Chapter 1938: Foundations of Negotiation

Fortunately, these three were no ordinary individuals. Not only had their strength reached the Martial God level, but Xu Yang could also tell at a glance that the shorter man in the center, who appeared to be their leader, was very likely a high-ranking member of the Star Scar Empire's royal family. He undoubtedly possessed an extraordinary status.

"Haha, I didn't expect your empire's true powerhouses to show up at this moment," the young man, whose face was painted with golden oil, spoke slowly. "You must be Xu Yang, the one who caused such a stir within the empire. Besides you, no one else could give me such a strong sense of pressure." Xu Yang agreed with his assessment and nodded with a smile.

"I alone am enough," Xu Yang stated. "I don't appreciate the threatening tone you just used. I'm giving you three a chance now: change your attitude, and perhaps we can still talk today."

While Xu Yang's words were incredibly domineering, to the three Martial Gods of the Star Scar Empire before him, they were an absolute, blatant provocation and insult. If they were to back down just like that, they would utterly lose face. As true generals in a battle between two armies, they could never so easily abandon their empire's prestige.

Indeed, before their leader could even speak, the two Martial Gods flanking him transformed into streaks of light and charged towards Xu Yang's position. Behind Xu Yang, Long Kun and the other Martial God-level experts from Changyun Tianzong were about to act, but Xu Yang gently waved his hand, stopping all of them.

"No need to rush," he said. "I'll handle these two brothers myself."

After speaking, Xu Yang casually waved his hand forward, and a powerful, invisible energy field appeared out of thin air. This invisible, intangible, yet clearly substantial energy light-wall blocked the two Martial God-level figures dozens of meters away.

The two Martial Gods exchanged a glance, then let out a roar simultaneously. Without hesitation, they unleashed their respective Battle Soul Totems: a wolf and a tiger, two majestic beast totems that were absolute king-level presences on the battlefield. They perfectly showcased the domineering aura of their respective beast-king forms.

The moment their Battle Soul Totems appeared, the essence of their martial power intensified. They unleashed a powerful punch forward, and the light-wall Xu Yang had conjured shattered instantly. In reality, Xu Yang had actively withdrawn that power. Had he been serious, there was no way he would have allowed these two Martial God-level experts to cause trouble; they wouldn't have had a single chance to retaliate.

Seeing their successful breakthrough in the first round, the two Martial Gods felt triumphant and decisively accelerated their charge, diving towards Xu Yang's true position. However, they didn't realize that Xu Yang was simply luring them into a trap. The noble with the unusual status, who hadn't moved yet, suddenly spoke up, attempting to stop the wolf and tiger Martial Gods from advancing further. But it was ultimately too late.

Xu Yang showed them no quarter. He suddenly stepped forward, and his left and right hands clamped directly onto their necks. In front of everyone on the mountain peak, he directly lifted the two Martial Gods into mid-air, suppressing the flow of all martial energy within their bodies. If Xu Yang simply exerted a little pressure in his palms, the lives of these two men would cease to exist.

"Please, sir, spare them," the young man with the golden facial paint behind him spoke decisively. "We were indeed presumptuous just now!" At that moment, the gaze Xu Yang directed at him softened slightly. Then, with a reverse slap of his palm, he sent the two men flying dozens of meters away and shattered their Battle Soul Totems.

Although this didn't cause any substantial physical harm to the two men, it completely crushed their former arrogance. The two Martial Gods, the tiger and the wolf, flew backward, landing on the ground and each spitting out a mouthful of blood. However, they were not completely incapacitated. They quickly stood up and returned to their master's side.

Instead, the shorter man with the golden paint came before Xu Yang, his arrogant demeanor gone. He placed his hand respectfully on his chest towards Xu Yang. This was a unique custom among the nobles of the Star Scar Empire, a gesture that showed great respect to Xu Yang.

"To be frank, Your Excellency, I am the Twelfth Prince of the Star Scar Empire," he said. "These two are my personal martial arts teachers. Our actions just now were indeed presumptuous, and I ask for your forgiveness."

Xu Yang nodded with a smile. "You don't need to apologize to me," he stated. "What I want is for you to apologize to my companions here, and retract the disrespectful remarks you made earlier. That is the basic condition for peaceful negotiation."

Xu Yang's implication was clear: if they did not comply, there would be no talk of peace, and conflict could erupt at any moment. As expected, the prince was deterred by Xu Yang's terrifying strength. Surrounded on someone else's territory, the three of them had no leverage whatsoever. He decisively turned around and apologized individually to the elder Living Fossil, Xiao Hua, and their other two companions. Xu Yang nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good, your actions satisfy me completely," Xu Yang said. "So, from now on, I believe we can converse in a different manner. First, let me explain why our empire's emperor personally led a large army to your borders and actively provoked the Star Scar Empire this time."

With that, Xu Yang proceeded to recount their experiences within the map. His narrative was concise and to the point, yet it omitted no important details. He especially highlighted the fact that the emperor at the border was an imposter.

After understanding the true situation, the three Martial Gods of the Star Scar Empire realized that Xu Yang and his group were not reinforcements for their empire, but rather arbitrators meant to resolve the conflict between the two empires. Naturally, they felt more favorably towards Xu Yang's group. After explaining his part, Xu Yang, with his hands clasped behind his back, spoke again.

"If you trust me, return to the Star Scar Empire's ranks now and buy us a few days. Within three days, I will personally bring that imposter emperor into your Star Scar Empire's main camp and explain everything clearly to your commanding general responsible for guarding the border."

"Only then can our two empires turn hostility into friendship. Otherwise, if conflicts erupt between our two powers, it will only result in a lose-lose situation for both sides. And those disciple factions hiding in the shadows will gain immense benefits from it, severely threatening the stability of the entire Ancient Martial God Way."

After receiving such a promise from Xu Yang, the Martial God noble with the golden facial paint, who was their leader, was naturally very pleased. In contrast, the two Martial God guards, the tiger and the wolf, behind him showed a hint of a playful expression.