Chapter 565: Surprise

Li Mochen knew that the other party intended to bargain, and the momentum he had created now was merely an attempt to show him the ability to achieve mutual destruction.

"No need!"

Li Mochen shook his head again. With a wave of his hand, he sent a pre-drafted contract to Odyssey Ventrue: "I don't have that much time to negotiate with you, and I am not a harsh master. This contract—if you agree, sign it; if not, we go to war. It's that simple. Congratulations, I can give you another twenty seconds. Give me your answer as soon as possible, OK?"

Tomson Beo beside him couldn't help craning his neck: "What are the terms written on it? I'm curious."

Odyssey Ventrue frowned, looking at the scroll that was two meters long when unfurled. Although it contained tens of thousands of words, with his eyesight and mental power, he could grasp it all at a glance.

"Indeed, not too harsh."

Odyssey Ventrue let out a light breath of turbid air, his eyes relaxing a bit: "But I still have two reasonable requests, and I implore Your Highness to grant them."

Perhaps worried about time, Odyssey Ventrue's voice was slightly more hurried than before: "First, I hope that when Your Highness fights against the Camarilla of the vampires, you will not use the power of the Ventrue clan, unless the Camarilla attacks us first. There is an ancient covenant among our seven clans, and killing among kin is the cruelest thing in the world."

"Is the slaughter among you any less?"

Li Mochen's lips curled coldly, a hint of sarcasm in his eyes: "But this request is barely reasonable. I agree."

"Second, as you can see, the Ventrue clan has suffered heavy casualties under your attack. I hope you grant the Ventrue clan the right to recuperate, and that our clansmen will not participate in any battles for the next three years."

Seeing Li Mochen's gaze turn sharp and his aura brimming with killing intent, Odyssey Ventrue changed his tone: "Of course, as the only one intact in this battle, along with Prince Schroeder Ventrue, we will both be at your disposal in the coming time! I believe our combat effectiveness will not disappoint you."

Li Mochen narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the other. After a moment of thought, he sneered: "You seem to have some other plans? But it doesn't matter. Then change the terms accordingly. Better be quick; my time is tight, King of Ventrue."

Odyssey Ventrue's pupils contracted slightly. Then, with a solemn expression, he erased some words on the scroll and inscribed new ones. With a weary look, he signed his name on the scroll.

He did not delay. The 'Light Demon No. 8' opposite had not fully restrained his power. The many Ventrue vampires in the town below were still under his influence. With just a thought from this person, the thousands of pure-blood Ventrue clan members would be directly annihilated.

At the same time, the vampire legends who had hidden in the mausoleum could only hold out for another two to three minutes.

At this moment, any small move unfavorable to the other party would be extremely foolish.

After signing his name, Odyssey Ventrue handed the contract to another vampire prince behind him.

This covenant of submission required more than just his signature. The Ventrue clan, with these princes as the source, had spread into over a dozen different bloodlines. Only when the progenitors of these bloodlines signed their true names with their own blood would the contract truly take effect.

"I can probably guess the reason for Your Highness's hurry."

Odyssey Ventrue looked at Li Mochen again, his head slightly bowed, showing respect and submission: "May I ask if the one fortunate enough to be taken under Your Highness's command is Brujah? Or Gangrel?"

The Camarilla was the largest existing faction among vampires. Of the thirteen vampire clans, seven were members of the Camarilla.

Among these seven Camarilla clans, the Ventrue, Brujah, and Gangrel were the most powerful.

The Ventrue clan was seen as the natural leader, upholding the foundation of the Camarilla, the enforcer of the Six Traditions, and serving as vampire lords in most cities. Their members were either nobles, wealthy merchants, or other upper-class individuals, wielding vast wealth.

Next was the Brujah clan, whose combat ability and quality were arguably the strongest among vampires—born warriors. The number of strong members in the clan was almost comparable to the Ventrue.

Third was the Gangrel, a group more like beasts than humans. They usually lived in the wild, closer to nature, with a style similar to druids and nature worshippers. In fact, some of them were members of the Church of the Goddess of Nature, receiving her protection.

They were also typically powerful warriors. Unlike the Brujah, the Gangrel's ferocity in battle came not from the lawless rage in their blood but from the power and bestial instincts they drew from nature.

"That is none of your concern, King of Ventrue!"

Li Mochen directly refused. He would not be foolish enough to answer such a question, giving the other a chance to tip off his kin.

Although the contract now bound them, who knew if this ancient vampire had other ways to send messages to his clansmen.

Seeing that all the vampire princes present had signed the covenant of submission, Li Mochen reached out and drew it into his hand.

This contract was not a simple astral pact; it also incorporated his own power. Anyone who signed their name and tried to break it would suffer the interference of his life-and-death divine authority and the burning of the 'Solar True Fire'.

