Former Interstellar Mercenary In Urban Cultivation World
Chapter 967: Bargaining with the Crimson King

Chapter 967: Bargaining with the Crimson King

Even thoughts of rebellion required strength. The Immortal Palace was a battlefield of survival, where weaker spirits submitted to the stronger one. Only by becoming powerful could they rise like a king.

"Those who dare betray me will receive no mercy."

The crimson spirit seethed with burning anger.

"All three of you, gather your followers immediately. Kill the humans intruding into the Immortal Palace and seize their tokens. When time permits, I will deal with the rest myself."

The purple spirit who had slandered Quenya felt triumphant. The king’s anger was so intense that, even if Quenya wasn’t guilty of disloyalty, his failure to report to the king at such a critical time would cost him. The king would not forgive such a delay.

The three purple spirits accepted their orders and left.

Afterward, human cultivators scattered across the palace found their small tricks were no longer effective.

The spirits seemed to have grown more cunning. A single black token no longer attracted as many spirits as before.

Sometimes, throwing a black token only diverted one or two spirits.

Some spirits even seemed clever enough to trick the humans into tossing multiple tokens.

Seeing this, the human cultivators learned to hold onto their black tokens. Yet the spirits’ attacks grew more intense.

This time, unless it was a silver token or higher, the spirits would not be deceived.

There were thousands of black tokens but only a few hundred silver tokens. Many cultivators hadn’t even managed to acquire a single one.

Those who could not satisfy the spirits’ hunger and lacked the strength to resist began to fall, their remains vanishing within the spirits. As the human cultivators faced mounting danger, in another palace deep within the Immortal Palace, there was also a crimson spirit.

The crimson spirit stood on the steps, gazing down at the figure who dared to intrude upon its domain.

"Mighty king of spirits, I am sure you understand my words. I have come without hostility, merely to share some favorable news with you."

Facing the crimson spirit, whose power was at the level of deity transformation, the masked figure’s face was obscured, yet his unflinching gaze met the spirit’s.

The crimson spirit clenched its elongated fingers, its red eyes fixed with deep meaning on this human who had come to seek it.

"If you fail to please me, you know the consequences."

The crimson spirit spoke with disdain, viewing the masked figure’s mere pilfering abilities as insignificant.

"I came here prepared to face life and death," the masked figure smirked subtly behind his mask, "yet I assure you, this news will not disappoint."

"I know you and the other powerful spirits are seeking tokens, which the human cultivators possess."

"And? Are you here to offer tokens as tribute?" The crimson spirit’s red eyes gleamed with hostility.

The masked figure chuckled, pulling a black token from his robes. "This is my only token. Giving it to you is no issue, but I suspect you wouldn’t care for a black token, would you?"

"Get to the point. I don’t want your meaningless chatter—else you’ll be dead!" The crimson spirit’s red eyes flared impatiently. Beneath the mask, a shadow of malice flickered across the figure’s eyes before he continued, "Patience, my king. You will enjoy this news—have you heard of the gold token?"

The crimson spirit abruptly stood, instantly moving in front of the masked figure, his elongated fingers gripping the man’s cloak.

Cold breath escaped the spirit’s mouth, chilling the mask’s surface.

"You know where the gold token is?"

"This is the information I bring to you," the masked figure replied without a hint of fear.

"Tell me—where is the gold token?" the crimson spirit demanded.

His voice echoed deafeningly, nearly shaking the walls of the palace.

"If you shout any louder, won’t you draw the attention of other powerful spirits?" The masked figure remained composed.

The crimson spirit’s face twisted in anger, but his grip gradually loosened.

"Do you know how many gold tokens the Path of All Immortals released this time?" The masked figure smiled as he asked.

The crimson spirit’s red eyes flashed. "The will of the Path of All Immortals is beyond our comprehension; otherwise, we wouldn’t be trapped here." Inwardly, the masked figure cursed this old fox. His attempt to probe was deftly countered—the spirit was probing him as well.

If he gave an incorrect number, the spirit would instantly know he was lying, casting doubt on his credibility and endangering his life.

Such a shame—the plan could have been flawless, leveraging these spirits to kill even more cultivators for him.

The crimson spirit, a ruler within the Immortal Palace, was indeed no simple character.

The masked figure took a deep breath. "To be honest, Your Majesty, this time there are two gold tokens in total, each in different hands."

"Who has them? Tell me immediately," the crimson spirit demanded, barely concealing his excitement.

"One token is held by a disciple of the Green Lotus Sect. It could be either Kenny Lin or a girl named Amalia," the masked figure’s gaze flickered, something the spirit likely couldn’t notice.

The crimson spirit scrutinized him for a moment and then said, "Remove your mask."

The masked man’s smile vanished. "Your Majesty, our agreement did not include removing my mask."

"You have no choice. Otherwise, I’ll kill you now—I already know the whereabouts of one token." The crimson spirit smirked with satisfaction.

Silently cursing the old fox, the masked figure realized he couldn’t keep his identity hidden and still survive this encounter. He removed his mask, revealing a slightly pallid face.

The crimson spirit glanced at him. "You’re not human. There’s another strange energy within you."

"What I am has no bearing on our transaction," the masked man replied calmly, unfazed by being recognized. It didn’t matter, as his only witness was a spirit.

"It may not matter, but I now see your intention. You wish to use me to eliminate those human cultivators," the crimson spirit pointed out shrewdly. Few dared to manipulate him.