The Rejuvenation Isles was clearly at its witâs end. Normally, fifty percent of anything was a shamefully unacceptable term.
Even for an heir of the sacred land, thirty percent was more than sufficient.
Rejuvenation had been backed into a corner and was looking for any solution it could.
If it didnât, it could only wait for Tritalent to gather its forces and rob them of the islands in dispute. It was even possible that Rejuvenationâs fortunes would decline irreparably as a result.
Blood in the water tended to attract sharks.
Though Rejuvenation was reasonably wealthy now, it wouldnât take long for it to be torn apart by rabid predators looking for a piece of the pie.
Jiang Chen was a principled individual. Fifty percent was extremely generous terms, and he saw no reason to take further advantage of the troubled duo in front of him.
He gave them a reassuring glance. âI wonât stay for much longer on Winterdraw, so letâs make this quick. Shall we embark now?â
Imperial Prince Huo was elated. He hadnât expected Jiang Chen to be so swift and decisive.
âIf we get out of this safely, Rejuvenation will never forget your aid, young lord Jiang Chen. If you need anything from us in the future, may your word be our command.â
âLetâs go.â
Jiang Chen didnât have any time to listen to flattery. He was more interested in the spirit stone veins on those islands. If the veins were especially rich, that would sate a burning need.
He had only a tenth of what the Great Formation needed right now. Perhaps this opportunity would make up another thirty or forty percent of the total.
If this paid off, gathering the rest would be a lot easier.
Lu Che and the other cultivators were a little disappointed after hearing Jiang Chen was leaving very soon.
âWinterdraw is my stronghold, is it not?â the young man consoled. âI will visit frequently in the future. In fact, its importance will rise a great deal soon enough. Donât slack off. Take good care of the island, alright?â
âAs you wish, young lord.â Lu Che was very accommodating. His life was in Jiang Chenâs hands, and the future leader of the Eternal Sacred Land would provide them with incredible prospects in any case.
They were having a hard time now, but they needed to endure.
Jiang Chen left Winterdraw on Rejuvenationâs airboat, which sailed through the sky back to its home. Winterdraw wasnât far from Rejuvenation. After all, the former had belonged to the latter in the past.
All throughout the trip, Imperial Prince Huo was the image of humility and servility.
The young man knew that the prince behaved this way only out of necessity, but saw no reason to make this plain.
At one point on the flight, Chief Warden Ding suddenly came to the shipâs front. âYour Royal Highness,â he declared seriously, âthere seems to be an ambush up ahead.â
âAn ambush?â Imperial Prince Huoâs expression darkened. âHave you investigated fully?â
âNot yet. Our scouts canât get too close for fear of unduly disturbing them. However, I suspect that the ambush is from Tritalent. Perhaps they know about your departure from Rejuvenation and plan to attack Your Royal Highness on the way back.â
Imperial Prince Huo was one of the most important members of royalty in Rejuvenation, a man second only to the emperor himself. Furthermore, he was trusted and respected within the chain of authority there.
His death would strike a serious blow against his faction.
âHow many enemies are there?â the imperial prince inquired in a low voice.
âNo concrete news yet. If it is Tritalent, though, theyâre sure to be here in droves. I think we should be careful.â
Imperial Prince Huo smashed a fist against the table. âWill these bastardsâ ruthlessness never end? Hmph, they took advantage of us when we were down before, but with the young lord on our side, any further aggression will be suicide!â
The young man could hear the imperial princeâs desire for him to step up.
Jiang Chen smiled a little. âWeâll deal with them as they come. Iâm sure Rejuvenation has suffered at the hands of Tritalent several times already. Shall we dish out some retribution?â
âHow? This humble prince defers to your judgment.â The imperial prince bowed.
âEasy. We just crush them.â Jiang Chenâs tone was cool.
Crush them?
Imperial Prince Huo exchanged an eager glance with Chief Warden Ding. If young lord Jiang Chen was going to take to the field himself, what would Tritalent amount to?
The rebels of both Eternal and Martial Divine Nations had been composed of first rate factions, and yet theyâd suffered grievous losses at the young manâs hand.
Tritalent had been inferior to Rejuvenation until very recently. The former had merely taken advantage of the latterâs weakness in light of misfortunate events to stir up a storm.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
Moreover, Tritalent only amounted to anything because of its alliances with its even weaker neighbors. A solid blow would absolutely devastate this unstable coalitionâs morale.
âOpen up the airboat. Iâm going outside to take a look.â Jiang Chen waved.
He led the charge out of the vessel, then leapt onto its roof. The Vermilion Bird and Long Xiaoxuan flanked him.
The sacred fowl and dragon by the youthâs side exuded a stunning aura that dazzled their spectators. The imperial prince and the warden found the incredible sight rather unrealistic.
Jiang Chen used his Godâs Eye to cover the entire expanse before him. His gaze pierced through the mists into the valley ahead. Lush forestation covered both sides of this valley, radiating an air of antiquity.
Suddenly, his consciousness detected something around the valley itself. A faint smile curled at his lips. There was something odd in the airspace just above it. The air currents flowed with an obvious sliver of killing intent.
It was a trap! A dimensional formation that would trigger as soon as the airboat entered.
âStop.â Jiang Chen waved once more.
At the speed they were going, they were on course to stumble in very shortly.
The airboat decelerated as soon as the order was given. It halted right before the suspicious patch of space. Imperial Prince Huo and Chief Warden Ding werenât about to let Jiang Chen be the only man in the vanguard. They charged ahead with their own forces, making a big show of their stalwartness and loyalty.