C.3508: Negotiations

“There’s no need to sit down for a talk, as we don’t have too many things to talk about. As for the Immortal-destroying Thunder in my hand, I don’t want to stow it away before we reach an agreement. However, since you’re afraid to come here, let’s just talk like this.” Jian Chen smiled gently.

Right now, his strength was only a Nine-heavenly Xuan Immortal’s in everyone’s eyes. A Nine-heavenly Xuan Immortal was actually speaking so arrogantly to an Immortal Emperor, which immediately infuriated the seven Immortal Monarchs of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.

When Jian Chen said “since you’re afraid to come here”, it sounded particularly taunting to the ears of everyone from the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.

It was basically a naked insult.

The expression of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder’s Immortal Emperor also became rather unnatural. However, he did not seem angry at all on the surface. He continued to say amicably, “That works. Then we’ll talk here. The elders of my Sword Sect of Startling Thunder did indeed cause you much offence earlier. I was wondering how I could pacify your anger.”

“I killed a few disciples from your Sword Sect of Startling Thunder in the ring and your great elders openly said that they would take me back to the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder and make me pay?” Jian Chen forced out a smile.

“That would be our fault. The elders probably did not understand the situation either, which led to a misunderstanding like that. As for those disciples of my Sword Sect of Startling Thunder, since they died in the ring, they can only blame themselves for not being as strong as you,” said the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.

“And great elder Lang Qi had promised before that if we won the matches, he would help our Sword Sect of Violet Heavens earn a century of time, yet never did we think that your Sword Sect of Startling Thunder would actually deny it.” Jian Chen shook his head with a soft sigh like he was extremely disappointed.

“Isn’t it just a century? I’ll make the decision. This time, the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens has no need to hand over a Seven-coloured Sword Lotus to our Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.” The ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder agreed extremely willingly.

“Why should the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens hand over a Seven-coloured Sword Lotus to your sect every century? Just because the sect master of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder in the past lost his youngest son to the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens? May I ask just how many Seven-coloured Sword Lotuses the youngest son of your sect master is worth?” Jian Chen looked at Nong Fugui and cupped his fist. “Elder Nong, may I ask how many Seven-coloured Sword Lotuses the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens has handed over to the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder over the years?”

“In the hundreds!” Nong Fugui replied sternly.

“Several hundreds? With so many Seven-coloured Sword Lotuses, even if we wanted to buy the lives of your great elders with them, we probably could have purchased several, much less the youngest son of your sect master. As a result, the debt from the past ceased to exist a long time ago. From today onwards, the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens has no obligation to hand over any Seven-coloured Sword Lotuses to the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.” Jian Chen met the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder’s gaze. His gaze was calm and composed, without any fear. His tone turned cold as he said, “And, perhaps we should put some exact numbers to this debt and see just how much we’ve overpaid with all the Seven-coloured Sword Lotuses we’ve given you over the years.”

Jian Chen’s words left the disciples of the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens dumbfounded. The Sword Sect of Violet Heavens was making demands with the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder. This was something they never would have even dared to imagine in the past.

And to the disciples’ bewilderment, Jian Chen did not seem like a core disciple at all right now. Instead, he seemed like the leader of the sect, directly interfering with a matter that could influence the fate of the entire Sword Sect of Violet Heavens. Meanwhile, the actual sect master had been rendered useless, basically unable to even speak up before the experts of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.

Above the main peak, Chen Shuzhi’s expression darkened. He looked towards Jian Chen with some hostility. At this moment, a core disciple was deciding for the sect master without permission, which made him feel quite embarrassed as the sect master.

After all, these important decisions that influenced the development of the sect should have been made by him, the sect master.

Only at this moment did Jian Chen seem to “realise” that he had overstepped the boundaries a little. He glanced back at Chen Shuzhi and smiled slightly mysteriously. “Sect master, what do you think about my suggestion?”

“It’s very reasonable!” Chen Shuzhi only said three words without any expression.

The Immortal Emperor from the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder became stern. “If it’s just leniency for a century, it is something that I can decide on, but exempting you forever is completely impossible.”

When he heard that, Jian Chen’s expression changed, but before he could say anything, an extremely obscure message rang out in his ear, “My little friend, I’m sure you’re familiar with certain matters too, so there’s no need for you to lay it out in the open. Even our Sword Sect of Startling Thunder can only help the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens buy an additional century regarding the Seven-coloured Sword Lotus at most. If it’s beyond a century, there’s no point for any more discussion.”

“Whether it’s the six disciples that our Sword Sect of Startling Thunder lost or an additional century to the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens, it all seems like a trifle to me. Our Sword Sect of Startling Thunder is truly reluctant to offend your master over something so small as well. Otherwise, do you really think you can threaten an Immortal Emperor with the Immortal-destroying Thunder in your hand?”

“The Immortal-destroying Thunder in your hand indeed possesses the terrifying might to kill Immortal Emperors, but that also depends on who’s wielding it. If you wield it with your measly cultivation as a Nine-heavenly Xuan Immortal, then any Immortal Emperor has at least a hundred different ways to stop you from launching it.”

“My little friend, I do hope that you stop when you should. Do not take things too far.” That was the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder’s message to Jian Chen, but apart from the two of them who were directly involved, no one else could hear it.

Jian Chen’s eyes shone when he heard the message, but he was also aware that the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder was telling the truth. If the Immortal-destroying Thunder was actually wielded by a Nine-heavenly Xuan Immortal, it was true that it could not threaten an Immortal Emperor.

The difference in strength was far too great. Any Immortal Emperor probably only needed a thought to decide the fate of a Nine-heavenly Xuan Immortal. They could prevent the Immortal-destroying Thunder from exploding successfully.

In the end, the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder personally promised that they would extend the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens’ deadline by a hundred years. Only then did this matter come to a close.

The ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder left the Sword Sect of Violet Heavens with the seven Immortal Monarchs. On the way back, all of their faces were sunken. They were as ugly as they could be.

“Ancestor, what exactly is the quality of that Immortal-destroying Thunder?” a great elder of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder could not help but ask.

“That Immortal-destroying Thunder is nothing but extraordinary. It’s refined from the heavenly tribulations triggered by Immortal Exalts. In my opinion, it can easily kill early Immortal Emperors and probably even mid Immortal Emperors can’t withstand it,” the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder said sternly.

“What? The Immortal-destroying Thunder in Jian Chen’s possession c-c-can actually kill Immortal Emperors?” The great elders of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder paled in fright when they heard that.

“That Immortal-destroying Thunder’s value is already on par with a high quality god artifact. To be able to produce such a high quality Immortal-destroying Thunder, this child’s master must be extraordinary. It’s best if we leave this matter to them to deal with,” said the ancestor of the Sword Sect of Startling Thunder.