1325 Man proposes but Heaven disposes
In a few breaths, those few but powerful auras that differed greatly from the aura of any living being below level 401 appeared in front of Bai Zemin's group.
Sensing the tension in the air, Bai Zemin slightly raised his free hand and while embracing Lilith with his other hand said in a deep voice, "No one is allowed to attack unless I say otherwise."
Shangguan Bing Xue rode her ice phoenix and was clearly prepared to activate her Angel Frost Domain. Hearing Bai Zemin's words, however, she heaved a sigh of relief in her heart and calmed her companion who seemed eager to attack.
Bai Zemin looked at the Higher Existences in front of him and the hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Well, well.... A vampire, a werewolf, a white pigeon, a beastman, a beautiful belle with wings of fire...."
Speaking up to here, Bai Zemin paused and looked at the last Higher Existence of the group with a somewhat complicated expression.
"It's good to see that you are safe and sound." Fire Sorrow looked back at him with extremely complicated eyes as well, for in the midst of happiness there were many other emotions that even she had difficulty understanding.
"Not as healthy as I would like but good." Bai Zemin chuckled and a hint of mockery shone in his blood-red eyes, "But enough to rampage a good massacre before I die, that's for sure."
If Bai Zemin had said such words in the past all he would receive would be looks of disdain and ridicule.
A small Lower Existence boasting in front of more than a couple of Higher Existences was laughable from many points of view but it was not as if it had never happened in the history of the universe. However, the Higher Existences disdained this because the only reason a Lower Existence dared to act high and mighty was nothing more and nothing less than because they knew they would not be attacked.
But when Bai Zemin said that even though he was not at his best he was still enough to kill many of them, no one laughed nor did they look at him with scornful eyes.
In fact, remembering the events that happened half a year ago almost all of them subconsciously took half a step back with cautious expressions.
Bai Zemin was finally able to verify that Kali was not joking with him earlier and apparently he really provoked stormy tempests without even being aware of it. After all, killing two or three Higher Existences shouldn't be reason enough to infuse fear into them.
Fire Sorrow only sighed, and after several seconds of hesitation she finally gritted her teeth and said in a serious voice, "I would like to propose an alliance to you. I don't know if you are interested?"action
"Is this an alliance between you and me, you and my Transcendent faction, or your Demonic Army and my Transcendent faction?" Bai Zemin asked curiously, seemingly unsurprised.
"... It's an alliance between factions." Fire Sorrow hesitated when she said this.Bai Zemin shook his head secretly but outwardly maintained his cordial smile, "Fire Sorrow, I know that your position in the Demonic Army is equivalent to Bing Xue's here. However, there is something that as a Leader I must ask since this concerns the future of millions of lives I am safeguarding."
"Ask away." Fire Sorrow gazed at him and nodded without hesitation.
Bai Zemin narrowed his eyes slightly and asked in a low but clear voice, "This alliance you mentioned... Are these Lucifer's words and intention...? Or is it your intention?"
Everyone looked at Fire Sorrow at this moment. Her next words could cause a great change in the future universal order after all, so they absolutely could not be taken lightly.
Fire Sorrow's expression changed slightly upon hearing Bai Zemin's question, and although she had not yet said anything he already knew the answer.
Seeing Bai Zemin chuckling and shaking his head, a glint of frustration shone in Fire Sorrow's beautiful eyes.
'This little guy is really too smart and sly!' Fire Sorrow secretly complained.
Despite feeling helpless, however, she also felt a kind of inexplicable relief. She remained silent for a moment and then said, "I'll convince my Leader, you just need to give me a little time. You will eventually become the Leader of the ninth faction of Higher Existences so you and your people will be able to live forever... A decade of waiting, maybe less, is no big deal. As you already said, I am the second in command of the Demonic Army so my words weigh more than you imagine there."
Indeed, Fire Sorrow was right and her every word was extremely logical.
