Chapter 1559: Assemble!

Chapter 1559: Summoned!

The City Without a Master.

This is a peculiar region within the Crimson Cosmos.

Calling it a city is a misnomer—its scale is immense, vast enough to rival an entire myriad-world realm. It stands as one of the most renowned cosmic wonders of the Crimson Cosmos.

And this wonder, of course, carries a profound origin.

It is said that for countless ages, the Supreme Will and the Crimson Sovereign waged endless conflict. Amidst these years, the Supreme Will, beyond warfare, once proposed to the Crimson Sovereign a peace negotiation—an effort to end the unceasing wars between the two cosmoses and bring true, eternal peace to their living beings.

Yet the nature of the Crimson Sovereign was inherently opposed to that of the Supreme Will. Where the Supreme Will advocated, the Crimson Sovereign would resolutely oppose.

Thus, the proposal was abandoned, and the flame of war continued to burn.

Later, the supreme will—whose inherent nature was one of peace—offered peace negotiations to the Red Sovereign twice more.

The second time, the Red Sovereign still rejected it.

Until the third time, it was unclear whether the Red Sovereign had grown weary of the supreme will’s relentless persistence, or if some other reason had finally shifted the balance—yet at last, the Red Sovereign agreed to engage in peace talks with the supreme will.

But the Red Sovereign made one condition.

Desire peace talks?

Very well!

Have the courage to enter the Red Cosmos and negotiate peace there!

The Red Cosmos was the Red Sovereign’s domain. Within it, the Red Sovereign’s power would be greatly amplified, while the supreme will, if it dared enter the Supreme Cosmos, would suffer a dramatic weakening of its strength.

And vice versa.

In other words…

If the Supreme Will entered the Crimson Great Cosmos, the gap in power between Him and the Crimson Sovereign would become dramatically wider. At that point, the Crimson Sovereign would turn upon the Supreme Will, and the Supreme Will might not even escape—vanishing directly into the heart of the Crimson Great Cosmos.

Everyone with eyes could see that the Crimson Sovereign was gambling. Gambling that the Supreme Will would not dare enter His Crimson Great Cosmos to negotiate in peace.

Then, once the Crimson Sovereign had that excuse, he could naturally reject any peace proposals from the other side, leaving the opponent speechless and powerless.

Yet, to the Crimson Sovereign’s astonishment, the Supreme Will ultimately decided to come.

It is said that on the very day He arrived—

Heaven split into two days, Earth divided into two realms!

Wherever the Supreme Will passed, the crimson mist dissolved and dispersed. Even the fundamental laws of the Crimson Great Cosmos in those regions were transformed into the laws of the Supreme Great Cosmos.

If any beings from the Supreme Continent were to arrive at these places, they would be astonished to find that the land had become habitable. There, they would no longer fear the crimson fog, nor risk being transformed into mist monsters.

Thus,

The Supreme Will journeyed onward, eventually arriving at a primordial world untouched and unpopulated.

This primordial world is the very site of the City of No Sovereign.

Through their boundless might, the Supreme Will and the Crimson Sovereign forcibly forged this vast cosmos into the City of No Sovereign, establishing it as a temporary venue for their peace negotiations.

Though the negotiations ultimately collapsed, the City of No Sovereign endured and became one of the famed cosmic wonders of the Crimson Universe!

The City of No Sovereign allows any being to dwell within it—even beings from the Supreme Cosmos—without fear of being slain by Crimson creatures.

For this is the rule of the City of No Sovereign!

Once one enters the City of No Sovereign, no chaos, no conflict, no killing is permitted.

Otherwise, the willpower of the Supreme Will and the willpower of the Crimson Sovereign will instantly annihilate any living being found violating these rules.

Once, a Supreme Will-being from the Supreme Cosmos and a Supreme Will-being from the Crimson Cosmos clashed over a minor dispute within the City. Yet, as soon as they engaged in combat, their very presence was obliterated by the willpower of the City itself.

Since then,

no living being has dared to challenge the laws of the City of No Sovereign.

And Zhou Zhan chose this very place precisely because of its established rules, to host the Imperial Council.

Believe it or not, those invited should be able to discern a measure of sincerity from the very location he has selected.

...

The City Without a Master.

Street No. 10348.

The Chamber of Quiet Reflection.

Zhou Zhan spent fifteen main god-tier divine crystals to rent this space temporarily, setting it as the venue for the upcoming Imperial Council.

A moment later.

A figure stepped through the door.

Zhou Zhan looked up.

The one who came wore a black robe, pale in complexion yet strikingly beautiful, with crimson eyes and sharp fangs at the corners of his mouth.

He exuded an elegant, somber aura, radiating a quiet, mysterious presence. If such a being were placed in a bar, one could scarcely imagine how many girls would be drawn to him.

"Lord of the Succubus?"

"Oh, no," he replied with a smile. "More accurately, Lord of Nocturne."

