Spirit Realm

“You shouldn’t have said it like that, uncle.”

After Qin Lie had left, Hayley let out a sigh and said worriedly, “Qin Lie is different from what you think.”

“How so?” the former Sea Race patriarch, Spid, asked doubtfully.

Back when he was still at rank ten bloodline and the patriarch of the Sea Race, he was known as a well-respected person throughout Spirit Realm.

In the past, even the Qin Family would’ve been beneath his attention. He had his own pride, so to speak.

That was why he had thought that it wasn’t right of the Qin Family to send a third generation child over to discuss with him about something this important.

He thought that Qin Lie should’ve contacted a senior of the Qin Family and the people in charge and requested them to meet him here immediately.

In his mind, Qin Lie was a boy who had emerged to importance only because he had the backing of the Qin Family. He truly didn’t think that Qin Lie was deserving of a meeting with him.

“Father, maybe… Sister Hayley is correct,” Vanessa said quietly.

Spid was caught off guard by her remark as he stared back and forth between the two women. “You can’t seriously think that that boy can make a decision on behalf of the Qin Family?”

Before Hayley and Vanessa could make a reply, a disdainful smile crossed his face before he commented uncaringly, “Even if the God Race’s bloodline does flow within his veins, he’s just at rank eight bloodline. It’s not like I’ve never met a rank eight God Race clansman in my life, and they didn’t look all that special to me. Plus, he’s just a mixed-blood. I don’t think he’s capable of unleashing the full power of the God Race bloodline.”

He then looked up and added, “I know he’s been quite famous recently, but that’s just the Qin Family pulling strings from behind the scenes, don’t you think?”

“Uncle, you don’t know anything about him because you’ve never dealt with him before,” Hayley said bitterly.

Vanessa also contributed her thoughts seriously after a moment. “He really is no small fry, father.”

Back at Blue Snake Sea, she had fought Qin Lie briefly but failed to gain any upper hand at all. Her bloodline was rank nine at the time.

Moreover, she had seen the respect in the soul servants’ eyes every time they looked at him Qin Lie. She was certain that Qin Lie was nothing like her father had imagined.

Spid smiled at them but continued uncaringly, “It doesn’t matter, let’s move on to the next topic. Anyway, you girls have nothing to worry about. I’ve already made another arrangement beforehand.”

“Another arrangement?” Hayley looked slightly moved.

“Pina should be arriving very soon.” Spid smiled.

Both Hayley and Vanessa were surprised when they heard this. They all fell silent as they waited for Pina to arrive.

As promised, a woman with a human face but a snake’s body soon appeared from the distant horizon.

“Sea King Pina!” Hayley exclaimed.

Vanessa was hiding her surprise as well.

“Well met, old patriarch.” Pina dropped down from the sky and bowed respectfully towards Spid.

Not long ago, she was standing together with Pei Dehong and Hong Ju, making preparations to fight against the Profound Ice Family at the edge of Shattered Ice Realm.

But since the human experts of the six great forces had retreated from Shattered Ice Realm, she had no reason to stay there any longer.

As a Sea King, Pina had many ways to contact the Qin Family directly.

She had done exactly that just moments ago.

“So? What did the Qin Family say?” Spid asked a little nervously.

After learning that the human experts of six great forces had retreated from Shattered Ice Realm one after another, he had secretly requested Pina to send a message to the Qin Family on his behalf.

Just like he had told Qin Lie earlier, he would support the Qin Family and raise Vanessa as the next patriarch if they promised to eliminate the three Sea Kings who had opposed him.

It was true that the Sea Race wasn’t as strong as the Ancient Beast Race or the Dragon Race, but they were a very important race out of all the foreign races that exists in Spirit Realm.

He thought that the Qin Family would be interested in making a deal with him.

However, his expectant gaze was met with a look of bitterness from Pina. She shook her head and said, “The Qin Family said that they’re not interested in interfering with the Sea Race’s internal affairs.”

The light in Spid’s eyes instantly dimmed. He asked anxiously, “Why would they not be interested in this? The Sea Race will be their firm ally if they’re willing to help us! There’s no way they’re not interested in the slightest!”

“I’m not sure why myself,” Pina sighed.

“Roar!”

It was at this moment an earthshaking roar suddenly came from the distance.

A lush forest far, far away from the island on suddenly glowed brightly with golden light and imposing aura.

Then, a golden giant who looked as tall as the sky above their heads climbed up to his feet and towered over the forest.

