by Zhuang Bifan
"In that case, are you here to brag before me?" Cheyenne asked, feeling a sudden chill in his heart. He had always kept the treasure map safe with him. Even if others had used it to research the High Elven language, the map was split into pieces and all jumbled up.
Everyone knew that the greatest feature of the High Elves Print was its complexity. In fact, it was just plain nonsense. There were perhaps only a few keywords in a paragraph, and most were descriptive words. Hence, if they were not arranged in the correct sequence, nothing could be done even if all of the pieces were intact. In that case, where did Borg get the treasure map that he mentioned?
"Hmph, do I seem like such a senseless person? Everyone knows how dangerous the Haiga Mountain Range is. Even Legendary-mages like us can't ensure that we'll be safe. Not to mention, the Immortal King's treasure definitely isn't going to be sitting there and waiting for someone else to collect it. Frankly speaking, I have only one purpose in visiting. Since we all know the whereabouts of the Immortal King's treasure, it is better to temporarily bury the hatchet and cooperate." Borg stopped trying to provoke or agitate Cheyenne for fear that the latter would get angry and refuse to cooperate with him. His trip would then be wasted if he were to insist that since he couldn't have the treasure, Borg couldn't have it, either.
"Cooperation? What a joke. Why should I believe you people? Why should I believe that you have the treasure map just because you say so? I can't believe you actually used to be a bandit. You actually bother getting up to such tricks and embarrassing yourself. I bet even the foolish farmers will not believe you." Cheyenne actually knew that given his identity, Borg wouldn't be so narrow-minded to lie about such things. Since there was another treasure map in his hands, his words should be 80% real. However, even gods would get angry too, let alone Legendary figures and ordinary people. Just because he didn't do so against ordinary people, it did not mean that Cheyenne wouldn't bear a grudge against people of the same status as him.
"Cheyenne, don't forget whose territory you're in. We both have the treasure map, and you guys have just arrived earlier than me. I bet you're very unfamiliar with this place. However, I do have some insider information that's far better than yours." Borg then shifted his gaze onto Lin Li without even waiting for Cheyenne to answer.
Even as the archenemy of the Malfa Family, the Dark Blade had never been bothered by the cooperation between the Malfa Family and the Tower of Dusk. After all, the Tower of Dusk was only a small force that had been established less than a year ago. Even though they had the support of the Supreme Council, the Dark Blade did not feel threatened by them. Borg felt that a small force like them would sooner or later be annexed by larger forces since they had to depend on the larger factions to survive. They might also get to develop well due to some luck. Such occurrences were common in the Breezy Plains. There were plenty of smaller forces that relied on the Dark Blade alone. The Dark Blade managed to develop to their current size all because of expansion and annexation.
When the senior pharmacists first appeared in the Tower of Dusk, the Dark Blade was indeed very tempted. More importantly, they feared that the Malfa Family would use the senior pharmacists to disrupt the current balance between the two factions. The members of the Dark Blade had thought about destroying the Tower of Dusk, but the senior pharmacists made them worry and hesitate. Before getting a clear idea of the relationship between the senior pharmacists and the Tower of Dusk, the Dark Blade wouldn't dare to take action against the Tower of Dusk even if they had the three Legendary powerhouses as the leaders.
Later, the snitch that they'd planted in the Malfa Family informed them that the senior pharmacists had nothing to do with the Malfa Family, after which the three leaders of the Dark Blade were finally relieved. The assistance that pharmacists could provide for the development of a force was way too great. If the senior pharmacists really had some connection with the Malfa Family, it definitely wouldn't be long until the Malfa Family triumphed over the Dark Blade.
However, before the three leaders could completely feel relieved, the Legendary-realm-level battle that took place in the Harvest Square took the entire Breezy Plains by storm. The young President of the Tower of Dusk turned out to be a Legendary-mage, and fought an elven Legendary-mage. The Tower of Dusk and the Malfa Family turned out to have formed an alliance too. In that case, would they work together to deal with the Dark Blade? Fortunately, they were just allies, and everyone knew that profits and mutual interests were what kept an alliance together, not a contractual agreement.
