#652 - Transaction End

Xue Zhonggao's expression was calm, his tone revealing an unquestionable resolve as he said softly, "Sect Leader Tang, let's not beat around the bush. I'll be frank, Tang Sect's demands are indeed a bit difficult for us to accept."

He paused slightly, his gaze steadily fixed on Tang Wulin, and continued, "Purchasing weapons but not being able to use them freely, this restriction is simply too harsh for our side."

"If Tang Sect is willing to lift this restriction, our side is willing to increase the originally agreed-upon price by another ten percent. Sect Leader Tang, this is already the greatest sincerity I can show."

Increase by ten percent? At first glance, the proportion doesn't seem astonishing. However, it must be known that this transaction involves a large batch of fixed-mounted soul-guided weapons, the total value of which can be described as astronomical.

If the situation weren't urgent, with war about to break out, Xue Zhonggao would never have easily thrown out such tempting conditions. In the final analysis, Douling Continent's soul-guided technology level is far too backward compared to the outside world.

In this era where technology determines strength, the stagnation of soul-guided technology severely restricts the development of Douling Continent, putting them in an extremely passive situation when facing the Federation.

In order to gain a chance of survival in the upcoming war and enhance their own strength, Xue Zhonggao had no choice but to make such a concession.

At the same time, Tang Sect has been operating in Douling Continent for many years, with deep roots and intertwined forces. Xue Zhonggao knows that if he completely antagonizes Tang Sect, it will undoubtedly bring him a lot of trouble.

Even if he has long-term plans in mind, wanting to compete with Tang Sect in the future, he needs time to accumulate enough power. Now is not the time to completely fall out.

In Xue Zhonggao's view, paying a little more money is not an unbearable burden.

It's just some paper money anyway. As long as he later orders the price of rare metals in the country to be raised again, Tang Sect won't profit too much from this transaction, thus balancing the gains and losses to a certain extent.

"Sect Leader Tang, this is our final decision." Xue Zhonggao straightened his back, his expression serious, and said firmly, "If Tang Sect is unwilling to accept this condition, then there is probably no need for our negotiations to continue."

Hearing Xue Zhonggao's sonorous words, Tang Wulin's brow furrowed instantly. Before embarking on the journey to Douling Continent, Amorous Douluo Zang Xin had discussed the negotiation strategy in depth with her.

Given that Douling Continent's national strength is relatively weak and the number of top experts is small, Zang Xin believed that in the negotiation process, pressure tactics could be used appropriately, or even some other strategies could be adopted to suppress the other party, thereby gaining a dominant position in the negotiations.

Upon arriving in Douling Continent, Tang Wulin originally intended to act accordingly. When first meeting this new emperor, Xue Zhonggao, she wanted to use her powerful spiritual power to give him a show of strength, creating a favorable atmosphere for subsequent negotiations.

However, under the reminder of Holy Spirit Douluo, Tang Wulin learned that the Aponia beside the emperor was actually a Limit Douluo.

This news was like a heavy hammer, instantly sobering her up. She knew that under the deterrence of such a strong person, rashly taking tough measures would only backfire, so she decisively abandoned those original ideas.

"This new emperor has a very tough style of doing things, and he seems to be hiding other unknown strengths." Tang Wulin thought to herself, "If the restriction clause is not lifted, judging from his attitude, he may really end the negotiations without hesitation."

At the same time, a trace of doubt lingered in Tang Wulin's mind, "Moreover, his attitude is indeed a bit strange. Tang Sect has already clearly announced that it is responsible for the destruction of the Spirit Transferring Pagoda's branch headquarters, and has also publicly revealed the evil soul master situation in the Spirit Transferring Pagoda's branch."

"Such a major event, but he didn't mention it at all during the entire negotiation process. Is he really so calm, or is there another hidden reason?"

In an instant, Tang Wulin's mind was surging with thoughts. This negotiation is of great importance, and a slight carelessness may trigger a series of unpredictable consequences.

Tang Sect's bottom line, in essence, is that those restrictive clauses can be abandoned. The batch of weapons they provide may indeed have a significant impact on the war situation at the current stage, and may even reverse the course of the war to a certain extent.

However, these weapons are ultimately consumables. Although they can help the two empires gain an advantage in this war, they are not enough to give the two empires the strength to counterattack the Federation.

The reason why Tang Sect set those constraints is more to show its position and attitude to the outside world.

Tang Wulin took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I can agree to your conditions. But in return, I hope you can also guarantee that this batch of weapons will only be used to protect Douling Continent."

