Kong Huai watched Wind Thunder King approach, his expression grave. He could sense a change in his opponent's power; he himself was surprisingly at a disadvantage.
"Enough idle talk. I'm here to make a trade this time." Despite his superior strength, Wind Thunder King didn't threaten or directly attack Kong Huai. To him, such actions were merely superficial, not addressing the root cause.
If he killed Kong Huai here, the commotion would inevitably alert the other Martial Gods. Then, his plans would become impossible to execute.
He was, after all, just one individual. Killing a Martial God would only allow the Extremists to seize power. They would then eliminate him and crush his Alien Race.
Ever since he obtained the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill, Martial Gods were no longer his primary concern.
"What do you want to trade?" Kong Huai was surprised that Wind Thunder King would come to him for a trade.
"My race needs time to recuperate," Wind Thunder King said bluntly. The Alien Race was indeed crippled.
"That is a request I cannot grant." Kong Huai refused instantly and without hesitation. To him, acceding to such a demand was pointless.
He alone couldn't dictate strategies like suppressing and exploiting the Alien Race, among other things. Besides, what could the enemy offer that would make him stop the suppression?
The two races were mortal enemies. What benefit could outweigh my interests as a Martial God?
Once the Alien Race is beaten to the point of kneeling and begging for mercy, everything will belong to us.
"Aren't you going to see my offer before refusing?" Wind Thunder King sneered. He believed no one could resist the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill.
Seeing Wind Thunder King's disdainful expression, Kong Huai felt a flicker of uncertainty. It wasn't his own stance that made him uncertain, but rather what trump card his opponent might possess, coupled with the baffling, sudden surge in the latter's strength.
"Take a look at the terms first. If you're unwilling to cooperate, I'll find others. Someone will be willing," Wind Thunder King said, tossing the first half-volume of the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill to Kong Huai.
Kong Huai accepted it, puzzled. He didn't ask what it was, as there was writing on it.
He quickly finished reading the half-volume, a barely perceptible flicker of shock in his eyes.
Now he understood why Wind Thunder King was so strong. The power of Boulder King had been superimposed onto him. Thus, Wind Thunder King was effectively not one Alien King, but two.
Moreover, Wind Thunder King could continuously stack the power of other members of the Alien Race. Even if the strength of each member of the Alien Race varied, the augmentation he received was the total sum, not an average.
"No wonder you're so confident you can persuade me," Kong Huai said, having calmed down. Still, why did the Alien Race suffer such a crushing defeat despite possessing this powerful Cultivation Technique?
"Do you agree to this trade?" A smile touched the corners of Wind Thunder King's lips. Kong Huai didn't decline immediately, Wind Thunder King noted. He wants the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill. So, whatever is said next will just be minor details, not crucial to the negotiation.
"One month. I will not interfere in any related matters for one month," Kong Huai stated calmly, agreeing to no other demands.
I see Wind Thunder King's intention, Kong Huai thought. This so-called trade is just a pretense to deliver this Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill to me. What's more, it's not just for me. All the Human Martial Gods will probably receive this Cultivation Technique. And everyone will tacitly pretend not to know about it. As for anyone who refuses? They'll just be trampled by the others.
"Of course, no problem. One month is more than enough." Wind Thunder King tossed the second half-volume to Kong Huai without any hesitation.
He was telling the truth. Before coming, he had already completed all preparations for the Alien Race's migration. Another month was all he needed to completely relocate every member of the Alien Race. Then, he could exploit the chaos that the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill would cause within the Human Clan to launch a decisive counterattack.
"By the way, I have another piece of information. I wonder if you'd like to know it," Wind Thunder King spoke again.
After Kong Huai received the second half and carefully checked both volumes to confirm there were no issues, he asked, "What information?"
This is likely a ploy to sow discord, Kong Huai mused, but I'll hear him out. Perhaps there's something to be gained.
"This Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill was given to me by a human," Wind Thunder King revealed, then described the person's appearance.
Upon hearing this, Kong Huai immediately thought of Wang Linchi, especially the large iron sphere Wind Thunder King described.
