by Zhuang Bifan
Chapter 1033 - Envoy
However, no matter what the Tower of Dusk had developed into, it was only a local force in the Breezy Plains, and the emissary of the Gilded Kingdom represented the powerful Gilded Kingdom that owned the best fleet of battlesh.i.p.s in Anril. There was a huge difference between the two, and when juxtaposed, it was just like the contrast between a remote mountain village and a prosperous city. It was simply impossible to compare the two equally.
Hence, the envoy of the Gilded Kingdom naturally wouldn't bother about any diplomatic etiquette with the Tower of Dusk. After being surprised for a while, the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom began behaving the way he should, and headed straight to the entrance of the Magic City of the Tower of Dusk. He said to a mage who was in charge of reception, "Go and inform your president that a messenger from the Gilded Kingdom has something to say to him, and ask him to come out to meet me. Also, my time is very precious, so don't bother throwing a grand ceremony to welcome me."
The mage could not help but look troubled after hearing the words of the envoy of the Gilded Kingdom. Ever since his president stepped into the Sanctuary-realm, they had never received such an arrogant visitor who had the cheek to mention a welcome ceremony. The messenger had such a great sense of superiority! Even during the time when the Tower of Dusk was first established, anyone who dared to show such an attitude would usually end up in a terrible state!
The mage who was in charge of reception scanned the people of the Gilded Kingdom from head to toe. Although he seemed extremely displeased, he was assigned a task, and thus did not procrastinate for long. After telling the messenger to wait, he turned around to inform the senior executives of the Tower of Dusk.
At this moment, Lin Li was in the Barbarous Arena, continuously challenging stronger opponents. Hence, the mage who was in charge of reception naturally had no means of seeing him, and had no choice but to inform Gavin, the senior executive of the Tower of Dusk, about the arrival of the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom.
The messenger of the Gilded Kingdom was rather lucky that Lin Li did not have the time to see him. Otherwise, even if Lin Li didn't kill him, he would definitely be kicked out of the Tower of Dusk for his haughty attitude. After hearing the news from his subordinate, Gavin, who had gone to meet the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom, mellowed down.
"Are you Felic, the president of the Tower of Dusk?" the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom asked when he saw Gavin.
"Haha." Gavin chuckled, not bothered by the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom. Of course, he was not enthusiastic or friendly towards him, either. After gesturing to him to enter, he calmly said, "I'm sorry, but our president isn't in lately. May I know what you're here for?"
Gavin did not explain much to the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom, and instead asked him for his purpose of visit. For a mild-mannered person who had a good temper, it was probably considered an intense reaction.
Hearing that the president of the Tower of Dusk was not present, the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom couldn't help but frown. However, he didn't dwell on that matter, and instead said, "Okay, I will just tell you truthfully. We're going to hold a conference in Calon City, and all forces of the Breezy Plains have to attend. That's all."
As soon as he arrived, the messenger of the Gilded Kingdom did not mention his name at all, and now he did not even bother mentioning the topic of the conference. After that, he stood up and took his leave, as if he was terrified of staying another second longer.
Gavin maintained a composed expression, and since the messenger did not say anything, he did not bother asking about it, either. When the messenger bade farewell, he stood up to send them to the entrance. After the people of the Gilded Kingdom sauntered away, the mages beside Gavin couldn't help but seem indignant. If not for Gavin's presence, they would have long beaten them up.
Faced with the complaints of the people under his command, Gavin waved his hand nonchalantly, and instructed them to get to work while he headed to the inverted tower of the Sky Castle through the Teleportation Portal in the Tower of Dusk.
Gavin waited for a short while in the hall of the inverted tower, and happened to see Lin Li coming out of the Barbarous Arena with the others. Hence, he reported to Lin Li about the visit of the messengers from the Gilded Kingdom, as well as the conference that would take place in Calon City in 10 days.
"Gavin, your temper is too good. It's a pity I couldn't make it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let them leave easily." After countless intense battles, Alan was now full of a murderous aura, and he no longer seemed like a civilized and courteous mage.
