Swallowing the Stars: Heart of the Martial God

Chapter 176 Negotiation
The giant axe cleaved downwards, and the fifteenth phantom merged with the main body of the divine axe, instantly illuminating a golden axe beam that stretched across hundreds of light-years.

Where the axe blade passed, the distorted space was forcibly smoothed out.

"Boom!" The axe strike landed precisely on the runes of Ice Cliff Fortress. The golden light collided instantly with the ice-blue runes, unleashing shockwaves that spread for hundreds of light-years.

Pushed by this immense force, Ice Cliff Fortress, like a boulder swept by a gale, rushed madly toward the direction of Purple Abyss Star Palace.

"No! This is impossible!" The three True Lords inside the fortress cried out in despair, desperately pouring their divine power into the Ice Cliff Fortress in an attempt to stabilize themselves. However, the force of the axe's rays was too strong, and the Ice Cliff Fortress was still being pushed, inching closer and closer to the open gate of the Purple Abyss Star Palace.

"Now!" Ling Xuan's eyes gleamed, and his supreme divine power surged into the Purple Abyss Star Palace. The suction force of the Purple Abyss Star Palace increased tenfold, and countless purple runes emerged from the palace gate, weaving a huge gravitational field.

Under the combined force of the axe's thrust and suction, Ice Cliff Fortress seemed to be held by an invisible hand, steadily sliding into the Purple Abyss Star Palace.

"Bang!" The palace door slowly closed, and the star patterns on the Ziyuan Star Palace shone brightly, with purple energy surging into the palace like a tide.

Countless purple chains extended from the palace walls and wrapped around the Ice Cliff Fortress.

The chains did not attack the fortress itself, but rather bound it firmly, fixing the Ice Cliff Fortress in the center of the temple. The divine power fluctuations of the three true gods were completely isolated inside the fortress and could no longer spread outwards.

The founder of the giant axe put away the divine axe, and the golden runes on the axe slowly dimmed, but still retained a trace of the lingering warmth of the force from just now.

He looked at the Purple Abyss Star Palace floating in the distance, let out a long sigh of relief, and his eyes were full of satisfaction: "Thanks to the secret patterns on this divine axe, all these years of hard work have finally paid off."

Ling Xuan walked to his side and said with a smile, "Teacher's fifteenth axe is enough to intimidate all the forces in the Cosmic Sea."

"Hahaha, you really are my lucky star. Today you've obtained a supreme treasure and comprehended the fifteenth axe technique," the Giant Axe Creator laughed.

"Teacher, what should we do with those three guys in the Purple Abyss Star Palace?" Ling Xuan had been out of the battle for a while and had now calmed down, so he asked calmly.

He knew in his heart that the way the three strongest beings in the universe were dealt with was far more crucial to the future of the human race than the outcome of this battle.

With his current strength and control of the Purple Abyss Star Palace, he could fight even if the God Eye True Lord himself came; however, among the human race, those universe lords without avatars would be powerless to resist if the God Eye Clan launched a retaliation.

Having only recently achieved a breakthrough, his prestige within the clan was not yet secure, so such a crucial matter still required the decision of the founder of the giant axe.

The Giant Axe Founder gazed into the depths of the cosmic sea with profound eyes, and said calmly, "There is no need to worry. Although the five major forces within humanity sometimes have friction, they have always worked together in the face of the safety of the race. If we really have to go to war with the Divine Eye Clan, we may not necessarily lose. If all else fails, let those cosmic lords without avatars temporarily return to the primordial universe. Once you have grown to the level of the Primordial Ancestor and can intimidate the entire cosmic sea on your own, then let them come out to explore."

“That’s excellent.” Ling Xuan nodded in agreement, and after a moment’s thought, he added, “However, if we take the lives of these three directly, all we humans will gain, besides a few more treasures, is the relentless revenge of the Divine Eye Clan, which will only hinder the development of our race. In my opinion, it would be better to use them as bargaining chips to negotiate with the Divine Eye Clan. This would leave room for both sides and buy humanity more time to develop.”