Qin Lie himself was floating next to the golden giant with a smile on his face.

“Why haven’t you visited us while you were passing through our borders, Qin Lie?” Banderas’s voice was as loud as thunder, and every time he spoke the nearby sky seemed to be shivering with golden light. “You are the Giant Race’s most respected guest and my best friend. You simply must give me the opportunity to thank you while you’re still here.”

“It’s all thanks to you that I was able to return from the Frost Desolation Abyss after my bloodline had reached rank ten.”

“If it wasn’t for you, the Great Lord of the Frost Desolation Abyss Dawson wouldn’t have allowed me to return safe and sound.”

“In the future, even more giants will be heading to the Frost Desolation Abyss to battle. Please take care of them when the time comes, okay?”

“If you need me for anything, just say a word and I, Banderas, will do my best to help you.”

“……”

“I heard that the Qin Family have engaged the human race’s six great forces in war recently. 

“……”

Give me a word, and I will head over to Spirit Realm to aid you right now.”

Banderas’s voice was so loud that everyone could literally hear his conversation with Qin Lie.

On the other hand, Qin Lie was speaking in his usual volume. While Banderas was perfectly capable of hearing Qin Lie, neither Spid nor Hayley were in range to hear the latter’s responses.

Therefore, all they could hear was Banderas inviting Qin Lie very passionately to be a guest in the Giant Race.

However, the one-sided conversation had revealed several shocking news to them.

For one, Banderas had reached rank ten in the Frost Desolation Abyss. This meant that he had probably become the strongest existence in Boluo Realm.

The Giant Race was one of the strongest races in the world to begin with, so Giant Race clansman like Banderas was way stronger than someone like Pina, even at equal bloodline rank.

But as powerful he might be, Banderas had greeted Qin Lie so passionately that it was almost like he was doing his best to flatter the boy! 

Moreover, he also made it clear that he was willing to fight against the human’s six great forces for Qin Lie, not the Qin Family.

The old patriarch looked stunned by Banderas’s words.

It took him a long while before he recovered from his shock and asked, “Who is… Dawson?”

“He’s the strongest Great Lord of the Frost Desolation Abyss and a rank ten Abyss Devil. His strength is comparable to that of those rank ten God Race experts of the War of the Hundred Races.” Hayley had fought in the Frost Desolation Abyss before, so obviously she was rather informed of the situation over there. She gave him a bitter smile before saying, “One Dawson is enough to…”

She shot a glance at Pina and hesitated for a moment. Ultimately, she decided to finish her sentence anyway and said, “... kill all five of our Sea Kings with ease.”

Spid’s expression changed drastically when he heard this.

Surprisingly, Pina didn’t look angry. In fact, she was wearing a look of fear on her face, “It is true that the strongest of the Abyss Devils have the strength to do so. I can’t deny that.”

It was because she had recalled her encounter with Terror Devil King and Despair Devil King at Shattered Ice Realm just a while ago. The memory made her feel cold from head to toe.

If the Ice Emperor hadn’t arrived back then, they… probably would have suffered tremendous losses.

That was why she thought that it was perfectly normal for Dawson, a great Abyss Devil like Despair Devil King to kill all five of their Sea Kings with ease.

“That giant said that Qin Lie’s word was the only reason Dawson had allowed him to go free? It wasn’t my ears playing tricks on me, was it?” Spid asked again.

Hayley, Vanessa, and Pina all shook their heads bitterly and proved him right.

“How did he come to possess so much power?” Spid exclaimed.

“Uncle, the entrance to the Frost Desolation Abyss belongs to Qin Lie, not the Qin Family.”

Hayley hesitated for a moment before explaining, “You haven’t been to the Frost Desolation Abyss before, so you have no idea how many terrifying Corpse Demons he had accumulated at the Frost Desolation Abyss. Those Corpse Demons are all made up of rank seven and rank eight Abyss Devils, and I highly doubt that any one of the Gold rank forces would be able to resist them if they were to be deployed in Spirit Realm.”

“Moreover, he has been making contact with various outer realm races in the Frost Desolation Abyss. The Ji Family, Sky Mender Palace, and the Qin Family had to beg him to gain access.”

“You haven’t figured out the situation at all, uncle.”

Hayley smiled bitterly.

Hayley’s reply caused Spid to shake all over. Then, he suddenly flew towards the Giant Race’s territory in haste.

“Uncle, what are you doing?” Hayley asked urgently.

“I’m heading over to beg for his forgiveness.”