156: Chapter 156: You don't actually think those so-called sentient beings are that important to me, do you?

Within the Life Space, that silence, sufficient to cause despair, was broken by the Silver Dragon King's slightly hoarse voice.

She slowly raised her head, her stunningly beautiful face still bearing lingering paleness and exhaustion, but those amethyst-like eyes were now gathering a faint yet unusually stubborn glint.

She looked at Lu Jing, as if grasping the last spider silk in the darkness, her voice tinged with a hint of probing, yet faintly containing a trace of expectation:

"If I remember correctly... you are the successor of the God of Destruction, right?"

She had inherited the Dragon God's vast Mental Energy and control over elements.

When exploring Lu Jing earlier, that divine imprint hidden deep within the source of his Spirit, originating from the same source as the Laws of Destruction, could not possibly have escaped her perception.

Mentioning it now clearly had an underlying meaning.

Lu Jing nodded frankly, without the slightest concealment.

Facing an existence like the Silver Dragon King, concealment was meaningless.

"Correct."

Receiving an affirmative reply, the Silver Dragon King's purple eyes brightened significantly. Within that light was a mixture of urgency, like grasping at a life-saving straw, and a hint of almost humble hope.

She floated half a step closer, her voice lowering unconsciously, carrying a tone of negotiation:

"Then, after you... become a god, could you... speak up for my Soul Beast Clan at the God King Conference and propose canceling that restriction? I... I dare not ask for too much, I only ask to abolish the ban that prevents Spirit Beasts from becoming gods. Since... since you have a close relationship with the Snow Empress, surely, you wouldn't want to see her trapped in the lower realm, eventually either dying of old age, or... falling under repeated heavenly tribulations, right? She seems very important to you?"

Her tone carried a hint of imperceptible persuasion.

She wanted to use the bond between Lu Jing and the Snow Empress to secure his support.

In her view, Lu Jing's willingness to expose his trump card to awaken the Ice and Fire Dragon King just to save the Snow Empress meant this bond was by no means ordinary.

However, upon hearing this, a trace of a playful smile appeared on Lu Jing's face.

He looked at the Silver Dragon King's expectant eyes, shook his head gently, and retorted:

"You are right, I truly do not wish to see Big Sister Snow eventually fall under the heavenly tribulations, or be trapped to death on the Douluo Continent. But..."

His tone shifted, carrying a nearly cold clarity:

"If it were only for Big Sister Snow to become a god, why would I go to such lengths to seek an opportunity to speak at the God King Conference and challenge the inherent rules that might exist in the Divine Realm? There are actually many methods, and they are much simpler and more direct."

Lu Jing counted on his fingers, slowly and methodically: "For example, I could have her sacrifice to me, give me her spirit ring, and after I become a god, relying on the power of Divinity, perhaps there would be a way to reshape her body, awaken her consciousness, and resurrect her in another form to accompany me. Or, the moment I become a god, I could take her directly into the Divine Realm. You must know, since the position I inherit is that of a God King, it is not impossible to bring one or two close people into the Divine Realm."

"So you see!"

Lu Jing spread his hands with a 'you didn't expect that, did you?' expression: "Just for her alone, I absolutely do not need to touch the massive trouble of abolishing the Spirit Beast ban. The reason I mentioned this approach was just to tell you that such a possibility exists. But whether this possibility should be fought for, for you or for the entire Soul Beast Clan, that is a different matter."

The Silver Dragon King was stunned, a trace of astonishment appearing on her stunningly beautiful face.

Yes, Lu Jing was right.

If it were just for the Snow Empress, given his friendship with the Snow Empress and his status as a Divinity, there were too many more convenient and private ways to solve it; there was no need to touch that far-reaching ban.

She had indeed been somewhat desperate just now, thinking too simply.

The trace of hope that had just risen was like a candle in the wind, flickering unsteadily, as if it could be extinguished again at any moment.

She lowered her head powerlessly, her silver hair falling, her voice even lower, carrying a hint of confusion: "Then... what must you have for you to be willing to help me?"

Lu Jing looked at the ruler of the Spirit Beasts before him, who had just been overwhelmingly powerful but now appeared incomparably fragile and helpless, his gaze calm, his tone clearly drawing a boundary:

"First, I need to make one point clear... I, Lu Jing, am a human. The future of the Soul Beast Clan, whether it prospers or perishes, whether it continues to be suppressed or finds a turning point, fundamentally speaking, has no direct interest or relation to me personally. I am not the ruler of the Spirit Beasts, and there is no relationship between us; I have no obligation, nor do I have the spare time, to rack my brains for the fate of the entire Soul Beast population. I cannot manage it, nor do I want to manage that much."

"Second!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Silver Dragon King, carrying a scrutinizing air of evaluating the value of a commodity, and retorted: "What can you, or rather, the Soul Beast Clan, bring out now that is of sufficient weight to exchange for my promise to speak up for you at the future God King Conference? Don't forget, this is almost equivalent to asking me to oppose the potential resistance of the Divine Realm, and perhaps even offend certain Divinities. The price of this 'help' will not be small."

His words were calm, rational, and even somewhat ruthless, placing everything on the scales of naked interest exchange.

The Silver Dragon King's heart sank.

Lu Jing's attitude was already very clear; there was no help without reason, only equivalent exchange.

But what could the Soul Beast Clan bring out now that could move a future God King?

Wealth?

The Divine Realm does not lack it.

Treasures?

The Soul Beast Clan probably couldn't produce anything that would catch the eye of a God King.

Power? If she had sufficient power, why would she need to beg others?

In her desperation, she tried to persuade from another angle: "Even if you are a human, are you willing to see future Spirit Masters unable to hunt Spirit Beasts, unable to absorb spirit rings, leading to the severance of their cultivation path and the overall decline of human Spirit Master civilization? Spirit Masters and Spirit Beasts are, after all, symbiotic!"

This was her last attempt, trying to use the big picture and the future to move Lu Jing.

However, Lu Jing's reaction once again exceeded her expectations.

Only to see a trace of an almost mocking curve appear at the corner of Lu Jing's mouth, and he retorted:

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Those future Spirit Masters are neither related to me nor do I know them. The rise and fall of human Spirit Master civilization is not something I caused single-handedly. You don't think I would care much about the future and fate of those strangers, do you?"

He took a step forward, closer to the Silver Dragon King, his voice very soft, yet every word was clear, carrying a kind of almost indifferent frankness:

"You are overthinking it! To me, the future of those Spirit Masters I have never met, who might appear, or even their lives, added together, perhaps... do not weigh as much in my heart as the Snow Empress alone. I act only based on pros and cons, whether I am willing, and whether it is worth it. As for the fate of all living beings? That is the responsibility of the Divine Realm Committee, and those Divinities who rely on the power of faith to consider. But I, I am the successor of the God of Destruction."