“Has every gift already been secretly priced?”


    Gu Qingyi’s eyes flickered as she read the message. The dragon pearl fragment had given her a head start, but unexpectedly, it brought about such a disaster.


    “I’m heading there right away.”


    She replied to the Shanghai Association and prepared to leave for the city. However, Lu Ran stopped her, saying, “Wait, Dr. Gu.”


    “Judging from the photos, that divine dragon is likely above level 70; even the Fishman King wouldn’t stand a chance. Going there won’t help, and you might really be its main target, as Manager Ying predicted.”


    “What should we do then?”


    Gu Qingyi looked at Lu Ran, who shrugged helplessly and said, “I mean, Manager Ying and I should go with you, at least to help a bit, especially when ites to escaping.”


    Manager Ying: ?


    …As the ck Dragon appeared, the sky and earth changed color. In Shanghai, numerous gathered beastmasters stared at the enormous divine dragon in the sky, nearly scared out of their wits, their faces turning exceedingly pale.


    The news spread nationwide at incredible speed, with photos of the ck Dragon taken by bystanders rapidly shared online.


    People all over the country were in shock as they watched the catastrophic scene behind the ck Dragon.


    Of course, the most tense were the beastmasters in Shanghai. Recently, countries around the world had been experiencing attacks by powerful ferocious beasts, with even small nations being wiped out by ancient creatures.


    Xia Country was rtively fortunate to have avoided any significant disasters so far. But with the appearance of this ck Dragon, the beastmasters in Shanghai were filled with overwhelming fear.


    Judging by its might, this ck Dragon was far more terrifying than the giant snake that rampaged across the African continent.


    [Species]: ck Abyss Dragon King


    [Attributes]: Loong-type (Dark, Water, Fire)


    [Species Level]: Upper Overlord


    [Growth Level]: Level 70


    Some beastmasters with intermediate eye of data shivered upon seeing the data of this ck Dragon. Without a doubt, it was a top-level ancient creature.


    “Roar!!!” The ck Abyss Dragon King flew over Shanghai, showing a disdainful expression as countless weapons targeted it.


    In its disdain, its eyes revealed confusion because the breath it was searching for was strongest here, but upon its actual arrival, the scent abruptly vanished.


    [I am looking for a dragon pearl fragment.]


    [It is here among you.]


    [I give you 10 days to find the fragment and hand it over, and we will part peacefully.]


    [If not, I will return in 10 days to search for it myself, and I cannot ensure that there will be no destruction during the search.]


    Despite its disdain for the surrounding warships, aircraft, and beastmasters, the ck Abyss Dragon King dared not act rashly.


    Recently, the international alliance had bombarded an ancient giant snake with multiple nuclear missiles, and ferocious beasts worldwide had sensed the terrifying power of these weapons. ?


    Although some ferocious beasts believed they’d evade such a weapon if they were forewarned, they remained somewhat wary of human technological advancements.


    Noticing the trail went cold, the ck Abyss Dragon King left a few telepathic derations, deciding to let humans find and surrender the dragon pearl fragment themselves.


    The dragon pearl fragment was useless to humans, and it believed they wouldn’t foolishly be enemies with the Dragon Pce.


    After speaking, the ck Dragon King turned its body and flew away under the anxious gaze of countless people.


    Only after its figure disappeared did the massive protective forces gathered in Shanghai breathe a sigh of relief, feeling a lingering dread.


    “What on earth does that creature mean…”


    A retired First Generation stood on a high tower, puzzled as he watched the ck Dragon’s departing silhouette. A dragon pearl fragment? Did Xia Country possess such an item?


    “Damn, this guy is too arrogant.” After the ck Dragon left, a hot-tempered beastmaster immediately cursed.


    “But it has the means to be arrogant.”


    “st it with nukes,” someone retorted, “just like other countries did.”


    “Too difficult, the use of those weapons is heavily restricted with stringent conditions.”


    As they watched the ck Dragon King’s departure, many were breathing heavily, feeling as if they had walked through the gates of death. Cold sweat broke out among the entire popce of Xia Country, yet globally, few nations felt amon sense of hostility.


    On the contrary, they were watching the situation unfold as a joke.


    The intelligence about the ck Dragon King’s arrival in Shanghai was quickly gathered by major countries.


    “So, this Eastern giant is also targeted by ferocious beasts, and it’s a dragon-shaped ancient creature!!”


    “I wonder what they n to do.”