"Hahaha, good!" The founder of the giant axe was filled with satisfaction. He knew that with Ling Xuan's current strength, if he insisted on starting a war, the human race would definitely support him with all their might; but Ling Xuan was able to put aside his personal feelings and choose to make concessions and negotiate based on the overall interests of the race. This vision and sense of responsibility were more reassuring than his martial prowess.

A true tribal leader is not someone who can be competent solely by having invincible fighting power.

When the original ancestor roamed the universe, what power did he possess?
Those strongest beings in the universe who lack supreme treasures of the soul type are almost all too powerful to stand before him.

Even so, the progenitor never indiscriminately slaughtered the strongest beings in other universes; the current God-Eye Clan, though proud and powerful, has also maintained restraint over the long years and has never left a record of killing the strongest beings in the universe.

This is not weakness, but rather an unspoken rule for survival in the cosmic ocean. The strongest beings in the universe stand at the pinnacle of power, each possessing stable influence and confidence, and tacitly agree to "not exterminate them all."

If a certain group breaks this tacit agreement and indiscriminately slaughters the strongest beings in the universe, it will only make other powerful beings feel insecure.

Once these originally independent peak forces unite out of fear, even someone as powerful as the Primal Ancestor will find it difficult to resist.

To lead their people to establish a long-term foothold in the cosmic sea, force alone is far from enough.

A qualified community leader needs to possess several key qualities:

First, one must have a sense of responsibility. When the tribe is in trouble, one must step forward and take on the responsibility of protecting the tribe, just as the giant axe always stood by the human tribe after the original ancestor was suppressed.
Secondly, one must have "foresight," be able to clearly distinguish between immediate interests and long-term development, not be swayed by momentary victories or fleeting pleasures, and not allow the community to fall into a pointless situation. Ling Xuan's proposal to negotiate instead of annihilating the community today is a manifestation of this foresight.
Thirdly, there must be "inclusivity," which means being able to accommodate differences and disagreements within the ethnic group, coordinating the power of the five major forces to unite them as one, and facing external threats together.

Only by possessing these qualities can a group truly unite its core strength, allowing it to steadily navigate the storms of the cosmic ocean, rather than becoming isolated due to temporary dominance.

Ling Xuan's eyes grew even more determined as he said to the giant axe, "Teacher, I would like to ask you to take charge of the negotiations. I will do my best to cooperate."

As soon as he finished speaking, purple light surged from his fingertips, echoing the Purple Abyss Star Palace.

A circular entrance slowly lit up on the temple's exterior.

The Purple Abyss Star Palace is a supreme treasure of unknown grade, belonging to an Eternal True God or higher level, and possesses numerous functions.

It combines the functions of a flying palace, a telekinetic weapon, and a sealing treasure, and has an independent sealing space for guarding and imprisoning powerful individuals.

The space was shrouded in mist, the ground was covered with dark purple crystals, and there were pale purple light walls all around, which not only isolated it from external interference, but also reinforced the seal at any time to ensure that the three True Lords could not escape.

Ling Xuan gestured to the giant axe to go first, and the two stepped into the sealed space.

Upon entering, one sees Ice Cliff Fortress suspended in the center of the space, surrounded by purple chains.

The three powerful members of the Divine Eye Clan stayed inside the Ice Cliff Fortress. As long as they did not leave this supreme treasure palace, their lives would not be in danger.

“Giant Axe, Flame Emperor.” The Third True Lord spoke first, his voice flat and unreadable. “Although the three of us are at a disadvantage today, we are not necessarily yours to take. You should think carefully. Just because my Divine Eye Clan cannot do anything to the two of you does not mean we cannot do anything to other humans.”

He didn't mention "negotiation" or "seeking peace," but instead first threw out the threat of "fighting to the death," and even threatened other powerful humans.

