Chapter 1423: Chapter 1423 - 1408: Century-Long Pact

"Come back. As for the military funds, I can provide, but only six and a half million high grade spiritual stones!" Ultimately, the Blue-scaled Dragon King chose to yield.

After all, more than twenty million spirit stones had already been thrown away, so this last bit didn’t really matter.

Ye Zhen stopped in his tracks but did not turn around, "Ten million high grade spiritual stones is the minimum, anything less and there’s nothing to talk about!"

After speaking, Ye Zhen stood in place for three breaths. When he didn’t hear the Blue-scaled Dragon King’s voice, Ye Zhen began to move again.

But just as Ye Zhen lifted his foot, the Blue-scaled Dragon King’s voice rang out, "Ten million it is, I concede. Come back!"

A few breaths later, Ye Zhen turned back to the Blue-scaled Dragon King with a smile and extended his hand, "Where’s the spirit stones? Hand them over!"

After being savagely extorted by Ye Zhen this time, if the Blue-scaled Dragon King still didn’t understand Ye Zhen’s malicious intent, then he might as well have lived in vain.

"No rush, I’ve accepted this one. Once we finish discussing the rest of the conditions, I’ll give them to you all at once!" the Blue-scaled Dragon King snorted coldly, "Do you really think I can’t see through you? If this continues, the entire Blue-scaled Dragon Palace might be taken by you!"

Seeing the Blue-scaled Dragon King’s resolute demeanor, Ye Zhen also knew when to stop. He was already dancing on the edge, and if he pushed too hard, even though he held the leverage, it wouldn’t end well.

"With the war reparations settled, next, let’s discuss the ransom for your son Ao Zheng," Ye Zhen said.

"Name your price!" Perhaps the Blue-scaled Dragon King was enraged; he only uttered these two words and then coldly stared at Ye Zhen.

The Blue-scaled Dragon King had already made up his mind that if he ever got the chance, he would make this Ye regret ever coming into this world.

"There are four conditions for the ransom!"

Ye Zhen held up four fingers toward the Blue-scaled Dragon King, "First, from today onward, the Aquatic Race of North Sea must not invade North Sea County. Additionally, the area within five hundred miles of the coast is the fishing ground of the North Sea people, and the aquatic races must not cause trouble.

If any aquatic race dares to come ashore again, and I find out, I’ll activate the Divine Soul Restriction once. If they harm the North Sea fishing boats, I’ll activate it once more."

This demand wasn’t excessive. The Blue-scaled Dragon King nodded but added, "The Aquatic Race of North Sea is not just my Blue-scaled Dragon Palace alone. I can only ensure that I will fully restrain the water clan of the Blue-scaled Dragon Palace, but if other aquatic clans....."

"However, the waters adjacent to our North Sea County are entirely under your Blue-scaled Dragon Palace’s jurisdiction!" Ye Zhen directly interrupted the Blue-scaled Dragon King’s words, "If outsiders come to cause trouble, it’s on your territory, so it’s still your problem!"

"I have just one thing to say: if any aquatic race comes ashore and plunders or harms the people of North Sea County, I’ll harm your son!"

The Blue-scaled Dragon King was furious, but eventually, he nodded with great reluctance. This matter basically bore no cost; it just required him to issue strict orders.

"Second condition, from today onward, any vessel bearing my Ye Zhen’s banner can sail unimpeded in the waters of your Blue-scaled Dragon Palace. No aquatic race should obstruct or attack them. Otherwise, I’ll....."

"I know, you’ll deal with my son Ao Zheng!" The Blue-scaled Dragon King was exasperated, his expression one of utter helplessness, as if he had been cursed—no matter what, dealing with his son was always the threat, and he couldn’t retaliate.

This second condition was also just a matter of a command from the Blue-scaled Dragon King, so it was naturally passed smoothly.

"Third condition, the ocean floor is incredibly rich in Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, especially artifact refining materials. I don’t need much, just a million catties of these artifact refining materials." As he spoke, Ye Zhen tossed out a jade scroll.

Upon receiving it, the Blue-scaled Dragon King frowned. The Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures listed by Ye Zhen on the jade scroll were over a hundred kinds, of which ninety-nine percent were fairly common in the North Sea and not particularly valuable.

In terms of quantity, a million catties wasn’t too much either.

The territory under his Blue-scaled Dragon King Palace was vast, producing countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures. Fifty percent of the items on Ye Zhen’s jade scroll were merely the production of a few months for the Blue-scaled Dragon Palace, another thirty percent was the production of half a year,

and for one percent, a million catties was basically the production of a year in his Blue-scaled Dragon Palace. The remaining one percent would take two to three years of accumulation to gather a million catties.

For these, he could afford it all.

However, within the last half percent were five types of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that were exceedingly rare: Ten Thousand Yin Wood, Purple Heart Grass, Water Saint Sand, Mist Moon True Crystal, and Ten Thousand Waters Black Iron. Even the Blue-scaled Dragon Palace had very limited yields of these.

To truly gather a million catties, it would be impossible without a hundred to two hundred years of effort.

"All the others are possible, but for these five, the most I can offer is a hundred thousand catties." The Blue-scaled Dragon King casually waved.

"Halving to a tenth, that’s impossible. At the very least, it must be five hundred thousand catties," Ye Zhen insisted.

"Five hundred thousand catties is doable, but I currently only have a hundred thousand catties of these on hand, and the annual yield at our Blue-scaled Dragon Palace is less than ten thousand catties.

We can guarantee a yearly supply of five thousand catties; you can get five thousand catties each year, spread over a century....."

