Chapter 160: The Transaction

Numerous sovereigns watched Fang Qingyun in silence as he gathered the fragments of origin one by one.

At this moment, no one could halt his forward momentum.

After all, Fang Qingyun had once injured a Demon Sovereign with a single strike.

No matter how many reasons one might conjure, they could not change this fact.

Fang Qingyun was destined to echo throughout the entire Azure Moon World.

Precisely because of this, Fang Qingyun felt an even more urgent need for the origin fragments.

Fame had its benefits, but it brought plenty of drawbacks as well. Lacking sufficient personal strength while being renowned was simply a path to self-destruction.

Heaven only knows how many sovereigns were currently setting their sights on him!

Toward someone like Fang Qingyun, who might potentially become a sovereign and was at least confirmed to be an upper-tier divine general, they would never spare any effort in dealing with him!

The Monster race, the Demon race, and even the Human race!

There were probably sovereigns among all of them who wanted to eliminate him.

Lost in thought, Fang Qingyun pocketed another origin fragment.

……

"Oh?"

Xuan Ji frowned and whispered, "Something is wrong!"

Indeed, something was wrong, because within their line of sight, several members of the Monster and Demon races were marching straight toward the origin fragments and collecting them.

It was identical to the cheating maneuver the Monster and Demon races had pulled just moments ago.

"Lord Chancellor!"

Xuan Ji directed his gaze toward the Heavenly Kingdom's Chancellor.

The Chancellor waved a hand.

There was certainly a problem, but unfortunately, even he could not perceive it.

It was highly probable that the Demon Emperor had made a move.

However, a guess remained just a guess; without evidence, nothing could be said.

That was how cheating worked!

If you were caught, you were courting death; if you weren't caught, it never happened!

"Sigh!" The Heavenly Kingdom's Chancellor let out a faint sigh and murmured, "Dilong deserved to die!"

Had it not been for Dilong, who had consumed so much of his energy in their confrontation, he might not have been able to evade the Demon Emperor's methods.

"Hehe!"

The Demon Emperor smiled lightly and said, "You have already gained more than enough."

"More than enough?" The Chancellor shook his head and replied, "You should understand that the origin fragments our clan obtained are mostly concentrated on Fang Qingyun alone. Do you really expect him to rely on these fragments to directly ascend to a sovereign?"

With so many origin fragments, if Fang Qingyun failed to become a sovereign, it would be a net loss.

Of course, the converse would mean a massive profit.

However, was that even possible?

To ascend directly to a sovereign...

Were sovereigns really that easy to attain?

The expressions of both the Spider Sovereign and the Demon Sovereign relaxed visibly.

If he didn't directly become a sovereign, Fang Qingyun would at best remain a divine general. So what if he was an upper-tier divine general?

Being comparable to a sovereign ultimately did not make one a sovereign.

Moreover, given his sensitive status, returning to the Human race without becoming a sovereign would inevitably trigger turmoil.

With this realization, the hearts of the two sovereigns suddenly settled.

Things were not as difficult as they had imagined.

To some extent, this was actually a good thing.

"The origin contention is over!"

The Heavenly Kingdom's Chancellor sighed softly and said, "I will be returning first. What about the Demon Emperor?"

"I should be heading back as well!" The Demon Emperor smiled faintly. "Unlike you, I don't possess that object. If I don't leave now, and the Monster Emperor truly goes mad, it will be disastrous."

Even for him, facing a deranged Monster Emperor might spell trouble, as the number of sovereigns within the Monster race was unknown, but it was certainly enough to take down the Demon Emperor.

"Haha!"

Leaving behind a burst of hearty laughter, the Chancellor vanished into thin air.

The Demon Emperor followed closely and disappeared right after him.

Only three sovereigns remained in the original spot.

Xuan Ji, the Spider Sovereign, and the Demon Sovereign!

They were waiting—waiting for the final origin fragment to be collected so this battle could finally conclude.

