“You still haven’t answered my question,” Lu Yin reminded the bug.
Luo Chan replied, “War had not yet broken out.”
Lu Yin’s expression shifted. “Are you saying that, the moment the Immortal Lord saw the humans of the Third Rampart, they already knew that humans possessed high potential?”
“More or less.”
“Had the Immortal Lord seen a human civilization before?”
Luo Chan said, “I don’t know. I hadn’t seen one before that.”
“What about Obscura? How much do you know about them?”
“I already told them.”
Greater Sancte Blood Tower spoke up, “What the Nest civilization knows about Obscura is nothing more than that it’s a fishing civilization, but Obscura has never acted against the bugs.”
Lu Yin nodded. He then proceeded to ask Luo Chan a great many questions, some of which Green Lotus and the others had already asked, some that they had not.
Lu Yin was testing things indirectly, hoping to find some sort of evidence from Luo Chan’s replies that would indicate whether there really was a fishing civilization behind the Nest civilization. However, before much time passed, the Immortal Lord arrived.
A green stalk descended, facing the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm from afar. A beam of green light pierced the karma, delivering the Immortal Lord’s voice: “Humans, I propose an exchange.”
Without Luo Chan, even the Immortal Lord was forced to move about the Aevum Inch in a normal manner. While they might not move any slower than Green Lotus, it took longer to circle around the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm to get closer to the Nine Odysseys Megaverse than it had been for Lu Yin and the others to return.
This was extremely satisfying for the humans to see.
Previously, they had been forced to rely on numbers and ambushes to deal with the Immortal Lord. None of that was necessary any longer.
“An exchange? What do you offer to trade?” Green Lotus asked, clasping his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing the Heavenly Karmic Macrocosm and the Aevum Inch to stare at the green stalk.
“Is Luo Chan still alive?”
“It lives.”
“Name your terms for Luo Chan’s release.”
Green Lotus chuckled. “For all these years, we’ve suffered enough from Luo Chan’s existence. Its ability to teleport is nearly impossible to deal with, and yet you want us to release it? Impossible.”
“Release Luo Chan, and I will help you deal with the Seven-Treasure Anuras,” the Immortal Lord proclaimed, stunning everyone.
Green Lotus, Blood Tower, and Lu Yin all exchanged looks of astonishment. Such a high price?
Those were the Seven-Treasure Anuras.
Lu Yin looked back at Luo Chan, who was inside the Blood Tower. “How much do you know about the Seven-Treasure Anuras?”
Luo Chan said, “When the Tricolor Skyborne tried to leave, Lan Meng and Master stopped it and forced them to return. Later, Lan Meng shared with Master that they are luring the Seven-Treasure Anuras towards you humans. That’s when we learned about them.”
“What do you know?”
“Not much, though Lan Meng was certain that the Seven-Treasure Anuras can destroy your human civilization.” Bitterness filled the bug’s voice. “I suppose that Lan Meng didn’t know that you humans had two more hidden Immortals. Otherwise, even if the Seven-Treasure Anuras are a fishing civilization, it would be too costly to exterminate you.”
“Since Lan Meng said that the toads will destroy us, why did the Immortal Lord come after us now?” Lu Yin asked.
Green Lotus was not answering the Immortal Lord, and his attention instead aimed at Lu Yin’s questions.
Everyone was looking at Luo Chan, but the bug did not speak.
Blood Tower suddenly shouted, “Talk!”
His sudden roar startled everyone.
Awe Gate glared at Blood Tower, but she quickly turned her gaze back to Luo Chan.
The killing intent that pressed down on the bug forced Luo Chan to speak.
It was not able to hear the conversation taking place between the Immortal Lord and Green Lotus, as Blood Tower had blocked it.
Luo Chan had no idea that the Immortal Lord had already arrived.
“Because... because of you.”
Lu Yin was surprised to see that Luo Chan was staring at him. “Me?”
“Master wants to obtain you.”
The answer stunned Lu Yin, and the others also had strange expressions
“What do you mean?”
“In the Aevum Inch, Aberrants like you are not Immortals, yet they are able to fight against Immortals and even kill them. You are different from the other humans, as each of you has your own gifts. Master struck early partly for revenge, since they have lost their droplet form, but primarily to capture you. They wish to see if you could serve as the third transformation form for the humanoid Verdant Sage.”
Lu Yin was left speechless. He wanted to obtain Luo Chan’s ability, while the Immortal Lord wanted to convert Lu Yin. It was quite the coincidence that they had both had the same idea.
“No wonder,” Blood Tower muttered, only to suddenly frown. “But Lord Lu is also human. Even if that Verdant Sage transforms, it will only become a human. How could it transform into a specific person?”
Luo Chan said, “Master believes that he is not human.”
Lu Yin had no response for that.
Luo Chan looked over at him. “Master suspects that you might be another creature wrapped in a human shell, just like the humanoid Verdant Sage. If that is true, then transforming into your species would allow for an even greater form.”
Green Lotus laughed lightly. “Evolution is an unchanging aspect of life.”
Blood Tower was impressed. “That Immortal Lord really can think. Even if they do learn that Lord Lu is human and that it’s impossible for the humanoid Verdant Sage to transform into him, they won’t waste the opportunity. The Nest civilization is already able to produce Verdant Sages by harvesting the abilities of the species of a given megaverse. If they can capture Lord Lu and use him as nourishment for an Immortal Verdant Sage, that bug’s abilities might not be any inferior to Lord Lu’s.”
Awe Gate growled, “Watch your tongue! What nourishment?”