158: Chapter 158 Game Theory, Compromise, and Interests

Eight hundred zhang deep in the dark and profound water, the currents were in chaotic disarray due to the recent battle.

Twelve Cyber Iron Guards were arranged in a fan shape, protecting Gu Shen in the center. Although the skin on their bodies was heavily damaged, revealing the dark cyan Sea-Splitting Profound Whale skeleton beneath, the dim blue halo of the miniature batteries deep within their chests continued to operate stably.

Ten zhang away, the Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon, Ao Mie, hovered in the water. The throbbing pain from its throat's reverse scales constantly stimulated the nerves of this Tier 3 Demon King.

Its massive vertical pupils were locked tightly onto Gu Shen on the rock, its Demonic Qi circulating frantically within its body, ready to unleash a thunderous pounce at any moment. However, the intuitive instinct accumulated over its long lifespan was screaming a warning at this very moment.

The Qi Refining 9th Layer human Cultivator before it was like an iron hedgehog covered in highly toxic spikes. Those twelve armored puppets showed no traces of Spiritual Qi circulation within them, yet they could immunize against Spell damage and were even tough enough to withstand the lash of a giant tail. It completely defied the common sense of the Cultivation World.

If it forced a kill on this person, it would inevitably be severely injured. In this place of the strong devouring the weak, the Yunmeng Great Swamp, a serious injury was equivalent to becoming blood food for other great Yao Beasts.

"Human." The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's Divine Thought reverberated through the water, full of oppressive pressure. "You snuck into this King's territory and destroyed this King's reverse scales. Do you truly think that relying on these strange armored puppets will allow you to walk out of the Yunmeng Great Swamp alive?"

Gu Shen's right hand, gripping the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade, hung slightly low.

Deep within his brow, the AI Crystal entered a high-frequency, multi-threaded calculation state. The contraction frequency of the Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's vertical pupils and the downward trend of the Demonic Qi density in the water transformed into lines of precise data, flashing rapidly across Gu Shen's shallow consciousness.

"Master, the high-pressure energy zone within the target is retracting toward the core. The aggressive band in its biological magnetic field has dropped by forty percent. It is weighing the pros and cons, trying to find an out." The Crab's sonar analysis report was transmitted into Gu Shen's ear via bone conduction.

Having ascertained the opponent's bottom line, Gu Shen understood clearly.

He turned his wrist slightly, and the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade returned to its sheath.

"The Great Swamp is vast, and all things compete to thrive. I sought out this desolate place to carve out an Immortal Cave, seeking nothing more than a quiet place for closed-door cultivation." Gu Shen's gaze met the massive black dragon ahead, his tone calm. "As the Great King patrols the territory, I should naturally offer a gift for visiting your mountain. The slight misunderstanding just now was entirely due to a lack of communication and a clash of energy."

The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's massive nostrils sprayed out a burst of turbid bubbles, and a hint of shrewdness flashed in its vertical pupils: "A gift for visiting? This King rules three thousand li of water; ordinary spiritual items do not catch my eye. You, a mere Qi Refining Loose Cultivator, what could you possibly produce that would move this King?"

Gu Shen's expression was indifferent. He flipped his left hand and took out a warm, smooth jade bottle from his Storage Ring.

He flicked his finger.

The stopper fell off, and a drop of milky white [essence white dew (Medium)] was wrapped in a layer of dark cyan magic power, penetrating through layers of water pressure, and hovered steadily in front of the Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's massive head.

As the jade bottle opened, an extremely pure, refreshing fragrance diffused through the bottom of the water.

The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's eyes, originally filled with viciousness, suddenly contracted, and its massive body involuntarily leaned forward several feet. It stared fixedly at that drop of white dew, and the keen perception belonging to a Tier 3 Demon King was roaring frantically.

Vitality! Unimaginably immense vitality!

What made it tremble the most was that this vitality was as pure as a blank sheet of paper; it could not detect a single trace of the Heavenly Dao Law imprints of the Great Yu Cultivation World.

Like Cultivators, Yao Cultivators, for every bit of spiritual items from this world they consumed, would carve a Karma shackle into their Divine Soul. When the Lightning Tribulation arrived, these shackles would turn into life-ending Nine Heavens Mystic Thunder. Yet this strange item before it could actually be directly converted into Demonic Qi, and it would absolutely not increase the Karma weight of the Lightning Tribulation!

This was a flawless holy medicine that would drive any great Yao Beast crazy!

"How is this item?" Gu Shen's voice sounded at the right moment.

The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon suddenly opened its giant mouth, and a gust of demonic wind swept up, swallowing the drop of white dew into its belly.