He chuckled softly. "I nearly forgot—you've been stripped of your status among the Succubus clan. You no longer qualify to bear the title of Lord of the Succubus."

"Must you not feel deeply disappointed now?"

"Never," said Zhou Zhan, his voice calm and detached. "On the contrary, I believe that expelling me from the Succubus clan was a loss for them."

"One day, they will regret it."

And with that, he spoke no more.

He sipped from the famed divine elixir of the Crimson Cosmos—a master-tier god's brew known as the Wine of the Red Moon.

"Indeed, you, Lord Cain."

"You came so early—surprisingly so. I didn't expect it."

"I thought you'd simply lie in your coffin, unmoved by any news, even if the rumors of the Crimson Sovereign reached your ears."

Zhou Zhan gave a faint, quiet smile.

Lord Cain smiled softly in return. "You've already released the announcement regarding the selection of the Crimson Sovereign's reserve forces. How could I possibly stay away?"

"Tell me," he said.

"What news have you brought?"

"Not yet."

Zhou Zhan replied, "Let us wait until all the Lords have arrived. There's no hurry."

Lord Caiyn furrowed his brow slightly, then said nothing, merely finding a seat.

In the following moments,

one by one, the Red Lords arrived in this conference room.

Among them were Lord Karl of the Death Red Dominion, Lady Tris of the Shadow Elf Dominion, Lord Solong of the Dark Red Dominion, and Lord Bo of the Demon Red Dominion...

Finally,

before the agreed-upon time limit expired, all the Lords had gathered.

There were no less than twenty-five of them!

They gazed at Zhou Zhan—some with scrutiny, some with mockery, some with calm indifference, others with cold detachment.

Their gazes varied wildly.

Zhou Zhan likewise looked upon these twenty-five lords, his heart stirring with quiet reflection.

One cannot help but acknowledge it.

The Red Lord of the Red Cosmos has grown remarkably swiftly.

Currently, within the Supreme Cosmos, among the myriad chieftains of various races, only the chieftains established under Zhou Zhan’s Stellar Alliance have attained the rank of Divine Nation-level chieftains. All other races—despite possessing advanced bloodlines—have yet to create even a single such Divine Nation-level chieftain force.

Why not?

Simply because they lack the requisite strength.

From divine offerings, resources, territorial domains, military strength, to the personal prowess of the chieftains—every aspect falls far short. Thus, none of them can possibly establish a Divine Nation-level chieftain force.

Even among Imperial-level chieftain forces, the numbers remain scarce.

Only the chieftains under His command, bolstered by the resources He provides, the enhancement of their innate talents, and various other advantages, have been able to rapidly elevate their domains.

To this day.

Among the hundreds of lords within the Stellar Alliance, nearly every single one has established an imperial-level lorddom, and those who have ascended to a divine nation-level lorddom now number over fifty!

And within the Crimson Cosmos?

There exists no individual like Him—no one capable of uniting all the lords and propelling them collectively into rapid advancement.

Their ability to amass so many divine nation-level lorddoms, even giving rise to a lord capable of elevating his territory to a primary Primordial God Nation-level lorddom—Os—can be attributed to nothing else but the inherent aggression of Crimson Lords.

They do not merely launch fierce and unrelenting invasions against external foes; within their own ranks, their conflicts are equally brutal.

They fight like a poisoned cultivation—like a venomous, self-sustaining cultivation of suffering.

In fact, even more horrific than cultivating poison.

Precisely under such a relentless, almost parasitic pressure, these Crimson Lords have grown at an astonishing pace, giving rise to imperial-level, divine nation-level, and even Primordial God Nation-level lorddoms.

And naturally, the Sovereign of Crimson himself bears undeniable responsibility for this merciless environment.

One might even say that He is the very architect of such merciless pressure.

Among the myriad lords of the Supreme Cosmos, the rules governing their activities, though fraught with risk, had never reached a point of cruelty. At times, the Supreme Will even offered a lifeline to the weaker lords who failed to endure the trials—granting them a chance to survive by becoming vassal lords of more powerful ones.

Yet in the Crimson Cosmos, the Crimson Lords showed no such mercy. This was evident in the very nature of their rules:

To date, the Crimson Lords have undergone five such trials. And astonishingly, each trial followed the exact same rule—unlike the Supreme Will, which consistently introduced fresh, unpredictable elements with every cycle.

The rule of the Crimson Lords could be distilled into three words:

[Survive!]

Each time the trials begin, He sets a strict time limit. Within that window, the Crimson Lords must fight relentlessly. Every day, each Crimson Lord must conquer at least one stronghold of a fellow Crimson Lord of equal strength. Day after day, without respite—this is how it is.

Until the activity ends, any surviving Crimson Lord will receive rewards from the Crimson Sovereign.

The more elite Crimson Lords—equally matched or even stronger—destroyed, the greater the rewards the Crimson Sovereign will bestow.

That is exactly how Nocturus, a top-tier Crimson Lord, rose through a trail of slaughter.

It is evident how merciless the Crimson Sovereign's rules truly are.