Tang Wulin's eyes were like torches, staring intently at Xue Zhonggao's eyes, trying to find out the most real thoughts in this emperor's heart.

At this moment, the hall was so quiet that a pin could be heard dropping. The air in the hall seemed to be frozen by this tense confrontation.

Seeing Xue Zhonggao's tough and resolute attitude before, Tang Wulin knew in her heart that if she refused, the other party might really end this crucial conversation without hesitation.

In fact, Tang Sect had planned from the beginning to trade this batch of carefully developed weapons to the Douling Empire. Now that the price has risen by ten percent in the negotiations, it is undoubtedly a surprise to Tang Sect, and there is naturally no reason to refuse.

Hearing Tang Wulin's response, a well-placed smile instantly appeared on Xue Zhonggao's face, a smile like the warm sun in spring, seemingly gentle and harmless, but making it difficult to see through its deep meaning.

"Sect Leader Tang, rest assured, I can assure you that I will definitely not use this batch of weapons casually." His voice was steady and powerful, echoing in the empty hall.

The current Douling Continent is indeed too weak in terms of soul-guided technology and many other aspects compared to the other two continents. Even with the batch of weapons provided by Tang Sect, judging from the current situation, they would never dare to use them casually.

After all, these weapons serve more as a deterrent, and perhaps only when the Federation fleet attacks will they become Douling Continent's last resort.

If they really want to use these weapons to counterattack and turn defense into offense, then Douling Continent must at least wait until it has truly grown and has enough confidence.

"That's good." Tang Wulin nodded slightly, his expression still a bit dignified, but also slightly relaxed. After that, he began an in-depth conversation with Xue Zhonggao on many matters.

Tang Wulin tried her best to probe from various angles, but she never managed to get a definite answer from this emperor.

"If that's the case, then we'll take our leave first. Your Majesty, I hope you don't be deceived by the appearance of the Spirit Transferring Pagoda."

After a futile attempt, Tang Wulin helplessly cupped his hands to Xue Zhonggao, preparing to leave.

Since she couldn't get the desired assurance from this emperor, there was nothing she could do. She couldn't force Xue Zhonggao to express his stance with harsh methods, as that would only backfire.

Moreover, there were still many affairs on the Star Luo Continent waiting for her to handle, and she really didn't have time to linger here any longer.

Although Tang Wulin was worried about this Dou Ling Emperor's arrogance and ambiguous attitude towards the Spirit Transfer Pagoda, she could only choose to put it aside for the time being.

"Sect Master Tang, safe travels." Seeing this, Xue Zhonggao immediately stood up, displaying extremely high etiquette, and personally escorted Tang Wulin out of the palace. This action undoubtedly fully demonstrated his respect for Tang Wulin, the Sect Master of the Tang Sect.

"Well, Your Majesty, you can stop here." Seeing Xue Zhonggao's attitude, Tang Wulin's originally slightly solemn expression, due to not receiving a definite answer, eased a lot.

At least, from Xue Zhonggao's behavior, it could be seen that the Dou Ling Empire still attached considerable importance to the Tang Sect.

…

Watching Tang Wulin's departing figure disappear from sight, the gentle smile on Xue Zhonggao's face instantly vanished, replaced by a look of sternness and seriousness.

Expressionless, he turned around and walked back to the main hall with steady steps. At this moment, Li Xiaochou and Aponia had already been waiting there for a long time.

"Hmph."

Xue Zhonggao snorted coldly, recalling Tang Wulin's warnings, both direct and indirect, during their previous conversation, and couldn't help but slam his palm heavily on the chair.

"Your Majesty need not be angry. This is just a delaying tactic. Our Dou Ling Continent is the weakest of the three continents. Currently, it seems that if we want to resist the Federal Fleet's attack, the Tang Sect's help is essential."

"As long as we can get through this most difficult period, it won't be too late to take action against the Tang Sect when our grand plan succeeds," Li Xiaochou said, immediately standing up and trying to comfort Xue Zhonggao.

Listening to Li Xiaochou's words, Xue Zhonggao also realized his momentary loss of composure. He slightly adjusted his mindset, calmed his emotions, and then asked:

"Prime Minister, has your research on the Ouke still not concluded? Didn't you say before that you had developed a virus that could transform ordinary people into Ouke without losing their minds?"

Li Xiaochou said, "Your Majesty, don't be impatient. After all, the Ouke can't be exposed to the light of day. If we really start manufacturing Ouke on a large scale, then there will inevitably be some clues."

