Chapter 778: Sorry, I Choose to Refuse

Lu Qianqiu flicked his hair narcissistically and said with a faint smile, “To be as stupid as you are… you’re truly hopeless. It seems you haven’t understood a word I’ve said, nor do you have any clue what my objective is.”

“Hmph!” Having been repeatedly called “stupid” by Lu Qianqiu, the tyrannical aura in the Abyss Lord’s eyes grew even more intense.

If not for his current weakened state and his wariness of Lu Qianqiu’s strength, he probably would have turned on him long ago.

Just then, Lu Qianqiu continued, “The being sealed by the Heaven-Slaying Trident was the Netherworld Ghost Venerable, one of the three great Ghost Venerables of the Thousand Soul Hall. While you were still playing in the mud down in the Abyss, he was already a legendary figure in this world! And not only was this Ghost Venerable rescued by the boy right in front of you, but they also share a profound connection! If you dare to touch him, believe it or not, that old monster could crush you in an instant.”

“I give you a bit of attention, and you really think you’re a big shot?”

The Abyss Lord fell silent. He didn’t entirely believe Lu Qianqiu’s words.

However, when a wisp of his Soul Thought had lingered on Mu Feng, waiting for Shen Lang outside the Hungry Ghost Dao, he had indeed felt an aura that made his very soul tremble.

But the aura vanished in a flash, completely untraceable, almost like an illusion.

Now that Lu Qianqiu had mentioned the Ghost Venerable, the Abyss Lord found himself believing most of it.

The presence of something like the Heaven-Slaying Trident, one of the Ten Great Celestial Artifacts, in the Hungry Ghost Dao was a huge question in itself. And the fact that it seemed to be used to seal something…

And for an existence to be able to make his soul tremble, yet have an otherwise undetectable aura… at the very least, it proved this being’s power far surpassed his imagination!

This Ghost Venerable’s Cultivation not only surpassed his own as the Abyss Lord, but it was also definitely far beyond that of the people who had injured him earlier!

‘If that old monster really hasn’t left the Dragon Scale Divine Hall, and he has a special relationship with this kid…’

‘…then by plotting against this kid, wouldn’t I be provoking an even more powerful mortal enemy?’

‘I’ve fought tooth and nail and gone through all this trouble just to avoid Taotie and the others and escape this Dragon Scale Divine Hall.’

‘If an even more powerful Ghost Venerable is added to the mix, won’t I lose even the slightest sliver of hope?’

The Abyss Lord was silent for a long time before he said hatefully, “Lu Qianqiu, stop beating around the bush with me. You and I are not enemies. Our enemies are those powerhouses who invaded the Dragon Scale Divine Hall. Just state your purpose! I don’t have time to listen to you drone on!”

Lu Qianqiu’s expression turned cold as he snapped, “Drone on, my ass! I try to talk to you nicely, and you get cocky, is that it?”

“In the ten thousand years I was asleep, you tried to sneak up and kill me more than once. I haven’t even settled that score with you yet! Now I’m offering you a hand, and instead of being grateful, you’re complaining that I’m too long-winded?”

This time, even Shen Lang started to roll his eyes.

‘Lu Qianqiu was indeed a bit long-winded, but his rambling was clearly aimed at the Abyss Lord’s wooden skull…’

‘Because after all this time, even he, Shen Lang, had figured out what was going on, yet the Abyss Lord still hadn’t gotten it!’

‘It seemed power and intelligence weren’t directly proportional. Many of these Abyss Demons grew powerful by devouring one another.’

‘The minds of those Demons in the Abyss might truly contain nothing but slaughter and destruction, without a trace of subtlety.’

‘So it was no wonder Lu Qianqiu was so irritated. Anyone would be fed up after explaining for so long only to have the other person not understand and then complain about the long-windedness.’

Lu Qianqiu took a deep breath and said coldly, “My purpose is simple. Give up your unrealistic ideas, stop plotting against this kid, and let’s cooperate!”

The Abyss Lord was slightly taken aback. “I wanted to cooperate with you from the very beginning. You’re the one who’s been obstructive… Besides, the two of us cooperating doesn’t seem to conflict with me going after this kid, does it?”

“SLAP!” Lu Qianqiu slapped a hand to his own forehead, an expression of utter despair on his face. “Damn it, a country bumpkin is a country bumpkin. Are all creatures that crawl out of the Abyss this ignorant and stupid? With that blockhead of yours, it’s a miracle you even thought to use Mu Feng to lure this kid into a trap… When I say cooperate, I mean the three of us! Three! Do you understand?”

“I understand. But what gives this human kid the right to cooperate with us? What qualifications does he have?” The Abyss Lord, having been called an “idiot” over and over by Lu Qianqiu, was filled with a pent-up anger he couldn’t vent, feeling utterly frustrated.

Lu Qianqiu seemed to be regretting his decision to seek out such an idiot for a partner.

‘This bastard has immense power, but his brain is completely undeveloped!’