To this day, he couldn't forget it. On reflection, Wang Linchi's immense power might indeed be due to this Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill.
"I see," Kong Huai replied, not overly surprised. They had experienced such things before, so his reply was quite calm.
Wind Thunder King narrowed his eyes. Seeing Kong Huai's expression, he understood. He's not surprised. That means he knows Wang Linchi, perhaps has even had conflicts with him. This further confirms that Wang Linchi is one of the Human Clan's Extremists.
Of course, I can't say that Wang Linchi is a traitor to the Human Clan, the main culprit behind the Palace of Heaven incident, Kong Huai thought. To say so would be an unnecessary loss of face. Since neither of them spoke of it, the misunderstanding solidified.
"Then you'd better hurry. This person's strength is unfathomable. Perhaps he has already cultivated the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill to Great Success. If he decides to make a move... HAHAHA..." Wind Thunder King continued to provoke.
"We already have countermeasures," Kong Huai retorted stubbornly. Besides, the 'if' in Wind Thunder King's statement was far too conservative. Wang Linchi had already made his move.
"Oh? That's good then. I'd hate to see old friends like you replaced by those shadowy Insects one day," Wind Thunder King chuckled, a sinister glint in his eye, unsure if Kong Huai was telling the truth.
If it's true, that's troublesome, Wind Thunder King thought. It would mean the 'Extremists' aren't showing themselves, not due to some calculation, but because the Human Martial Gods genuinely have a way to suppress them. However, it's more likely he's just bluffing. Otherwise, why would he have accepted the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill? I don't deny the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill is powerful, but among the Human Clan, its benefits have likely already been carved up by numerous cultivators. The augmentation it provides them is probably far inferior to my own cultivation method.
"Heh, you'd better watch your own back, lest Boulder King comes back to life one day," Kong Huai said, deliberately trying to irk Wind Thunder King.
Boulder King was both important and unimportant to Wind Thunder King.
Important because Boulder King's death meant the loss of a significant portion of kingly power for him.
Yet, if Boulder King were to revive, he would once again contend for power, a truly disgusting prospect for Wind Thunder King.
What he most desired was for Boulder King to remain half-dead, perpetually gravely injured and unable to awaken, serving only as a battery for him.
However, this was improbable. If Boulder King were truly dying but then showed signs of recovery, Wind Thunder King himself would ensure Boulder King 'died from his grievous injuries'!
"That's not for you to worry about. Boulder King is one of the Different Clan's people in life, and one of the Different Clan's Ghosts in death," Wind Thunder King retorted, completely unfazed by Kong Huai's jab. Though annoyed, Boulder King was, after all, under his control, no matter what Kong Huai said.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I've arranged to have tea with other Martial Gods. If I'm late, there might be trouble."
Wind Thunder King said this to provoke Kong Huai, clearly implying he intended to give the Twelve-Style Heavenly Pulse Skill to the other Martial Gods as well.
He wasn't worried Kong Huai would try to stop him. With his current strength, and being particularly skilled in speed, he could escape even if ambushed.
"Hmph! Be careful on your way out. Let's hope you don't run into any mishaps," Kong Huai snorted coldly. He truly had no way to stop Wind Thunder King's plan. He himself had accepted the technique; if he tried to prevent others from getting it, he would surely face public outrage.
"HAHAHA, well said, well said!" Wind Thunder King laughed at the cold snort, gave Kong Huai's face one last look, then rode the wind and thunder to depart.
After Wind Thunder King had gone far, a smile appeared on Kong Huai's face. "Courting death, indeed."
He understands the selfish nature of the Human Clan well enough, but the solution to this is simpleβso simple it will be his undoing.
We finally have a sufficient pretext to exterminate the Alien Race, Kong Huai thought. He was one of the Extremists within the Human Clan, but various pressures had prevented his extreme proposals from being implemented.
Among the Human Martial Gods, seven out of ten were Extremists. However, for the sake of the Human Clan's development, they had been forced to restrain themselves.