Gavin smiled at his sarcastic remark, and said, "Well, there's an upcoming negotiation. If it doesn't go well, you'll have a reason to deal with them."
"President, will you be taking us with you when the time comes?" Seemingly having been tempted by Gavin's words, Alan turned around and asked Lin Li that question smilingly, as if he was asking for a benefit. Clearly, the group of mages led by Alan had somewhat turned into avid fans of battles after experiencing countless battles in the Barbarous Arena.
Stroking his chin, Lin Li squinted, and said, "Yes, we've been here for a long time, it's indeed time to go relax and unwind. However, there are still 10 days to go, so if you guys can advance by another level within these 10 days, I'll take you there, otherwise just stay here."
With the shuffling of footsteps, everyone including Alan immediately vanished without a trace. It turned out they scurried to the arena.
Seeing this scene, Gavin was a little dumbfounded. It had only been a short while, but all the mages had become fans of partaking in battles.
"Okay, Gavin, things have recently gotten back on track at the Tower of Dusk. If you have time, drop here often to train. Although it won't make you advance quickly in level, it will definitely be effective for sharpening your combat skills and improving combat power." Gavin was an old member of the Tower of Dusk who had joined since its establishment. Of course, Lin Li would not forget his contributions.
Although Gavin had experienced a considerable increase in his strength through the magic tides, his achievements would stagnate there for life if he could not think of a solution to digest it. If he were to enter the Barbarous Arena and undergo training with lots of actual combat, that would allow Gavin's power, which he had obtained effortlessly to be fused with his body.
"Yes, President, I will drop by often in the future as long as I have the time to." Although Gavin was obsessed with getting more power, he knew that practicing magic was the right path for mages, and power, authority, and money were all only superficial, especially when he looked at his peers. Many of the mages who had joined in the same period of time had been constantly improving their strength, and he had long been eager to do so too.
After a few words with Gavin, Lin Li resumed his usual routine, and continued to challenge stronger opponents in the Barbarous Arena. Although Lin Li still wasn't able to defeat his 11th opponent until now, he had gained a lot from the sessions, and now he could at least last for a few seconds instead of being finished off instantly like he used to.
Lin Li's opponent was a peak Sanctuary powerhouse, while Lin Li was only at level-27. Being able to last for a few seconds facing a powerhouse who was at the peak of the Sanctuary-realm was already an incredible achievement. Others would probably be shocked by what he had done.
At this moment, there were five battlesh.i.p.s from the Gilded Kingdom docked quietly in the port of Calon City, which was situated on the southern coast of the Breezy Plains. The port, which was originally rather spacious, was occupied by the five battlesh.i.p.s, leaving the other merchant sh.i.p.s with no choice but to turn to a smaller port nearby.
Calon City was originally the territory of the Dark Blade. The port was one of the important reasons that the Dark Blade was able to develop to such a scale such that it became the best of the top 10 bandit groups in the Breezy Plains. Later on, the Dark Blade was destroyed by the Tower of Dusk, and thus the Mal
fa Family took over Calon City. On the other hand, the Tower of Dusk chose a seemingly abandoned mine near Calon City instead.
At that time, Cheyenne of the Malfa Family was rather puzzled by the Tower of Dusk's decision. After all, it was obvious that a prosperous port would be far more valuable than an abandoned mine. However, Cheyenne regretted his choice soon afterward because the Tower of Dusk managed to found the Tera Mine in the abandoned mine. Besides, they also discovered that it was extremely rich in Tera ore.
Of course, Cheyenne was also well aware that if the Tera Mine truly landed in his hands, it would not be a good thing, because it might cause the Malfa Family to face the disaster of destruction.
On a battleship of the Gilded Kingdom in the port of Calon City, a few people who were obviously different from underlings were standing leisurely on the deck, and watching the scenery that the port offered.
With the wealth brought by the port trade, Calon City was considered a prosperous city in the Breezy Plains. However, even the highest building in the city did not seem to be taller than the deck of the giant battleship of the Gilded Kingdom. Thus, those several people who were standing on the deck could almost have a clear view of the city.