"With the Tang Sect's intelligence network, if they find out that the Dou Ling Empire is manufacturing Ouke, then they may not necessarily support the empire when the Federal Fleet attacks."

"Therefore, we must proceed cautiously with the matter of manufacturing Ouke. Moreover, if we manufacture too many Ouke at once, then there will inevitably be problems with management."

After listening, Xue Zhonggao took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Indeed, this matter should not be exposed now. At least, we have to wait until we repel the Federal Fleet before we have time to develop."

Then, Xue Zhonggao changed the subject and asked, "Also, Prime Minister, how is the ultimate zombie virus that you mentioned to me before progressing? I am still waiting for your research results."

The reasons why Xue Zhonggao initially agreed to make the Apocalypse Church the state religion were quite complex. On the one hand, he hoped to use this to win over Aponia. On the other hand, Li Xiaochou had painted him a very tempting future blueprint.

Li Xiaochou had proposed to him that by turning all the people of the Dou Ling Continent into Ouke, they could initially grant them soul power. Then, after a period of development, these people would grow into soul masters, thereby enhancing the overall strength of the Dou Ling Continent.

As long as the Ouke could be popularized on a large scale, and a powerful army could be formed with them, then the strength of the Dou Ling Empire would be greatly enhanced.

Even in extreme situations, if the weapons provided by the Tang Sect could not effectively deter the Federal Fleet, they could turn all the civilians of the Dou Ling Continent into Ouke, achieving a situation where everyone was a soldier.

Once transformed into Ouke, even ordinary people who originally had no soul power would possess soul power.

And the Dou Ling Continent's huge population base, close to 260 million people, if all armed, that force would be enough to make any force dare not underestimate it. Even a powerful force like the Federation might be dragged down by such a human wave tactic.

This was also the reason why Xue Zhonggao dared to negotiate with Tang Wulin just now. If the Federation really pushed them to the brink, then he would blow up with the Federation.

As for whether those Ouke would rebel, Xue Zhonggao was not worried about this. Because Li Xiaochou had explained to him in detail the habits of the Ouke, saying that they were just like soul beasts, inherently obedient to the strong, and it had to be the strongest among their own kind.

As long as the strongest Ouke appeared, then the remaining Ouke would spontaneously submit. This was an instinct deeply embedded in their genes.

And the so-called ultimate zombie virus, according to Li Xiaochou, was the royal bloodline among the Ouke, naturally several times stronger than the other Ouke, and could command the other ordinary Ouke.

As long as he could successfully implant the ultimate zombie virus and turn all the people of the Dou Ling Continent into Ouke, then would there still be any need to fear the threat of the Federal Fleet?

Perhaps, by that time, he could also lead the mighty Ouke army and directly counterattack the Douluo Continent, and finally bring all three continents into his possession, realizing the great cause that emperors of the past had dreamed of but never achieved.

Whenever he thought of this, Xue Zhonggao's heart would involuntarily beat faster, and his eyes would flash with狂热的光芒.

In terms of soul guidance technology, the gap between the Dou Ling Continent and the Federation was like an insurmountable chasm. It was almost impossible to catch up with the Federation.

Unless the Tang Sect was willing to unreservedly share all of their scientific research results with the Dou Ling Empire. But this was obviously an unrealistic fantasy, and the Tang Sect would never make such a decision.

Even if the Tang Sect was really willing to share, the Dou Ling Empire would also need to spend a lot of time and energy to deeply study, digest, and absorb, and then transform these results into actual productivity, manufacturing corresponding soul guidance devices.

This was undoubtedly an extremely large and complex project, which could not be completed overnight.

Since it was difficult to catch up with the Federation on the path of soul guidance technology, Xue Zhonggao decided to take a different approach. He placed all his hopes on the power of the Ouke, hoping to use this power to achieve the rise of the Dou Ling Continent and eventually catch up with or even surpass the Federation.

Looking at Xue Zhonggao's expectant eyes, Li Xiaochou smiled slightly and said with full confidence: "Your Majesty, rest assured, the research on the ultimate zombie virus is nearing completion. As long as the results are out, I will definitely notify you as soon as possible."

"That's good." Xue Zhonggao nodded. He did not have the slightest doubt about Li Xiaochou's answer. Deep down in his heart, for some reason, he always had a inexplicable trust in the Apocalypse Church.

This kind of trust, like a seed rooted in his heart, had unknowingly taken deep root and was difficult to shake.