There were two things that Bai Zemin simply could not ignore. Even if he wanted to ignore it, he simply could not afford to do so as this was not only about himself but involved all those he loved and even the universe as a whole. Interestingly, these two impossible-to-ignore points were so perfectly connected that it was impossible to separate one from the other.
First, Higher Existences.
Bai Zemin knew better than anyone that in the not-so-distant future he would clash as an enemy of most if not all factions of Higher Existences. Although he was arrogant, he was definitely not stupid; Bai Zemin was clear that the only reason he could be rampaging wild at present was because of the protection of the Soul Record as well as the fact that he had his own trump cards to ensure his survival for a short period of time even if some soul evolver above level 400 broke the rules and attacked him.
Therefore, the more information Bai Zemin could get from the factions of Higher Existences the better it would be for him and the future wars his faction would be forced to fight.
The second point was that they were on Earth; Bai Zemin needed to expel no matter what all the Higher Existence factions that watched the planet like a big pie waiting to be devoured... In order to evolve to the Third Order, to become stronger, to be able to survive, to guarantee the safety of those he loves, to have enough power to clash with the invaders... Bai Zemin MUST and needed to chase them out.
Therefore, Shui Meiying not only had his complete attention after hearing her mention the Higher Existences plotting something but she was making him reconsider some things regarding the future of the Earth's oceans.
Shui Meiying was inwardly delighted to see that the man in front of her was finally taking her seriously. She did not speak immediately after hearing Bai Zemin's words but took a very good amount of time to carefully plan her next words.
Bai Zemin also did not rush her and instead waited patiently. He could afford to wait even an hour without hearing her say anything because he knew that this conversation was simply too important and any decision made today would affect everyone's future for a possible eternity.
Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, Shui Meiying's beautiful voice rang out again in tandem with the whistling winds.
"As I mentioned before, the Coral Kingdom is indisputably the most powerful kingdom within several hundred thousand kilometers around; even the East Sea Kingdom cannot compare. Be it number of soldiers, number of high-level soul evolvers, and even technological power; the Coral Kingdom is unrivaled." Despite her words, Shui Meiying did not look arrogant or proud when she looked into Bai Zemin's eyes but rather, in his eyes. she was simply a grown woman stating facts that could not be denied.
Besides, why deny the truth?
She continued: "I am not stupid or arrogant enough to think that my Coral Kingdom is the mightiest sea kingdom in all the oceans. At the end of the day, the truth is that we only know the reality of the relatively closer kingdoms but have no idea of the situation of the more distant ones. Forget about other oceans, even within the Pacific Ocean there are kingdoms that are unknown even today to the Coral Kingdom."
Bai Zemin nodded silently. After a pause, he calmly asked, "What you are trying to tell me is that while you are not so arrogant as to say that your Coral Kingdom is the strongest of all, at least so far you do not know of the existence of a more powerful kingdom so, in reality, your kingdom not necessarily is not the strongest. Am I right?"
"You understood right." Shui Meiying nodded with a slight smile. She continued, "As you probably already know, the ancient Forgotten Empire fragmented into many pieces after the fall of the Forgotten Emperor in the final battle against the humans. These fragments are, naturally, the various kingdoms scattered throughout the world's oceans."
"I heard a thing or two about that." Bai Zemin shrugged.
"As fragments of the once glorious Forgotten Empire, every kingdom on the seabed has its own legacy. My Coral Kingdom naturally is no the exception to this rule." Shui Meiying thanked with her eyes to the unfamiliar middle-aged woman who poured her another round of tea. After a sip, she continued, "You may not believe it but I am quite fascinated with reading; particularly if it is about ancient books. About four centuries ago while wandering through the library of my family's royal palace I accidentally came across an old, torn book that had only five pages; all the other pages seemed to have been torn out in haste by someone or something."
Saying that, Shui Meiying turned her flawless hand upward. The jade pearl bracelet on her milk-white wrist glowed imperceptibly and in an instant, an ash-colored, tattered book came into view.
"This is the book." She said and immediately slid the book onto the table.
Bai Zemin stopped the sliding of the book with one hand but, instead of opening it immediately his eyes stared into those of the beautiful silver-haired mermaid seated in front of him.
"In China we have an old adage that fits this situation quite well; if a pie that big falls from the sky, you better be careful that it doesn't crush you to death while you're trying to catch it." He said calmly, "What exactly do you want? I'm a person who doesn't like to owe favors, particularly when it's such a big one."
Although he had not yet opened the book, Bai Zemin had a strong feeling in his heart. This was that the information in that book and what he would get next was definitely beyond his imagination; absolutely not inferior to Hero City.