Leaving aside whether Bai Zemin managed to advance to a Higher Existence or not, after his life force was fully recovered he could live for several thousand years and the current lifespan of every human was at least 80 years with 100% certainty.
If she really managed to link the Demonic Army and the Transcendent faction into an alliance, five or ten years of waiting was nothing. Even if she took 100 years it was no big deal in the grand scheme of things.
The conversation between them was being broadcast for all the citizens of Beijing to hear and would later be heard by the entire Earth.
At this point, everyone was waiting for Bai Zemin's positive response. Even Meng Qi, Wu Yijun, Lilith, Feng Tian Wu, Chen He, and everyone else hoped that he would agree with Fire Sorrow's offer.
After all, if they could live more peacefully and with less war, it would be better for everyone.
Among all those present, only Shangguan Bing Xue sighed secretly as she looked at Bai Zemin's back with sadness in her icy eyes. Although he was still smiling and said nothing, she clearly had a better idea of the hardships he was going through compared to everyone else.
After what felt like an eternity, Bai Zemin nodded with a thoughtful expression on his face, "An alliance is not impossible."
Fire Sorrow's eyes lit up, but before she could feel too happy his next words were like a bucket of cold water dumped on her head.
"As long as Lucifer is willing to give up his Darkness Manipulation skill and hand it over to me, I and my faction will be the closest allies to the Demonic Army. Retreating or advancing together."
A series of gasps were heard as those words left his mouth and all sorts of gazes fell upon him.
"Crazy... This man is completely insane." The beautiful female phoenix with wings of fire behind her back stared wide-eyed.
"Zemin, you..." Lilith blinked at first, but then her pupils contracted and she couldn't help but stare at the man next to her with an expression of disbelief.
Although she hadn't yet had the chance to tell him how the Demonic Army and Lucifer protected her with everything they had, even at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives, Lilith knew that the man she loved was wise enough to be able to deduce a thing or two. After all, that day she left with Fire Sorrow after killing an Archangel and almost killing the God of Heaven which resulted in an extremely fierce war as a consequence.
Lilith was extremely confused as she knew perfectly well that he was not an ungrateful person and would absolutely never point his sword at someone who saved the life of his loved one.
But then why did he...?
It wasn't until she accidentally caught sight of the complicated and sad expression on Shangguan Bing Xue's face that Lilith realized that there was something she didn't know. Something very, very big and important.
"You... You... You..."
At first Fire Sorrow thought that Bai Zemin was joking. At first Fire Sorrow thought that Bai Zemin was joking. But when she saw his pure eyes and the serious expression on his face, she knew he was serious about his words.
Her whole seductive body trembled and her face turned red due to anger: "Why.... Why do you have to be so cruel?! Neither I nor anyone from the Demonic Army has ever done anything against you or your people! Far from it, we never interfered neither with you nor with the Earth even though more than 5000 Demons were killed by you back then!"
Then, she gestured to Lilith and said panting with rage and pain, "Ask her! Ask her if she could be standing next to you enjoying your cuddle if it wasn't for us protecting her despite her identity! But you...! You! You really want Lucifer's life?! I never thought you were such an ingrate!"
Lilith's identity? Bai Zemin blinked in confusion at these words.
What does her identity have to do with it anyway?
But be that as it may, everything Fire Sorrow said was no different from a stab in the heart as Bai Zemin felt a great measure of pain in his chest. After all, he was in the wrong here and he knew it better than anyone else.
"I... It's not like I want to." Bai Zemin sighed and a glint of pain flashed in his blood red eyes as he said softly, "But I really don't have any other option."
"You... What do you mean by that?" Fire Sorrow's heart trembled as she saw that almost undetectable glint of pain in his eyes.
This was the first time she had ever seen him make that kind of expression.
This time Lilith was 100% sure that Bai Zemin had been hiding something extremely huge and sad from her. Although she did feel warm inside knowing that he was shielding her, what she felt the most was anger towards him for not sharing his difficulties to overcome them together and towards herself for not realizing it sooner.