Chapter 757: Simple Negotiations

The night was as dark as ink, and the wind was bone-chillingly cold.

A group of ten figures soared out of Dan City, their destination directly to the east. With the exception of Ye Chen, the others, including Dan Chen, Dan Yi, and their companions, were all genuine Zhǔn Tiān Jìng masters. Their lineup was undeniably formidable.

After they departed, Dan City activated its nine-layer protective barrier, and the city's powerful individuals were mobilized. The atmosphere was incredibly tense, leaving the residents of Dan City in utter confusion.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen and his group, like ten dazzling divine rainbows, streaked through the dark night at an astonishing speed.

"Senior, the reason I came to Dan City this time, apart from thanking you for saving my life, is for another purpose," Ye Chen said, turning his head as he flew to look at Dan Chen.

"Feel free to speak your mind," Dan Chen replied with a gentle smile.

"I hope Dan City can form an alliance with us."

"An alliance?" The moment these words were spoken, not only Dan Chen but also Dan Yi and the other Dan City elders simultaneously furrowed their brows.

Dan City was no ordinary force; its ancestral rule was to never get involved in the wars among the major powers of Da Chu. Every generation of Dan City's leaders had strictly adhered to this rule without exception.

"Ye Chen, during the chaos of the ancient wilderness, Dan Chen and I intervened only because circumstances forced our hand. But that doesn't mean we're completely abandoning our ancestral precepts," Dan Yi interjected before Dan Chen could respond. "The founding of Dan City was to create a peaceful haven free from the ravages of war. I hope you can understand that."

"Elder, please forgive my bluntness in saying something unpleasant, but is Dan City truly a haven nowadays?" Ye Chen took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "This is a chaotic era, and any so-called haven requires a strong foundation to support it—just like Tian Xuan Men, which stands unchallenged like the heavens themselves. Without that powerful foundation, a haven is nothing but an illusion. Today's events are a perfect example: someone has already made a move against Dan City, which means it can't possibly stay detached from the turmoil of this chaotic world."

Ye Chen's words left Dan Chen and the others momentarily silent, their eyes flickering as they pondered his points.

"Perhaps you seniors think today's incident stemmed from us saving me in the ancient wilderness, seeing it as retaliation from certain forces," Ye Chen continued. "But we both know the root cause lies elsewhere. Dan City is a fertile land, envied and coveted by all sides. If a force dares to attack Dan City, it must have a solid foundation, and in this era, such forces are far from unique. Times may change, but the ways of the world do not. To maintain a haven in this chaotic age, you either need a powerful foundation or pay the price in blood."

At this point, Ye Chen smiled slightly and looked at Dan Chen and the others. "If my words seem offensive, I hope you seniors can overlook it. I'm merely stating facts, not fabricating anything. Whether to ally with us is entirely up to Dan City—we won't force it. Still, I must say this: this era is different from any before. With the great enemies of Da Chu's Nine Emperors era emerging one after another, it's destined to be an age of competing warlords, where any variables could arise."

"Let us discuss this matter upon our return and give you a response as soon as possible," Dan Chen said after taking a deep breath.

"I hope it's good news," Ye Chen replied with a smile, then took the lead, leaping forward over a hundred zhang like a golden divine rainbow cutting through the dark night sky.

"Dan Chen, are you really going to ally with them?" Behind him, Dan Yi and the others glanced at Ye Chen ahead before turning their gazes to Dan Chen. "You know that once we ally, Dan City won't be able to stay out of it anymore."

"Haven't you realized yet? We're already caught in the chaos," Dan Chen said calmly. "The sayings 'When the world is turbid, I alone am clear' and 'When the world is drunk, I alone am sober' perfectly describe the ancestral precepts Dan City has followed through the generations. Ye Chen is right—this is an era of rising warlords, with forces from all sides at war. Dan City's non-involvement makes us an anomaly. Our existence might be something the powerful seek to ally with, or perhaps something they aim to divide among themselves."