They would lead their respective clansmen away from this place and return to their ancestral lands.

"Oh?"

At this moment, several sovereigns wore looks of surprise as they stared blankly at Fang Qingyun.

"Does this little fellow hold a grudge against the Monster race?"

That was somewhat of a redundant question, given that the Monster race, Human race, and Demon race were inherently at odds with one another.

However, the specific individual Fang Qingyun had locked onto possessed an extraordinary identity.

That individual was a member of the Monster race.

Upon discovering Fang Qingyun, that person had immediately executed a secret technique and fled like lightning.

Yet, Fang Qingyun pursued relentlessly without a second thought.

Even though another origin fragment lay right there, Fang Qingyun chose to ignore it.

He locked his gaze onto the retreating figure of the Monster and, within a few breaths, caught up to the individual.

"An old acquaintance meeting again, why are you running so fast?"

Staring at the Monster before him, Fang Qingyun revealed a bloodthirsty smile.

"It really is you! You actually didn't die. I should have destroyed your corpse back then."

The Monster glared fiercely at Fang Qingyun, slowly squeezing out those words.

"My lord!"

At this moment, Fang Qingyun's subordinates caught up, looking with curiosity at the Monster before them.

It was rare to see Fang Qingyun so agitated, chasing after a single Monster without letting up—especially when this Monster happened to be so breathtakingly beautiful.

"Young Master!"

A large contingent of Monsters had also gathered, forming a protective barrier behind the Monster.

"Young Master?"

Fang Qingyun sneered. "Are you the young master of the Spider-Demon clan?"

Standing right before Fang Qingyun was none other than the Spider-Demon maiden who had once forced him to swallow poison.

For someone to be addressed as the young master by the Spider-Demons meant one of only two possibilities.

Either she was the direct descendant of the Spider Sovereign, and one with a legitimate right of succession at that.

Or she was the officially recognized heir of the Spider-Demon clan chosen by the Spider Sovereign.

Regardless of which it was, it signified an immensely noble status.

"Indeed!"

The Spider-Demon maiden revealed her astonishing power at that moment.

Rings of power ripples undulated across her body.

Peak general tier!

Moreover, her power faintly manipulated the surrounding space.

Xuan Ji could not help casting a glance at the Spider Sovereign and remarked, "You are truly blessed with good fortune!"

The Demon Sovereign also nodded slightly.

The Spider Sovereign smiled and said, "There is still a long way to go!"

Peak general tier naturally wasn't much to speak of.

However, with the discerning eyes of sovereigns, anyone could instantly tell that this Spider-Demon maiden was exceptionally young—by human standards, she was probably around twenty years old.

To possess such power at this age, coupled with the Spider Sovereign's bloodline, she would undoubtedly become a sovereign in due course and emerge as the true successor to the Spider Sovereign.

Unlike humans, the Monster and Demon races placed a far greater emphasis on bloodline.

If one's bloodline was sufficiently potent, ascending to the rank of sovereign would be a smooth journey.

This maiden clearly possessed that qualification!

Fixing a cold gaze upon the Spider-Demon, Fang Qingyun asked, "Don't you think it's time to repay what you owe me?"

The Spider-Demon maiden refused to show weakness and retorted, "How do you expect me to repay it?"

She had heard her ancestor's vocal transmission instructing her to flee the instant she laid eyes on Fang Qingyun, abandoning even the origin fragments if they lay right before her.

She had obeyed!

However, now that the other party had caught up and escape was impossible, she had no choice but to fight.

The corners of her lips curled into a malicious smile as she mocked, "Do you expect me to swallow a bottle of poison as well?"

"Of course!" Fang Qingyun sneered. "I'll feed it to you personally!"

Swish!

Fang Qingyun materialized directly in front of the Spider-Demon maiden and slashed downward with his sword.

"Audacious!"

