerable of the Machine Race, you should be able to see it. We haven't done anything to it?"
"The content in this video is indeed played in real time and has not been tampered with."
The mechanical race leader nodded slightly.
"We have treated those two fellow Daoists with utmost care and respect, without the slightest negligence. But may we ask what brings you here?"
Zhan Jiuxiao asked the question knowing the answer already.
After hearing these words, the insectoid leader sneered and said, "Since it's about exchanging for our clan's venerable one, human, name your price."
Since he had already lost his composure, he simply stopped pretending and began to dart around with his dozens of compound eyes, which flashed with a scarlet light.
A powerhouse at the late stage of the Venerable realm is an extremely valuable and top-tier combat force in every race. If a Saint does not appear, this is the strongest force that a region can mobilize.
How could it possibly perish so easily?
This is why humans don't kill them easily; it would create a deep-seated hatred!
"That's great! What about the friend with the mechanical seat?"
Jiang Shu turned to look at the mechanical race leader who remained expressionless, as if he were an ordinary machine.
The mechanical envoy slightly turned his gaze and nodded with perfect fluency.
"We are also willing to reach a reconciliation with the human race in exchange for the return of our race's strongmen."
Upon hearing this, Zhan Jiuxiao, Jiang Shu, and other powerful figures felt a slight sense of relief. Clearly, this mechanical envoy had also made his stance clear.
Both sides were willing to exchange, and believed that it meant going to war directly, which means that there was a certain possibility of compromise between the two sides.
"The mechanical race has always prided itself on its accuracy; in some ways, it would be better described as ruthless and extreme in its weighing of pros and cons."
"Since they are willing to exchange hostages, they must be willing to pay some price rather than go to war directly."
Just then, the Zerg envoy beside him gritted his teeth and spoke in sharp human language.
"How strange, it seems you're willing to compromise."
"This is not a compromise, it's just a contract."
The robot spoke indifferently.
Jiang Shu's eyes flickered slightly, then he smiled and said, "Although I don't know why those two powerful figures attacked me for personal reasons, it probably has nothing to do with the two supreme races. However, our human race also has its conditions."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Shu raised his hand, and beams of light flowed from his palm.
Those lights converged into a brilliant starry sky, which was clearly a map of the territories of the human race and the machine race and the insect race.
At this moment, the stars on the map of the territory shone brightly.
"Do you humans intend to trade planets or nebula mineral veins? Fine."
The Zerg envoy immediately spoke.
"This is also within our capacity."
The Mech Race messenger was also expressing an attitude.
Jiang Shu smiled and said, "The repayment we're demanding this time mainly involves two aspects. One is the Void Crystal Mining Area in the Dark Nebula. In addition, we also need to occupy at least 30% of the mining rights for the Space Crystals of the two adjacent lifeless planets..."
At this moment, the majority of humans remained silent, while only Jiang Shu spoke eloquently.
"That's too much. We can only give you 50% of the profits from the Dark Nebula at most. We can't give you any more than that."
"Space Crystals are an essential mineral for the Mechanical God Kingdom, and the supply is limited."
Both sides immediately refuted the claims.
Jiang Shu wasn't in a hurry.
Isn't negotiation just about you making a price, me making a price, and then slowly negotiating?
Since the hostages are in their hands, they have no fear of negotiating with the two major races in front of them.
The two sides engaged in a war of words, constantly clashing with each other.
In this respect, the Mechs are often much easier to deal with than the Zerg. Of course, this doesn't mean they can seize more benefits, but rather that their bottom line is more obvious and more solid.
As for their insectoid race, they are ultimately living beings and need to be persuaded and have their interests exchanged.
The two talked for nearly one or two hours, and the Venerable One, with his profound cultivation, was still full of energy.
"Alright, we've reached a preliminary agreement on the exchange of resource points. We can leave the details to our subordinates to discuss. Besides that, there's one more request."
Upon hearing this, both the mechanical envoy and the insectoid envoy turned their gazes slightly to Jiang Shu, as if they had expected it.
Jiang Shu remained calm, spreading his five fingers in his palm to directly mimic a pitch-black stone.
The stone had no shimmering aura and looked extremely ordinary. The mechanical messenger performed well, and the insectoid messenger's dozens of compound eyes turned to this thing almost immediately.
"The last request, and the most important one, is: what is this stone, and what is its origin?"
"If this demand cannot be met, then the previous negotiations are null and void."
Jiang Shu immediately spoke with unwavering resolve.
As soon as these words were spoken, both the Zerg envoy and the mechanical god envoy suddenly adopted the same attitude—silence.
Upon seeing this statement, Zhan Jiuxiao's eyes narrowed slightly, clearly realizing something.
"Perhaps that stone involves more than we think."
The next moment, Zhan Jiuxiao sneered and after a long silence, he spoke: "It seems that neither side has considered their own situation. Men, escort the two envoys to rest."
Negotiations suspended!
The attitude is quite clear.
The two Venerable Ones stepped forward and came before the insectoid envoy and the mechanical god envoy.
"Please, both of you."
"Humph!"
The Zerg messenger mimicked human mannerisms and expressed its discontent, but did not exhibit any other unusual behavior.
As for the mechanical messenger, he remained silent.
Watching the two sides leave, Jiang Shu and the many Venerables exchanged glances, seeing the solemnity and curiosity in each other's eyes.
What exactly is Blackstone that has prompted such statements from both sides?
Could it be that this really involves the secret of the universe almost ending?
For a moment, Jiang Shu also felt that the mysterious Dao pattern between his eyebrows seemed to become scorching hot.
"I don't know whether using that thing to advance to the Venerable level as my own accumulation and foundation was a blessing or a curse."
Jiang Shu kept muttering to himself.
"Everyone, please disperse for now. Let's wait a few more days and see how these two races will respond,"
Zhan Jiuxiao waved his hand and spoke.
For the War Alliance, the interests sacrificed by the Zerg and Mech races are important, but they cannot compare to Jiang Shu alone!
……
Within the Demon Realm.
Above the imperial palace.
One gaze after another converged on this place, making it almost the focus of everything.
Almost all the demon lords of the demon race arrived here early. Some looked anxious, some looked frivolous, and some were completely indifferent.
Among them were many powerful figures who had once entered the ruins of the Heavenly Court and fought in the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods.
At this moment, Ao Qing was transformed into a half-human, half-human form, standing tall in the imperial palace.
"Old man Ao Qing, what will happen if your Golden Horn loses this time?"
Phoenix Abyss Demon Lord stepped forward, his aura already reaching the late stage of Venerable.
Ao Qing glanced at Feng Yuan Demon Lord, then sneered and said, "Today, my clan's Golden Horn will undoubtedly win. No need for further words."
"The White Tiger Demon Lord's strength has greatly increased, and he has also gained the recognition and gifts of many powerful figures, but that's not necessarily true..."
Phoenix Moon Demon Lord clicked his tongue, but his words were mostly jokes.
The reason is simple: this is a struggle between the White Tiger and the Dragon Clan. What does it have to do with the Phoenix Clan?
Since the end of the Great War at the Cave of Ten Thousand Gods, both the human and demon races have entered into a tacit ceasefire.
Jiang Shu's fate is unknown, and the whereabouts of the Golden Crow Emperor are also unknown.
Currently, both sides are searching for the whereabouts of the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor, rather than fighting to the death and creating a chaotic and secure environment for the Golden Crow.
After all, no one knows whether the Golden Crow Heavenly Emperor has already been reincarnated using that celestial embryo! (End of Chapter)