Sighing, Lu Qianqiu said leisurely, “You swaggered out, got ganged up on and beaten half to death… and now you’ve lost a chunk of your Soul Power trying to go after this kid, yet you have the nerve to say *he’s* not qualified?”

“My strength, plus what’s left of your half-dead self, is nowhere near enough to fight those guys… Escaping from right under their noses is even less likely. The key to us leaving this Dragon Scale Divine Hall lies with him!”

The Abyss Lord shook his head very directly. “I don’t understand. Why is he the key? What can he do?”

Lu Qianqiu turned to glance at Shen Lang and felt like he was about to cry…

After composing himself, he said listlessly, “Aren’t those guys over there planning to play a game? Their playground is this Dragon Scale Divine Hall, and the two of us, along with the things beneath my feet, will likely be the ultimate prize of their game…”

“Neither of us wants to be their playthings, right? And we certainly don’t want to be captured by them, do we?”

The Abyss Lord’s eyes went wide. He said in a low voice, “You mean we join forces and play a game with them?”

Lu Qianqiu was so moved he was on the verge of tears. “Damn it, you finally understand me! That wasn’t easy!”

The Abyss Lord: “…”

His spirits lifted, Lu Qianqiu continued, “To enter the core of the Dragon Scale Divine Hall, one must pass through the Life and Death Road. And before all the Restrictions on the Life and Death Road are removed, only Martial Artists below the King Martial Realm Second Heaven can pass!”

“As long as this little brother cooperates with us, with my knowledge of the Life and Death Road, I can set up numerous traps along it and awaken the dormant Restrictions within…”

“Then, once all the gates on the Life and Death Road are opened, when those guys who injured you enter, they’ll trigger the Restrictions and be trapped for a period of time. And that period will be long enough for us to leave the Dragon Scale Divine Hall. Understand?”

Upon hearing this, the Abyss Lord was overjoyed. “I understand… I’ve long heard that the Dragon Race is insidious, cunning, despicable, and shameless… no, no, I mean supremely intelligent and wise beyond compare!”

Lu Qianqiu rolled his eyes, then said, “There are still fifteen days until it opens. This little brother’s physical body is formidable, his methods are endless, and he even wields Netherworld Qi and Vermilion Bird Divine Fire. He will certainly be one of their chosen candidates.”

“They can pick the players for their game, but so can we! As long as he agrees to cooperate with us, he’ll be their chosen candidate, but he’ll secretly be our man. They want to play us? We’ll play them to death from the shadows! It’s that simple.”

The Abyss Lord didn’t speak, seemingly pondering Lu Qianqiu’s words, trying to find any flaws in his plan.

But Lu Qianqiu had made himself perfectly clear, and there were no apparent loopholes…

“Also…” At this, Lu Qianqiu’s expression changed, his gaze turning chillingly cold. “Abyss Old Demon, I know you won’t give up on this kid easily, so I have to make a few points crystal clear!”

“First, this kid has a peerless Sword Dao powerhouse with him. Although he seems to be very weak, if he were to fight with his life on the line, you might not come out on top in your current condition!”

“Second, those Emperor Martial Realm Powerhouses on the other side of the Dragon Scale Divine Hall are still watching you. The moment you use the power of your true body, they will find it. And then… heheh!”

“Third, believe what you will about the Thousand Soul Hall’s Ghost Venerable, but if you dare to make a move and ruin my plan… I will not only pass this information to the Ghost Venerable, but I will also join forces with him to deal with you! When you’re wiped from existence without a trace, don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

The Abyss Lord snorted coldly. After a long moment, he said, “And what do I get out of it in the end?”

Lu Qianqiu laughed. “Being able to escape from these guys is a massive benefit in itself. What more could you want?”

As he spoke, Lu Qianqiu pointed a finger at Shen Lang, who had been watching the show, and continued, “As long as he agrees, the three of us will be in an alliance. He can ask that old monster, the Ghost Venerable, to lend us a hand… You, me, and the Ghost Venerable, all working together, plus the traps we set for those guys on the Life and Death Road—dealing with those outside powerhouses will be no difficult task!”

“Escaping this Dragon Scale Divine Hall will be as easy as flipping your hand!”

“Is that not tempting enough for you?”

“The only reason you’ve been trying every trick in the book to get his body is so you can have your soul possess it and escape the Dragon Scale Divine Hall, isn’t it?”

“That’s right!” the Abyss Lord answered frankly.

Shen Lang’s gaze shifted. ‘So that was the Abyss Lord’s plan… It seems the threat from Taotie and the others is immense.’

Chuckling softly, Shen Lang said, “Excuse me, may I say something? Do I even have a choice?”

Lu Qianqiu laughed. “Do you think you have a choice?”

At that moment, the Abyss Lord’s terrifying, demonic eyes also swept toward Shen Lang.

The gazes of two Emperor Martial Realm Powerhouses, even without any deliberate release of pressure, felt to Shen Lang like two great mountains pressing down on him!

Shen Lang coldly swept his gaze over the two beings in the dark space and sneered, “If there’s nothing in it for me, then I’m sorry, but I choose… to refuse!”