Tower Defense Lord, random Wishing Tower at the start of the game.

Chapter 160 Cooperation and Migration

Cold starlight pierced through the cracks in the shattered temple dome, casting pale patches of light on the ancient rune-covered stone floor. The air was thick with dust, the embers of old magic, and a faint, almost imperceptible stench of blood. Antonia gripped her oddly shaped short blade tightly, her silver-grey pupils, like those of a vigilant night owl, fixed intently on five figures—composed of pure energy yet radiating a suffocating, ancient pressure—slowly descending from the altar in the center of the temple. Their presence seemed to thicken and stagnate time itself.

Beside her stood Reis Cadis, the Dragonblood Warrior leader known for his composure, his brow furrowed, a complex mix of emotions swirling in his deep eyes. There was awe at the sudden manifestation of their ancestor, bewilderment at the bizarre situation before them, and an indescribable heaviness in his expression. His lips were pressed tightly together, his jawline taut like a fully drawn bowstring, clearly indicating he was engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

However, Lin Chuan, the lord from another realm, standing at the forefront, remained as calm as a deep, ancient well. He stood with his hands behind his back, his dark robes swaying gently in the faint energy flow, as if this scene, enough to make any mortal tremble, was merely an ordinary afternoon meeting in a courtyard. His gaze calmly swept over the five figures radiating different dragon-like auras, finally settling on the leader, a figure clad in a deep black robe with pale golden pupils.

"The five ancestors of the Dragonblood Warriors?" Lin Chuan's voice was not loud, but it clearly pierced through the silence of the temple, carrying an undeniable confirmation.

"Not bad." The one who responded was none other than the black-robed ancestor. His voice was like two pieces of obsidian rubbing together, deep and carrying a strange rhythm. His pale golden dragon eyes focused on Lin Chuan, sharp as knives, but deep within them lurked a barely perceptible sense of apprehension—the aura emanating from this alien lord was neither divine power nor pure magic, yet it was like a bottomless abyss, instinctively instilling a sense of danger. "Alien lord, you should not have set foot on this shattered land, much less coveted what did not belong to you."

Lin Chuan's lips curled slightly upward, forming a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown. "What's the use of saying all this now?" He spread his hands, his posture composed. "I've already arrived. Your plan to forcibly ignite the divine fire using that divine spark and ascend to the throne—has clearly failed." His gaze shifted to the dim, cracked crystal floating on the altar, his tone calm yet each word carrying immense weight, "It's time for it to find a new master."

The light and shadow on the altar rippled slightly, but there was no anger or panic as expected. The Black Dragon Ancestor remained silent for a moment, the light in his pale golden pupils seeming to dim for a fleeting instant. "We—we have indeed failed." His voice carried an undisguised weariness and frustration. "First, the evil god's minions from the prime plane unexpectedly descended, tearing apart the dimensional barrier, corrupting the core of the divine resonance ritual, and interrupting our process of accumulating power. Then, your arrival—your legion—completely blocked our final possibility of forcibly activating the ritual." His light and shadow turned to Lin Chuan, the apprehension seemingly replaced by an almost earnest hope. "But, things are not without hope. Perhaps, we can still talk? This divine essence—may still be preserved."

"Talk?" Lin Chuan raised an eyebrow, seemingly intrigued. "Since we're talking, let's discuss your conditions. A broken divine spark isn't an indispensable treasure to me. As long as you can offer a price that tempts me, a deal isn't impossible." His words left ample room for maneuver, but also clearly conveyed his bottom line: without sufficient benefits, he wouldn't hesitate to take everything directly.

"Divine power!" The Black Dragon Ancestor responded almost immediately, his words quickening. "You are a lord of another race, ruling over a region. Whether you need to maintain your legion, strengthen your territory's barrier, or perform certain special rituals—you inevitably need divine power! We are willing to bestow upon you all the remaining divine power within our divine core!"