    “This ck Dragon King should be from the Dragon Pce, a deep sea overlord. In case of conflict, nuclear weapons would be difficult to use effectively, and considering Xia Country’s situation, they likely won’t resort to nukes easily.”


    “So, will they back down?”


    “Same as before, cede territory and pay reparations with a friendly smile.”


    With disasters urring frequently worldwide, even the Eagle Federation has experienced chaos caused by ancient creatures twice. Now that Xia Country faces a threat from such a being, it has immediately drawn global attention.


    There’s even a considerable group of peoplementing why a direct conflict didn’t break out.


    “It actually left.”


    On the highest tower in Shanghai, Lu Ran, Gu Qingyi, and Manager Ying appeared, looking out at the now-calm sea region. The three were slightly breathless from their rushed journey. Understandably, they were quite tense approaching the situation, unsure of what they would face. Fortunately, the situation wasn’t as dire.


    “It really came for the dragon pearl fragment,” Manager Yingmented. “It seems the ck Dragon King can vaguely sense the dragon pearl’s energy, but can’t pinpoint its exact location.”


    “Since Qingyi has been living and training intensively in Shanghai, the residual energy here might be the strongest, attracting it over.”


    “What should we do next? We don’t have a dragon pearl fragment to give it,” Lu Ran pondered.


    “Manager Ying,e on, even if there were a fragment avable, we can’t just hand it over,” Lu Ran said.


    “I know that!” Manager Ying replied.


    Surrendering resources won’t earn gratitude from the other side. Both the history of the blue star and the Star-Moon Continent teach one lesson: weakness only invites more oppression.


    If Xia Country were to back down to the ck Dragon King now, the only future waiting them would be rife with further extortion by ancient creatures.


    If a ck Dragon King cane today, tomorrow could see the arrival of a White Dragon King, and the day after, a Red Dragon King.


    In contrast, the Dragon Pce could gain significant notoriety in the beast world if itpelled a major human nation to submit. This stance taken by the ck Dragon King, regardless of whether Gu Qingyi can produce a dragon pearl fragment, inevitably strains the rtionship between both sides.


    “The other members of the twelve branches should be arriving soon.”


    “Let’s meet with them first,” Gu Qingyi said, sighing deeply. Lu Ran and Manager Ying could sense her frustration.


    …


    At the Shanghai Association, a meeting of the twelve branches was convened.


    With the exception of two members currently abroad, the other ten First Generation members gathered in Shanghai shortly after the ck Dragon King left. Lu Ran and Manager Ying, who were with Gu Qingyi, were exceptionally allowed to participate in the meeting.


    Thud.


    Someone thumped the table, annoyed. “Why did this have to happen now? The former guild leader just entered the breakthrough secret realm not long ago, isn’t that supposed to be confidential news?”


    “Is it possible that the ck Dragon is a level 70 upper overlord? Even if the former guild leader were here, it would be hard for him to defeat it.”


    “This is quite the dilemma you’ve handed us,” someone remarked, as the group discussed the matter. Lin Nian, among them, also looked at Gu Qingyi with a sense of helplessness. Like Manager Ying, the First Generation knew how Gu Qingyi cultivated her Loong-type, so they understood what the ck Dragon King meant by a dragon pearl fragment.


    “We must find a way to prepare for a confrontation. After all, it’s unreasonable to expect Gu Qingyi to hand over her Vast Sea Azure Dragon that has fused with a dragon pearl fragment,” Shi Zhen said, sighing. “But the ck Dragon King resides in the deep sea, making it impossible to initiatebat. If it shows up near Shanghai, even if we resist with all our might, it would cause significant destruction here, regardless of whether we can defeat it. Winning might be possible, but the cost would be hard to bear.”


    “There are already discussions in the outside world, suggesting we just hand over the dragon pearl fragment,” Zishu said, holding up his phone. “Of course, there are those who advocate forbat, and the inte is already abuzz with debates.”


    The First Generation members fell into silence. Fortunately, the public wasn’t aware of the connection between the dragon pearl fragment and Gu Qingyi; otherwise, her situation could be incredibly awkward, with a high chance of moral pressure being applied on her.


    In times like these, most people might prefer to see an individual sacrifice their own interests for the sake of peace.


    “The international alliance isn’t offering any proactive support.”


    “This situation…” Listening to the discussion, Gu Qingyi spoke up, “This all started because of me, and I cannot let innocent people get hurt because of it.”


    “So what can you do?” Lin Nian retorted, looking at her, “Surrender?”


