After sending the message, the Demon Ancestor waited quietly, showing no signs of impatience.
Meanwhile, somewhere in Chaos, within a strange land. The Lord of Greed received the Demon Race's message, and his mind stirred.
Though it was only a twenty percent share, the Immortal Realm was originally an immensely vast Limitless World that had birthed more than one native Limitless existence.
Furthermore, the Immortal Ancestor who created the Immortal Realm was an existence at the very peak of the Limitless Primordial.
To divide twenty percent of its Origin—what an enormous temptation! To the Lord of Greed, the Immortal Realm's prosperity and vast Origin were supreme delicacies.
In the past, he had been wary of the Heavenly Emperor, the Grand Supreme Dao Venerable, and other such existences. Additionally, since the Demon Ancestor had his sights on these resources, he couldn't easily intervene.
If the Demon Ancestor took the lead and they struck together, the risk would be greatly reduced, and just this twenty percent share... would be enough for his Dao to take another step forward!
Now that such a great opportunity had arrived, how could the Lord of Greed not be tempted?
However, the Lord of Greed couldn't simply agree just like that. His response came back across time and space, sounding directly within the core of the Demon Abyss where the Demon Ancestor resided. His voice was hoarse, and his tone was one of unabashed greed:
"Twenty percent? Jie jie jie... Demon Ancestor, you are still as 'generous' as ever."
"That newly ascended Limitless Primordial actually commands such attention from you? This seat feels that he seems to have something very 'delicious' on him; even my Origin of Greed is slightly restless..."
The Lord of Greed spoke in a peculiar, mocking tone, but the Demon Ancestor was not surprised.
This fellow was not an easy Master to deal with.
"I am... very interested in your proposal."
"However, twenty percent? That is too little. This realm is incredibly vast with deep foundations... To confront a Limitless existence, this seat must go in person, which is extremely dangerous. If I fall, let alone this thirty percent, even the entire Immortal Realm wouldn't be enough to compensate."
The Lord of Greed spoke very quickly, clearly dissatisfied with the Demon Ancestor's distribution of interests.
However, the Demon Ancestor was no pushover either, and naturally, he wouldn't allow this fellow to demand an exorbitant price.
"Twenty percent of the Immortal Realm's Origin is already an immeasurable amount. You should know that this realm contains the legacy of the Immortal Ancestor. Even twenty percent is a resource you would struggle to accumulate in a million years. Do not dream of too much."
"Demon Ancestor, since you took the initiative to invite me, you must have determined that this Xuantian Dao Venerable has already threatened you and you urgently need external force to check him."
"In that case... thirty percent!"
The Lord of Greed directly raised the stakes:
"Thirty percent of the Immortal Realm's Origin shall belong to me! And..."
He paused, and a more fervent covetousness leaked through his greedy intent:
"That fellow... if the two of us suppress him, everything of his will be at my disposal!"
The Demon Ancestor gave a cold snort, and the Devilish Qi of the entire Chaos Demon Abyss churned violently.
Thirty percent of the Immortal Realm's Origin was already staggering, and he even wanted the Origin of a Limitless Primordial?
The Lord of Greed truly lived up to his name; he opened his mouth with a desire to swallow heaven and earth.
However, seeing that the other party had already taken the bait, the Demon Ancestor did not continue to haggle.
"Thirty percent... fine, but we shall share that fellow's Origin."
"Jie jie..."
The Lord of Greed laughed strangely,
"Deal! However, if this seat has other gains, you cannot stop me."
The Demon Ancestor pondered slightly; this fellow truly had many schemes.
"Fine."
The Demon Ancestor finally agreed, though his tone was much colder:
"But I shall lead this operation, and the timing will be decided by me. Your true body must also act. If my plan fails due to your greedy and reckless actions, this seat will not let you off."
"Deal!"
The Lord of Greed's intent radiated satisfaction.
Naturally, the two of them did not mention any contracts. After all, no contract existed that could bind a Limitless Primordial existence.
To put it bluntly, this cooperation relied entirely on one's own capabilities.
In the Chaos Demon Abyss, the surrounding Devilish Qi slowly calmed down.
