Chapter 823: Chapter 822 Lobbying_1
"At last, I have reached the ninth layer of the Dragon Gate Realm,"
Within the solitary tent, Shi Xiaole let out a breath.
Since entering the third barrier, five months had passed. In that time, from having no cultivation base to his current state, Shi Xiaole’s progress could only be described as astonishing.
According to the chiefs under his command, there had never been an outsider who improved faster than Shi Xiaole.
But Shi Xiaole was not satisfied; in fact, he was even more anxious.
Because the three-year deadline for the system’s mission was drawing closer, yet he still had no clues about the details of Shi Xuanzhong’s poisoning.
"I must recover faster, perhaps in the second- and first-tier tribes, there will be news of him."
That was easier said than done, however.
To rise from zero cultivation to the third layer of the Xuanqi Realm, Shi Xiaole had used sixteen tier-six totems.
To break through to the Spiritual-Passage Realm, he had used twenty-one tier-five totems.
To break through to the Dragon Gate Realm, he had used thirty tier-four totems.
To reach the ninth layer of the Dragon Gate Realm, he had used eighteen tier-three totems.
Primarily, because the strengths of the tribes varied at each level, totems of the same tier naturally ranged in power.
To recover to the Divine Barrier Realm, Shi Xiaole estimated he would need at least three to ten tier-three totems.
Of course, his cultivation had not fully recovered, but he had made significant progress in other areas.
Just yesterday, Shi Xiaole’s Wind Sword Way had smoothly progressed from the initial stage of sixty percent to the middle stage of sixty percent. With his ninth layer of Dragon Gate Realm cultivation, he possessed at least the strength of a fifth-tier warrior.
His progress in the Illusion Martial Way was even more ferocious; it had reached the initial stage of sixty percent, catching up to the Wind Sword Way.
Even the combat techniques of life and death had improved from the initial stage of twenty percent to the middle stage of twenty percent, with an increased efficiency in conversion.
It was foreseeable that once his cultivation was fully restored, his strength would surpass his past self and exceed worldly expectations!
...
"Are you from the Gun Spirit Tribe?"
The guard responsible for the outermost perimeter couldn’t hide his surprise as he looked at the group in front of him.
Like the Heavenly Stone Clan, the Gun Spirit Tribe was also a third-tier tribe, and it was said that their Commander Li was an outsider with unfathomable abilities.
Ordinarily, the two tribes each ruled their own area and rarely intermingled. What could possibly bring people from the Gun Spirit Tribe here?
"Please make sure to inform Commander Shi immediately that Commander Li has an urgent matter that requires his attention,"
Wang Zuying said softly with a smile.
Meanwhile, Xu Nianxue’s face remained cold.
"Please wait a moment,"
After glancing at the two women, a man turned and left. Concerning matters between two major tribes, he didn’t dare to make decisions on his own.
In their tense and anxious wait, an elder followed the man who had left earlier. After checking the tribe identification token handed over by Wang Zuying, he finally allowed them to enter.
Approaching a massive tent, he instructed others to stay outside, then settled the two women and immediately excused himself with a smile.
"Why hasn’t he come yet?"
After waiting for approximately a quarter hour, Xu Nianxue couldn’t help but speak out.
"Perhaps he’s busy with something. Don’t be impatient," Wang Zuying replied with more composure.
But this wait turned out to be a full two-hour period. Not only Xu Nianxue, who was barely containing her anger, but even Wang Zuying started to become restless.
The Gun Spirit Tribe was facing a great crisis, and not a single minute could be wasted. But it seemed as though Commander Shi had no intention of meeting them, instead deliberately keeping them waiting?
Xu Nianxue clenched her fists tightly, got up to leave, but was held back by Wang Zuying.
"Senior Sister, don’t stop me. If he refuses to meet, I will find him myself. My life is short as it is; I fear not his anger!"
"Junior Sister, have you thought about Commander Shi? If our recklessness causes a delay in important affairs, even in death we would have no face to meet him!"
Although they did not know the temperament of Commander Shi, being a figure of high status, humility was still necessary, even if he was deliberately playing with them.
Knowing the risks, the two women were prepared for the worst when they had dared to come here today.