The several people on the deck of the battleship were the leaders of the emissaries of the Gilded Kingdom, and the ones who were sent to the Tower of Dusk were just normal messengers. The former had a very high status in the Gilded Kingdom, and they did not think that the president of a force in the Breezy Plains was worthy of their personal invitation.
"Admiral Nasry, you're being too conscientious, we're just going for a walk. With our battleship in the port, those pieces of garbage would not dare to touch us at all." The one who said that was a handsome blond-haired man in his thirties who looked extremely arrogant.
The arrogant blond-haired man was named Cantory, and indeed had the rights to be arrogant. Not only was he the most favored son of the chancellor of the Gilded Kingdom, he was also a disciple of the priest of the Illuminati. In addition to his noble status, his strength was also a reason for him to be proud. Although he was only in his thirties, he was already a level-24 Legendary powerhouse and an unparalleled genius in the Gilded Kingdom.
Admiral Nasry, whom Cantory addressed, was the commander of the fleet on this mission, and the commander-in-chief of the Third Fleet of the Gilded Kingdom. As the commander-in-chief of the Third Fleet of the Gilded Kingdom, Nasry was well aware of the importance of the Gilded Kingdom's navy in this mission to the Breezy Plains. Hence, he dared not be negligent at all.
In fact, Nasry originally had the same thoughts as the majority of people in the Gilded Kingdom, and they all thought that their mighty navy would be enough to dominate the Breezy Plains which was in a state of disunity. However, they did not expect to be dealt a huge blow before they could even implement their plan. Not only did they lose many Legendary powerhouses, they also lost two giant battlesh.i.p.s.
After all, the Gilded Kingdom was an island nation in the sea, and wasn't rich in mineral resources, so each giant battleship was very precious to them. This time, the Gilded Kingdom had their sights set on the Breezy Plains, and more specifically, their mineral resources. They hoped to get the minerals they needed from the Breezy Plains. Otherwise, their navy's development would come to a standstill, and if that were to happen, it would affect the entire kingdom greatly.
"Cantory, we will definitely threaten the interests of the forces of the Breezy Plains this time. We have to be very careful."
Nasry shook his head slightly. Cantory had a special identity, and he would be given huge credit for completing the mission, but even if they failed, he would not have to suffer any consequences when he returned. Simply put, he was there for show. However, it was different for Nasry. If the plan failed, then losing their manpower would be a trivial matter, but losing the two battlesh.i.p.s was a serious issue. If he could not explain the losses, the failure of the mission would be the end of his career.
"Admiral Nasry, you're overestimating them. I see no need to negotiate at all. If they have the guts to go against us, we'll just destroy all of them." In the Gilded Kingdom, Cantory was the top of his generation because of his noble identity and brilliant talent. Everything had always been smooth-sailing for him, and thus he naturally did not take the forces of the Breezy Plains seriously.
Cantory's words made Nasry feel rather uncomfortable as he made it sound as if he was timid. Hence, he reminded, "Don't forget, the forces of the Breezy Plains may be in a state of disunity, but there is a Sanctuary powerhouse to support them. I believe you're well aware of how horrifying the Sanctuary powerhouses are. That Ashen Warlock is not someone we can deal with using our advantage in artillery."
Chapter 1034 - Negotiation
Jorre was an elder of the Illuminati. Actually, his status was even more prestigious than that of Nasry, the commander-in-chief of the Third Fleet. Hence, when Nasry directed the topic to Elder Jorre, he was hoping that it would restrain Cantory and prevent him from creating trouble.
Upon hearing Nasry mention the Ashen Warlock, there was a slight change in Jorre's expression, and even Cantory fell silent. Previously, they did not witness the consequences born by the messengers with their own eyes, but when they saw the messenger who seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, they could imagine how terrifying it was.
Generally speaking, to Sanctuary powerhouses, those below the Sanctuary-realm were insignificant minions, and thus they would not hold anything against them. However, the Ashen Warlock was completely different from other Sanctuary powerhouses. Not only did he hold it against the insignificant, he even dealt with them harshly, leaving them with no means to survive after offending him.
