Chapter 2477: Chapter 2477
The colossal nine-headed demon dragon loomed larger than a hundred-thousand-ton battleship.
Dark, churning demonic energy swirled around its massive form like a storm cloud as it descended from the sky, blotting out the sun. The simultaneous roars from all nine heads sent a shiver down Xiao Muhong’s spine. Without hesitation, he and his four guards summoned ten elite martial warriors each, bracing for battle.
These warriors were the royal family’s most elite protectors, each radiating the aura of a third-tier Heavenly Realm expert. Though Xiao Muhong had previously claimed he wouldn’t bring many men, the sudden appearance of fifty top-tier fighters clearly broke his promise.
Yet Ye Liuyun merely circled once before landing opposite them.
“Well, well, the Crown Prince brought quite the entourage,” Ye Liuyun remarked with a mocking grin.
He hadn’t expected a simple scare tactic to force Xiao Muhong’s hand, revealing his hidden cards so easily. Not that Ye Liuyun cared much about the broken promise—distrust ran deep between them, and he had come prepared either way.
The difference was, when Ye Liuyun said he’d come alone, he meant it. The nine-headed demon dragon was merely his mount, not backup. Meanwhile, Xiao Muhong had just exposed fifty elite warriors.
In their first exchange, the Crown Prince had already lost a round.
Xiao Muhong seethed inwardly, humiliated but unable to lash out. After all, Ye Liuyun hadn’t attacked, and he *had* come alone. Still, the Crown Prince kept his warriors summoned—the sheer oppressive aura of the demon dragon was too much for just him and his four guards to withstand.
Ever the master of composure, Xiao Muhong brushed off the taunt as if nothing had happened and greeted Ye Liuyun smoothly.
“Quite the grand entrance, Mr. Ye,” he said with a cold smile. “Though, consorting with demons and fiendish beasts day in and day out... one might question whether you’re still human.”
The verbal counterstrike was swift—Xiao Muhong wasn’t about to let the insult slide.
Ye Liuyun chuckled nonchalantly, "Doesn’t matter to me. As long as we’re fighting those alien creatures. Demons and magical beasts might look terrifying, but their hearts are far simpler than humans’!"
As he spoke, he gave the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon an approving pat on its scaly back. The massive creature responded with a thunderous roar directed at Xiao Muhong, laced with sonic attacks and the newly learned Soul-Tremor Wave technique—a secret art Ye Liuyun had just taught it.
Though the beast hadn’t fully mastered the technique yet, the effect was still formidable enough to give Xiao Muhong’s group quite a scare. The sheer spiritual power of the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon, amplified by the sonic assault, made the very air before them vibrate violently.
Xiao Muhong’s face drained of color. Even he couldn’t withstand such a powerful attack alone. Fortunately, he hadn’t yet recalled his fifty martial cultivators back into his spatial realm. The combined pressure and spiritual energy from his retinue barely managed to block the assault.
"Haha! The little fellow thinks you were looking down on it—got a bit offended!" Ye Liuyun laughed heartily, soothing the agitated dragon with another pat to prevent further provocation.
But secretly, he was transmitting a mental message to the beast: "Hurry up and practice that Soul-Tremor Wave. If you’d mastered it properly just now, even their weaker members would be coughing up blood from that strike!"
The attack had been Ye Liuyun’s idea, of course. Left to its own devices, the temperamental dragon would have already charged into battle. Xiao Muhong understood this perfectly, though he couldn’t afford to openly confront Ye Liuyun about it.
With forced composure, he warned, "Since Mr. Ye is here for negotiations, you’d better keep your mount under control."
"Right you are! Behave now, Little Nine!" Ye Liuyun replied casually, casually bestowing a nickname upon the demonic creature.
Although the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon found the name distasteful, it dared not argue. It could only vent its frustration by snorting plumes of dark energy from its nostrils.
Once the dragon had settled, Ye Liuyun turned to Xiao Muhong to discuss serious matters.
"Regarding your alliance proposal," Xiao Muhong began, "after careful consideration, we believe it’s worth a try. So, when the alien forces attack, we’d like to invite your troops to station on Satellite Island and fight alongside us."
"How large is their army this time?" Ye Liuyun asked. His Falcon Squad had yet to spot the enemy fleet, leaving him in the dark about their numbers.
"We’re not entirely sure," Xiao Muhong replied evasively, "but it’s unlikely to be smaller than their last invasion."
Hearing this, Ye Liuyun grew even more convinced of their insincerity. The Sacred Dynasty must have already sighted the alien fleet—otherwise, how would they know an attack was imminent? Yet they refused to share concrete intel. This was hardly the attitude of a genuine ally.
"If you don’t even know the scale of the invasion," he countered sharply, "how am I supposed to prepare? How many troops should I deploy? And who will cover the cost of resources? Who claims the spoils of war?"
"You could station your entire army on Satellite Island," Xiao Muhong suggested smoothly. "As for resources, we’re willing to provide them—in exchange for your Falcons. That way, we can assist you more effectively. Otherwise, with our limited strength, we’d be of little help. As for the spoils, we’ll take just thirty percent—you keep seventy. How does that sound?"
Ye Liuyun let out a dry laugh. "So, you want me to send my men to fend off the aliens for you—and pay for the privilege?"
The proposal was laughable.
"Since you’re the one proposing this alliance," Xiao Muhong pressed on shamelessly, "it’s only fair you demonstrate your sincerity. At the very least, for this first collaboration, we need to assess your strength and resource expenditure before finalizing the terms."
Seeing that Xiao Muhong had no intention of negotiating in good faith, Ye Liuyun decided it wasn’t worth wasting any more time.
"Fine," he said coolly. "Since you’ve shown such ‘sincerity,’ we’ll bear the loss this time. I’ll return to make preparations and confirm the deployment timeline later."
Ye Liuyun gave a perfunctory response and prepared to leave.
"Very well, I look forward to our cooperation! By the way, here’s my communication talisman—it’ll make it easier for us to stay in touch!"
Xiao Muhong casually handed him a talisman, but Ye Liuyun didn’t take it. Instead, he tossed one of his own back at Xiao Muhong and said bluntly, "I don’t like being monitored. If you want to reach me, use mine."
With that, Ye Liuyun summoned his Nine-Headed Demon Dragon and soared into the starry sky.
As the colossal beast vanished from sight, Xiao Muhong smirked inwardly. *This guy isn’t as easy to fool as I thought.*
He had already guessed Ye Liuyun wouldn’t commit his forces. Without any solid information, only a fool—or a madman—would blindly send troops into battle.
Xiao Muhong had braced himself for this. He knew reeling in someone like Ye Liuyun wouldn’t be quick or simple.
"Go ahead and spread the news as planned," he ordered his subordinates without hesitation.
