Chapter 2032: This Is Impossible?

Narakuten laughed, a few chuckles at first, then roaring with laughter, full of sarcasm.

The resounding laughter made He Chunhua's ears ache.

What had he said to provoke such a reaction from Narakuten?

After a long moment, Narakuten's laughter gradually subsided, and he said, word for word, "He Lingchuan is the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds!"

"How is that possible!" He Chunhua blurted out. "Your Holiness, surely your information is mistaken?"

Given his usual composure and shrewdness, he should not have openly questioned Narakuten. But he was too profoundly shocked at that moment to think things through as he usually would.

Narakuten did not hold it against him, merely stating calmly, "Do you think there's a high chance I've made a mistake?"

"I wouldn't dare!" He Chunhua recovered his composure and immediately tried to salvage the situation. "Your Holiness's power is boundless, and nothing escapes your divine sight. How did Chuan… He Lingchuan become the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds?"

His mind was still racing with doubts, but that didn't stop him from picking up on Narakuten's lead.

"He first captured the Yangshan Archipelago behind the Kingdom of Mou, declaring himself its island master. Then he traveled through Shanjin as a foreign merchant, secretly building up his power. Later, he used a strategy to destroy Yao, the powerful Shanjin kingdom. He also personally slew Miaozhantian. A few months ago, he launched an uprising across Shanjin." Narakuten summarized He Lingchuan's achievements in a few words. "Now, outsiders refer to the war he initiated as the 'Dragon God War.' Ha, you father and son are quite interesting—neither of you are content, and you both love to wage war."

He Chunhua was speechless for a moment.

Narakuten did not rush him, allowing him to slowly process these weighty pieces of news.

After a long while, He Chunhua finally found his voice: "Personally... personally slew Miaozhantian?"

These words came out trembling, as he genuinely could not imagine such a thing.

Ever since Narakuten had placed a significant bet on him, he had received more intelligence than before. The deities in the Heavenly Realm were not only divided into factions but also varied in strength. Miaozhantian was a true Great Heavenly God, ranked very high in the entire Heavenly Realm. Narakuten never spoke of it, but He Chunhua deduced that His Holiness's rank must be below Miaozhantian's.

He Lingchuan could kill Miaozhantian?

He Chunhua's shock was understandable; it was like an ant single-handedly biting an elephant to death, or a grain of sand suddenly collapsing a skyscraper. To describe it in three words:

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

But Narakuten truly had no reason to lie to him.

"He admitted it himself."

He Chunhua said hoarsely, "You... you've also been in contact with him?"

"Indeed, he sought me out."

He Chunhua was even more surprised.

His eldest son was once the vessel he had promised to Narakuten. Logically, He Lingchuan should be very afraid of Narakuten and avoid him at all costs.

However, on second thought, He Lingchuan was no longer the same as before; his state of mind might also be vastly different.

If he could truly slay Miaozhantian, why would he fear Narakuten?

"What does he want?"

"He wants to establish diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Shen." Narakuten was also surprised when he heard He Lingchuan's request. "More precisely, he wants to do business with Shen."

"...Business?"

"The Shanjin Plains is a place where barrenness and abundance coexist. Before the Great Eruption of Imperial Nectar, the land was infertile, crops wouldn't grow, and food was scarce. However, other resources and unique specialties were plentiful." Narakuten stated solemnly, "He Lingchuan hopes to deal with Shatiel and myself. Therefore, he must first establish diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Shen, to exchange goods and resources and get what each needs."

Just as Beijia serves as the earthly representative of the Heavenly Gods of Lingxu, Shatiel supports the Kingdom of Shen in the mortal realm. If He Lingchuan wants to engage with Shatiel, the most practical approach is to establish trade and diplomatic relations with Shen. This is what truly constitutes "maintaining contact," unlike his occasional visits to minor deities or wild spirits to gather information.

He Chunhua's mind raced quickly, as he began to weigh the pros and cons. But outwardly, he still asked, "What are your thoughts, Your Holiness?"

"There's no harm in it for you; agree to it."

In fact, He Lingchuan's overture seemed quite sincere, because he also gave Narakuten one hundred Dragon Punishment Pillars!

These items were now true hard currency in the Heavenly Realm.

Narakuten knew that Miaozhantian's demise had caused the Heavenly Gods of Lingxu to lose most of the Dragon Punishment Pillars they had collected over the years, and they were now fiercely scrambling for them in the heavens. So where were the Dragon Punishment Pillars that Miaozhantian had brought to the mortal realm?

Of course, they were in the hands of He Lingchuan, the sole survivor of the Battle of Upside-Down Sea!

This young man always had a knack for astonishing feats.

Narakuten felt that dealing with the Great Emperor of the Nine Underworlds was a good choice; at least they both disliked the Heavenly Gods of Lingxu, right?

"Yes." He Chunhua agreed very readily. "I will prepare a letter and send someone out immediately. Should they go to the Yangshan Archipelago or the Shanjin Plains?"

Why not? He saw no harm in establishing diplomatic relations with Shanjin.

Shanjin was tens of thousands of miles away, not bordering Shen and having no conflicts with it. How pure could a diplomatic relationship based purely on mutual interest be?

"Just send your envoy to the Yangshan Archipelago. He Lingchuan's true base is still on that archipelago." Narakuten chuckled softly. "Also, proceed with this secretly; do not let Beijia know."

He Chunhua was startled. "Why?"

"Beijia is displeased with his takeover of the Shanjin Plains and is currently blockading the trade routes to the Yangshan Archipelago."

No wonder He Lingchuan was making overtures to Narakuten and seeking alternative trade routes.

In the past, if He Chunhua had known his son had offended Beijia and the Heavenly Gods to such an extent, he would surely have felt the sky was falling.

But now, why did he feel nothing?

After Narakuten left, He Chunhua summoned an official from the Trade Port Bureau during his court assembly, and questioned him in detail about the sea route from Baisha Bay to Yao. Coincidentally, this official had worked in Baisha Bay for ten years and was very familiar with the shipping routes.

Baisha Bay was Shen's southern maritime outlet. Originally, under the Kingdom of Yuan, it was poorly managed, with small trade volumes. But after He Chunhua took power, he placed great importance on maritime trade, rebuilt Baisha Bay's docks and roads, and promoted many officials to specifically manage maritime affairs. In just one year, the port's trade volume had increased fivefold.

Because the vast territory of Beijia bordered Shen, if He Chunhua wished to trade with other countries to the east, he had to open sea routes.

After hearing the official's report, he was slightly surprised. "Oh? It only takes a little over a month to travel from our Baisha Bay to Blade's Edge Port?"

Was the journey that short? He had thought Yangshan was much farther away.

"The journey used to take longer indeed. With favorable winds in spring and summer, it took only two months; against the wind in autumn and winter, it required ten days to half a month longer." The official replied. "There were originally two major difficulties in reaching Blade's Edge Port: first, frequent hurricanes in summer and autumn; second, many pirates along the route. Sea merchants from the east have mentioned that the pirate problem is no longer prominent, because the pirates along the trade route from Beijia to Blade's Edge Port have largely been cleared out by the Yangshan Archipelago."

The moment the words "Yangshan Archipelago" were uttered, He Chunhua's eyebrow twitched.

"However, three years ago, the Baihe Cape volcano erupted on the sea route from Beijia to Blade's Edge Port, and it was said to have lasted over two months. The entire cape was split in two, the front part becoming an archipelago, and a new waterway emerged behind it, which is deep and easy to navigate."