399: Chapter 399 Lu Sheng's Conditions

Early the next morning.

Lu Sheng and Qing Ming Protector sat down in the command room once again.

Qing Ming Protector still maintained his elegant and refined demeanor from yesterday. Wearing a verdant green robe, he stood across the table with his hands properly placed at his sides.

Lu Sheng sat in the main seat, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand.

The tea had been pulled from his storage space. He had obtained this high-mountain green tea from who-knows-where while scavenging supplies before; it had been sitting in the space for about half a year, yet it was still quite fragrant.

He took a sip and set the cup down.

"I've made up my mind."

Qing Ming Protector's eyes lit up slightly. "Please speak, Your Excellency."

"Regarding the three matters you mentioned yesterday, I refuse all of them."

Qing Ming Protector's expression stiffened for a moment.

"But I have a counter-proposal," Lu Sheng continued.

"Please, go on."

"First, the star sectors of the Scavenger Alliance belong to me. All of them. Not a single inch will be shared."

The corner of Qing Ming Protector's mouth twitched, but he didn't make a sound.

"Second, don't mention the matter of the Ancient Metals again. Those things are mine, and no one else is to touch them."

"Third—" Lu Sheng looked into Qing Ming Protector's eyes.

"Regarding the Ancient Ruins, I can cooperate with the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court."

Qing Ming Protector's expression finally softened.

"But it won't be the kind of cooperation you suggested," Lu Sheng said immediately after. "It won't be you sending people to explore my territory. I will personally go find those ruins. Once found, I'll see if they contain what you want. If they do, I can consider trading them with the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court."

"And the conditions for the trade?"

"The conditions are simple." Lu Sheng held up three fingers.

"First, three Spirit Immortal Realm remains. I accept the price you quoted yesterday. However, they won't be a reward for exploring the ruins, but rather a deposit. Whether or not the seed of origin is ultimately found, you must give me these three remains."

Qing Ming Protector's brow furrowed.

"Second, the hundred-year non-aggression treaty will be signed as planned. However, a clause must be added—the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court must not enter the original star sectors of the Scavenger Alliance for any reason or in any form. This includes detection waves."

This clause was even more lethal than the first.

If the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court signed this treaty, they would completely lose the possibility of probing the Old God Abyss. At least for a hundred years.

A hundred years wasn't long for a Cultivator of the Spirit Saint Realm, but it was enough for Lu Sheng to consume all the good things in the Old God Abyss.

"Third—"

Lu Sheng put down his teacup and leaned forward slightly.

"I need the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court to provide a complete star map of the known Universe. Not some vague, approximate range; I want it precise down to every star system and the coordinates of every known civilization."

Qing Ming Protector's expression finally changed.

While he found the previous two conditions harsh, they were still within the flexible range of negotiation.

But the third condition—

A complete star map of the known Universe?

That was a core strategic resource accumulated by the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court over thousands of years. The coordinates of every star system and the location of every civilization represented the Divine Court's control over the layout of the Universe.

Handing this over was equivalent to exposing one's entire family fortune to the opponent.

"Your Excellency, this condition..." Qing Ming Protector weighed his words carefully. "Pardon my directness, but the star map is a core secret of the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court. Even I do not have the authority to make this decision."

"I know." Lu Sheng nodded. "So you don't need to answer me now. Go back and discuss it with your Heavenly Venerate."

"If he agrees, I'll start looking for those ruins. If he doesn't—"

Lu Sheng picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"Then forget it. You can look for it slowly yourselves. This Universe is so vast; no one can say for sure where the seed of origin is. The Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Venerate has plenty of time for secluded meditation anyway; waiting another few hundred years is no rush."

These words were spoken casually, but every word stepped on Qing Ming Protector's sore spot.

The Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Venerate had already been in secluded meditation for several hundred years. What did it feel like for a powerhouse of the Spirit Saint Realm to be stuck at a Bottleneck for centuries? Every additional year of waiting meant one less shred of hope for a Breakthrough. If he still couldn't find an opportunity, the Myriad Manifestations Heavenly Venerate might never achieve a Breakthrough in this lifetime.

Qing Ming Protector took a deep breath.

"I will faithfully relay Your Excellency's conditions to the Heavenly Venerate. However, I need time to return and report."

"Of course." Lu Sheng was very generous. "You can leave whenever you want. I won't force a guest to stay."

Qing Ming Protector gave a bitter smile. "Your Excellency's way of treating guests is indeed very... characteristic."

"Likewise. The Myriad Manifestations Divine Court's way of negotiating is also quite characteristic. Coming in and immediately wanting to split someone else's territory."

Qing Ming Protector did not respond.

He really had no standing to refute it.

"I have one more request," Qing Ming Protector said.

"What?"

"Could I be allowed to tour your planet's defense facilities? It is purely out of personal curiosity, without any ulterior motive."

Lu Sheng looked at him for three seconds.

"No."

Clean and crisp.

Qing Ming Protector nodded and did not persist.

"Then I shall take my leave. I will bring back the Heavenly Venerate's reply as soon as possible."

"Don't take too long," Lu Sheng said. "My patience is limited. If no reply is given after three months, I'll assume you've refused."

"Three months. I have noted it."

Qing Ming Protector cupped his hands toward Lu Sheng.

Then he turned and walked out of the command room.

Lu Sheng did not see him out.

He sat in his chair, listening to Qing Ming Protector's footsteps gradually fade into the distance, and then heard a dull boom from the plaza—that was the sound of Qing Ming Protector taking flight.

After about ten minutes, Luo Tianfei's voice came through.

"The target has left Earth's gravitational field and is accelerating away from the Solar System."

"What are the scan results?"

Luo Tianfei walked into the command room and projected a dense set of data onto the table.

"All-around passive scan complete. Qing Ming Protector's energy intensity is confirmed to be at the Mid-stage Spirit Saint Realm, slightly higher than your current level. His primary Laws are Wood and Wind, with a minor in the Law of Life. His Small World Domain is estimated to have a range of about three hundred and fifty meters. He isn't carrying any extra weapons, but the material of his robe is extremely special, suspected to have functions for automatic spirit source recovery and damage reduction."

"A bit stronger than me?" Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow.

"Total energy is about eight percent higher than yours. However, considering that your Dragon God Sequence provides bonuses to Physical Body strength that far exceed an ordinary Spirit Saint Realm, it's impossible to judge who would win in an actual battle based purely on data."

Lu Sheng nodded.

An eight percent energy gap wasn't large. At the level of the Spirit Saint Realm, a gap of around eight percent could be completely compensated for with combat techniques and physical advantages.

"He's gone. Next—" Lu Sheng stood up.

"Continue reinforcing defenses. Continue training. Continue producing armor."

"One more thing." He paused for a moment.

"I gave him three months to wait for a reply. Regardless of whether the Myriad Manifestations Divine Court agrees in three months, I'm going to the Old God Abyss for another feast."

"This three-month period is for Earth. And it's for myself."

Lu Sheng walked out of the command room.

He had to hurry.