In an instant, the pure vitality dissolved within its massive demonic body. The deep wound at its throat saw granulation tissue rapidly wriggling and interweaving. Accompanied by a tingling sensation, a layer of fine, newborn scales covered the original wound. Even the depleted Demonic Qi received a noticeable replenishment.

The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon took a deep breath of the cold water, and its eyes looking at Gu Shen changed completely. The previous contempt was gone, replaced by a solemnity that scrutinized a peer-level trader.

"How much more of this holy medicine, unbound by the Heavenly Dao, do you have in your hands?" The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's Divine Thought echoed directly in Gu Shen's mind.

"That depends on what chips the Great King can bring to the table." Gu Shen stood with his hands behind his back, the twelve Iron Guards casting an indestructible barrier in front of him.

"The conditions I require are very simple." Gu Shen stated his demands. "With this basalt Immortal Cave as the center, a radius of one hundred li shall be designated as my absolute restricted zone. The Great King must deter the surrounding aquatic tribes and forbid any Yao Beast or human Cultivator from stepping foot here. In return, I will regularly provide this kind of flawless vitality."

The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's dragon body, circling in the water, paused slightly, falling into deep thought.

Carving out a restricted zone was a trivial matter of emitting a scent marker for this hegemon of the Great Swamp. Exchanging this for that flawless holy medicine was a profitable deal no matter how you calculated it. Furthermore, the human Cultivator before it controlled that batch of strange armored puppets; a head-on collision would only cause it to lose its foundation for nothing.

In the jungle of the Cultivation World, the strong only form alliances with the strong.

"This King can agree to your conditions." The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's massive head lowered slightly, counting as an acknowledgment of this ceasefire agreement.

"Not only that." A hint of cunning flowed in the Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's vertical pupils. "This King sees that your armored puppets have good materials but lack the tempering of high-tier Yao blood. Two thousand li to the east, there is a death-seeking Green-Eyed Golden Toad that repeatedly provokes this King's territory. If you can build a few of these iron contraptions to assist me, I will not only ensure your territory is safe, but I can also gift you all of that Golden Toad's Tier 3 Yao bones."

A gleam flashed in Gu Shen's eyes; this was exactly the situation he had hoped for.

"Building Puppets requires a massive amount of special spiritual materials and time. If the Great King provides enough Yao bones and spiritual materials, this matter is very feasible." Gu Shen went with the flow, firmly cementing the bond of interests.

"It is a deal. In ten days, this King will send my aquatic subordinates to deliver the first batch of Yao bones."

The Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon let out a dragon roar, and its massive body rolled violently in the water. The Demonic Qi enveloped itself, turning into a violent undercurrent as it departed.

Once the silt settled, the figure of the Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon had already disappeared into the deep, dark abyss.

Outside the Immortal Cave, only deathly silence remained.

"Master, the high-energy heat source has completely left the sonar detection range. The target has left." The Crab's voice finally relaxed.

Gu Shen nodded slightly, his tense dark gold iron bones slowly relaxing.

The AI Crystal's operating frequency dropped to a normal state. This game, which spanned two major Realms, had exhausted a great deal of his mental energy. If not for the miniature nuclear fusion batteries brought from the Wasteland providing endless physical kinetic energy deterrence to the twelve Iron Guards, today's situation would have been difficult to resolve well.

He turned to look at the ruins of the Immortal Cave.

The Formation Plate of the Xuanming Heavy Water Array had been severely damaged under the Sea-Covering Black Flood Dragon's attack, and thirty-six Low-Grade Spirit Stones had turned into powder. The chest armor of the No. 3 and Iron Guard No. 7s was dented, and the red copper wires inside had suffered varying degrees of breakage.

"The Formation needs to be repaired. The armor strength of the Iron Guards still appears fragile when facing the pure physical strikes of a Golden Core Stage great Yao Beast."

Gu Shen quickly tallied his assets in his mind.

His reserves of Hundred-Refined Fine Iron and refined red copper had been exhausted in the previous transactions. To further improve the impact resistance of the twelve Iron Guards, or even to build new Cyber Iron Guards for Ao Mie's upcoming order, he had to obtain higher-grade Wasteland alloys.

"Although The Mainframe on the Thirteenth Floor has sealed off the passages between the floors, I went all the way down from the slag discharge shaft; the perimeter of the armory on the 6th Underground Level is still my ATM."

Gu Shen waved his large sleeve, collecting all twelve damaged Demon Bone Iron Guards into his Storage Ring.

He walked toward the intact futon deep within the Immortal Cave.

With the thunder pattern gold-slaying blade placed flat in front of his knees, Gu Shen sat down cross-legged.

Since the security agreement here in the Great Swamp had taken effect, it was time to return to that Wasteland underground palace which buried the civilization of the old era and start a new round of exploration.

But just at this moment...