Chapter 1896: Naraku Ten's Proposal

Chapter 1877: Naluotian's Proposal

Conflict is inevitable wherever people gather, and this saying applies equally to the Demon Realm. Between the Spirit Void Collective and the Kshatriya Heavens, intelligence always flowed in secret.

Naluotian mused, "Who won the battle between Qianhuan and Miaozhantian?"

With its abilities and insight, it could easily deduce that these two giants must have fought; otherwise, He Lingchuan would have had no chance of survival.

"With Grandmaster Qianhuan's wisdom and cultivation, how could Miaozhantian stand a chance? In the ancient war, Miaozhantian was already defeated by Qianhuan." He Lingchuan shook his head. "You should know Miaozhantian well. If it hadn't known Qianhuan had lost the Mirage Pearl, it wouldn't have planned this operation."

Naluotian, however, was not fooled by his deception. "So, it was actually Qianhuan who defeated Miaozhantian, not you?"

"As I said, Grandmaster Qianhuan was injured and couldn't defeat Miaozhantian alone. I merely did the right thing at the right time."

He Lingchuan caressed the hilt of his blade. The God-Slaying Foosheng hummed softly, a prolonged, resonant sound.

The famous blade was now complete.

This was an act of self-satisfaction.

"Was there any bloodshed among the Spirit Void Collective gods as they vied for Miaozhantian's legacy?"

"Inevitably," Naluotian chuckled softly. "In the mortal realm, it's been over half a month, but in the heavens, sixteen deities have already fallen consecutively. Not only were there disputes over the legacy, but also acts of provocation and revenge. You weren't in the Divine Realm, so you don't know how thrilling it's been these past few days!"

Miaozhantian's death had turned the Spirit Void Collective into a massive vortex. The gods of the Divine Realm kept their distance, watching the drama unfold.

"Sixteen deities from the Spirit Void Collective died?" "That's quite a number."

"Not just the Spirit Void Collective, but also several wild gods from outside," Naluotian said. "I haven't yet ascertained the cause of their deaths."

He Lingchuan immediately asked, "The Spirit Void Exalted One can't control the situation?"

"It's not that simple," Naluotian said casually, giving an example. "The Dragon God, whose name you falsely invoked, had the power to move mountains and rivers during its lifetime. Next to its dwelling was an active volcano that erupted every hundred years, causing countless deaths. But the Dragon God never stopped the eruptions. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because it couldn't be stopped. Earth fire is bound to erupt; if not from this volcano, then from another fissure in the earth," Naluotian said. "Not to mention the limits of human power, divine power is likewise finite!"

He Lingchuan also indulged in some gossip. "In your opinion, who will ultimately inherit Miaozhantian's mantle?"

Naluotian spoke quite plainly. The Spirit Void Exalted One would find it difficult to stop it—and might not even want to.

"What exactly are you stirring up in Shanjin, with your talk of the Great Emperor of Nine Hells and the reincarnation of the Dragon God, specifically to fool mortals?" Naluotian made no conjectures but simply asked He Lingchuan, "You're not really foolish enough to want to annex all of Shanjin, are you?"

The problem with Shanjin was that its people were too wild and their loyalties too scattered.

"We'll see," He Lingchuan leaned back, noncommittal. "You'll find out soon enough."

"These past few days, the Spirit Void Collective has been preoccupied with internal strife, doing nothing substantial, and indeed neglecting Shanjin Plains," Naluotian continued. "But once they free up their hands, they certainly won't forget you. With the few men you have, you won't be able to withstand them."

"Oh?" He Lingchuan asked, at his leisure. "Do you have a proposal?"

As expected. To bear a grudge against him yet still seek to recruit him—truly, that was Naluotian.

"Even if I don't say it, you understand. Whether in the Divine Realm or the mortal world, the only one capable of contending with the Spirit Void Collective is the Kshatriya Heavens," Naluotian said slowly. "In Shanjin Plains, the Kshatriya Heavens already has numerous believers and influences."

He Lingchuan couldn't help but laugh. "All of you combined couldn't compare to Miaozhantian."

Originally, Miaozhantian was, without a doubt, the dominant faith in Shanjin Plains.

Now that Miaozhantian had fallen, it had not only left behind a rich legacy in the Demon Realm but also created significant voids in faith in the mortal world. This area was something the Kshatriya Heavens absolutely had to contend for.

"Miaozhantian secretly harbored selfish motives, always controlling the State of Yao to export its faith. Over the past century, it wasn't just other deities that were ostracized by it in Shanjin Plains, but mostly the Spirit Void Collective gods, which created this dominant situation."

He Lingchuan agreed with Naluotian's statement. As he collected information about Shanjin, he had found that the divine faiths on the plains were particularly complex and varied, but on average, their influence was weak, failing to amount to anything significant.

"Why don't you and I help each other succeed?" Naluotian continued. "Your father, He Chunhua, knows my credibility best. His ascension to the throne and his stable rule both relied on my support."

"If you want to establish hegemony in Shanjin, you will undoubtedly need strong backing. However, by burning down the Star-Picking Tower and killing Miaozhantian, you've already incurred a deadly enmity with the Spirit Void Collective. Your only way out is through us."

The core of his persuasion lay in the four words: "mutual benefit and assistance."

Deities themselves cannot directly descend, so to truly control the mortal world, they must rely on "middlemen." This role was played by Beijia in the west, the State of Yao in Shanjin Plains, and the State of Shen, rebuilt by He Chunhua, in the former territory of the State of Yuan.

The Kshatriya Heavens had developed well in recent years. He Chunhua's years of conquest had provided them with a large amount of Nightmare Qi and faith. How many times larger were Shanjin Plains in area and population compared to the State of Shen? Such a huge prize had not even been fully developed by Miaozhantian in the past. In the current environment, if He Lingchuan could lead the people of Shanjin to serve the Kshatriya Heavens, then the latter's influence and power would naturally surge, while simultaneously weakening the Spirit Void Collective…

A clear case of one's gain being another's loss.

He Lingchuan's ambitions for Shanjin also required strong power to support them. How could he, a mere human, possibly achieve it alone?

Six hundred years ago, why did the founding Demon Emperor of Beijia pledge allegiance to the Spirit Void Exalted One?

Two hundred years ago, why did the people of Yao believe in the Kshatriya Heavens?

Was it not precisely because human power is finite and going it alone is too difficult?

Once mortal realms borrowed divine power, it became addictive.

Therefore, Naluotian rationally believed that this cooperation was still possible.

He Lingchuan deliberately said, "Why do you think I went to the Inverted Sea? I also have Spirit Mountain backing me."

"Spirit Mountain?" Naluotian burst into laughter. "Is Spirit Mountain reliable?"

He laughed seven or eight times. Seeing He Lingchuan remain calm, his voice finally quieted.

"You can't be serious about Spirit Mountain, can you?"

"What's wrong with Spirit Mountain?"

"If you pledge allegiance to Spirit Mountain, you won't even know how you died in the end." Naluotian's voice was full of mockery and disdain. "Except for powerful beings like the Dragon God and the First Shore Immortal, who perished in ancient times, most immortals in the world are selfish, suspicious, and shortsighted. This is ingrained in their very bones; it cannot be changed. The Spirit Mountain you're counting on is also embroiled in internal power struggles, to the point of neglecting its own decline."

He Lingchuan smiled. What he said made a lot of sense.

Naluotian added, "There are countless bloody lessons from history, from ancient times to the present. If you wish to understand thoroughly, I can have someone compile a collection for you to review. How about that?"