Jiang Chen soon unraveled a critical piece of information – the ruler of the Everlasting Mystical Empire was none other than Wang Jian, the heir of the Blue Moon Eclipse Devil Clan's legacy.
What further intrigued him was that approximately 20% of the devil clans within the Silver Devil Asura Dominion rallied behind Wang Jian's leadership.
As of yet, Wang Jian hadn't extended a formal gesture of submission to Jiang Chen.
This signaled his intent to potentially challenge Jiang Chen's authority while maintaining his dominion over the Empire and the devil clans.
Nonetheless, Jiang Chen's primary concern lay beyond mere territorial control.
His focus centered on dismantling the shackles that held back his power from ascending to its peak.
Understanding the tenets of this world, where strength dictated supremacy, he harbored a resolute determination to reclaim his pinnacle strength and use it to bend the entire world to his will.
Jiang Chen directed his loyal faction of devils to shift their focus towards procuring the abundant natural resources scattered across the continent.
This was because the resources within the Silver Devil Asura Dominion had already been depleted, allocated to the various devil clans.
Even newly generated resources were rapidly dwindling.
Hence, the devil clans needed to secure these resources by either wresting them from other dominions of various races or from the human continent itself.
Observing recent developments, Jiang Chen discerned an interesting pattern. The Heavenly Court seemed to be fixated solely on him, disregarding the activities of his devil subordinates in the continent.
This peculiar attention distribution granted Jiang Chen's followers an opportune window to venture beyond the dominion, seizing resources imperative for the growth of the devils.
As for Jiang Chen himself, he embarked on a journey towards the Western Deserts, a region where the formidable Giant Race clashed with human Empires.
To label these interactions as mere clashes would be a misrepresentation.
The human Empires in this region were grappling with decimation at the hands of the towering Giants.
Despite deploying an array of countermeasures, the human coalition faltered in fending off the relentless onslaught from the Giants.
The Giants, endowed with profound mastery of the Earth Element, exhibited an uncanny ability to emerge unpredictably from beneath the very ground the humans stood on.
They exploited this advantage to infiltrate the most fortified of locations, including the heart of the human Empires, by circumventing defensive arrays.
Such tactics fueled fear across the Western Deserts' Empires, the Giants' elusive and strategic tactics rendering even the most potent warriors helpless.
While individuals capable of standing against and even eliminating these Giants existed, the crafty Giants adeptly avoided direct confrontation, instantly retreating into the earth's depths upon encountering these formidable opponents.
Within the Western Deserts, three distinct Empires held sway:
The Gilded Oasis Dynasty.
The Desert Nomad Ascendancy.
The Bronze Mirage Empire.
Although these Empires had historically nurtured a climate of rivalry and animosity, the looming threat posed by the Giants compelled them to transcend their differences and form a coalition united against a common enemy.
Drawing upon the collective wisdom of their most brilliant minds, they established committees within their alchemy and talisman associations, dedicated to crafting potent pellets and talismans capable of combating the Giants' menace.
Regrettably, their efforts had thus far yielded no success, leaving the Empires vulnerable and in dire need of a solution.
Faced with this precarious situation, they sought aid from the Heavenly Court, beseeching assistance.
However, the Heavenly Court's response was disappointing; their experts were preoccupied with countering the devil incursion, and thus, addressing the Giants had to wait until the devil threat was contained.
It was precisely amid this vacuum of assistance that Jiang Chen's path intersected with the ruling families of the three Empires.
Upon the arrival of Jiang Chen's letters at the courts of the three ruling families, the Emperors wasted no time in responding, their eagerness evident as they sought to swiftly arrange a face-to-face encounter with the enigmatic sender.
Jiang Chen's calculated plan for this rendezvous was clear: he intended to unveil that he was a devil to these rulers, albeit without disclosing his true identity as Jiang Chen.
He was acutely aware that such a revelation could lead to his exposure to the Heavenly Court—a development that would inevitably result in the dispatch of experts to apprehend him.
This scenario could inadvertently align with the interests of these Empires since the Heavenly Court's intervention would also address their Giant Race predicament.
Thus, maintaining his anonymity became of utmost importance to Jiang Chen's strategy.
The chosen locale for this clandestine meeting was an aged ruin, thoughtfully situated at a distance from the Empires' territories.