Furious, the Spider-Demon maiden let out a roar, a massive hexagonal hammer materializing in her delicate hand as she brought it down with crushing force.

"Boom!"

Amidst a deafening roar, the ground in the surrounding area abruptly sank by half a meter.

The violent shockwave caused quite a few generals to stumble and lose their footing.

It wasn't merely a physical tremor; as the shock wave rippled outward, dense spiritual energy raged through the vicinity.

Fang Qingyun retreated swiftly, evading the attack. Fixing his cold eyes on the Spider-Demon maiden, he mocked, "I never expected you to possess such strength."

The Spider-Demon maiden smiled coldly. At this moment, she was entirely different from the last time Fang Qingyun had seen her.

Previously, she had been alluring and captivating; now, she was as cold as frost.

Had his senses not assured him that this maiden was indeed the same person, Fang Qingyun would have thought he had stumbled upon her twin sister.

"There are plenty of things you never expected!"

The maiden let out a sharp cry and charged forward at high speed toward Fang Qingyun.

Her relentless swinging of the massive hammer forced Fang Qingyun back step by step.

Wielding a lightweight sword against such a heavy weapon naturally placed him at a disadvantage, leaving him no room to meet her attacks head-on.

"Foolish!"

High up in the sky, the Spider Sovereign could not help roaring in anger.

Was Fang Qingyun someone who could be easily dealt with?

If he were that easy to handle, would so many Monster and Demon warriors have died in battle?

Did a sovereign like him need to go out of his way to warn his own descendant?

Was she a pig?

Suppressing the fury in his heart, the Spider Sovereign used voice transmission to scold the Spider-Demon maiden once more, ordering her to leave immediately.

"But..."

Displeasure welled up in the Spider-Demon maiden's heart. Being chased and beaten by someone was a first for her; it was nothing short of a humiliation!

"Fall back!"

The Spider Sovereign was now consumed by extreme rage.

This descendant actually dared to defy his command.

Had he been too lenient with her lately?

"You dare disobey my command?!"

"N-no, I wouldn't dare!" The Spider-Demon maiden finally sensed the gravity of the situation.

In the past, because of her exceptional talent, the Spider Sovereign had always been gentle and pleasant toward her. Now that he had suddenly lost his temper, panic began to creep into her heart.

After all, she was merely a genius, not a powerhouse!

Geniuses could become powerhouses, but before reaching that stage, they were worth less than nothing.

Upon receiving the order, the Spider-Demon maiden turned tail and ran without hesitation.

"Huh?"

Fang Qingyun was slightly taken aback.

His original intention had been to lure the Spider-Demon maiden deeper into his territory and then deliver a fatal blow to finish her off in one move.

Who could have expected that after exchanging a couple of blows and clearly holding the upper hand, she would suddenly turn and flee?

This caught Fang Qingyun somewhat off guard, and in his momentary lapse in judgment, he allowed her to break free from the engagement.

Were those sovereigns up above interfering again?

With a dark expression, Fang Qingyun materialized a sniper rifle in his hand and fired a shot directly at the fleeing Spider-Demon maiden.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

The Spider-Demon maiden shrieked.

A layer of fine, dense scales surfaced across her body.

"Bang!"

The bullet struck the scales, sending the Spider-Demon maiden tumbling through the air. The scales were covered in a web of microscopic cracks, but they miraculously held without shattering.

"Attack him!"

The Spider-Demon maiden screamed, issuing an order to her subordinates.

As for herself, she scrambled away in a blind panic.

Having just taken a hit from Fang Qingyun's rifle, she finally understood why the Spider Sovereign had ordered her to flee immediately. The oppressive might carried by that single shot had left her nearly suffocating.

It was simply too powerful!

She was a top-tier general, yet she had encountered someone she was completely powerless to match.

How could such a monster exist?

Furthermore, he was a human—a human she had once forced to swallow poison and resort to suicide!

Insane!

This was completely insane!