Therefore, he had to know what Shui Meiying's conditions were first.
As for stealing the book? Bai Zemin did consider it, of course. However, that thought was discarded as soon as it popped up.
The female mermaid in front of him was extremely smart and cunning. Besides, there were all sorts of strange and peculiar skills so Bai Zemin couldn't be sure that the book wouldn't be destroyed the moment Shui Meiying snapped her fingers.
"You know what I want." She looked into his eyes with a surprisingly pure and honest expression as she said, "I want to form an alliance with you and your faction. Treatment in no way inferior to what Xian Mei'er and the East Sea Kingdom are receiving. I want you to give me your word that you will allow me to rule 50% of the world's waters and in return, I will not only serve as a dissuasive force for Xian Mei'er's forces sparing you endless headaches but also give you a gift so great that you definitely can't imagine."
Bai Zemin lowered his head and looked at the flat grayish-colored book for a long time before raising his face, "Aren't you afraid of me breaking my word later? You should know that words are carried away by the wind and are no different from drops of water slipping through our fingers."
"You won't." Shui Meiying had a faint smile on her face as she shook her head.
Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow genuinely amazed at her confidence. He finally couldn't help but ask, "I'm very curious you know. Would you mind telling me what makes you think so?"
"For starters, I like to think I'm pretty good at judging other people's character. I think you're a real man and not a boy, and a man's words are worth more than gold." Shui Meiying closed her eyes and still smiled slightly as she pointed to the surroundings, "Besides, there are several of your subordinates here watching and listening. You can break your promise and probably none of them will say much, but as the Emperor of a race you should know that the heart is liable to change abruptly depending on the circumstances. Could you guarantee that they will look at you with respect and not with wariness after stabbing an ally in the back?"
As everyone fell silent, Bai Zemin couldn't help but glance at the surroundings. Indeed, there were numerous Third Order soul evolvers of his faction protecting the palace nearby. Moreover, Bai Zemin was sure that the soul evolvers who had recently sworn loyalty to him after becoming the Sky Emperor's successor were also paying attention to what was taking place here.
Bai Zemin blinked in surprise when he suddenly felt a very faint killing intent near him. This killing intent was very well hidden, but he who had the Lonely Wolf Aura skill was extremely sensitive when it came to malicious intent so he noticed the change immediately.
When Bai Zemin turned to his left and saw the culprit he couldn't help but forced a wry smile in his heart.
Currently, Shangguan Bing Xue looked indifferent as before as she watched Shui Meiying calmly. Yet, Bai Zemin certainly knew what she was thinking.
Shui Meiying was indeed an extremely dangerous woman. Her intelligence and ability to analyze things were even more terrifying than her power by several folds... If not for the fact that she and the Transcendent faction had not yet lost all decorum and there was still room for them to be allies, Bai Zemin would definitely do his best to eliminate her no matter what price he had to pay in the process.
He gently patted Shangguan Bing Xue's shoulder, seemingly casually, as he looked at Shui Meiying and said, "If what is in this book is really interesting and this gift of yours that you mentioned earlier is really as great as you say then I wouldn't mind helping you with all my power to become the only Queen of the seas apart from Xian Mei'er."
In truth, this was a decision he had come to after analyzing many things and weighing the pros and cons. Although this could certainly cause some dissatisfaction in Xian Mei'er's heart, Bai Zemin could only do his best to avoid possible unpleasant predicaments in the distant future.
Yes, the universe might end in about 5 years... But what if not? Therefore, as a Leader, there were things that Bai Zemin could not ignore.
He trusted Xian Mei'er, but it was not blind trust. At the end of the day, their relationship although it was no longer simply one of pure alliance and it could be said that they were friends who had gone through seas of fire and sharp blades together, the fact that people died for wealth as birds for food was irrefutable.
Bai Zemin still could clearly remember that Xian Mei'er's personality when they first met was extremely pure and naive. Yet, it only took her a short two years to mature and change her mentality to a great extent so it was impossible to know whether her mind and heart would undergo further changes in 50, 100, or 1000 years.
'I will pay you double in the future.' Bai Zemin promised in his heart.
Shui Meiying had no idea that in a brief moment there were thousands of thoughts in Bai Zemin's head. She simply frowned a beautiful smile and her eyes sparkled after hearing his promise: "I can guarantee that you will be 300% satisfied."
Bai Zemin looked deeply at her before looking at the book in front of him.
Oh?
When he opened the page, to his surprise, the language written there was Mandarin Chinese.
"Worlds Connector...'" Bai Zemin muttered as his eyes fell on the black and somewhat blurry letters at the top of the first page.