"So, you're planning to agree to the alliance?" Dan Yi and the others asked tentatively.

"The times have changed. In this chaotic world, we should secure a strong faction for future generations. And Dan Sheng Ye Chen is undoubtedly the best choice," Dan Chen said, stroking his beard affectionately.

"I disagree," one of the elders said firmly. "It's not that I have a bias against Ye Chen, but once we ally with them, Dan City will be dragged into pointless warfare, and many will die as a result."

"Even if we don't ally, will we avoid being dragged into warfare?" Dan Chen retorted sternly. "Today's events are a dangerous signal. More incidents like this will follow, and before long, the haven we've guarded will become a target for all. What will we use to protect Dan City then? Empty boasts?"

With that, Dan Chen leaped forward over a hundred zhang, his speed surging as he chased after Ye Chen.

Behind him, Dan Yi and the others took deep breaths and surged their true essence, streaking through the misty night sky like eight beams of divine light.

Seeing Dan Chen and the others catch up, Ye Chen couldn't help but smile. His earlier words had been a simple negotiation, but he hadn't said more—he had only outlined the current situation in Da Chu.

As he expected, the seniors of Dan City were accustomed to their peaceful ways, believing Dan City to be an untouchable sanctuary.

However, today's events proved that their idea of a haven was nothing but self-deception. Staying detached in this great era of chaos was incredibly difficult. With warlords rising everywhere, would they allow a formidable force like Dan City to sit on the sidelines and watch?

The answer was no. If you don't join the fight, they won't let you reap the benefits. In the struggle among warlords, Dan City would be the first to be cleared out. As he had said, this era was unlike any before—it was too chaotic, full of endless variables.

"It's just ahead," Dan Chen murmured as Ye Chen was lost in thought.

At his words, everyone fixed their gaze forward.

In the distance was a range of mountains, with peaks rising in layers, forming a vast mountain chain. That was the ransom location, known in Da Chu as Phoenix Mountain.

The name Phoenix Mountain had a legendary origin. Legend had it that in ancient times, someone had witnessed a phoenix dancing through the nine heavens and being reborn there, which is how the mountain got its name.

Dao body, manifest!

With a thought, Ye Chen summoned his Immortal Fire Dao Body and Heavenly Thunder Dao Body. The two dao bodies immediately vanished into the void space, heading in a certain direction as per his command.

"What are you doing?" Dan Chen and the others looked at Ye Chen in surprise, unsure of his intentions.

"I have my own plans," Ye Chen said with a grin. "Also, once we get there, don't make any moves—let me handle it. I'm more experienced in this kind of thing."

With that, Ye Chen stepped into the air and flew straight toward the highest peak of Phoenix Mountain.

Behind him, Dan Chen and the others were puzzled but followed anyway, and as Ye Chen had instructed, they wouldn't act rashly. After all, when it came to ransoming hostages, they indeed knew less than he did.

After some time, the group landed on the top of a mountain peak.

As soon as they arrived, they spotted a figure sitting cross-legged on a massive boulder not far away, shrouded entirely in a black robe. Beside him stood a slender shadow, but she was sealed and immobile—it was undoubtedly Xuan Nu.

"As expected, it's a clone, connected to Xuan Nu's life through a secret technique," Ye Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, spotting from afar that the black-robed figure was not the true body but a clone. With his faintly activated Immortal Eye, he detected an invisible rune chain linking the black-robed figure and Xuan Nu. In other words, if the black-robed figure died, Xuan Nu would follow suit—this was a typical tactic used by kidnappers.

"Ye Chen?" Although sealed and unable to speak, Xuan Nu spotted Ye Chen from a distance, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise. She never expected Ye Chen to come with Dan Chen and the others to rescue her, and waves of warmth surged in her heart.

"Who exactly are you?" As Ye Chen and Xuan Nu each pondered silently, one of Dan City's hot-tempered elders shouted angrily, his powerful aura erupting as he prepared to charge forward.