To try to gain the initiative in negotiations.

Upon hearing this, the Giant Axe Founder's lips curled into a cold smile. He stepped forward, his body shimmering with black light: "A fight to the death? Third True Lord, do you think you still have the right to say such things? You are now merely prisoners of my master and me. According to the rules, it is time for you to admit defeat and submit." The oppressive aura emanating from his words pressed down on the three True Lords, causing the surrounding clouds to freeze for a moment.

The Seventh True Lord's expression changed slightly, but he still forced himself to say, "Rules? The rules of the Cosmic Sea are set by the strong. You have won today, so you can talk about the rules; but if my Divine Eye Clan makes a comeback in the future, the rules may be different."

Seeing this, Ling Xuan gently raised his hand to stop the giant axe from retorting. His gaze fell on the Third True Lord, and his tone was calm yet penetrating: "The Third True Lord said 'fight to the death,' and the Seventh True Lord said 'we'll meet again someday.' Both sound confident. But I want to know, does this confidence come from the strength of the Divine Eye Clan, or is it just a pretense of toughness?"

He paused, then pointed his finger at the Ice Cliff Fortress, which was entangled by the divine chains of law from the Purple Abyss Star Palace: "You don't think we can't do anything to you just because you're inside, do you?"

"I wonder what it would be like to take you back to the primordial universe?"

The expression on the Third God's face finally changed, and his hand unconsciously clenched in his sleeve.

"Furthermore, even if we can't kill you and keep you suppressed here, your Divine Eye Clan will lose three of the strongest beings in the universe. Your deterrent power in the future, whether in the cycle of reincarnation or in the cosmic sea, will be greatly reduced. I heard that you have some unpleasantness with the Skeleton Clan. Now that you have lost three of the strongest beings in the universe, the Skeleton Clan will probably be very willing to have a chat with you."

The Sixth True Lord took a deep breath, stepped forward, and softened his tone slightly, but it was still firm: "We admit that the situation is unfavorable to us today. But the Divine Eye Clan is not a pushover. If your demands are excessive, we will not agree even if it costs us our lives."

He finally relented and offered "conditions," but still held firm to his bottom line and refused to make a complete compromise.

Ling Xuan knew what was going on, but his face remained expressionless: "Excessive? Our conditions are actually very simple."

First, the Divine Eye Clan must publicly acknowledge the mistake of this provocation and apologize to the human race;
Second, compensate humanity for the resources lost in this conflict, plus all the supreme treasures you possess;
Third, in the future, your Divine Eye Clan's powerful members are forbidden from attacking any powerful members of my Human Hong Alliance.

After hearing this, the Third God's face darkened completely. There was nothing wrong with not attacking human powerhouses; if you can't beat them, don't provoke their people—that's asking for a beating. But the other two conditions were just too outrageous.
"A public apology? And you want all our supreme treasures? Emperor Yan, you're far too greedy! Do you really think my Divine Eye Clan is easy to bully?"

He deliberately amplified the point of "greed," trying to put Ling Xuan in a position of "taking an inch and wanting a mile"—after all, the supreme treasures are the foundation of the strongest beings in the universe. If they are all handed over, the combat power of the three True Lords will be greatly reduced, and the overall strength of the Divine Eye Clan will also be damaged. In the future, they will still have to rely on the power of these supreme treasures to enter the cycle of reincarnation. He must first guard this core bottom line and leave enough room for bargaining later.

"Greedy?" Ling Xuan sneered, his eyes sharp as knives. "If you hadn't started this war, why would I have burned my divine power to fight you? This is the divine power I painstakingly cultivated and accumulated. Do you know how difficult it is for me to cultivate?"

If you hadn't attempted to annihilate my race, why would I need to apologize? These supreme treasures are merely compensation for humanity, and a warning to you.