"Master Felic, there are issues between us and the Malfa Family which everyone knows about. Hence, I'm asking Cheyenne if he would like to cooperate beforehand. Please don't mind me. As for the validity of the words that I have just said, I can assure you that everything I said was true. What do you think of this cooperation?" Borg asked Lin Li politely even though the latter was much younger than him. However, in the Legendary-realm, the hierarchy was based on ability, not age.
Seeing that Borg had asked for his opinion, Lin Li smiled instead of voicing his true opinion. Lin Li had a clear agenda in entering the Haiga Mountain Range this time. Nothing could make him give up Thunderbolt and the object that sealed it, regardless of whom he cooperated with—be it the Dark Blade or the Malfa Family. Hence, he was not eager to make his stand, because it didn't matter to him whom he cooperated with. All he needed was some gunpowder. It didn't matter whom it came from.
Despite knowing that the Tower of Dusk and the Malfa Family were cooperating with each other, and that the actual ones who participated were only the young President and his followers, no one dared to ignore the power of a Legendary-mage. Although Borg did not get a clear answer, he was well aware that the young Legendary-mage Lin Li was bent on obtaining the Immortal King's treasure, and it didn't matter to him whom he cooperated with.
Chapter 577 - Stephen Is Alive
"Borg, it would seem petty of me to turn you down since you've already proposed cooperating. However, you must prove that you really do have that treasure map and the information that you claim to be better than what we have. If you can prove it, we'll discuss the cooperation."
Cheyenne was worried that the young Master Felic would be won over by the Dark Blade. They were in the Dark Blade's territory to begin with. If even Master Felic and the Dark Blade become allies, the Malfa Family would really be at a huge loss.
Besides, Cheyenne had been feeling rather guilty towards Master Felic. After all, Master Felic generously allowed Adelo to make a copy of the treasure map after leaving the Scar of Death back then, which was quite unimaginable for most people. However, due to the fact that there was a traitor in his family, the Dark Blade actually got their hands on the treasure map. No one would be happy about having to share the Immortal King's treasure with an extra person.
Hence, Cheyenne was merely saying those words superficially because he was a Legendary figure and the rival of the Dark Blade. Actually, it was akin to giving in and agreeing to the cooperation between three parties. Besides, he had no choice but to agree, for it would be akin to giving his ally Lin Li away to someone else and ending up with nothing. He might even end up having a stronger and tougher rival.
Borg stood up smilingly as if he had already expected to hear that right from the start. He said to Cheyenne and Lin Li, "Our campsite is not too far away from here. Why don't you two follow me there, and we can discuss the details about the cooperation? Besides, Cheyenne, didn't you want me to prove that I have the treasure map? I can prove that I do have the map and the information that I've obtained from my exploration of the Haiga Mountain Range during the past few days."
Cheyenne squinted slightly. Borg's invitation clearly proved that the other two Legendary leaders of the Dark Blade were probably there.
In the eyes of the outsiders, the Malfa Family had Cheyenne, the Legendary-mage, while Dark Blade had three Legendary powerhouses. The two forces had fought for many years, but neither of them could defeat the other. Tha
t meant that they both had equal power. It also showed that the personal strength of Master Cheyenne should be similar to that of the three Legendary leaders of the Dark Blade together. When in the Legendary-realm, those below that realm were all insignificant.
However, they were all powerhouses of the Legendary-realm; hence, it was not easy for one to go against three opponents. Cheyenne managed to fight the three of them, purely not because of his own abilities, but because of the ancient mageweath that was concealed in Aminya City. That was also the reason Cheyenne never once left Aminya City ever since the three leaders of the Dark Blade entered the Legendary-realm.
Leaving Aminya City and the mysterious ancient mageweath hidden in the city would make Cheyenne just a Legendary-mage who had broken through the bottleneck to level-21 not too long ago. Now that Cheyenne was faced with the three Legendary figures of the Dark Blade, the problem no longer lay in the fact that he did not have an advantage.