There were two things that Bai Zemin simply could not ignore. Even if he wanted to ignore it, he simply could not afford to do so as this was not only about himself but involved all those he loved and even the universe as a whole. Interestingly, these two impossible-to-ignore points were so perfectly connected that it was impossible to separate one from the other.
First, Higher Existences.
Bai Zemin knew better than anyone that in the not-so-distant future he would clash as an enemy of most if not all factions of Higher Existences. Although he was arrogant, he was definitely not stupid; Bai Zemin was clear that the only reason he could be rampaging wild at present was because of the protection of the Soul Record as well as the fact that he had his own trump cards to ensure his survival for a short period of time even if some soul evolver above level 400 broke the rules and attacked him.
Therefore, the more information Bai Zemin could get from the factions of Higher Existences the better it would be for him and the future wars his faction would be forced to fight.
The second point was that they were on Earth; Bai Zemin needed to expel no matter what all the Higher Existence factions that watched the planet like a big pie waiting to be devoured... In order to evolve to the Third Order, to become stronger, to be able to survive, to guarantee the safety of those he loves, to have enough power to clash with the invaders... Bai Zemin MUST and needed to chase them out.
Therefore, Shui Meiying not only had his complete attention after hearing her mention the Higher Existences plotting something but she was making him reconsider some things regarding the future of the Earth's oceans.
Shui Meiying was inwardly delighted to see that the man in front of her was finally taking her seriously. She did not speak immediately after hearing Bai Zemin's words but took a very good amount of time to carefully plan her next words.
Bai Zemin also did not rush her and instead waited patiently. He could afford to wait even an hour without hearing her say anything because he knew that this conversation was simply too important and any decision made today would affect everyone's future for a possible eternity.
Finally, after nearly twenty minutes, Shui Meiying's beautiful voice rang out again in tandem with the whistling winds.
"As I mentioned before, the Coral Kingdom is indisputably the most powerful kingdom within several hundred thousand kilometers around; even the East Sea Kingdom cannot compare. Be it number of soldiers, number of high-level soul evolvers, and even technological power; the Coral Kingdom is unrivaled." Despite her words, Shui Meiying did not look arrogant or proud when she looked into Bai Zemin's eyes but rather, in his eyes. she was simply a grown woman stating facts that could not be denied.
Besides, why deny the truth?
She continued: "I am not stupid or arrogant enough to think that my Coral Kingdom is the mightiest sea kingdom in all the oceans. At the end of the day, the truth is that we only know the reality of the relatively closer kingdoms but have no idea of the situation of the more distant ones. Forget about other oceans, even within the Pacific Ocean there are kingdoms that are unknown even today to the Coral Kingdom."
Bai Zemin nodded silently. After a pause, he calmly asked, "What you are trying to tell me is that while you are not so arrogant as to say that your Coral Kingdom is the strongest of all, at least so far you do not know of the existence of a more powerful kingdom so, in reality, your kingdom not necessarily is not the strongest. Am I right?"
"You understood right." Shui Meiying nodded with a slight smile. She continued, "As you probably already know, the ancient Forgotten Empire fragmented into many pieces after the fall of the Forgotten Emperor in the final battle against the humans. These fragments are, naturally, the various kingdoms scattered throughout the world's oceans."
"I heard a thing or two about that." Bai Zemin shrugged.
"As fragments of the once glorious Forgotten Empire, every kingdom on the seabed has its own legacy. My Coral Kingdom naturally is no the exception to this rule." Shui Meiying thanked with her eyes to the unfamiliar middle-aged woman who poured her another round of tea. After a sip, she continued, "You may not believe it but I am quite fascinated with reading; particularly if it is about ancient books. About four centuries ago while wandering through the library of my family's royal palace I accidentally came across an old, torn book that had only five pages; all the other pages seemed to have been torn out in haste by someone or something."
Saying that, Shui Meiying turned her flawless hand upward. The jade pearl bracelet on her milk-white wrist glowed imperceptibly and in an instant, an ash-colored, tattered book came into view.
"This is the book." She said and immediately slid the book onto the table.
Bai Zemin stopped the sliding of the book with one hand but, instead of opening it immediately his eyes stared into those of the beautiful silver-haired mermaid seated in front of him.
"In China we have an old adage that fits this situation quite well; if a pie that big falls from the sky, you better be careful that it doesn't crush you to death while you're trying to catch it." He said calmly, "What exactly do you want? I'm a person who doesn't like to owe favors, particularly when it's such a big one."
Although he had not yet opened the book, Bai Zemin had a strong feeling in his heart. This was that the information in that book and what he would get next was definitely beyond his imagination; absolutely not inferior to Hero City.