Before the Blue-scaled Dragon King could finish, Ye Zhen shook his head, "Forget it, a hundred thousand catties is a hundred thousand catties. I dare not go more to your dragon palace!" Ye Zhen said.

At this, the Blue-scaled Dragon King secretly smiled. Going against him, this Ye was still too green. In fact, being the Blue-scaled Dragon King for thousands of years, he could definitely gather fifty thousand catties of those five Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, though not a million, but fifty thousand wasn’t a problem.

If not for the fact that his weak point was in this man named Ye’s hands, he would have beaten him to a pulp in minutes!

However, Ye Zhen was overjoyed on his side.

Those five kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, each one is a main ingredient for refining a Suppressing Device, extremely precious.

At some auctions in the Great Zhou Dynasty, even if ten to a hundred pounds appeared, people would fight over them like crazy. To get a hundred thousand pounds all at once, Ye Zhen was already very satisfied.

"Okay, then the last one, these ten types of Demon Beasts’ Demon Cores, I want ten thousand of each, and the Demon Cores at the Dark Palace Realm should make up at least twenty percent. Also, I want ten thousand High Grade Profound Ice Spirit Stones, and one hundred Supreme Mystic Ice Spirit Stones!"

Saying this, Ye Zhen once again took out a piece of Jade Scroll and said, "Your Excellency Dragon King, considering the status of your beloved son, Dragon Prince Ao Zheng, the ransom I’m asking for isn’t too much, is it?"

Ransom of this sort, although it’s painful when paid, if it’s too little, it’s actually a kind of derogation to the person being ransomed.

The Blue-scaled Dragon King snorted coldly through his nose; in terms of ransom, Ye Zhen was much more reasonable than war reparations.

Of course, this ransom is not much, but absolutely not too little!

"Those octopus, giant whale, sea serpent-type Demon Cores are not a problem, but ten thousand Dragon Pills, you want me to massacre the Dragon Race of North Sea?

I can only provide a hundred Dragon Pills!

Also, I don’t have the Supreme Mystic Ice Spirit Stone; that thing is very rare in the entire North Sea. As for High Grade Profound Ice Spirit Stones..."

The Blue-scaled Dragon King was about to bargain again, but Ye Zhen’s voice suddenly rang out, "The number of High Grade Profound Ice Spirit Stones cannot be reduced by a single piece; otherwise, we have nothing to talk about!"

This sentence from Ye Zhen almost choked the Blue-scaled Dragon King, making him swallow back the words he was about to say.

Originally, he intended to offer only a thousand High Grade Profound Ice Spirit Stones, but seeing Ye Zhen’s resolute look, he decided to compromise.

Because, up to now, the ransom negotiations were already concluded. He didn’t want to waste his breath on this last bit.

And the reason Ye Zhen insisted was that these ten thousand High Grade Profound Ice Spirit Stones were very important.

"Alright then, Lord Ye, now that we have finalized your conditions. Let’s discuss when you will lift the Divine Soul Restriction on my son?" The Blue-scaled Dragon King asked the most critical question.

"After a hundred years!"

"A hundred years later, I will lift the Divine Soul Restriction on him!" Ye Zhen said.

"A hundred years is too long. Now, after I pay the full ransom, you lift the Divine Soul Restriction on him!" Even knowing it’s impossible, the Blue-scaled Dragon King still tried.

"That’s impossible!"

"Unless I’ve lost my mind, I wouldn’t do such a thing!" Ye Zhen said with a determined face, "Your Excellency Dragon King, if I lift the Divine Soul Restriction on your son Ao Zheng now, you might just give the order to wash the entire North Sea County with blood, right?"

The Blue-scaled Dragon King shook his head with a somber face, but in fact, he confirmed Ye Zhen’s conjecture.

If it weren’t for Ye Zhen holding his son’s life in his hands, he would’ve ordered the blood washing of North Sea County dozens of times already.

"A hundred years, a hundred years later, I will certainly lift the Divine Soul Restriction on your son Ao Zheng! As long as you don’t violate the two conditions in the ransom, I will definitely not activate the Divine Soul Restriction!"

"As for the guarantee, I think it’s unnecessary!"

"Because in front of Your Excellency Dragon King, I am nothing noteworthy, especially since this North Sea County is my fiefdom. Without any surprises, this North Sea County will be my fiefdom for life," Ye Zhen said firmly.

"But I think, a hundred years is still too long! Ten years..."

Before the Blue-scaled Dragon King finished, Ye Zhen had already shaken his head like a rattle, "Your Excellency Dragon King, stop it, there’s absolutely no room for bargaining on this point!"

"You also understand that if I don’t hold this point, even if I receive the ransom, I might not live past tomorrow! If it weren’t for fear of your disagreement, I’d want to set this time to a thousand years, after a millennium!"

Hearing this, the Blue-scaled Dragon King forced a pained smile, "Then let’s leave it at a hundred years!"

A hundred years, to the long-lived Dragon Clan, is just a blink of an eye; he can wait.

Moreover, he doesn’t really rely on Ye Zhen to lift the Divine Soul Restriction on his son Ao Zheng.

Among the myriad races in the world, the Water Clan has the longest life span. He even knows that there are many terrifying beings from the Ancient Times still living in the Four Seas Dragon Court.

He can’t believe that with countless Water Clan experts, they can’t break a small human’s Divine Soul Restriction.

When he finally lifts the Divine Soul Restriction on his son, it will be the moment he bathes North Sea County in blood, making Ye Zhen wish he were dead!