The Ashen Warlock killed them just for offending him, and that was simply an insult to the Gilded Kingdom and the Illuminati. However, after being humiliated, the Gilded Kingdom and the Illuminati had no choice but to grit their teeth and suck it up, not daring to think of revenge at all.
Although the Illuminati was also helmed by a Sanctuary powerhouse, the elders of the Illuminati dared not mention revenge after checking the ancient literature and learning that even Highlord Osric had been rather afraid of the Ashen Warlock during the Dark Age.
However, Cantory was not a fan of history, so he naturally did not know that the Ashen Warlock was a famous figure in history. Hence, after staying silent for a while, his arrogant expression returned, and he nonchalantly said, "There's only one Sanctuary powerhouse in the entire Breezy Plains. At most, we'll get Teacher to step in and restrain him. Let's see what he can do after we kick him out of the Breezy Plains."
After hearing Cantory's words, the expressions of Elder Jorre and Nasry turned sullen, as if they were afraid that the Ashen Warlock would hear their words from far away.
"Cantory, keep this between us. We'll be in great trouble if the Ashen Warlock hears this. Think about it, even if we get your teacher involved and wipe out the Breezy Plains, won't the Ashen Warlock take revenge on the Gilded Kingdom?" Jorre said to Cantory with a stern expression.
"Yeah, judging from the way the Ashen Warlock acts, he's really capable of doing anything," Nasry chimed in. Regardless of the methods he used, he would be given huge credit as long as he could get enough ores from the Breezy Plains. He did not want to create unnecessary trouble.
"The Ashen Warlock has already made his stand clear. The president of the Tower of Dusk will be talking to us about the matters regarding the Breezy Plains. I think this is a form of compromise, and there's no need for us to continue provoking him," Elder Jorre said righteously. He did not know that the president of the Tower of Dusk was not any less ruthless than the Ashen Warlock, and thus thought that the Ashen Warlock was giving him an out.
"I hope so." Although Nasry agreed with Elder Jorre's words, he vaguely felt that it was a little inappropriate. He had heard that the Ashen Warlock would never leave Gran Town where he had lived for thousands of years. In that case, was the Ashen Warlock rea
lly the one who took the battleship away from the Gilded Kingdom? If it wasn't the Ashen Warlock, wouldn't it mean that there was another Sanctuary powerhouse in the Breezy Plains that he didn't know of!?
However, the Gilded Kingdom's plan was fortunately fully supported by the Illuminati this time. Even though Nasry could not figure out what the Illuminati wanted from the Breezy Plains, he just had to complete the mission.
10 days passed in a flash, and the various forces of the Breezy Plains had also arrived at Calon City one after another within this period of time. If possible, none of them wanted to provoke a major enemy like the Gilded Kingdom and the Illuminati. Hence, they were already prepared to fulfill the requests of the Gilded Kingdom and the Illuminati as long as they were not too absurd.
As the owner of Calon City, the Malfa Family became a participant of the negotiation even though they had yet to reach the standards of a top force. They were in charge of preparing everything that was needed for the negotiation and entertaining the representatives of the Breezy Plains.
On the other hand, Lin Li and the rest arrived in Calon City on the 10th day. Since they had become allies with the Malfa Family a long time ago, the latter welcomed and entertained them enthusiastically. Cheyenne's disciple, Hutton, had also joined in to entertain Lin Li. Although Hutton had already stepped into the Legendary-realm, he was still far inferior to Lin Li. Cheyenne requested Lin Li to take Hutton under his wing and allow Hutton to learn and train in the Tower of Dusk because there was nothing else he could teach Hutton.
Hutton was actually rather talented, and if not for the incredibly elite Lin Li, he would have been a top prodigy of his generation. Hence, Lin Li did not decline, and agreed to Cheyenne's request readily. After this matter ended, Hutton would follow him to the Tower of Dusk to become a student.
On the second day that Lin Li and the members of the Tower of Dusk arrived in Calon City, the negotiation initiated by the Gilded Kingdom began in the City Council Hall in the city center of Calon City. The dozens of representatives of forces from the Breezy Plains walked into the conference hall one after another, each with a stern expression. Even those who were close to each other did not hold much of a conversation.