"Foolish!" Lin Chuan chuckled, his laughter ringing out clearly in the empty temple, laced with undisguised mockery. "Kill you, and the divine cores will be mine, along with the divine power within. Why bother with all this?"

"You took it this time, but what about next time?" The Black Dragon Ancestor was not discouraged. Instead, he took a step forward, his light and shadow becoming even more solid. His tone was tempting. "As long as you can preserve our last bit of original imprint, allow us to remain in this shattered world, maintain the existence of this secret realm, and allow us to rule this place—we have a way!"

Although the world is shattered and the gathering of divine power is difficult, we, as the source of dragon blood, have an ancient connection with this world. We can continuously gather new divine power! This will be a long-term, stable benefit!

"Oh?" A glint of light flashed in Lin Chuan's eyes. A continuous flow of divine power was indeed more attractive than a one-time plunder. He pondered for a moment, as if calculating the value, before speaking, his tone calm yet resolute: "1000 units of divine power per year."

Lin Chuan's face showed a hint of "disappointment," but he wasn't angry. His gaze remained sharp as he scrutinized the Black Dragon Ancestor, as if he could see through the soul beneath the light and shadow. "10 units? Heh." He shook his head slightly. "I don't think that's all you have up your sleeve. Perhaps you're hiding some secret technique that can accelerate condensation? Or—some ancient reserves that haven't been exhausted yet?" His words were like invisible pressure, compelling the other party to act.

The Black Dragon Ancestor's pale golden pupils flickered violently, as if he were silently communicating with the other ancestors. Finally, he sighed heavily, and even the light and shadow dimmed slightly: "—We have indeed given our all. The wounds on this world are deeper than anticipated. The limit—a maximum of one hundred units per year. This is a number we can barely reach by burning our primordial imprints; any more, and we ourselves will completely dissipate."

"One hundred units—" Lin Chuan repeated, as if weighing the significance of the number. He remained silent for a few seconds, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost palpable. Antonia's fingers were already gripping the activation rune on the short blade, and Reis's hand unconsciously rested on the hilt of his sword.

"Alright." Lin Chuan finally spoke again, his voice resolute. "One hundred units of divine power per year, that's the bottom line. If it's less than that, I'd rather take the divine spark directly and eliminate any future trouble." He paused, then his beam of light shot towards the dim divine spark on the altar. "Furthermore, I want to take all the remaining divine power within the divine spark. Immediately."

"What?!" This time, even the most composed Black Dragon Ancestor exclaimed in shock. The crimson light and shadow fluctuated violently, almost slamming down: "Take it all?! Then we won't even have the power to maintain this projection form! We'll immediately fall into slumber, or even dissipate! What's the difference between this and killing us outright?!"

"The difference is, you still have a future." Lin Chuan's tone was icy. "Accept my conditions, and you have ten years to eke out a living and fulfill the contract. Don't accept, and you'll vanish right now. The choice is yours."

The black dragon ancestor's aura trembled violently, his pale golden pupils fixed on Lin Chuan. After a long while, as if drained of all strength, his aura thinned considerably, and his voice was filled with despair and resolve: "—Then, kill us. Take the divine spark. We—we would rather die than accept this utter and humiliating stripping." He closed his eyes, and the auras of the other four ancestors also dimmed, revealing a tragic and heroic aura. They seemed prepared for complete annihilation.

A deathly silence fell over the temple. Antonia held her breath, and Reis's palms were sweating.

Just then, Lin Chuan suddenly smiled. It wasn't a mocking smile, but a smile that carried a sense of understanding and control.

"Ten years." He uttered the two words clearly, breaking the silence.

The Black Dragon Ancestor suddenly opened his eyes.

"One hundred units per year. Now hand over all your remaining divine power," Lin Chuan said slowly. "The contract term is set at ten years. After ten years, no matter how much divine power you have accumulated, no matter whether this secret realm still exists, the contract will automatically terminate. You will gain complete freedom, and I will not ask for a single thing. How about it?" He looked around at the five figures of light and shadow. "One term. Ten years, in exchange for your survival and the opportunity to recover. It's better than ending it completely now, isn't it? You certainly won't agree to be bound indefinitely, but a clear and predictable end point might be worth considering."

