Chapter 1352: Nine Sources Secured

Xu Yang's words weren't overly profound, but they were still beyond the White Tiger youth's understanding.

It was the Black Tortoise clone, who had narrowly escaped death and rejoined the team, that understood most of what was said.

"To be frank, Boss, I once heard His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor mention that there is indeed a group of extraterrestrial life forms on Yingzhou Continent. However, that mysterious group of beings was once favored by the gods and settled in a dark corner of the continent, where they would never be disturbed by outsiders. It could also be seen as His Majesty the Heavenly Emperor reaching an agreement with those mysterious extraterrestrial life forms, thus ensuring peaceful coexistence between the two races. If, as you suggested, Boss, this girl is indeed one of those extraterrestrial beings, then why would she become an envoy for His Majesty the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor?"

Xu Yang gently shook his head. "That's not something I can answer for you right now. We might only find the answer once we unveil the true nature of the Beast Emperor clan."

With the life forms and structure of the giant rat army completely transformed, the immediate threat below was quietly and entirely neutralized.

"The time has come. We must now engage with these new friends with a new approach."

Xu Yang adjusted his sleeves and was the first to step onto the ground.

Xiao Hua and the others quickly followed, all gathering around the masked female envoy.

As expected, the previously arrogant giant rat warriors were now utterly subdued, completely bewildered by terror and panic, emitting low whimpering sounds.

"Heh heh, I wonder if we are now qualified to meet your Rat King, the revered leader of the giant rat clan? Perhaps only he will be spared the suffering you just endured."

As Xu Yang's words fell, the Rat King's true form slowly emerged. There was no grand entrance, no soaring through the air like the Elephant King had done earlier. The Rat King actually burrowed up from deep underground; he appeared as a somewhat bloated old giant rat. He held a walking stick like a human, and beneath his fine mustache, a pair of keen, gleaming pupils gave him an aura of being shrewd and utterly cunning.

"I truly never dreamed that among the so-called human invaders I've been waiting for, there would actually be a member of the Beast Emperor clan. Rat King greets Your Excellency."

The Rat King's subsequent reaction utterly shocked the Black Tortoise clone and the others. No one expected so many large rats, led by the Rat King, to collectively kneel before the masked female envoy, uttering such a devout proclamation.

The female envoy remained expressionless, observing everything without pause, before returning to Xu Yang's side. Her actions naturally conveyed her stance. This meant that on this battlefield, she would follow Xu Yang's lead. She had no interest in gaining higher power or position through the respectful treatment of the Rat Kings before her. The female envoy showed no interest in any of this. She had already completely relinquished control of the present situation back into Xu Yang's hands. The Rat King and his giant rat warriors also hadn't expected that this masked female envoy, whom they referred to as Your Excellency, would make such a decision.

Xu Yang smiled, gazing at the Rat King before him.

"You don't need to perform such a grand gesture. But at the very least, from your actions, I've deduced that this girl's true identity and status is that of a member of the Beast Emperor clan. But until she decides to leave our team, she will always remain my comrade and partner, an indispensable member of our team. Therefore, your giant rat clan doesn't need to act this way. If you still consider our team enemies, feel free to attack."

The Rat King helplessly shook his head. "While I don't understand why Your Excellency, a member of the Beast Emperor clan, would associate with human powerhouses, as defenders and guardians of the Beast Emperor clan, I am not qualified to raise a hand against Your Excellency. You may depart. The current situation is no longer something our giant rat clan can impede. As for this portion of the Beast Emperor power's inherited essence within my body, it should naturally be offered to Your Excellency for your personal discretion."

This Rat King was quite pragmatic, and it was evident from his actions how much respect he held for the masked female envoy, given her status as an Honorable One of the Beast Emperor clan. Without hesitation, he extracted the inherited essence of the Beast King clan's power from his body and offered it to the masked female envoy, holding it above her head.

The female envoy gave Xiao Hua a subtle nod and glance. Xiao Hua immediately absorbed this power into her body. With this, the ninth inherited essence of the Beast Emperor power was also collected by Xu Yang's team. Only the final inherited essence of the Ten Kings' Guardian power remained. Once obtained, the entire collection process would conclude, signifying the imminent moment to unveil the mysterious veil of the Beast Emperor clan.

"I must warn you: behind our giant rat clan lies the true forbidden land of the Extreme Northern Wilds, known as Demon King Valley. That place is home to the most mysterious race among all the Ten Kings' Guardians, known as the Royal Clan. They are the most powerful guardians of the Beast King clan and the source of all the Beast Emperor clan's secrets. None of us know the extent of their power, nor have we ever had any contact with the Royal Clan or any information concerning them. Whether you can reach your ultimate goal depends entirely on the final outcome of your journey to Demon King Valley. Even with an Honorable One present in your team, it will likely be very difficult to gain an advantage in Demon King Valley. This is all the information our giant rat clan can provide. Reaching that place will depend on your own fortune and strength."

Xu Yang's team thanked the giant rat clan for this information but did not linger. They each ascended into the air, transforming into streaks of light, and quickly vanished from this part of the battlefield, heading directly toward Demon King Valley. What frustrated Xu Yang and the others was that the map provided no clues about Demon King Valley, meaning that even the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor himself had no knowledge of the so-called Royal Clan residing there.

After confirming this, Xu Yang unhesitatingly held the map in his palm and completely melted it with a burst of fiery energy. In fact, Xu Yang's action in front of everyone also had a deeper, secondary consideration. Xu Yang knew very well that the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor's invitation for him to come to the Extreme Northern Wilds to open up this desolate territory likely harbored other ulterior motives. This map was very likely the coordinates the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor used to track Xu Yang and his team's precise location. By feigning ignorance of its contents and directly burning the map, Xu Yang effectively pre-empted the Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor's means of monitoring his team.