Chapter 1890: Hidden Talents

That person was right; they shouldn't have accepted the job so casually. They should have at least found out who their opponent was. The Mammoth tribe had always been dominant in this forest, but this time, they kicked a steel plate and were now facing their demise.

"Who did the Heavenly Palace or Celestial God send to make contact with you?"

"Huh?"

"If you caught me, where would you go to claim your reward?"

Panson immediately replied, "Walk out of the southern part of the forest, into human territory. There's a small temple there dedicated to the God of a Hundred Battles."

"Oh, the God of a Hundred Battles?" He Lingchuan was a little surprised. A temple for the God of a Hundred Battles in such a remote place? He glanced at Madam Zhu; wasn't that an old acquaintance of the Spider Demon sisters?

Madam Zhu also snorted. She and the God of a Hundred Battles had been enemies since ancient times. A few years ago, during the chaos at Mount Xu, she and He Lingchuan were chased by the God of a Hundred Battles for over ten *li*. Their new and old grudges would be settled together sooner or later.

"He doesn't think you alone can deal with me, does he?"

Panson dejectedly replied, "He only asked us to monitor your movements and report them to him promptly. However, if I could capture you, they were willing to pay a high price."

"Excellent," He Lingchuan said with a smile. "The victor takes all. What else do you have to say?"

"Nothing. We can't defeat you, so this place is yours." Their territory, after all, had originally been seized from others. The giant elephant honestly stated, "But please let us leave. I am willing to offer all our possessions in exchange for our children's lives!"

To save their lives, it added, "We have considerable savings; it will surely satisfy you!"

He Lingchuan didn't smile, but the people behind him did.

"How can the punishment for defeat be so light?" He Lingchuan stroked his chin. What satisfied him was not their possessions, but these several mountains of flesh. "Not only does this land belong to me, but your entire Mammoth herd also belongs to me. Whoever dares to disobey—"

He made a decisive cutting gesture.

The situation was overwhelming. Panson heard the mournful cries of its tribe members again and could only cautiously ask, "What do you want us to do?"

"It would be a pity for such bodies as yours not to fight," He Lingchuan said with a smile, patting its large ear, only to get a hand full of mud. "Don't just stay in the forest eating all day and doing nothing. Come out and fight with me."

"Where would we fight?"

"How about starting from this forest and heading south?" He Lingchuan already had a plan in mind. "The northern part of the Glimmering Gold Plains is teeming with powerful demons, each occupying their own territory. I heard your relationship with these neighbors isn't very good, so now I'm giving you a chance to settle some old scores."

He had done some prior research. The Mammoth's territory had been expanding outwards in recent years, which meant their relationship with the surrounding great demons was not very harmonious. Furthermore, the Mammoths had introduced humans to clear and farm land within their territory, building bays and navigating boats. These humans easily became targets for demon poaching, and their crops and products were often stolen. As the landlord and rightful owner of this private property, the Mammoth naturally had to firmly put a stop to such activities.

Therefore, conflicts and friction between them and their neighbors were common occurrences.

Don't assume these giant elephants have good tempers; they are actually quite troublesome.

"How far do you intend to fight?"

"I'll first visit the God of a Hundred Battles' temple, and then we'll see." He Lingchuan had given it enough time to think. "All right, make your choice: death or life?"

When dealing with these isolated, self-absorbed demons, it was best to communicate directly, without beating around the bush.

In the demon world, the strong have always been revered.

Panson looked at its tribe members, knowing it had no choice at all. If it didn't go along with these people, its own massive body and those of its tribe members would soon become compost underground.

"I'll join, we'll all join!"

He Lingchuan raised his chin, and Xutuo stepped back, returning to his original size. Only then did Panson slowly stand up.

The Earth-trapping spell was removed, and the ground was no longer muddy.

The elephant herd and the wolf pack gathered together again, covered in mud, their former arrogance long gone. Because He Lingchuan was about to head south immediately, they had to go back first to pack their belongings and prepare for migration.

Panson really hadn't lied; the Mammoth tribe had accumulated considerable wealth over the years, especially compared to other wild demon tribes. Furthermore, five or six other Mammoth tribe members were actually patrolling the southern border and couldn't make it to ambush He Lingchuan.

The death of Wonderful Clarity Heaven must have shaken the divine realm. He Lingchuan had long anticipated that the Celestial Gods would set up surveillance at the northern outlet of the plain. Therefore, he returned to the harbor on the same ship, accompanied only by his original crew from when they set out.

The most cunning hunters often appear as prey.

Meanwhile, the Phantom Sect members who returned to the human world with him landed on the coastline seven *li* west of Gray Whale Port. It was an uninhabited wild cove, one of the four alternative landing spots He Lingchuan had surveyed before setting sail, known for its gently sloped and shallow seabed, calm water, and dense sandy beach.

Once He Lingchuan had used himself as bait to lure out the Mammoth tribe, the two sides would converge.

A few Inthai sheep carriages also emerged from the jungle and joined the procession. Although their curtains were lowered, Panson could feel the powerful, suppressed auras within them.

This team was truly full of hidden talents.

They hadn't even used their full strength in the recent battle against the Mammoths! Panson was completely convinced and once again cursed its own greed.

While Panson flapped its large ears in annoyance, it didn't know that the individuals in the Inthai carriages would not easily show themselves.

The immortals and demon immortals who roamed the Upside-Down Sea, except for those with special talents like Madam Zhu and Xutuo who could shed their cultivation, had to keep a low profile, hide their identities, and remain dormant when they returned to the world. Moreover, they had all been severely wounded in the battle of the Upside-Down Sea and had not yet fully recovered.

Madam Zhu had used her special spider silk to create cocoons, encasing them for quiet recovery.

Panson approached Xutuo and cautiously asked:

"Who exactly is this new... uh, new master?"

"The Great Emperor of the Nine Nethers," Xutuo rumbled. "Haven't you heard of him?"

In fact, Xutuo only knew originally that He Lingchuan was sent by Mount Ling to the Upside-Down Sea. As for "The Great Emperor of the Nine Nethers," it only heard of that when crossing the sea.

As for titles, who didn't have one in ancient times? Its own main title was "True Lord Fubo."

The old elephant swayed its nose, drawing a blank.

This really couldn't be blamed on it. The so-called "famous figures" on the Glimmering Gold Plains changed like a revolving lantern: famous today, dead tomorrow.

Was there any need for it to remember?

However, a grandchild next to it came closer: "I've heard of him. I heard the human merchants at the dock say that the Great Emperor of the Nine Nethers is a god who appeared only in the last year or two, and he's very powerful."

"Oh, so he's a god." Since he's a god, he probably wouldn't fall too quickly; maybe they could follow him.

Since it was no longer a mountain king, the old elephant had to consider the future of the Mammoth tribe.

They were whispering, but their voices were so loud that Wan Qifeng could hear them clearly without getting closer.

He suppressed a smile and said to the old elephant, "My lord has something to ask you."