Chapter 936: Negotiation in the Sinkhole

Long Hao remained silent.

For thousands of years, the Yin Hui had always regarded humans who strayed deep into the archipelago as food. What would the Yin Hui do if their "food" came to visit them? Of course, they would gladly accept, perhaps patting their bellies and saying, "Thanks for the meal." As for the King of the Yin Hui, such a fearsome monster naturally disdained mere humans. Only when He Lingchuan demonstrated his power, directly alarming Long Hao who resided on Dragon Ridge Island, would the two sides have an opportunity for an equal dialogue.

Thus, confronted by He Lingchuan's assertive and perhaps specious arguments, Long Hao was momentarily speechless. It could only get straight to the main point: "What do you wish to discuss?"

"The Yang Shan Archipelago is now under my dominion. What will become of you?"

"What do you mean!" The King of the Yin Hui, furious, laughed mirthlessly. "This archipelago was formed by heaven and earth; how could it become your personal property?"

"'A blessed land belongs to the virtuous.'" He Lingchuan recalled Aunt Zhu saying this was an ancient immortal's mantra for claiming natural treasures, and finding it apt, he readily adapted it. "Why dwell on precedence?" Though both referred to different concepts, they were, in fact, discussing the same fundamental issue.

He Lingchuan spoke without ceremony: "As the master of this archipelago, I have the right to eliminate all who prey on merchants and obstruct navigation, such as pirates, and indeed, such as yourselves. Currently, the pirates in these waters have pledged allegiance to me. As for you..."

With every few words he uttered, the King of the Yin Hui swam closer, its form growing more imposing in his vision, and its oppressive presence intensifying. Faint grey mist even emanated from the King of the Yin Hui's mouth and nostrils. It was meant to shroud its entire body, but was directly absorbed by the divine bone necklace on He Lingchuan's person. So, this ancient creature could still release and absorb Yin Sha. He Lingchuan's heart stirred; no wonder some Yin Hui had managed to survive.

Aunt Zhu instinctively moved to intervene, but He Lingchuan raised a hand to stop her.

The King of the Yin Hui swam forward until it stopped about two *zhang* in front of He Lingchuan, looking down at him. "Eliminate us? You alone?" Its powerful aura emanated, constricting even He Lingchuan's senses. This massive creature's strength seemed to exceed his estimations. An ordinary person would likely have collapsed to their knees, trembling. However, He Lingchuan had encountered numerous ancient spiritual beings; Ju Ju, for instance, was even larger than Long Hao. Therefore, he even smiled at the creature and said:

"However, the heavens are benevolent, and I do not wish for your complete eradication. If you can ensure the Yin Hui cease harming humans, I can consider designating the cave system at the southwestern end of Dragon Ridge Island for your habitation." He had initially hoped the Yin Hui clan would relocate to other islands, but seeing the bone chain on Long Hao, he had to modify his plan.

The King of the Yin Hui was taken aback. Compared to utter annihilation, He Lingchuan's demand was not overly strict; in fact, it was surprisingly lenient. The areas pervaded by Yin Sha had always been the Yin Hui's domain. However, because Long Hao itself was confined to Dragon Ridge Island, the Yin Hui's primary base was naturally established there. While its offspring typically roamed freely, most still resided on the island. Dragon Ridge Island is vast; even a mere southwestern corner could easily accommodate tens of thousands of Yin Hui. Furthermore, a large portion of its offspring had already perished, and though the remaining ones were strong, their numbers were limited. The southwestern cave system was, in fact, the most suitable terrain for Yin Hui habitation.

He Lingchuan continued, "I can gather all the Yin Sha from the other islands. Frankly, you have little choice in the matter." Without Yin Sha, there would naturally be no Yin Hui.

Long Hao stated grimly, "Humans cannot absorb Yin Sha; you must be using a magical artifact! If I kill you and seize that artifact, the scourge of the Yin Hui will resolve itself!"

"Even if I possess such artifacts, I have more than one. Should you kill me, my companions will naturally collect all the Yin Sha from Dragon Ridge Island and avenge me!" He Lingchuan had considered all the implications before daring to come.

"Then I shall hunt down your companions, and kill them all as they come!"

"Is that so?" He Lingchuan had long seen through its feigned ferocity. If the King of the Yin Hui had no intention of conceding, why would it seek negotiation with him? On this negotiating table, the leverage held by both parties was vastly unequal. "Are you willing to risk the extinction of your clan to discover how many companions I have, and how many artifacts? To see whether your kind is annihilated first, or my companions are all slain?"

However powerful the King of the Yin Hui might be, it was currently bound by the bone chain. All it could command were the Yin Hui who had barely survived. If He Lingchuan had harbored some apprehension before descending into the pit, he was now entirely at ease.

The King of the Yin Hui stared intently at him, emitting a roaring sound like a massive bellows. Its neck periodically swelled, as if it would unleash flames at any moment. Regardless of what it might unleash, Aunt Zhu doubted He Lingchuan could withstand it easily. She instinctively moved to step forward, but as her hook-claw stirred, He Lingchuan's hand, held behind his back, gestured to her:

"Don't move!"

"If I wished to completely eradicate the Yin Hui clan, I would merely need to collect Yin Sha the day after each telluric pulse eruption. After several such repetitions, how many of your offspring would remain, and how long could you yourself endure?" In fact, He Lingchuan had initially planned precisely this: what harm was there in eliminating creatures born from the murky telluric qi? It wasn't until Min Tianxi presented the Heavenly Edict Scroll, revealing that the Yin Hui possessed intelligence and could communicate with humans, that he altered his strategy. If communication was possible, then negotiation was an option.

His words were sincere and calm: "I offer you a glimmer of hope, but it is fleeting. Please seize it, and do not mistake my benevolence for weakness."

The King of the Yin Hui stared unblinkingly at him, as if trying desperately to discern his true intentions. However powerful it was, if it could only absorb Yin Sha for one day out of seven, and had to endure the remaining six days, how could such a life possibly be sustained? There were so many immortals in history who could move mountains and seas; wasn't it precisely due to the decline of spiritual energy that they ultimately faded into obscurity? Without the nourishment of Yin Sha, how much better could the King of the Yin Hui fare than they did? Even if it could merely cling to life, what about its offspring? Would it remain a solitary figure until its demise?

This human was not wrong about one thing: if he truly wished to exterminate the Yin Hui, he would merely need to collect Yin Sha the day after each telluric pulse eruption; there would be no need to risk coming to the island to meet it. But human hearts are unfathomable; was he truly approaching with benevolent intentions?

He Lingchuan reached into his robe, took out a brocade box, and opened it. Aided by the sunlight, both could see white sand in the box, within which lay neatly arranged pieces of grayish-black crystal, each roughly the size of a chestnut, totaling at least thirty or forty pieces. The King of the Yin Hui's pupils widened instantly. Could that be...?

He Lingchuan placed the box on the ground. A small Yin Hui swam over, picked up the box, and held it before the King of the Yin Hui. The King of the Yin Hui casually scooped up a handful of the black crystals and spread them across its palm; fine sand sifted through its fingers. It examined them closely, its gaze unwavering. This substance closely resembled black obsidian, but its core contained a dense, inky blackness, utterly opaque.

"'Sha Pearls?'" The King of the Yin Hui's voice was filled with shock. "These are condensed from Sha Qi? What kind of divine artifact could achieve this?"