Chapter 1692: Return!

Chapter 1692: Return!

The terms of trade negotiated between Zhou Shiyi and Hao Ri the Imperial Sovereign revolved around resources such as primordial crystals, Chaos Divine Treasures, and ultimate void crystallizations.

What Hao Ri the Imperial Sovereign sought, however, were sacred artifacts, treasures, and inheritances.

Since the latter were far more precious, Zhou Shiyi traded only a small portion of his supreme will-level sacred artifacts, treasures, and inheritances—securing vast quantities of territory advancement resources and divine realm ascension materials.

Zhou Shiyi was thoroughly satisfied with this outcome.

With these resources at his disposal, whether upgrading his territories or establishing dominions within the Supreme Cosmic Expanse and the Crimson Cosmic Realm would become remarkably feasible.

With these resources, he was confident he could rapidly elevate the rank of his territory and the level of his divine realm within a short span of time.

Yet Zhou Shiyi was not content with merely this.

He desired even more.

"Your Majesty, Hao Ri the Imperial Sovereign."

Zhou Shiyi smiled and said, "Beyond the terms of our current exchange, I desire to trade in other matters as well."

"What else is it that you wish to trade? Speak freely, Holy King of the Masses," Emperor Haori Xuan replied with hearty readiness.

Having just received the wealth of resources proferred by Zhou Shiyi, his spirits were exceedingly high.

With this bounty of sacred artifacts, treasures, and ancient heritages now in his possession, he could swiftly nurture a greater multitude of Supreme Will realm experts among his subordinates, while those already established in that realm could have their prowess elevated by one or two minor tiers.

This promised no small augmentation to his faction's might, and he was naturally filled with immense exhilaration.

At this moment, his regard for his dear friend, the Sword Saint of Kou Mountain, grew even deeper.

He truly was a worthy friend indeed.

This time, he had truly brought a magnificent and open-handed patron to his doorstep.

The assistance he had spoken of rendering was, in truth, an understatement.

He had merely taken some low-grade resources that offered him no real benefit—yet now he found himself reaping such abundant rewards.

With these resources at his disposal,

he might not yet have surpassed his rival, the Heavenly Demon Dao Founder, but at the very least, he had slightly outstripped one of his own allies—the Master of Ziwei.

Now, the Dao Founder didn’t know how to adequately thank his esteemed elder brother!

Yet clearly, he was not content with this.

He desired more.

He wanted not only to expand his power and influence, but above all, to elevate his own strength!

Only by truly enhancing his own power could he one day fully escape the threat posed by the fragmented original essence of the Yellow Heaven Dao Master within himself—no longer living in constant fear, no longer bound to this dull Yellow Heaven Cosmos. He could then, like the Koushan Sword Saint, leave this place and embrace the vast, boundless Ultimate Void Cosmos—embrace the freedom he had longed for all along!

That was truly what he desired.

Thus, upon hearing Zhou Shiyi’s words, he immediately roused himself, eager to understand what exactly Zhou Shiyi sought.

No fear if Zhou Shiyi demands more—fear only comes when Zhou Shiyi says no!

That is precisely his current mindset.

Zhou Shiyi had noticed the shift in Hao Ri Xuan Di's attitude toward himself.

It was the attitude of a subordinate toward a superior.

Such an attitude… who could possibly dislike it?

A quiet smile stirred within his heart, and he spoke calmly, "I have long heard of Huang Tian's Great Cosmos, renowned for its profound mastery of the Path of Lords—it stands as the most powerful Great Cosmos in the Ultimate Void, surpassing even the Great Everlasting Final Cosmos, in terms of the Path of Lords."

"Therefore, to learn from your Great Cosmos, I dispatched a vassal force long ago to your Huang Tian Great Cosmos, establishing a Lord's Realm there to absorb your advanced concepts of the Path of Lords."

"Today, that Lord's Realm has advanced to the rank of Intermediate Master God Realm."

"This is precisely what I wish to trade for."

Zhou Shiyi spoke solemnly, "I require the Majesty Hao Ri Xuan Di to assist my Holy Day God Realm in subduing other God Realms within the Huang Tian Great Cosmos, enabling me to meet the required number of conquered realms for advancement of my territory."

By the side, Kou Shan, the Master of the Sword, could hardly contain his astonishment.

The Emperor's words were truly blunt—no fear of offending His Majesty, the Azure Sun Pyro-Emperor.

In his own place, he would have softened the tone, made it more diplomatic.

Yet the Azure Sun Pyro-Emperor was no ordinary powerhouse.

Upon hearing this, his expression remained unchanged; he merely paused for a brief moment before replying, "I can agree to this matter."

"But my approach may require your assistance."

"Please proceed."

Zhou Shiyi responded.

"My method of concealing your advance will be to unite with the Sovereign of Zui Wei and launch a joint assault upon the Heavenly Demon Patriarch."