Therefore, he had to know what Shui Meiying's conditions were first.
As for stealing the book? Bai Zemin did consider it, of course. However, that thought was discarded as soon as it popped up.
The female mermaid in front of him was extremely smart and cunning. Besides, there were all sorts of strange and peculiar skills so Bai Zemin couldn't be sure that the book wouldn't be destroyed the moment Shui Meiying snapped her fingers.
"You know what I want." She looked into his eyes with a surprisingly pure and honest expression as she said, "I want to form an alliance with you and your faction. Treatment in no way inferior to what Xian Mei'er and the East Sea Kingdom are receiving. I want you to give me your word that you will allow me to rule 50% of the world's waters and in return, I will not only serve as a dissuasive force for Xian Mei'er's forces sparing you endless headaches but also give you a gift so great that you definitely can't imagine."
Bai Zemin lowered his head and looked at the flat grayish-colored book for a long time before raising his face, "Aren't you afraid of me breaking my word later? You should know that words are carried away by the wind and are no different from drops of water slipping through our fingers."
"You won't." Shui Meiying had a faint smile on her face as she shook her head.
Bai Zemin raised an eyebrow genuinely amazed at her confidence. He finally couldn't help but ask, "I'm very curious you know. Would you mind telling me what makes you think so?"
"For starters, I like to think I'm pretty good at judging other people's character. I think you're a real man and not a boy, and a man's words are worth more than gold." Shui Meiying closed her eyes and still smiled slightly as she pointed to the surroundings, "Besides, there are several of your subordinates here watching and listening. You can break your promise and probably none of them will say much, but as the Emperor of a race you should know that the heart is liable to change abruptly depending on the circumstances. Could you guarantee that they will look at you with respect and not with wariness after stabbing an ally in the back?"
As everyone fell silent, Bai Zemin couldn't help but glance at the surroundings. Indeed, there were numerous Third Order soul evolvers of his faction protecting the palace nearby. Moreover, Bai Zemin was sure that the soul evolvers who had recently sworn loyalty to him after becoming the Sky Emperor's successor were also paying attention to what was taking place here.
Bai Zemin blinked in surprise when he suddenly felt a very faint killing intent near him. This killing intent was very well hidden, but he who had the Lonely Wolf Aura skill was extremely sensitive when it came to malicious intent so he noticed the change immediately.
When Bai Zemin turned to his left and saw the culprit he couldn't help but forced a wry smile in his heart.
Currently, Shangguan Bing Xue looked indifferent as before as she watched Shui Meiying calmly. Yet, Bai Zemin certainly knew what she was thinking.
Shui Meiying was indeed an extremely dangerous woman. Her intelligence and ability to analyze things were even more terrifying than her power by several folds... If not for the fact that she and the Transcendent faction had not yet lost all decorum and there was still room for them to be allies, Bai Zemin would definitely do his best to eliminate her no matter what price he had to pay in the process.
He gently patted Shangguan Bing Xue's shoulder, seemingly casually, as he looked at Shui Meiying and said, "If what is in this book is really interesting and this gift of yours that you mentioned earlier is really as great as you say then I wouldn't mind helping you with all my power to become the only Queen of the seas apart from Xian Mei'er."
In truth, this was a decision he had come to after analyzing many things and weighing the pros and cons. Although this could certainly cause some dissatisfaction in Xian Mei'er's heart, Bai Zemin could only do his best to avoid possible unpleasant predicaments in the distant future.
Yes, the universe might end in about 5 years... But what if not? Therefore, as a Leader, there were things that Bai Zemin could not ignore.
He trusted Xian Mei'er, but it was not blind trust. At the end of the day, their relationship although it was no longer simply one of pure alliance and it could be said that they were friends who had gone through seas of fire and sharp blades together, the fact that people died for wealth as birds for food was irrefutable.
Bai Zemin still could clearly remember that Xian Mei'er's personality when they first met was extremely pure and naive. Yet, it only took her a short two years to mature and change her mentality to a great extent so it was impossible to know whether her mind and heart would undergo further changes in 50, 100, or 1000 years.
'I will pay you double in the future.' Bai Zemin promised in his heart.
Shui Meiying had no idea that in a brief moment there were thousands of thoughts in Bai Zemin's head. She simply frowned a beautiful smile and her eyes sparkled after hearing his promise: "I can guarantee that you will be 300% satisfied."
Bai Zemin looked deeply at her before looking at the book in front of him.
Oh?
When he opened the page, to his surprise, the language written there was Mandarin Chinese.
"Worlds Connector...'" Bai Zemin muttered as his eyes fell on the black and somewhat blurry letters at the top of the first page.
