“One million. That’s the minimum.”
The demon monster commander hesitated, then nodded.
“Second, I’ll list materials—minerals, herbs, and local specialties. Within a set time, you must gather at least 80% of them for me.”
Worried the demon might not understand, Ye Zhongming added, “Don’t worry, the quantities won’t be impossible. You can just tell us the locations for some items, and we’ll retrieve them ourselves. Those will count toward your quota—but such items can’t exceed 20%. That means you must personally gather at least 60%.”
The demon monster commander frowned. Though highly intelligent, human negotiation styles were still foreign to it. It took a moment to grasp Ye Zhongming’s terms fully.
“Both conditions require us to remain here for some time—possibly quite a while. But the battle between our king and your ally has destabilized this place. I’ll agree, but if I sense this realm collapsing, no matter how much we’ve gathered, we leave immediately. Rest assured, I won’t deliberately stall. If I do, you’re free to break our agreement.”
Ye Zhongming agreed. This fell under force majeure. So be it if the Blue Secret Realm collapsed before they could finish.
“Third, once you reach my world, I’ll designate an area for you to inhabit. For one thousand days, you cannot migrate. It won’t be a wasteland—the environment will be livable. My purpose is to use you as a buffer against local threats, but I guarantee you won’t be annihilated. Because… I’ll allow up to ten million of your kind to pass through the space gate. You choose who goes. This will help solidify your claim to the throne.”
This condition left even Cloud Peak’s members puzzled. The demons were even more confused. But the commander understood one thing—it would decide who passed through the gate. That was enough.
This human understood it well.
A condition that could shape the demons’ future was accepted without hesitation.
The same principle was applied to the demon monster commander—some risks were necessary.
“Fourth, in the future, when I need aid, you must assist me unconditionally three times. I won’t use you as cannon fodder—just as allies. The tasks will be difficult, but we’ll face them together. I promise.”
This was Ye Zhongming’s insurance. Ten million demons represented a colossal force. Not leveraging that would be a waste.
“No. Once at most. I’ve seen your strength. If even you need help, the danger will be extreme. One such mission is already my gratitude for your earlier offer.”
The commander referred to Ye Zhongming’s proposal about selecting who would leave.
Ye Zhongming pondered. “How about this: If you never evolve to level nine, you help me once. If you do reach level nine, you help me twice. Fair?”
The demon monster commander paused, considering. If it reached level nine, it would possess near-invincible power. Helping this human an extra time wouldn’t be an issue.
It agreed.
Seeing Ye Zhongming about to continue, the demon monster commander’s expression darkened.
“Outsider, these are already many conditions. How many more will you demand? You should know when to stop.”
It didn’t know human idioms, but the meaning was clear.
Ye Zhongming wasn’t offended. “Fine, one last one.”
The demon monster commander exhaled in relief. It had feared endless demands. Though powerful, it wasn’t omnipotent. These terms alone would bind it to this human for a long time.
“Perhaps… killing your king yourself would better secure your throne.” Ye Zhongming smiled at the commander. “Don’t worry, I’ll assist you.”
…………………………
When the battered Deacon Water and others saw the sudden appearance of over a million demon troops at the mountain pass, they nearly died of fright.
The aftermath of the battle between the two level-nine beings had already cost them dearly—lost war machines, mounts, and lower-level or poorly defended evolved. Their combat strength was at most 60-70% of its peak, and even after recovery, it wouldn’t exceed 90%.
After all, the dead couldn’t return, and some machines were beyond repair.
Facing over a million high-level demons now would mean annihilation.
They lacked Cloud Peak’s abundance of ranged weaponry.
But then they saw Ye Zhongming and the entire Cloud Peak force following behind the demons. Their expressions soured.
What was happening? Why were humans and demons together? What was Ye Zhongming playing at?
But with the two dying level-nine beings between them, communication was impossible.
The Nine-Winged Crow and the Armor King were both on the brink of death.
Their final, all-out strikes had been cataclysmic.
Originally, the Nine-Winged Crow should have won. But its clone entering Earth had severed its control, and avoiding a level drop was already a testament to its strength.
Then, it was ambushed and sustained heavy injuries. Its opponent was a tank with devastating offensive capabilities, wielding various skills that showcased the prowess of another world’s elite.
Ultimately, it had leveraged space power to attack—only to be wounded.
It lay motionless, seemingly dead, until its subordinates entered the valley. Then its eyes opened.
Seeing its forces aligned with humans, the Nine-Winged Crow’s gaze filled with mockery. It understood—its trusted lieutenant had struck a deal with these outsiders. It had been abandoned.
After a glance, the Nine-Winged Crow ignored the subordinates it had never valued. Instead, it fixed its eyes on the Armor King.
Then it did something that sent every being in the valley scrambling backward.