The divine power accumulated through arduous cultivation?
Upon hearing this, Star Lord and the others almost wanted to shout angrily at how shameless this human could be.

Having cultivated for less than five thousand years, yet possessing the combat power of the strongest in the universe, is that what you call hard-earned cultivation?
However, upon further reflection, the opponent must have burned a considerable amount of divine power in this battle, and recovery might be much slower than cultivation.

The divine power of a cosmic ruler is incredibly precious, often requiring dozens of epochs to recover.

Thinking about it this way, they suddenly felt they could understand why Emperor Yan was so angry.

No way, they don't understand anything! This guy's a freak!

“If you think it’s going too far, you can refuse—but can you bear the consequences?” Ling Xuan added, squinting his eyes.

These words struck the hearts of the three Allahs like a heavy hammer.

They knew that the story of Emperor Yan was not unfounded.

Given Emperor Yan's cultivation speed and talent, it's only a matter of time before he surpasses the Divine Eye True Lord, and that time will definitely not be too late. At that point, the Divine Eye Clan will completely lose its right to negotiate.

They were unwilling to hand over all their treasures.

The Third God remained silent for a long time, his mind racing: should he risk a direct confrontation, or compromise for the time being?

In the end, he chose to back down and softened his tone: "This matter concerns the entire tribe. I need to communicate with God the Eye before I can give a final answer."

He used "communication" to buy time, but in reality he wanted God the Eye, the leader of the tribe, to weigh the pros and cons and see if humanity was willing to compromise.

Ling Xuan and Giant Axe exchanged a glance, and Giant Axe nodded slightly—they also knew that the three True Lords could not truly be in charge of the clan at the clan level, and forcing them would only backfire.

Ling Xuan then said, "I can give you time to communicate. But I must remind you that if the Divine Eye Clan makes any unusual moves, such as secretly mobilizing troops, attempting to launch a surprise attack on our human race's Universe Lord, or if you spread false information, you will completely lose your right to negotiate. At that time, even if the Divine Eye True Lord comes in person, he will not be able to save you."

The Third God was startled and quickly nodded: "Alright, I assure you that I will convey the negotiation terms truthfully and will give you a reply as soon as possible."

The sealed space fell silent again, but this time, the tension was gone, replaced by an undercurrent of unease.

Ling Xuan and the creator of the giant axe temporarily left the sealed space, giving the three true masters a "space to communicate".

After leaving the sealed space, the Giant Axe Founder spoke first: "Ling Xuan, isn't it a bit too hasty of you to ask for all their supreme treasures? The Divine Eye Clan certainly won't agree to that easily."

He wasn't against it, but worried that the conditions were too harsh and would cause the negotiations to break down. Ling Xuan smiled slightly: "Teacher, this is 'asking for the moon.' We all know how important the supreme treasures are to the strongest beings in the universe, and the Divine Eye Clan can't possibly hand them all over. I deliberately brought up this condition, firstly to test their bottom line, and secondly to pave the way for concessions later—if we loosen our stance on the 'number of supreme treasures' when the Divine Eye True Lord negotiates later, they will feel they've gotten a good deal and will be more likely to accept other conditions."

He had already planned his negotiation strategy, using high terms to leave room for future compromises.

The founder of the giant axe suddenly realized and nodded, saying, "You've thought things through very well. However, as a top power in the universe, the Divine Eye Clan might object to the public apology. We need to be prepared for them to bargain."

“Yes, I understand.” Ling Xuan nodded. “A public apology is to establish authority and let other forces in the Cosmic Sea know that provoking humans will have consequences. If the Divine Eye Clan really resists, perhaps we can change it to ‘a private apology to the higher-ups of the Human Hong Alliance,’ but there must be a written commitment.”

The two discussed the matter while waiting for the Divine Eye Clan's reply.

P.S.: Any plot points you'd like to see? Time is accelerating after the negotiations end, are there any plot points you'd like to see?

(End of this chapter)