"As expected of a Spider-Demon's defense!"

Watching the fleeing Spider-Demon, Fang Qingyun frowned deeply.

Among the Monster race, the Spider-Demons were a prominent clan, renowned as an upper-tier Monster race possessing exceptionally formidable defenses, immense physical strength, and virulent poison.

This was precisely why Fang Qingyun had wanted to lure the maiden closer.

He knew very well that killing this Spider-Demon young master would be no easy feat!

"Scram!"

Seeing the Spider-Demons swarming toward him, Fang Qingyun let out a sharp cry. Countless streams of blood-colored energy erupted from his body, swirling like razor-sharp blades to slaughter the surrounding Spider-Demons.

In a single instant, those general-tier Spider-Demons were wiped out.

"No, no!"

The Spider-Demon maiden screamed as she ran.

She was about to be driven mad with rage!

Because of her momentary carelessness, so many elite Spider-Demons had lost their lives.

A profound sense of self-blame gripped her heart.

Back then, she should have destroyed Fang Qingyun's corpse; just moments ago, she should have obeyed the sovereign and fled immediately.

Alas, it was already too late.

Channeling his entire reservoir of power, Fang Qingyun once again accelerated in pursuit of the Spider-Demon maiden.

"You can't escape!"

With an icy voice, Fang Qingyun raised his sniper rifle, locking his crosshairs firmly on the Spider-Demon maiden.

"Die!"

"Bang!"

The shot rang out, and a bullet left the barrel.

"Humph!"

At that exact moment, a cold snort echoed through the air.

Fang Qingyun felt a sudden stab of pain in his head, causing his rifle to involuntarily tilt slightly.

"Pfft!"

The bullet struck the Spider-Demon maiden's shoulder.

With a shriek, several strands of spider silk shot out from her body, anchoring themselves far into the distance, and then...

Swish!

The Spider-Demon maiden vanished.

When she reappeared, she was already hundreds of kilometers away. Then she vanished once more, reappearing another few hundred kilometers distant. After several consecutive leaps, she completely faded from Fang Qingyun's field of vision.

"Hmph!"

Fang Qingyun let out an angry grunt, releasing his perception to sweep the surrounding area.

Regrettably, no matter how thoroughly he searched, he could not detect any powerhouse lingering in the shadows.

Could it be...

Lifting his gaze toward the sky, Fang Qingyun turned and walked away.

High up in the heavens.

Xuan Ji and the Demon Sovereign stared coldly at the Spider Sovereign.

It was precisely the Spider Sovereign who had secretly intervened in the battle just moments ago, disrupting Fang Qingyun's aim.

Otherwise, there was no way that Spider-Demon maiden could have slipped through Fang Qingyun's fingers.

"Spider Sovereign, you owe us an explanation!" Xuan Ji said coldly.

Standing nearby, the Demon Sovereign also condensed his aura.

Rules had been broken, and without a satisfactory resolution, they wouldn't mind showing their hospitality.

With the two of them joining forces, teaching the Spider Sovereign a lesson would not be difficult.

The Spider Sovereign sighed helplessly and murmured, "Two Monster dukes, along with their elite legions and floating fleets—how about that?"

"Oh?"

The two sovereigns exchanged glances. "There aren't any traps involved, are there?"

"Rest assured!" the Spider Sovereign replied expressionlessly. "I will personally deliver them into your crosshairs for you to slaughter!"

"Best be that way!"

In just a few short sentences, the fates of two dukes and their elite warriors had been sealed.

Dukes!

Any one of them was capable of independently founding their own principality, making them top-tier figures wherever they went.

Countless lesser beings and minor nobles would trail in their wake.

Yet, in the eyes of sovereigns, they were mere bargaining chips.

Even Fang Qingyun was not currently regarded with any importance by the sovereigns; thus, their transaction required no notification to him, and he didn't even need to know.

Even though Fang Qingyun was the principal party involved!