"Yet without a compelling reason, I cannot persuade the Sovereign of Zui Wei to join me in this endeavor."

"So I need your esteemed forces to dispatch some of your most powerful warriors, temporarily joining my side, in order to demonstrate my strength to the Sovereign of Zuiwei and convince him to agree to my plan."

"With this arrangement, as soon as the war between me and the Sovereign of Zuiwei, and the Heavenly Demon Patriarch, begins,"

"Neither I, nor the Sovereign of Zuiwei, nor the Heavenly Demon Patriarch will be able to oversee what happens within our respective territories."

"Thus, the Emperor may act with complete confidence, free from the fear of being discovered by either the Sovereign of Zuiwei or the Heavenly Demon Patriarch."

Hao Ri Xuan Di said this.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiyi paused for a moment, then readily agreed.

Then he asked, "How many troops do you require?"

"I need twenty warriors of the Supreme Will Realm, and one of the Will Transcendent rank, temporarily placed under my command."

"With such powerful reinforcements, I am certain I can persuade the Sovereign of Zuiwei to join me in attacking the Heavenly Demon Patriarch."

"The reason for such a large number of reinforcements lies in the fact that the Heavenly Demon Patriarch is immensely powerful—no ordinary reinforcements can stand against him. I beg the Saint King of the People to understand."

Haorong Xuan Di spoke in a low, resonant tone.

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed upon Zhou Shiyi's expression.

He had offered such immense terms—not merely as a gesture of generosity, but as a test of the true strength of this Sovereign of All Life.

After all, their relationship now stood somewhere between alliance and trade.

The stronger the Sovereign of All Life, the more at ease Haorong Xuan Di felt, and the more inclined he would be to cooperate.

As for potential risks in such a partnership, Haorong Xuan Di countered: could the lingering traces of the Yellow Heaven Sovereign's original essence within him be any more dangerous than the threats posed by the remnants of that Sovereign within the Sovereign of All Life?

If the dangers present in the Sovereign of All Life did not surpass those of the Yellow Heaven Sovereign's influence within himself, then he would willingly and fully enter into cooperation.

He longed for, yearned for, the eradication of those lingering fragments of the Yellow Heaven Sovereign's essence within him.

For this purpose, he would do anything, face any risk!

"Alright, no problem."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiyi only briefly considered it before agreeing.

The method spoken of by Hao Ri the Supreme Emperor was indeed the most feasible and quickest path—within the current circumstances—to enable Zhou Shiyi's Sacred Day Realm to swiftly expand and conquer across the Yellow Sky Great Cosmos.

Though fifty Sovereigns of Supreme Will and one being transcending the Will itself represented a colossal sacrifice—even for Him—it was entirely justified if it meant accelerating the elevation of both His domain and realm.

Moreover, the internal conflict among the three paramount leaders of the Yellow Sky Great Cosmos would consume their own strength and influence.

For Zhou Shiyi, who sought to exploit the chaos, even to plot for greater ambitions, this was undoubtedly a favorable development.

Should this Hao Ri Emperor suddenly prove unreliable—his mind turning abruptly, betraying Him and aligning with the Masters of Ziwai to oppose Him as an outsider—His own pressure would diminish significantly due to the rifts tearing within their ranks.

"What does the Emperor of Hao Ri desire?"

"A Supreme Transcendent Sacred Artifact."

Hao Ri the Supreme Emperor pondered for a moment, then spoke with a glimmer of hopeful anticipation.

Such transcendent relics belong to their tier—weapons of a level beyond comprehension. Even though He is one of the Three Great Leaders of the Yellow Sky Great Cosmos, He possesses only three such relics.

And even then, only two lower-tier transcendent relics and one mid-tier one—no upper-tier transcendent relic at all.

This situation is entirely normal within the Ultimate Void Great Cosmos.

Typically, a being who has transcended will possess only one transcendent relic. A superior will, like His, should logically have between three and five such relics, at least one of which would be an upper-tier transcendent relic commensurate with His power. Yet He possesses none of that—only three low-grade transcendent relics.

The reason lies in the fact that, since the Yellow Sky Dao Master created them three, they have been bound within the Yellow Sky Great Cosmos and cannot venture into the Ultimate Void Great Cosmos. They can only rule and dominate within the confines of their own realm.

Though secure within the cosmos, this also means they cannot venture forth to acquire resources necessary for growth—resources such as transcendent relics. They are left to divide among themselves the relics left behind by the Yellow Sky Dao Master.

And thus, both He and the Master of Zi Wei each possess only three transcendent relics. The Master of Tian Mo, being the strongest in power, inherited the majority of the Yellow Sky Dao Master’s treasures—including a complete set of transcendent relics.

This also widened the already existing gap in their strength.

For so many years, they have been oppressed by the Heavenly Demon Master, and this has only deepened their yearning for more transcendence relics, aiming to bridge the gap between themselves and the Heavenly Demon Master.

