Chapter 826 An Alliance Against Humanity
“Patriarch, your original body may have been destroyed, but this replacement was built through the combined efforts of the Machine Race’s finest artificers,” one of the elders explained.
“Its physical strength far surpasses that of your original body, though its ability to channel Origin Power is somewhat weaker. More importantly, this new body is immune to the petrification that afflicts Eternal Realm cultivators.”
“What does that matter when I no longer possess a living body? All I have left is this cold mechanical shell.”
Hadrian abruptly turned toward the distance.
“Who’s there?”
His immense Spiritual Sense swept outward.
Three figures appeared before him almost simultaneously.
“So it’s the Starhound Patriarch, the Dreadfiend Patriarch, and the Blood Fiend Patriarch.” Hadrian clasped his hands behind his back. “What brings the three of you to the Machine Race?”
“Hadrian, you must have heard of Kael’s recent deeds,” the Starhound Patriarch said. “He has already killed the Dean of Sunlance Academy and the Lord of Northguard City, allowing the humans under their rule to rise against their former masters.
“Humans are enslaved throughout our galaxies as well. I fear it is only a matter of time before he turns his attention to us.”
“That is a reasonable concern. Your Starhound Race treated humanity more brutally than almost any other race. If I were Kael, I would deal with you first.” Hadrian’s mood remained foul, and he made no effort to conceal his impatience. “Why have you come to me?”
“We want you to lead an alliance against Kael,” the Dreadfiend Patriarch said.
“If necessary, we can even bring the Broodmother into it.
Countless eras ago, our races joined forces to suppress humanity.
Now we must set aside our past grievances, unite once more, and keep the human race at the bottom forever.
“If we wait until Kael reaches the Great Circle of the Eternal Realm, how many cultivators will still be capable of standing against him?”
“And what exactly do you propose?” Hadrian asked.
“We unite the myriad races and seize Kael’s homeworld before he can stop us,” the Dreadfiend Patriarch replied.
“His closest friends and family must still be there. Once they’re in our hands, we can dictate whatever terms we please and force Kael to refine an endless supply of Immortal Spirit Liquid for us. ”
“That plan has merit.”
Hadrian rubbed his smooth mechanical chin.
...
Kael traveled through the stellar teleportation arrays at Sunlance Academy and Northguard City in succession, eventually arriving at the central teleportation array of the Celestial Maiden Palace.
Strangely, no cultivators were guarding the formation.
Kael walked directly into the palace grounds.
“Who are you?”
A cultivator stepped forward to block his path.
“I am Kael of humanity. I would like to speak with your new Palace Master and propose a trade.”
“What? You’re the famous Kael Lin?”
The cultivator stared at him in astonishment.
Kael’s reputation had already spread throughout dozens of nearby galaxies.
“Please lead the way.”
Kael stepped forward.
“We don’t have a new Palace Master. The Celestial Maiden Palace is currently governed by our three Vice Palace Masters, and none of them is willing to defer to the others.”
“That’s fine. Ask all three of them to meet me.”
Kael smiled.
In the past, speaking so boldly would have earned him an immediate reprimand. Now, however, he had elevated humanity into the ranks of the galaxy’s greatest powers. He had every right to make such a request.
“Please follow me.”
The cultivator led Kael deep into the Celestial Maiden Palace.
“Please wait here.”
After showing Kael into the council hall, the cultivator left to summon the three Vice Palace Masters.
Kael chose a chair and sat down, casually surveying the chamber.
The fluctuations of the formations concealed throughout the hall had been hidden extremely well, but they could not escape his current senses.
He raised an eyebrow, picked up the cup of spirit tea beside him, and took a sip.
Roughly half an hour later, a figure appeared in the council hall.
Three chairs stood at the head of the chamber, presumably reserved for the three Vice Palace Masters.
The newcomer’s protective aura receded, revealing a tall, slender woman dressed in a revealing palace gown.
Kael rose and offered her a slight bow.
“A pleasure to meet you, my lady.”
“I am Lunara Liu, one of the Vice Palace Masters of the Celestial Maiden Palace.”
Kael’s courtesy softened Lunara’s manner, and she responded with unmistakable goodwill.
Humanity was not their true enemy. Their true enemy was...
Two more figures appeared at the head of the hall.
One was an elderly man, while the other appeared middle-aged. The resemblance between them made their relationship obvious.
Lunara scoffed at their arrival and immediately claimed the center chair.
“You truly dare sit there, Lunara?” the old man demanded. “Lord Lin might see you occupying the center seat and assume the Celestial Maiden Palace answers to you.”
His cultivation had reached Eternal Tier 6, placing him at the same level as Lunara. The middle-aged man was somewhat weaker, though he had still reached Eternal Tier 4.
“Everyone knows the former Palace Master intended to groom me as her successor before the Broodmother devoured her,” Lunara retorted. “If I don’t take the center seat, should I hand it over to two men from an outside clan?”
Kael rubbed his forehead.
He had no desire to involve himself in the Celestial Maiden Palace’s internal struggle. He had only come here to make a trade.
“Vice Palace Masters.”
He had no choice but to interrupt them.
Only then did the old man and the middle-aged man turn toward him.
“I am Kael Lin.”
Kael offered another courteous bow.
“We already knew you had arrived at the Celestial Maiden Palace, Lord Lin. I am Voren Ben, and this is my son, Kaelen Ben.”
Voren gestured toward the middle-aged man beside him.
Kael studied them more closely.
A race with two Eternal Realm cultivators could operate almost unchallenged throughout an entire galaxy. Yet the Ben family had produced two Eternal cultivators from a single bloodline.
No wonder they refused to submit to Lunara and were attempting to seize control of the palace.
“Would the three of you be willing to sell me the spirit herbs growing in your gardens?” Kael asked. “Rest assured, I will offer items of equal value in exchange, along with a considerable premium. I’ll make certain the trade is well worth your while.”
He took out a list.
Lunara reached for it, but Voren snatched it away before her fingers could close around the page.
“You...”
Lunara’s brow furrowed, but she restrained herself rather than cause a scene in front of Kael.
“We have long heard that you can refine Immortal Spirit Liquid, Lord Lin,” Voren said after examining the list. “Everything recorded here is a supplementary ingredient used in its refinement. Are the rumors true?”
Both Voren and his son regarded Kael with grave attention.
“The rumors are somewhat exaggerated. At most, I can refine Lesser Immortal Spirit Liquid, and even then, my success rate is abysmal,” Kael replied modestly. “Still, no matter how low the odds, I have to try. Even if only one attempt in a million succeeds, it would still be worthwhile.”
In truth, Kael’s success rate had already stabilized at fifty percent.
For every two sets of ingredients, he wasted only one.
“How many sets of these ingredients do you need?” Kaelen asked.
“As many as you possess. I will purchase all of them. The three of you may name your price.”
Kael remained cordial.
“Very well. Then give us ten drops of either Immortal Spirit Liquid or Lesser Immortal Spirit Liquid in exchange for these twenty thousand sets of ingredients,” Kaelen said.