Chapter 345: Negotiation

In the silent mountain forest.

Many gazes, filled with a degree of shock, fixed on the scene in the arena; no one expected Zhao Zhao Jieyang to be driven back by an opponent of the Third Pattern of the Pattern-Birth Stage in a direct clash, let alone have his Image Power protection breached, leaving a bloodstain on his fist.

Although the bloodstain was not deep, it signified that in that instant, his defense had been torn apart.

A practitioner of the Second Transformation of the Image-Transformation Stage, yet had his defense torn by one of the Third Pattern of the Pattern-Birth Stage?

How utterly incredible; after all, Zhao Zhao Jieyang was no fraud; he possessed an Eighth-Rank Magma Image, his own Image Power was formidable, hailed as a standout among peers of equal rank, yet even so, he suffered a minor setback at the hands of this opponent of the Third Pattern of the Pattern-Birth Stage.

This youth with silver-gray hair and an exceptionally handsome appearance seemed rather peculiar.

"Brother Zhao?"

Zhao Zhao Jieyang's other two teammates had been besieging Qin Qin Zhulu and Lu Qing'er; both possessed the strength of the First Transformation of the Image-Transformation Stage, so they gained considerable advantage in the clash; of course, most importantly, Lu Qing'er was the weakest, while Qin Qin Zhulu bore nearly eighty percent of the pressure.

These two were also watching Zhao Zhao Jieyang's battle, so when they saw Zhao Zhao Jieyang suffer a setback, they were extremely shocked.

After all, regarding Zhao Zhao Jieyang's strength, his teammates knew it better than anyone; within their Red Sand Empire, Zhao Zhao Jieyang's strength among his peers was top-tier; in the past, it was almost always him challenging stronger enemies across levels, so how had the roles reversed today?

Amidst those many shocked gazes, Zhao Zhao Jieyang likewise looked down at the bloodstain on his fist; the bloodstain gradually healed as Image Power flowed, but his ugly, gloomy expression remained difficult to restore.

At his age, he was also cultivating in the Holy Academy of the Red Sand Empire; over these years, few among his peers had been worthy of his serious attention; in the past, he was the standout in others' eyes; even some seniors in the academy with slightly higher Image Power levels treated him with extraordinary courtesy, which naturally fostered arrogance within his heart.

However, today, this arrogance was clearly dealt a heavy blow.

"I didn't expect... to one day encounter dual Image Power before entering the Marquis Realm; truly, the world is vast and full of wonders," Zhao Zhao Jieyang said slowly, his tone low.

Upon hearing these words, numerous exclamations immediately arose; dual Image Power?!

This youth, whose strength was merely the Third Pattern of the Pattern-Birth Stage, actually possessed dual Images? Did he encounter immense fortune during his breakthrough and open a second Image Palace ahead of schedule?!

In the mountain forest, waves of shocked, curious, and envious gazes were cast upon Li Luo.

No wonder he could hold his own against Zhao Zhao Jieyang with the strength of the Third Pattern of the Pattern-Birth Stage; it turned out he possessed such a rare Image.

Facing Zhao Zhao Jieyang's revelation, Li Luo was not surprised; after all, once dual Image Power is revealed, it cannot be concealed; this Zhao Zhao Jieyang was no fool, so how could he fail to notice?

His expression was indifferent; he merely held two blades, their edges pointing diagonally, and on the blade surfaces, faint cracks were visible.

These two short blades forged earlier probably would not last much longer.

However, at this moment, he felt somewhat helpless; actually, this time, unleashing the dual Image Power and four Image Power bubbles should have achieved greater results; at the very least, it would have injured Zhao Zhao Jieyang, not merely drawn a bloodstain.

But this was Li Luo's first time unleashing power to such an extent, so he was still somewhat unskilled.

If it were done again, the effect should be somewhat better.

Unfortunately... there is no chance for that in the short term.

