The High Priest and Small Priest suppressed their laughter, maintaining a serious facade.
In the shadows, the expressions of the ten demon gods grew increasingly grim.
They had come prepared to be fleeced.
But they hadn't expected Bai Mang to demand so much right from the start.
'To give, or not to give?'
"May I ask the demon son, what do you intend to do with so many Shadow Soul Stones?" someone asked.
Xu Xian responded patiently, "I already told you. I want to save the Demon Abyss. To face the coming calamity, I plan to construct a peerless formation."
'Excuses. All excuses.'
"Even so, you surely don't need that much?"
Xu Xian didn't want to haggle with them. He kept it simple. "Just tell me, are you giving it or not?"
If they gave, they were saving the Demon Abyss.
If they didn't, they were the ones harming it.
They had to weigh the consequences for themselves. Sometimes, the fewer the words, the more weight they carried.
He would let them guess and speculate, letting their imaginations run wild.
The demon gods fell silent...
Money was a worldly possession, true, but this was a massive sum. Converted to demon coins, each family would have to shell out seven hundred billion.
However, if it could truly save the Demon Abyss, the money wasn't impossible to spend.
As long as the Demon Abyss existed, there would be a Nether Capital and the heavenly demon race. This was their foundation.
That went without saying.
Only...
They strongly suspected that once this money was handed over, there was a ninety percent chance it would end up in Bai Mang's own pocket.
But then again...
They had no other choice.
The man had already been elevated to his position. This money would just have to be given, even if it meant gritting their teeth.
As the initiator of the meeting and one of Bai Mang's supporters, Chi Ming was the first to speak up.
"My Crimson Demon Palace will provide it. Seven million Shadow Soul Stones. I will have them delivered as soon as I return."
Seeing someone agree, Xu Xian was delighted. He complimented him without hesitation, "As expected of the Crimson Demon. Decisive and responsible. On behalf of the millions of demons in the Demon Abyss, I salute you."
Chi Ming remained stoic, responding humbly, "The demon son overpraises me."
Xu Xian nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze falling on the remaining nine in the darkness. He asked with a smile, "What about the rest of you? Have you decided?"
Since Chi Ming had already agreed, it would look petty if they refused.
One by one, they gave their consent, agreeing to provide the seven million Shadow Soul Stones.
Even the Green Demon, known as the stingiest in the Demon Abyss, agreed. A total of seventy million Shadow Soul Stones was settled.
Seeing this, the High Priest took the initiative to speak. "Since the ten demon god palaces have all contributed, my sister and I cannot simply stand by. We will provide four million to assist the demon son."
Xu Xian said heartily, "Excellent!"
The other demon gods said nothing, and some even felt slightly better.
The two priests were contributing four million, so their seven million didn't seem like so much anymore.
After all.
Although the High Priest and Small Priest nominally controlled the entire Demon Abyss, they had almost no personal industries.
Providing four million likely meant emptying their entire savings.
Unlike them.
Seven million was a lot, but it wouldn't bankrupt them. Besides, they still had monthly income. Ultimately, it was just a temporary sting.
With the matter of money resolved, Xu Xian asked if they had anything else to say. If not, they could adjourn.
The ten demon gods dropped their previously cold demeanor and began to speak actively.
They raised many issues and topics, all concerning the Demon Abyss.
Xu Xian played along, passing the buck to the High Priest for her opinions and then adopting them, showing complete lack of interest.
His mind was currently filled with thoughts of building the Sword Tower. He wished they would leave quickly and send the money as soon as possible.
He was in no mood to listen to their chatter.
One demon god suggested that Bai Mang translate a few more primordial demon arts for the Demon Abyss, preferably basic ones for the younger generation to practice.
Xu Xian agreed.
Another demon god suggested that since Bai Mang was now the esteemed demon son, he should have attendants to look after his daily needs, ensure his safety, and run errands.
Xu Xian agreed to this as well.
Another demon god added that these followers should be chosen from the descendants of the demon gods. Only then would they be trustworthy and reflect the demon son's noble status.
Xu Xian agreed again.
Xu Xian understood their intentions. Ultimately, they wanted to plant some eyes near him.
He was currently living in the Nether Hall and had a very close relationship with the High Priest and Small Priest.
Naturally, the demon gods had their own concerns.
But who should be chosen?
They likely had their own private agendas.
He was now the demon son and possessed the Immortal-Demon bloodline. If they could stay by his side, they might gain some benefits, even if they were small.
For example, through constant exposure, they might learn the ancestral demon script.
Or perhaps, through long-term proximity, they might produce a grandchild with the Immortal-Demon bloodline.
And so on.
It all came down to interests and calculations. They had pushed him up and agreed to give him money.
But that didn't mean these old foxes were truly submitting to Bai Mang.
This was merely a strategy of convenience.
The Demon Abyss had just gone through a period of internal strife among the demon gods, and they now had a clearer understanding of each other's strength.
Chi Ming and Jin Qing, who had reached the second stage of demonization...
The Huang family brothers, who were relatively weak...
The clarity of their combat power meant a shift in status.
The rankings among the families needed to be reorganized.
Correspondingly, the interests of the Demon Abyss had to be redistributed.
Of course.
They wouldn't handle these matters personally; their subordinates would take care of it.
However, the emergence of the demon son, Bai Mang, could ensure this process passed peacefully without any unexpected complications.
After Bai Mang agreed, the demon gods began recommending their own sons and daughters, pitching them like products.
They exaggerated their various virtues to the extreme.
However.
Xu Xian had his own plans.
After listening to them, he made his selection in front of everyone.
He said he originally preferred peace and quiet.
But since everyone was so insistent, he couldn't refuse their kindness.
So, he would choose two: one male and one female.
One Chi Ji.
And one Huang Xiao.
The decision was final.
No further discussion.
The Crimson Demon remained unperturbed, as if he had already expected this.
The Wind Demon, however, was somewhat overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, incredibly excited.
He thought to himself that while his son, Huang Xiao, wasn't particularly bright, his luck was quite good. Of course, this was also thanks to his own painstaking guidance.
He was absolutely beaming with pride.
The other demon gods saw Bai Mang's firm attitude and said nothing more.
They could also guess why Bai Mang had made these choices.
Choosing Chi Ji was a way to tie Chi Ming to his chariot.
As for choosing Huang Xiao... rumors had been circulating that Bai Mang had a grudge against the Huang family.
He had targeted Huang Xiao more than once.
Choosing him was likely to tell the other demon gods that he, Bai Mang, wasn't the type to only play with those he got along with.
Those whose children weren't chosen were a bit disappointed, but they could accept this result.
One was Huang Xiao, who didn't get along with him.
The other was Chi Ji, whose talent was quite mediocre.
With everything settled, Xu Xian spoke to end the meeting.
"Then we shall conclude today's discussion here. You may all return."
He didn't forget to remind them, "Please send the Shadow Soul Stones as quickly as possible. Time waits for no one, and an inch of time is worth an inch of gold!"
Rate on N.U.