"Ten years—" the Black Dragon Ancestor murmured repeatedly, the extinguished light in his pale golden pupils seemingly reigniting with a faint spark. He and the light and shadow of the other four ancestors communicated silently once more, their flickering light representing the intense struggle within their hearts.

"This—" The Black Dragon Ancestor's voice was hesitant, yet also carried a glimmer of hope for a desperate escape. Compared to immediate and complete annihilation, enduring ten years of oppression—though painful and humiliating—at least provided time to breathe, and the possibility of rebuilding strength in the future, or even finding other ways out! Ten years was not an unbearably long time for ancient beings like them.

After a brief silence, the Black Dragon Ancestor seemed to have made up his mind. The light and shadow stabilized again, and his voice returned to its previous deep tone, but with an added sense of resignation: "—Compared to eternal annihilation, the ten-year contract—we accept."

Lin Chuan nodded in satisfaction. He said no more and raised his hand to draw a line in the air. An energy contract, flashing with complex and profound runes, appeared out of thin air. The terms were clear: provide one hundred units of divine power each year for the next ten years; immediately transfer all the existing divine power within the divine core; the contract will automatically terminate after ten years, with neither party owing the other anything.

The Black Dragon Ancestor, representing the five ancestors, imprinted his mark on the contract with a wisp of his primordial essence. Lin Chuan then separated a wisp of his spiritual imprint to complete the signing. The instant the contract was established, an invisible force of rules enveloped the entire temple. The broken divine core on the altar trembled violently, and the remaining divine power within, resembling a viscous golden liquid, was forcibly extracted by an invisible force, transforming into a dazzling golden torrent that surged into Lin Chuan's raised palm and vanished. The divine core itself dimmed completely, as if it had become an ordinary, cracked crystal.

At the same time, the light and shadow of the five ancestors instantly became extremely transparent, as if they would dissipate into the air at any moment, appearing even weaker and more vulnerable.

"Very good." Lin Chuan felt the immense divine power surging into his body, a genuine smile appearing on his face. The power of the contract had been established, and he could sense the gathering of divine power within the secret realm at any time. "From now on, every so often, I will send my heroes into this place to collect the divine power you have gathered. I hope you will keep your promise."

Having done all this, Lin Chuan stopped looking at the five weakened figures, turned around, and swiftly ordered, "Withdraw."

As soon as the order was given, the alien army that had been waiting outside the temple began to operate like a precise machine. The murderous aura quickly dissipated, leaving only the sound of their orderly retreating footsteps as they gradually disappeared into the passage leading to the grassland.

Lin Chuan, along with Antonia, Reis, and the others, left the oppressive temple and stepped onto the grassland. The cool night breeze rustled the grass, bringing a touch of chill and easing the somber atmosphere of the temple.

Standing on the prairie where the breeze was blowing, Lin Chuan's gaze swept across the vast and desolate land under the starlight, finally landing on Reese Kattis, who had a complicated expression on his face.

"Catalis," Lin Chuan's voice returned to its usual calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness, "pass down the order."

The Cadis family, and all Dragonblood families that are subservient to you and willing to follow—begin preparations immediately.

Kattis's heart tightened, and he immediately bowed: "Please give your instructions, Lord."

"Migration." Lin Chuan uttered two words, clear and forceful. "Abandon this secret realm. This place will become the Black Orc Legion's base and training ground. For a long time to come, this place will no longer be suitable for the Dragonblood Clan to thrive."

Despite having a premonition, hearing the order firsthand still sent a powerful shock and a profound sense of loss through Kattis. This was the ancestral homeland, the root flowing deep within their blood. He took a deep breath, suppressing his turbulent emotions: "Yes, my lord. Where shall we go?"