As the representatives of each Empire arrived, they brought substantial forces as a defensive measure, acknowledging the potential of this meeting to be a cunning ruse concocted by their rivals.
Their readiness for any eventuality was palpable, emphasizing the prudence guiding their approach.
The meeting itself unfolded as Jiang Chen engaged with the ruling parties of the three Empires. With measured words, he addressed the assembly, "Greetings to you all, fellow humans. As you may have deduced, I stand before you as a Demon."
His words were accompanied by a brief pause, affording him the chance to gauge the reactions painted across each face.
Following a thoughtful interval, a smile appeared on Jiang Chen's face concealed behind his mask, "Since none of you have chosen to leave, it's evident that you anticipated this possibility. Your preparedness is commendable. So, let's dispense with formalities and delve into the heart of the matter. As I conveyed in my letter, I possess a solution to counter the Giant Race menace."
The ruler of the Bronze Mirage Empire, displaying a hint of impatience, interjected, "Let us proceed quickly, shall we?"
Jiang Chen remained unfazed by the tone of impatience in the rulers' voices, fully aware that their urgency was a natural response. Calmly, he addressed them, "It's understandable that time is of the essence. Let's delve into the heart of the matter. These Giants wield their formidable abilities in the Earth Element, allowing them to traverse beneath the ground. Their strength, size, and unique capabilities are undoubtedly unsettling, but the true terror they invoke stems from their ability to emerge unexpectedly from the earth's depths. This unpredictability makes guarding against them a Herculean task."
He paused momentarily, allowing his words to resonate before continuing, "But here lies a key insight: if you can anticipate where and when they will appear, countering them becomes feasible. And that's where my proposal comes in. Behold the Grey Aura Detection Bats!"
As his words found their mark, a group of grey-hued bats materialized and gracefully soared within the chamber.
The rulers' eyebrows arched in collective curiosity at the sight, their attention fully captured.
With an assured smile, Jiang Chen elucidated, "These bats possess an uncanny ability. Furnish them with a trace of the specific race you wish to track, and they will instinctively gravitate towards locations where those beings are slated to emerge. The scope of their detection extends up to a thousand-mile radius around their position that you assign it. Typically, these bats will either hover at a particular point or settle in a specific location. The moment they sense the targeted beings within their purview, they spring into action, converging towards the area in question. Your task then is to affix a tracking talisman and follow the bat's movement, leading you to the exact location."
As Jiang Chen concluded his explanation, the remarkable potential of these bats began to dawn on the assembled rulers.
"What considerations do we need to keep in mind when dealing with these bats?" queried the leader of the Desert Nomad Ascendancy, his curiosity piqued.
Jiang Chen's concealed smile lingered behind his mask as he responded, "The operation of these bats is relatively straightforward, but your focus should be on their sustenance and habitat. These Grey Aura Detection Bats happen to be rather discerning eaters, relying exclusively on Devil Bloodthorn Toads as their nourishment. The catch, however, lies in the fact that these toads can only be found within a specific valley situated within the bounds of the Silver Devil Asura Dominion."
At this juncture, a glimmer of realization dawned upon the rulers, understanding the underlying implications concealed within Jiang Chen's words.
They understood that while employing these remarkable creatures might prove straightforward, the investment needed to maintain them and ensure their vitality was bound to be exorbitant as they would need to be dependent on this demon.
Subsequently, as the meeting continued, the conversation delved into the realm of negotiations. The price of each Grey Aura Detection Bat and the acquisition cost of the Devil Bloodthorn Toads became the focal point of discussion.
Ingeniously, through the seemingly modest exchange of these devil beasts, which were seemingly insignificant within the Silver Devil Asura Dominion, Jiang Chen orchestrated a deal that would grant him access to the rare elemental resources exclusive to the Western Deserts.
This shrewd maneuver allowed him not only to bolster his own reserves of precious resources but also to undermine the power of the formidable Giant Race. By facilitating the human Empires' robust counterattacks against the Giant assaults, Jiang Chen set in motion a cascading effect that promised to weaken the Giants significantly.
With this strategy in mind, Jiang Chen envisioned a calculated move – a swift and decisive blow against the ailing Giant Race.
Such an action would not only diminish their strength but also grant him access to the rare treasure within their dominion. A treasure that held the potential to shatter the restraints binding his power.
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