In other words, if Cheyenne were to accept Borg's invitation, it would be possible for Borg to make things hard for Cheyenne since they had been rivals for years. If Cheyenne were to go against the three of them, it would be akin to digging his own grave.
"Alright, Master Cheyenne, let us go and meet the other two leaders of the Dark Blade together," Lin Li agreed before even waiting for Cheyenne to agree.
Lin Li's words made Cheyenne's eyes light up because the fact that Lin Li said "let us" meant that he considered himself to be on Cheyenne's side. Cheyenne had to admit that there was no way for him to deal with the three leaders alone. However, things would be different if he had the help of the young Master Felic.
Not to mention, Lin Li was a genius Legendary-mage who had just defeated a level-22 elven Legendary-mage in the Harvest Square not too long ago. He enjoyed great reputation in the Breezy Plains now. Since he was going to be on Cheyenne's side, the three leaders of the Dark Blade would have to think twice before acting. The thought of it made Cheyenne nod in agreement. He stood up, and said to Borg, "Alright. Please lead the way."
As soon as the three of them stepped out of the tent, they looked just like a bunch of friends strolling in a certain direction outside the campground together. The members of the Malfa Family, especially Hutton and Adelo, could vaguely guess what was going on even though they had not heard the conversation that had taken place in the tent. They initially wanted to chase after them, but were stopped by their teacher. They gave it some thought, and realized that it did make sense, after all. Archmages might be strong, but they were not that significant in the eyes of the Legendary figures. If anything were to happen when they tagged along, they wouldn't be able to offer their teacher any help, either. They could only pin their hopes on Lin Li who left together with him.
Lin Li had never been arrogant enough to think that he could overcome the three Legendary powerhouses of the Dark Blade alone. The current situation was similar to that in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Since the Dark Blade had the three Legendary figures, they could be said to be the strongest party amongst the three. If he were to work with the Dark Blade and kick the Malfa Family away, it would probably be very difficult for him to achieve his agenda. No one would be able to resist the temptation of Thunderbolt or the item that sealed it.
Lin Li had no idea how the Malfa Family had relied on a single Legendary-mage, Cheyenne, to confront and stand against the three Legendary figures of the Dark Blade. However, he knew very well that the current Cheyenne had absolutely no such ability. The uninvited Borg alone was already almost as powerful as Cheyenne. When he worked with the other two Legendary leaders, Cheyenne would probably be defeated.
If he would insist on cooperating only with the Malfa Family without the Dark Blade, there was bound to be a battle between the two parties for the ownership of the treasure of the Immortal King. Lin Li did not wish for that to happen, regardless of the outcome. Even if he emerged victorious in the end, he would definitely have to pay a huge and painful price. How could he have the energy to obtain Thunderbolt then?
Therefore, the cooperation of the three parties was necessary in the quest for the treasure of the Immortal King. it was the only option that would be beneficial to Lin Li. Of course, it was also in the interests of the three parties. On the basis of the cooperation, what Lin Li had to do was to continue cooperating with the Malfa Family. He believed that that was the only option for them too. Given the feud between them and the Dark Blade that had been going on for years, it was impossible for them to truly unite and cooperate.
Under Borg's lead, they soon arrived at the Dark Blade's camp. Their tents were lined up neatly, and the campfires that had been burning all night on the ground had been extinguished too. The patrolling teams were also shuttling between the tents. After all, they were in the Dark Blade's territory, and the campground was much larger than the Malfa Family's. Clearly, they had brought more people than the Malfa Family.
"We have selected more than 200 elites who are level-15 and above to form a team of adventurers," Borg said casually, though he was not trying to show off. Since they had agreed to cooperate, how could he not introduce the resources that he had available to his partners?
The Malfa Family was a family of mages, and the advantage of a familial management team was loyalty. Unfortunately, it seemed that the trust and loyalty within the family had already been broken. Meanwhile, the disadvantage of that system was a limited source of talent. However, it was different for the Dark Blade. Although they rarely committed theft nowadays, they'd still started off as bandits, and no one doubted that fact at all. Hence, they were definitely ruthless and unrestrained when it came to poaching talents. Therefore, compared to the family of mages, the Dark Blade definitely had an obvious advantage.
