144: Chapter 144 The Demigod's Plot, The Dragon Lizard World

Su Bai's expression remained unchanged as his consciousness linked with the City God.

"Speak."

"Through the power of the Judgment of the Underworld, your subordinate has perceived this person's remaining lifespan," the City God's voice said, each word sounding as if etched into metal. "His life has less than a hundred days remaining."

Su Bai's pupils contracted slightly for a moment before he quickly regained his composure.

Less than a hundred days.

A Seventh-Order Demigod with less than a hundred days of life.

This old man was dying.

Su Bai looked into Old Man Stargazer's deep gray eyes, at those dim stars and those stars that were about to go out. He thought of the old man's hunched back, his heavy steps, and his weary voice.

A Seventh-Order Demigod with less than a hundred days to live had taken the initiative to come to his door, inviting a Sixth-Order Creator to attack a sub-dragon world with five million Dragon Lizard Race. The promised reward was the entire world and 500 million federal credits.

This was too suspicious.

Su Bai's mind raced. The City God's information continued.

"Your subordinate has further investigated through the rule power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation. This person's world core is failing. The Power Of Faith produced by the living beings in his world is no longer enough to maintain his demigod body. He needs a massive amount of soul energy to prolong his life."

"And my Lord's Netherworld World happens to be the purest source of soul energy."

The City God's voice became even deeper.

"Your subordinate speculates that this person's invitation for my Lord to go to the Dragon-Lizard World is not to have my Lord assist in defense. His true purpose is to have my Lord's Netherworld World and the Dragon-Lizard World suffer mutual losses, then he will intervene under the guise of 'assisting' to devour my Lord's Netherworld World and use my Lord's soul energy to prolong his life."

After Su Bai finished listening, he began to ponder.

What the City God said made sense. This was Tianyuan Star, the most prosperous place in the entire Great Xia Kingdom.

It was also the place with the best security.

If the demigod before him wanted to act to extend his life, he certainly wouldn't choose to do it personally. Otherwise, a Seventh-Order Demigod would be quickly arrested and executed.

Therefore, he could only choose to deceive other Creators who had not yet reached the demigod realm, sitting back to reap the benefits.

Su Bai looked at Old Man Stargazer and revealed a smile.

The smile was very faint and natural, like a young man moved by the reward.

"Fine," he said, "I agree."

Old Man Stargazer's eyes lit up slightly.

Those dim stars flickered for a moment deep within his pupils, as if someone had added a handful of dry wood to a fire that was about to go out.

"Good!" His voice was still raspy, but it held a hint of warmth. "In one month, I will send someone to pick you up. At that time, the defense forces of the Tiance Star Sector will cooperate with your actions. The Dragon-Lizard World's world core and the 500 million federal credits worth of faith crystals will be delivered together after the matter is completed."

Su Bai nodded.

"Then it's a deal."

Old Man Stargazer smiled. The smile was gentle and kind, like an amiable elder looking at a promising junior.

But the moment he turned to walk back into the attic, Su Bai caught an extremely subtle curl at the corner of his mouth.

That curl was not out of kindness or appreciation.

It was the smugness of an old fox seeing its prey step into a trap.

Old Man Stargazer disappeared into the darkness. The attic door closed silently.

Su Bai stood in the alley, looking at the closed wooden door, the smile on his face slowly fading.

He turned and walked out of the alley.

Behind him, in the darkness of the Stargazing Pavilion, those deep gray eyes watched his back until he disappeared into the crowd at the street corner.

...

Su Bai walked on the streets of the Arena East Market. The surrounding pedestrians were still crowded, flying cars were still shuttling overhead, and the information on the electronic screens was still scrolling. Everything was as usual.

But in his mind, he was simultaneously deducing several lines of thought.

Old Man Stargazer, a Seventh-Order Demigod with less than a hundred days to live. He needed soul energy to prolong his life and had set his sights on Su Bai's Netherworld World. The invitation to the Dragon-Lizard World was a trap, aimed at making him and the Dragon Lizard Race suffer mutual losses so the old man could reap the benefits.

But Old Man Stargazer didn't know one thing.

He didn't know about the City God's existence, the power of the Judgment of the Underworld, or that the rule power of the Six Paths of Reincarnation could investigate a demigod's lifespan. He thought Su Bai was just a lucky, somewhat talented Sixth-Order Creator, a pawn that could be used.

The corners of Su Bai's mouth curled up slightly.

A pawn?

He stopped walking and stood on a pedestrian bridge, looking down at the constant stream of people below.

The railing of the bridge was transparent, and he could see the street below and the crystal slabs further down. Those flowing blue lines of light extended beneath his feet, like the waters of the River of Oblivion, turbid and calm.

He recalled that sentence from the City God.

"This person's world core is failing. The Power Of Faith produced by the living beings in his world is no longer enough to maintain his demigod body. He needs a massive amount of soul energy to prolong his life."

A Seventh-Order Demigod, a failing world core, and less than a hundred days of life.

Given a failing Seventh-Order Demigod world delivered to his doorstep, why would Su Bai have any reason not to take it?

Su Bai withdrew his gaze and turned to walk down the bridge.

He needed to prepare.

A month's time was enough for him to do many things.

The Dragon-Lizard World, five million Dragon Lizard Race, thirty percent Dragon Bloodline. If handled properly, his Netherworld World would not only remain unharmed but would instead gain a massive evolution.

As for Old Man Stargazer...

Su Bai walked past the window of an equipment shop, his reflection visible in the glass. Gray-white Yin Qi swirled around him, intertwining with the silver-white starlight of Tianyuan City.

He revealed a smile to his reflection in the glass.

The smile was faint, but in those gray-white eyes, something was slowly burning.

It was the calm, certain, and irreversible judgment of the master of the Netherworld looking at a soul about to enter the Ghost Gate Pass.

He raised his hand, and the bracelet on his wrist lit up.

[Su Bai, Number 1987, Points Race Qualifier.]

[Current Location: Tianyuan City · Arena East Market.]

He clicked on the communication link to the Netherworld World, his consciousness sinking into that gray-white Yin Qi.

The City God's voice rang out immediately.

"My Lord."

Su Bai's voice was as calm as water.

"Prepare yourself. In one month, we are going somewhere."

"The Dragon-Lizard World."

He paused.

"And a dying demigod."

The City God was silent for a moment, then his voice held a hint of understanding.

"Your subordinate understands. The Judgment of the Underworld is ready."

Su Bai nodded and withdrew his consciousness.

He stood on the bridge, looking at the city below that was as brilliant as a galaxy, the curl of his mouth slowly widening.

"Thirty percent Dragon Bloodline..."

He softly whispered those words, as if tasting some long-awaited fine wine.

"The second generation bloodline of the Dragon-Blood Orcs..."

He turned and walked toward the direction of the Tianyuan Arena.

Behind him, the starlight of Tianyuan City was still brilliant. The bustle of the Arena East Market was still boiling. In the darkness of the Stargazing Pavilion, those deep gray eyes were still watching every passing pedestrian.

But Su Bai knew that in a month, all of this would change.

A world would be destroyed.

A demigod would enter the Ghost Gate Pass.

And his Netherworld would welcome an unprecedented evolution.

The corners of Su Bai's mouth curled up slightly.

No matter how many come, I'll take them all.

The Netherworld is never a picky eater.