Xu Nianxue slumped back into her seat, her delicate and cold face no longer showing the wilfulness and arrogance of the past, inexplicably causing Wang Zuying’s heart to ache.
Another half a 2-hour period passed, and the long-anticipated footsteps finally sounded.
The two women immediately looked up, only to see a woman of stunning beauty, with her hair done up in a flying fairy bun, coming in with a smile and sitting opposite them: "You’re looking for Commander Shi, what business do you have?"
"Are you not him?"
Xu Nianxue felt a sense of humiliation from being overlooked, which caused her voice to tremble a bit due to excessive suppression.
"Sorry, Commander Shi is currently practicing. He will be here shortly; you can tell me the matter, and I can convey it to him just the same."
Yu Yourong’s smile did not diminish.
Fearing that her Junior Sister’s attitude might anger the other party, and thus leave a bad impression on Commander Shi, Wang Zuying held Xu Nianxue’s hand and forced a smile: "We are here on Commander Shi’s orders, hoping to form an alliance with the Heavenly Stone Clan to jointly resist a powerful enemy."
"A powerful enemy?"
Yu Yourong’s brows raised slightly.
Among the indigenous tribes, there are naturally those stronger than the Heavenly Stone Clan, but not in this small region.
In fact, Shi Xiaole dared to expand like this only because he heard that the Soaring Snake Tribe, which controlled this large region, was at war with the recently risen Divine Dragon Tribe. The subordinate second tier tribes were naturally constraining each other, having no time to bother with third tier tribes.
Unexpectedly, Commander Shi, a figure as renowned as Shi Xiaole, had actually sent people to negotiate an alliance. Moreover, judging by the looks on the two women’s faces, the situation was clearly very grim.
"Just a few days ago, Commander Shi received news that the Divine Dragon Tribe’s Commander Zhang was defeated by the old chieftain of the Soaring Snake Tribe. The Divine Dragon Tribe has now fully contracted their battlefront, fleeing to another region..."
After Wang Zuying’s explanation, Yu Yourong finally understood the situation.
It turned out that Commander Zhang, who had emerged abruptly and was said to be quite young, was now seriously injured and missing, very likely fallen victim to foul play.
The Soaring Snake Tribe, which had been suppressed for several months, would of course not miss this perfect opportunity to launch a counterattack, essentially taking over the territory of the Divine Dragon Tribe and regaining control of the region.
The second tier tribes subordinate to the Soaring Snake Tribe also began targeting foreign powers.
The day before Wang Zuying and Xu Nianxue set out, the Gun Spirit Tribe received an ultimatum from the Black Spider Tribe, ordering them to surrender within half a month, or face annihilation.
"The Black Spider Tribe is a second tier tribe, and its chieftain is even a high-level master of the Divine Barrier Realm. In this region, no one can oppose him. Once he takes down the Gun Spirit Tribe, the next target will undoubtedly be the Heavenly Stone Clan!"
Commander Shi was a prodigy of the Bei Liang dynasty, and had it not been for space constraints, killing the Black Spider chieftain would be easy. Unfortunately, given the current restrictions of the Dragon Gate Realm’s ninth tier, overcoming the latter proved very difficult.
As for fleeing alone, from the first day he became the chieftain, Commander Shi’s aura was tied to the totem. Should the tribe be destroyed, his cultivation would revert to its original state.
The same held true for Commander Shi.
Therefore, Wang Zuying was full of confidence in this diplomatic mission.
"This is a serious matter; you should still discuss it in person with Commander Shi."
Yu Yourong’s smile had also faded upon hearing the startling news.
"If I may speak frankly, my lord, I don’t know when Commander Shi will arrive. If we miss the opportunity..."
Xu Nianxue spoke forcefully, yet courteously, her fists clenched tightly under the table. She was no longer the wilful young lady she used to be, knowing that under someone else’s roof, one must bow their head.
"When Commander Shi is training, unless it’s a life-or-death situation, no one can disturb him. Don’t worry, according to usual practice, he should be coming out," said the woman reassuringly.
After nearly another half a 2-hour period, just when Wang Zuying and Xu Nianxue were about to lose patience, footsteps were finally heard, and the door curtain was lifted.
All three women looked over at once.
