Immortal of the Nine Realms

Chapter 1746: Let’s Cooperate, Monarch Fang

The fat man looked at Fang Chen. ”Let’s cooperate, Monarch Fang.”

Fang Chen wasn’t surprised. His identity had already been exposed. The fact that the other party could find him meant they already knew.

”Cooperate? With you demons?” Fang Chen smiled faintly. ”Tell me, how exactly do you propose we cooperate?”

Seeing that Fang Chen didn’t reject him outright, the fat man’s eyes lit up with a trace of delight. ”You help the awakened demon race establish a foothold in the Nine Mortal Realms. I will help you unify the Underworld so you can become the true Monarch Yan.”

”Am I not already Monarch Yan right now?”

The fat man shook his head with a smile. ”Your current authority is limited to the Lesser Underworld. How can that count as being the true Monarch Yan? If you encounter Motian Dizang in the Floating Pagoda Realm, your identity as Monarch Yan might allow you to escape one or two life-threatening situations, but it won’t be able to protect you forever. I’ve witnessed Motian Dizang’s abilities before. In the Nine Mortal Realms, very few can stand against him.”

”No matter how strong he is, his reach doesn’t extend into the Lesser Underworld,” countered Fang Chen. ”I don’t need to worry about him. What I should be concerned about is your Demon Race. Look at the Taicang Realm. If not for the intervention of the Fangcun Realm and Shenwang Realm, this entire region would already be yours. With your ambitions, do you really think you’ll stop at one realm? At that point, another Three Realms Upheaval will unfold.”

He pressed, ”The value of cooperation lies in complementing each other’s strengths. Yet you only mention helping me unify the Underworld, while saying nothing about the Nine Mortal Realms. That tells me your intentions lack sincerity. And secondly, you speak of cooperation, but you’ve yet to say who you even are. How am I supposed to continue this conversation? Show some sincerity, and we can truly sit down and talk. Otherwise, you go your way, I go mine, and we’ll see how things end in the future.”

The fat man stared at Fang Chen without blinking. A faint smile gradually formed on his face. ”So, compared to the Underworld, you care more about the Nine Mortal Realms?”

Fang Chen raised an eyebrow. ”With the threat of extinction looming, the Nine Mortal Realms naturally matter more than the Underworld.”

The fat man sighed. ”But you should understand, at present, even you and the so-called human race... may have originated from my homeland. Our two races are already indistinguishable from one another. Why continue to slaughter each other and exhaust what little foundation remains? Our true enemies should be the Demonic Beast Race and the Fallen Immortals.

”Motian Dizang was originally from the Demonic Beast Race. If he gains control of the Underworld and ascends to the position of Heavenly Dao, both our races will be wiped out in an instant. So you shouldn’t be fixated on opposing us. The priority now is to stop him from attaining the Heavenly Dao.”

”What you say has some merit.” Fang Chen smiled, but his expression turned cold just as quickly. ”But I’m a short-sighted person. Right now, I only see the calamity of your demon race, not a threat from the Demonic Beast Race. And you still haven’t told me your name. How are we supposed to continue this conversation?”

The fat man smiled. ”Lang Daochun—Lang as in corridor; Dao as in Heavenly Dao; Chun as in purity.”

Fang Chen chuckled. ”Lying makes you a dog, you know?”

Lang Daochun fell silent for a moment, then slowly. ”If I’m lying, I’m a dpg.”

”I can see some sincerity now, but there’s something I don’t quite understand. Even though I possess Monarch Yan’s inheritance, the power I currently command doesn’t even compare to some second-tier factions, let alone top-tier ones,” said Fang Chen. ”You talk about cooperation and complementing strengths, but from your perspective, I’m lacking in every aspect. So what exactly is your real objective?”

”Don’t underestimate yourself.” Lang Daochun smiled. ”Right now, you’re indeed of limited help to me. But this war won’t end overnight. If one day you unify the Underworld, and I am your ally, you should at least return the favor. My demands aren’t many. Just carve out a portion of the Nine Mortal Realms for my people to live and reproduce.”

”As far as I know, the demon race already controls a reincarnated Heavenly Dao,” said Fang Chen. ”It might be incomplete, but it still managed to expose my identity, showing its edge. With such a Heavenly Dao, if you unleash a demonic calamity, how many awakened demons will appear across the Nine Mortal Realms? Would a single realm really be enough for you?”

Lang Daochun sighed softly. ”No matter how many demons there are, we’re not immortal. Just like you humans, most of our people are merely mortals. They, too, need to reincarnate. And if you are the Monarch Yan, and refuse to open that path for them, then after reincarnation, would they still be demons? And to be honest, I’ve already realized something. This ancient struggle has not ended, but the true victors... are you. Some people simply fail to see this, or refuse to accept it. That’s why this war in the Taicang Realm has erupted.”

Fang Chen smiled. ”So what you fear is that even if your demon race awakens, after reincarnation, their memories will be sealed, and they’ll live as humans again. After hundreds of lifetimes, even if they awaken, they’ll no longer fully see themselves as demons. That’s what worries you, isn’t it?”

”Exactly.” Lang Daochun nodded frankly. ”I’m deeply concerned about that. If that truly happens, our race will effectively go extinct.”

Fang Chen’s eyes narrowed. ”I am assuming the reason this flaw exists at all is that the former Monarch Yan shattered your Underworld, right?” Fang Chen suddenly asked.

Lang Daochun fell silent, simply staring at Fang Chen for a while. Finally, he said, ”I came here today with great sincerity to form an alliance with you. In the short term, I don’t need anything from you. If you ever need help, just say the word, my people and I will support you and plan for you. All I ask for is a single promise.”

Fang Chen frowned. ”Why not cooperate with Motian Dizang? He might agree to your terms and give you that promise.”

”He absolutely wouldn’t,” Lang Daochun replied calmly. ”The Demonic Beast Race is not like the human race. The Nine Mortal Realms originally belonged to them. They have been bottling up resentment for countless years. Even if they cooperate with us on the surface, they will ultimately purge us completely. There is no possibility of cooperation between our race and theirs.”

Fang Chen’s smile widened. ”But I can’t give you that promise. The struggle between our two races is something I’ve barely been involved in. From beginning to end, it has been our predecessors, those who became Yang Gods, laying out strategies behind the scenes. To counter those from your race, these predecessors endured unbearable consequences. They lose their memories, were humiliated by mortals, and were mocked by cultivators in the cultivation world. Tell me, what right do I have to make such a promise?”

Lang Daochun frowned deeply, falling into silence.

”If you can lift your forbidden techniques, I’ll bring in a few Yang Gods. Then we can sit down properly and discuss cooperation,” Fang Chen said. ”You’re right, the Demonic Beast Race will never give you a chance, but we humans are different. If mutual benefit is possible, perhaps we can walk this path together.”