Even one day in the future, they would attain true freedom—freedom from the Yellow Heaven Master who created them.

"Alright."

"What do you need?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shiyi didn't hesitate at all—he agreed immediately and specifically inquired about the type of transcendence relic the other required.

"An instrument of war!"

Haoyi Xuan Di spoke without hesitation.

Zhou Shiyi nodded, then searched through his first treasure vault, and finally produced an ancient grinding plate radiating with the glow of yin and yang, surrounded by swirling chaotic currents.

"This is a Supreme Transcendence Relic—the Yin-Yang Infinite Destruction Grindstone."

"Your path is the 'Yin-Yang Rotation' Will Path. This transcendent holy artifact should suit you perfectly."

Zhou Shiyi said.

"Did you actually instantly discern my Will Path?"

Hao Ri Xuan Di was astonished.

"It's quite simple," Zhou Shiyi replied indifferently.

The original form already possessed the inheritance of the Everlasting Immortality Realm, and had witnessed over ten inheritances of Will Transcendence.

To perceive Hao Ri Xuan Di's Will Path was, for this fragment of the original form, a mere matter of course.

Hao Ri Xuan Di nodded, his esteem for this Celestial Sovereign King rising ever higher.

Then his gaze settled upon the Yin-Yang Infinite Annihilation Great Grinder, and a wave of uncontainable excitement began to shimmer in his eyes.

He could feel that this Yin-Yang Infinite Extinction Great Mill resonated deeply with himself.

Though not perfectly aligned, it still reached at least eight parts of harmony.

Within the entire Ultimate Void Cosmic Expanse, such a transcendent artifact was exceptionally rare.

"I truly love this transcendent artifact!"

Hao Ri Xuan Di spoke without reservation.

Zhou Shiyi smiled slightly.

Then he immediately handed the Yin-Yang Infinite Extinction Great Mill over to him.

After receiving the Yin-Yang Infinite Extinction Great Mill, Hao Ri Xuan Di played with it for a while before solemnly storing it away, then turned to Zhou Shiyi and said: "From now on, your Primordial God Realm may expand without restriction.

As for my side, once your reinforcements arrive, I will immediately unite with the Master of Zui Wei to launch a war against the Heavenly Demon Patriarch."

"Then let it be tomorrow."

"I shall send my trusted generals to the Yellow Sky Great Cosmos tomorrow, under your command."

"But you must not assign them the most dangerous missions—these are my precious subordinates."

Zhou Shi-1 said.

"Haha, I will certainly handle that with care."

"Since your forces will arrive tomorrow, I'll go now to the Master of Zuiwei and we shall fight the Heavenly Demon Patriarch tomorrow."

Hao Ri Xuan Di said.

Zhou Shi-1 nodded in agreement.

Then they discussed several details of their cooperation before parting ways.

Zhou Shi-1 did not leave the Yellow Sky Great Cosmos; instead, he took with him the Master Sword Saint Kou Shan and others, directly heading to Zhou Shíwu's Sacred Day Divine Nation, where he immediately had his subordinates settle into his sacred realm.

The Sacred Day Divine Nation ahead will inevitably see many wars.

Thus, He has decided to leave behind these supreme deities, the transcendent wielders of absolute will, and the Master Swordblade of Kou Shan—this transcendent master of superior will—to remain stationed within the Holy Day Divine Nation, serving as a safeguard against any unforeseen calamities.

Should a crisis arise that even Master Kou Shan cannot resolve, He will simply summon them directly.

Now, the Holy Day Divine Nation has successfully established the inter-universe transmission array.

Once activated, as long as any of His fragments are free, they can instantly arrive. Even His true form may come forth to address any crises that might emerge within the Holy Day Divine Nation.

If even His true form proves unable to resolve the situation, He would not hesitate to seek aid from the Supreme Will—let the Supreme Will intervene and assist His esteemed disciple.

As for Zhou Shi-1 and the other transcendent will masters, they will be divided into two groups.

One group will proceed to join Zhou Yu’s new fragment, to conquer the other great universes within the Ultimate Void Great Universe, thereby raising the upper limit of powerful beings born within the Jiaoyang Divine Nation.

The other group will remain temporarily within the Jiaoyang Divine Nation, awaiting further instructions from the main body.

For instance, journeying to the twilight battlefield to assist the mighty army of the Supreme Cosmic Forces, countering the invasion of the Delusion Race.

Today is different from before—Zhou Zhou now has the capability to intervene directly in the war between the Supreme Cosmic Forces and the Delusion Race.

It is time for the Delusion Race to witness the true power of His rank as the Third Reserve Commander of the Supreme Sovereign.

"I wonder how Zhou Zhan is doing over there?"

Zhou Shiyi thought to himself.

With a mere thought, he shifted his gaze toward Zhou Zhan's side.