After the four Image Power bubbles were consumed, that Image Power dispersed accordingly, so an attack of that level cannot be repeated now... plus the unleashing of the dual Image Power, he was actually in a state of weakness following the surge.

"The gap in Image Power levels is still too great."

Li Luo sighed inwardly; the gap between him and Zhao Zhao Jieyang was too large, plus the opponent's foundation, Image affinity, and so on far surpassed Ji Xun whom he had met before, so even though he exhausted all his methods, he could only barely hold his own.

However, his previous unleashing of power was not to decide victory or defeat with this Zhao Zhao Jieyang, but to show his claws and fangs to the surrounding wolf pack.

At the very least, he needed to make these people know not to truly think that because their small team appeared to be three of the Pattern-Birth Stage, they could bully them at will.

At this moment, Zhao Zhao Jieyang stepped forward slowly, staring at Li Luo, and said, "What is your name?"

Li Luo glanced at him and pondered, "My name is Seeing Yu Lang."

Lu Qing'er and Qin Qin Zhulu both couldn't help but glance at him.

"Good, Seeing Yu Lang; I didn't expect the Great Xia Kingdom to produce such a formidable figure; if my guess is correct, you must be from the Great Xia Holy Xuanxing Academy? Heh, by the end of this year's Holy Cup Battle, other Holy Academies should pay you a bit more attention," Zhao Zhao Jieyang said.

"I, Seeing Yu Lang, fear no waves; whatever moves you have, just direct them at me," Li Luo said proudly.

Zhao Zhao Jieyang said nothing more, but it was clear that as Li Luo displayed his strength and dual Images, his previous arrogance and domineering attitude had been restrained considerably; at the very least, he no longer directly demanded that Li Luo hand over Lu Qing'er.

This was precisely one of the purposes of Li Luo's previous direct unleashing of his strongest power; at the very least, he needed to display power that others would fear to play the game of balance; otherwise, trying to balance a pack of wolves with a little white rabbit? What a joke.

"Seeing Yu Lang, today's matter cannot be passed over simply because you possess dual Images; you should understand," Zhao Zhao Jieyang said calmly.

"Golden Dragon Qi is very rare; since it has appeared, none of us wish to give it up; after all, it represents a walking treasure trove, and you alone cannot guard it."

He waved his hand, signaling the two teammates who had previously besieged Lu Qing'er and Qin Qin Zhulu to retreat, thereby showing his sincerity regarding the upcoming negotiation.

Li Luo glanced at him with a smile: "Then can you protect us?"

Zhao Zhao Jieyang remained expressionless; this young man had now drawn so many teams to gather here; even though his strength feared no one, a brave man cannot withstand a crowd; under these circumstances, even if he was unwilling, he had to admit that he probably could not eat this meal alone.

In the mountain forest, waves of Image Power fluctuations suddenly surged, and then several figures darted out, landing on the large trees around.

"Hehe, friends from the Red Sand Empire, if you wish to eat alone, be careful not to burst from overeating," someone said with ill intent, his words filled with warning.

"This Golden Dragon Qi must be properly distributed," someone else agreed.

A flash of anger swept through Zhao Zhao Jieyang's eyes, but he ultimately suppressed it; he looked at Li Luo: "You created this situation; tell me, what do you want to do?"

Many gazes in the arena also turned toward Li Luo; if it were before, no one would have paid attention to Li Luo, but since Li Luo had previously displayed his strength and that rare dual Image, they were forced to take him seriously.

Moreover, most importantly, the current situation was complex; someone was needed to break it.

None of them were suitable for this role, and as the owner of the team possessing the Golden Dragon Qi, this youth who called himself Seeing Yu Lang was obviously the most suitable.

Under the gaze of many, Li Luo also smiled and said in a calm voice: "Since it has turned into this mess, I also know the Golden Dragon Qi cannot be enjoyed alone, so I do not mind sharing it."

The smile on Li Luo's lips gradually became playful.

"However, do you think that even if the Golden Dragon Qi is a treasure trove, it can support so many people?"