    Gu Qingyi responded calmly, “That’s impossible.”


    “Even if I end up dying, surrendering is not an option. I’ll leave Xia Country and go to an uninhabited ind to negotiate directly with the ck Dragon King. If it understands the dragon pearl fragment has already been used and stops pursuing it, that would be ideal.”


    “If it’s not satisfied with that oue and wants more, I’ll fight it myself.”


    “The fact that the ck Dragon didn’t attack directly this time shows it’s somewhat wary of human nations. After I confront it, regardless of the oue, it’s likely it won’t attack Shanghai again.”


    “Hey, hey, hey -” Manager Ying chimed in from the side, “Even if your Vast Sea Azure Dragon evolves into an upper overlord, you can’t win a battle against it.”


    “You’re basically going to your death.”


    “I agree,” Lin Nian said. “But what about using Gu Qingyi as bait to lure the ck Dragon King elsewhere?”


    “If negotiations fail, we’ll strike the ck Dragon King together. I refuse to believe that, with so many of us, we can’t take it down.”


    “Does anyone disagree?”


    Shi Zhen, after a moment of silence, said, “The risk seems too great. The high-level members might not approve of such a n, especially with the former guild leader currently absent. A failure could mean devastation for Xia Country.”


    Lu Ran, who had been listening quietly, also felt the gravity of the situation intensifying.


    Ten days…


    Among the First Generation, Lu Ran suddenly suggested, “Perhaps we can offer the necromancy system as a reward to enlist strong individuals from other countries for assistance?”


    “That might be a possibility, but given that we’re facing a level 70 Loong-type boss, we wonder how strong these so-called allies can truly be. There’s a fear that if things go slightly south, they’ll just flee to Infinite City.”


    Zhu Kaixin shrugged, “It feels like a dead end. We can’t just do what the online critics are mocking, like ceding territory and payingpensation, offering resources to appease the Dragon Pce-it’s uneptable.”


    “There’s no way we let Dr. Gu face danger alone,” Lu Ran said, standing up. “Let’s not rush into a decision. We might see a turnaround within these ten days.”


    The group exchanged looks, understanding that it’s impossible to reach a resolution in such a short time.


    …


    After the initial meeting of the twelve branches dispersed, therge conference room only had Lu Ran, Gu Qingyi, and Manager Ying remaining.


    “Perhaps,” Gu Qingyi hesitated for a while, “perhaps we should just go with my original suggestion. It seems like the way to minimize losses.”


    “Dr. Gu, that’s foolish,” Lu Ran replied, exasperated. “Can you guarantee that sacrificing yourself will stop the ck Dragon King from attacking Xia Country? The dragons are greedy, and it might just demand even more.”


    “With conventional strength… it’s indeed difficult to oppose that ck Dragon King.”


    “I’ll think of something, find a way…” Lu Ran frowned deeply. Gu Qingyi nced at Lu Ran, slightly speechless. As a level 3 beastmaster, what could Lu Rane up with? Yet, Gu Qingyi felt touched by Lu Ran’s concern.


    “Divine Deer,” Lu Ran said slowly.


    “The Divine Deer is a legendary life, a retainer of the Creator Divine Loong, a level 100 legendary species. If we could secure the Divine Deer’s help, the ck Dragon King wouldn’t be an issue.”


    “Ha,” Manager Ying interjected. “Where are you going to find a Divine Deer?”


    “You’re more likely to see my main body awaken than find a Divine Deer.”


    “Could your main body really face the ck Dragon King?” Suddenly, a voice came from behind the door. Lin Nian, who had left earlier, seemed to have returned. Her eyes, shimmering with mental power, were fixed on Manager Ying. She asked, “Are you serious?”


    “Uh…” Manager Ying suddenly felt it had spoken too much, but then it looked at Gu Qingyi and turned its head seriously, saying, “Little mind-power girl.”


    “Do you want to take a gamble?”


    “If Xia Country expends all its national power to try to awaken my main body, then perhaps I can give it a shot.”


    “Manager Ying??” Gu Qingyi turned sharply to Manager Ying, puzzled by its sudden show of Domineering Energy. Wasn’t this creature alwaysining about its own weakness?


    “Is it possible?” Lu Ran asked Lin Nian, “Because I’d like that too! If Xia Country’s association could marshal its resources to enhance my current Pet Beast Legion, I would also want to participate. Though, to be honest, I’m still more inclined to search for the Divine Deer.”