The Demon Ancestor looked toward the Immortal Realm, a cold calculation flashing deep within his pitch-black demonic eyes.
"Greedy fool... Once the Immortal Realm collapses and Xuantian Dao Venerable is executed, your Origin will also become my nourishment..."
"I'll let you be my vanguard first, to test the depths of that Xuantian Dao Venerable and exhaust the power of the Immortal Realm..."
...
Heavenly Court.
Li Haokong had finished leading Han Xuanji on a tour of the Heavenly Court, and he still felt like he hadn't had enough.
Being able to accompany this person on a tour, he only felt it was his honor.
By the time they had roughly toured a circle and returned to the vicinity of the Lingxiao Palace, Han Xuanji's System space already contained a mountain of treasures piled with various rare curios, Cultivation Technique manuals, and divine Materials.
Any single one of these gains would be enough to trigger a struggle between major powers, yet he had gathered them all as easily as if he were strolling through a market.
"This Heavenly Court truly deserves its title as the ancient orthodoxy; its foundation is deeper than imagined,"
Han Xuanji thought with emotion. He was now just short of directly moving the entire Heavenly Court away. Han Xuanji glanced at the respectful Li Haokong beside him and the towering, sacred Hall of Miraculous Mist in the distance, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
When the Demon Ancestor's Dharma Body descended, the Immortal Realm would surely face a great upheaval sweeping across the heavens.
But Han Xuanji's confidence was now surging. He felt that as long as he digested these gains, what could this Demon Ancestor do to him?
"It's just... I still need to make some arrangements as soon as possible, advise my Disciples, and prepare early."
Han Xuanji made up his mind. Seeing the figures of Li Haokong and Han Xuanji appear.
"Greetings, Great Heavenly Venerable!"
The On-duty Heavenly Kings and Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, seeing it was Han Xuanji and Li Haokong, hurriedly bowed respectfully and made way.
Li Haokong said respectfully:
"Great Heavenly Venerable, the tour is mostly complete. Ahead is the Lingxiao Palace. His Majesty once said that if the Dao Venerable has any needs, he may enter the palace at any time to discuss them."
Han Xuanji's eyes flickered slightly. He smiled faintly and shook his head, saying:
"There is no need to trouble Fellow Daoist Heavenly Emperor further. This trip to the Heavenly Court has been very fruitful. I thank the Heavenly Emperor for his hospitality, and I also thank you for accompanying me along the way."
Li Haokong repeatedly said he didn't dare to take credit, but in his heart, he breathed a sigh of relief.
To be honest, the pressure of accompanying this Great Heavenly Venerable on a tour was truly not small. He was afraid of saying or doing the wrong thing; if he truly offended this person, he feared even the Heavenly Emperor wouldn't be able to protect him.
Just then, several familiar auras rapidly approached from the distance.
Han Xuanji looked up and saw it was Li Taiqing, Nangong Wenjian, Lu Fan, Lin Potian, and the others.
Many matters had already been initially discussed, and the remaining tasks were not for these big shots to do.
The group arrived before Han Xuanji and hurriedly bowed respectfully:
"Greetings, Master (Senior Brother)!"
Han Xuanji's gaze swept over them. Seeing his Disciples' Qi was full and there was a hint of excitement between their brows, he knew their discussions in the Heavenly Court must have yielded results.
"At ease. How did the discussions go?"
As the Eldest Senior Brother, Li Taiqing stepped forward and replied steadily:
"Reporting to Master, thanks to the fairness of the Heavenly Emperor and the various Emperors, it has been initially agreed: Since the Demon Race invaded and Master took action to repel the enemy, your contribution is paramount. The Heavenly Court is willing to grant a Floating Immortal Land Beyond the Thirty-Third Heaven and its surrounding Star Domains to Master. "
"At the same time, the major powers will also open access to parts of their treasuries. Fighting the Demon Race will earn merit, which can be used to exchange for resources."
"In addition, the regulations involving future defensive cooperation, intelligence sharing, and resource allocation for the various immortal domains have also been initially drafted. The details still require further specific consultation."