Chapter 1360: Cloud Dragon Heavenly Emperor's Ambition

"Oh? By your tone, it seems you intend to go against the mission plan we initially set, don't you? You followed my orders and led this team I assembled for you to the Far North Wilderness. You fought bravely in all directions, achieving such impressive victories. Yet, now that we've succeeded, you want to discard us like a used tool. Is this how a top human expert from the Yingzhou Continent behaves? Treacherous and ungrateful. It seems I ultimately overestimated your character."

Xu Yang chuckled and shook his head, "It's not as exaggerated as you make it sound. According to our agreement, this battle isn't over yet; the mission hasn't concluded. I haven't helped you obtain the Heart of the Sacred Beast, and we haven't even uncovered the true identity of the Beast Emperor clan. Yet, you want to forcibly terminate the mission. In the end, you're accusing me of treachery. Your words certainly go against the principle that a ruler's word is law."

The Yunlong Heavenly Emperor clearly had no more patience. This was primarily because, deep down, he greatly feared Xu Yang's power. He worried that once Xu Yang saw the true energy source of the Sacred Beast's Heart, he would become his primary enemy. With the Yunlong Heavenly Emperor's current strength, he had no confidence in confronting the Beast Emperor clan; he hadn't even managed to defeat the Giant Elephant clan initially. Although the Yunlong Heavenly Emperor's strength had advanced significantly and he was no longer the same as before, conquering the Beast Emperor clan alone, without relying on the inherited power source of the Beast Emperor lineage, was simply impossible. Now was the time for him to contend with Xu Yang for leverage, but it was clear Xu Yang had no intention of giving up.

"I stand by what I said. I can certainly help you obtain the Heart of the Sacred Beast. However, if you intend to dismiss us here, that's absolutely impossible. I, Xu Yang, never abandon tasks halfway. If you insist on making such an unreasonable demand, then from this moment on, our partnership will cease, and I might even make decisions you wouldn't expect."

The Yunlong Heavenly Emperor's smile grew colder. "Are you threatening me, Xu Yang? Or do you truly believe no one on the Yingzhou Continent can suppress you? At least I still hold a piece of ancient jade. With this leverage, you wouldn't dare touch me."

The Yunlong Heavenly Emperor's words hit the mark. If he insisted on destroying the ancient jade fragment, Xu Yang would likely lose his chance to meet Yun Wangji. If the path to heaven were blocked, Xu Yang's losses would probably be even greater.

"Heh, are you threatening me? I despise being threatened. If you intend to negotiate with me with such an attitude, I guarantee you'll end up losing everything and gaining nothing you desire."

It was clear that the two were at an impasse. A mediator was needed to temporarily resolve the conflicting relationship between Xu Yang and the Yunlong Heavenly Emperor, but no one knew how to achieve that.

"Hahaha, since neither of you has even resolved your internal issues, it seems our Beast King clan will be spared a lot of trouble." Just then, a cold voice suddenly echoed. The Yunlong Heavenly Emperor and everyone on Xu Yang's team turned their attention to the void beyond Devil King Valley.

Soon, vast, dense dark clouds appeared in their sight. These ominous clouds quickly split overhead into numerous flying formations, descending from the sky, identical to the one behind the Elephant King from the Giant Elephant clan previously. Carried by these formations, hundreds of true members of the Beast Emperor clan finally appeared. Their forms and appearances varied greatly, each seemingly representing a unique, independent race.

This was precisely the true characteristic of the Lost Ones. As these individuals revealed themselves, all of Xu Yang's previous conjectures were confirmed. "As expected, these Lost Ones are the true form of the so-called Beast Emperor clan—a species entirely from beyond this realm. Yunlong Heavenly Emperor, at least until now, I supported you, and we certainly should have reached some agreement. But looking at it now..."

"...your strength seems insufficient to contend with this top expert, Xu Yang. He is the only one on the entire Yingzhou Continent truly qualified to speak with Yun Wangji. Your primary thought is merely to leverage the power of our Lost Ones. Without our help, you will forever remain a mere puppet in the position of Yingzhou Continent's ruler."

The Yunlong Heavenly Emperor was someone who greatly valued his prestige. He couldn't stand the mockery from these foreign life forms, the Lost Ones of the Beast Emperor clan, and couldn't help but let out a cold snort.

"While I may not yet be the strongest on the Yingzhou Continent, you all know very well that I can, with a single command, plunge the entire Yingzhou Continent into chaos. You each understand your ultimate goal, so let's not waste any more time. I propose we maintain our previous fair exchange model: I will provide this ancient jade fragment, and you will hand over the inherited power source of the Beast Emperor clan. This way, I can use my power to help unlock the Lost Ones' seal and then form a true master-servant contract with them."

Hearing the Yunlong Heavenly Emperor's words, Xu Yang couldn't help but show a mocking smile.

"It seems you are indeed quite naive. If my judgment is correct, the Lost Ones' physical bodies can completely disregard the laws and limits of the entire Yingzhou Continent. Even if you sign a contract with them, they can still exert their power at any time. After such a contract, you will have no strength left to restrain this clan. At that point, they will replace the Yun Clan Dynasty and become the new rulers of the Yingzhou Continent. Even if Yun Wangji were to intervene, there likely wouldn't be an opportunity to suppress them again, especially since we don't even know where that old fellow is hiding now. Upon closer inspection, each of these Lost Ones' warriors was covered in a unique energy body of varying colors. These were their strongest reliance for activating their innate auras."

"With so many Lost Ones, if they were to simultaneously unleash their aura power to envelop the entire central region of the Yingzhou Continent, it would be an unimaginable catastrophe for the countless beings nurtured on this continent. Do not plunge the hundreds of millions of subjects of the Yingzhou Continent into turmoil for your own selfish desires. You should know better than I do the hidden functions of the Lost Ones' inherent aura talents. We don't understand them fully. If they are rashly released from the Far North Wilderness, there's no telling what chaos will ensue on the Yingzhou Continent. How then could you maintain your power and status in such a situation? If you can't even grasp such obvious pros and cons, then you truly are unfit to continue as the leader of the human race on the Yingzhou Continent."