There were more than 200 elites above level-15 who took part in the operation this time. The three Legendary leaders arrived at the same time, and showcased all of their power and resources. That made Cheyenne feel rather thankful for the fact that he had previously sought out Master Felic of the Tower of Dusk as a partner. Otherwise, not only would the Malfa Family not have reaped any benefits this time, they might've also ended up being in danger.
Upon sight of Borg leading the two of them into the camp, the members of the patrolling team and those who had gotten up early to leave their tents quickly stopped to bow to Borg.
"It's you!"
A voice sounded in terror out of nowhere, breaking the silence of the morning. Next, someone dashed forwards angrily with a murderous expression.
Lin Li could not help but feel shocked to see the familiar face. Wasn't he Stephen who had gone missing in the Abyss of Tharlen?
In order to obtain the relics of Geresco, Lin Li, Hutton, and Stephen were sent to the Abyss of Tharlen by Tutankhamun, who said that whoever found the Throne of Darkness would be eligible to obtain the three relics of Geresco.
Along the way, Stephen somehow got associated with the Lord of Souls, Mephistos, and tried to plot against Lin Li and Hutton. When they walked past the ancient dueling ground, Lin Li released the demons and magical beasts that had been held captive there, and trapped Stephen who had been possessed by Mephistos there.
Later on, Lin Li managed to plot against and lure Mephistos out in order to fight the Lord of Darkness. However, he had no idea what happened to Stephen in the end.
Of course, Lin Li was only a little shocked, and the three of them were competitors to begin with. In order to obtain the three relics of Geresco, they resorted to means that were not considered excessive. Moreover, this incident itself was Stephen's fault, so Lin Li didn't feel the slightest hint of guilt. He also knew that although Stephen showed up there, and had obviously told Borg and the others about the events that had taken place in the Abyss of Tharlen in a way that was beneficial to himself, there would be no impact as long as the Dark Blade was sincere about the cooperation.
Chapter 578 - Three Major Leaders
Stephen thought to himself, The scoundrel who has once landed me in a hor
rible situation actually did not show a tinge of remorse or guilt now that we met again. He's pretending like he doesn't know me at all. How shameless! Not only did this bastard almost kill me in the Abyss of Tharlen, he even snatched away the three relics of Geresco that should have belonged to me. There is no doubt that he could enter the Legendary-realm so soon and enjoy such a huge reputation in the Breezy Plains all because of the relics. I should be enjoying that.
Stephen was furious beyond words.
Although Stephen was just an Archmage, he was not at all afraid of Lin Li who was already a Legendary-mage, because they were now in the Dark Blade's campground and in the presence of the three leaders of the Dark Blade, who included his father. He was confident that they could defeat a Legendary-mage who had just entered the Legendary-realm.
At this moment, all Stephen wanted except revenge was to snatch the three relics of Geresco back. Since Lin Li could rely on Geresco's relics to advance to the Legendary-realm, why couldn't he do so too?
He was especially enticed by the Book of Eternity, which contained all of Geresco's life experiences. It was a holy grail that all mages looked up to and coveted. Putting the Archmage Stephen aside, even a Legendary-mage like Borg was just as tempted by the Book of Eternity as he was by the Immortal King's treasure.
Stephen actually had a simple mindset. Instead of painstakingly searching for the Immortal King's treasure, he decided that he'd rather try to defeat Lin Li and snatch the Book of Eternity from him before considering anything else.
However, before Stephen could even rush towards Lin Li, Borg rushed forward and stopped Stephen from proceeding. He barked, "Outrageous! Master Felic is my guest. Stop making a fool out of yourself. Get lost!"
Stephen immediately stopped in his tracks, and glared at Lin Li who was standing a short distance away. However, he had no choice but to suppress his resentment out of fear of his father. He turned around and stormed back into his tent angrily. However, he did not seem as angry as he really was on the surface. In fact, he seemed a little thrilled.