As he recalled this, a colossal and bloated Crimson Lord, also the Wave Lord of the Demon Crimson Dominion, grew impatient and said:

"Genderless thing, we're all here. Hand over your intel now!"

"If you dare deceive me, know that I'll ensure you never return to your crumbling demon kingdom."

"Hmm."

"Wait, Nocturus."

"Since your demon kingdom is on the brink of collapse, why not simply surrender it to me?"

"I'll offer one hundred main god-tier divine crystals to buy your demoness nation—how about that?"

As the last word left his lips, a glint of greed flickered in his eyes.

A lean camel is still bigger than a horse.

That Noctur had dared to launch a solo assault on Os's Chaos Red Nation—this alone reveals just how formidable the demoness nation truly is.

Though now teetering on the brink of extinction, the Lord of Wave is certain that the remnants of its national wealth will strengthen his own Demon Red Nation by no less than thirty percent!

Upon hearing the Lord of Wave's proposal, the other Red Lords remained silent, yet their glances toward Zhou Zhan carried a subtle, knowing weight.

Their mission—to gather intelligence on the Red Sovereign's reserve—was indeed genuine. Yet they also harbored hopes of seizing some of the demoness nation's scattered remnants.

As for whether Noctur would oppose this?

Did Noctur even have the right to oppose?

If opposition were effective, then what purpose would force serve?

Faced with all this, Zhou Zhan remained utterly calm, even finding himself wanting to laugh.

100 primary god-tier divine crystals, and you want to buy the Demon Witch Nation?

Really, you can just blurt that out?

Not even speaking of the Demon Witch Nation at its peak.

Even now, the Demon Witch Nation's lowest valuation is over ten thousand primary god-tier divine crystals!

100 primary god-tier divine crystals.

It's no different from a robbery.

"You're absolutely ridiculous,"

Zhou Zhan chuckled.

Suddenly.

A strange, rose-colored glow emanated from His eyes.

The Lord of the Wave stiffened, his gaze locked with Zhou Zhan's — and as he stared into the eerie radiance within Zhou's eyes, his expression swiftly blurred into something dazed and entranced.

"Kneel."

Zhou Zhan spoke coldly.

"Of course, Master."

The Lord of the Wave, his voice now feverish and lost, sank to his knees.

At this scene, the other Lords in the conference room fell utterly silent.

They watched Zhou Zhan — his face impassive, his eyes unyielding — and then turned to the Lord of the Wave, now lost in a trance. A cold, creeping sensation surged through their minds.

What had befallen the Lord of the Wave?

Could this be the influence of Noktul?

How could He have reached such a level?

The Lords thought it in their hearts.

They looked at Zhou Zhan, and suddenly a wave of fear and reverence surged within them.

The power of the Wave Lord was comparable to theirs—all at the level of the Supreme God.

If the current state of the Wave Lord was truly the result of Nocturne's doing, then could Nocturne not easily transform them all into the same state?

As this thought struck them, a wave of regret washed over them.

At the same time,

Cain Lord narrowed his eyes and said:

"Long time no see. The Demon's Eye of the Demon Lord has grown far stronger than ever before."

"Though our last campaign against Os was a failure, we unexpectedly gained some opportunities that have significantly enhanced my lord's innate talents."

Zhou Zhan smiled.

The Eye of the Demoness!

The supreme ancestral gift of the Demoness clan!

It allowed any living being who gazed into the Eye of the Demoness to pledge their undying loyalty to its possessor.

Demons possessing this gift were nearly destined to become the future chieftains of the Demoness clan.

It was precisely because of the Eye of the Demoness that the Demoness High God had chosen to bestow the title of Demon Lord upon Noktuar.

Yet Noktuar did not naturally possess this ancestral gift.

He only discovered, upon awakening his Lordly gift, that his very gift was the Eye of the Demoness—and thus, through this gift, he rose to prominence.

Originally, the Eye of the Demoness, as the sole Lordly gift of mythic rank, could not have captivated the Lord of the Wave.

But...

The maximum effect of the "Alluring Eye" noble talent is not only limited by the inherent ceiling of the talent itself, but also significantly influenced by the bearer's appearance, destiny, strength, and other multifaceted attributes.

How vast is the destiny inherent within Zhou Zhan himself?

Nearly equal to that of a supreme will-tier master.

Thus, while the original host could not achieve such results, when Zhou Zhan wields the Alluring Eye, its effect approaches that of a truly elite, singular noble talent of the highest tier.

Under the immense influence of Zhou Zhan's destiny, the current Alluring Eye is powerful enough that even a near-supreme will-tier master would be instantly entranced by its gaze.

To charm a minor divine being of a chief god—such as the Lord of Waves—is a mere trifle.

Yet, these lords before him are unaware of this truth.

Therefore, as they gaze upon Zhou Zhan, they find themselves struck by a sense of awe—this once-defeated lord of the demon, though recently humbled, now seems stronger, more mysterious than ever before.