"This is a wise choice! Odyssey Ventrue, you have won the right to survival for your clan. For the next three years, you can have peace and recuperate. But before that, remember to deliver the property specified in the contract to Atlanta as soon as possible. Also, as my vassal's duty, I expect you and Schroeder Ventrue to appear in Manhattan in one month!"

That was the place Anthony Braden had chosen for his ascension. Although the main body of Light Demon Industries was now in California, in Los Angeles, the Braden family originated in Manhattan, where they had more allies to support them.

At the same time, the power of the God of Alchemy, Machinery, and Craftsmanship, Thomas Milan, was stronger on the West Coast of America and relatively weaker on the East Coast.

Odyssey Ventrue's strength was still worth looking forward to—a master of medium divine authority, at the level of a lesser god.

As for the other, Prince Schroeder Ventrue, he also possessed a medium divine authority, with combat power approaching that of a god.

As for the property Li Mochen referred to, it included most of the materials on Bessel Einstein's list and up to two hundred soul gold coins. In addition, the Ventrue clan had to compensate Li Mochen with ten billion gold shields and provide an annual tribute of one billion gold shields.

These terms were quite harsh. Although the Ventrue clan had substantial assets, their overall wealth was only slightly stronger than the Wiltonshtan family. And it was very scattered, spread across major cities.

This was due to pressure from the churches of the gods and human governments. After all, they were aliens. Once the wealth they controlled exceeded a certain amount, they would attract relentless attacks from human forces.

At the same time, they were the purse for all seven clans of the Camarilla, providing various resources for almost all Camarilla members. Among these, the annual cost of blood bags to ensure their survival alone required huge funds.

Thus, the contract Li Mochen offered placed considerable pressure on the Ventrue clan, just barely on the edge of the bottom line.

"Of course!"

Odyssey Ventrue's expression was respectful: "Your will is now my mission."

As he finished speaking, Li Mochen had already entered the void with 'Death's Enemy' Tomson Beo.

"So the Sky Scepter wasn't even used."

Tomson Beo continued standing on the back of the small dragon vein, grinning: "So what's the next target? Brujah? Or Gangrel?"

"Tremere!"

Li Mochen shook his head: "The Brujah are a mess, and the Gangrel hide in deep forests and wilds, under the protection of the Goddess of Nature. There's no need to seek them out."

Based on his understanding of vampires, the Brujah clan was a bunch of thorns, with many independent leaders, none submitting to another, and no common king. The clan was divided into three factions internally, with smaller parties under them. He couldn't possibly go to each vampire prince one by one. It would be hard to find them, and there was no time.

As for the Gangrel, a group of vampire druids, they were even harder to handle. Those driven by bestial instincts had much more backbone than the Ventrue clan.

The key was that both clans relied on Ventrue's wealth to survive. So after controlling the Ventrue clan, he could influence these two vampire groups to some extent.

The Tremere were another powerful vampire clan.

They were not pure-blooded vampires, nor descendants of Lilith or Caine. They were originally a group of human mages from the early Middle Ages who craved eternal life. Tempted and aided by some force, they used alchemy and magic, combined with the blood of an ancient vampire, to obtain the vampire life form, thus gaining the latter's long life.

However, because of this, they lost the source of human mana and magic power, causing them to lose their original magic completely. But among these mages were many with extraordinary wisdom. They turned to develop blood energy, creating a system called 'Blood Magic' and a powerful profession called 'Blood Mage'.

Initially, this clan was not recognized by vampires and was rejected by all. But during the years when the Church of Light swept all heretics and dark creatures across the Old Continent, the powerful combat capabilities displayed by those blood mages earned them a place in the Camarilla.

In modern times, they strictly adhered to the rules of hiding and secrecy, and usually did not interact with other Camarilla clans.

In Li Mochen's view, a group of ancient, knowledgeable mages and alchemists was far more useful than the battle maniacs of the Brujah and Gangrel clans.

"Tremere? Well, that's a wise choice."

Tomson Beo laughed with anticipation: "So still two billion gold shields? That's another task; you'll have to pay extra."

"Five hundred million!"

Li Mochen cut the price without hesitation: "The next task is safer, and those blood mages are a bunch of paupers."

Although the Tremere clan did not need financial support from the Ventrue like other clans, their limited ways of acquiring wealth and high consumption on spell research and study meant they were still tight on money—even though this clan had numerous alchemists, even grand alchemists.

So he expected that this trip to the Tremere clan would not yield much financial gain.

"Shit! You're really stingy!"

Tomson Beo cursed: "I bet you extorted at least a hundred billion from the Ventrue clan, plus the service of an entire vampire clan. No wonder Dale has such a grudge against you. Though that woman is a miser herself, and she's also poor."

He was also familiar with 'Void Night Lord' Delfinia Adric, who had hired him for help in the Heteroclites' actions in recent years.

Li Mochen rolled his eyes and pretended not to hear. But this time he was smart enough not to turn off his hearing, occasionally replying to Tomson Beo so the latter wouldn't feel like he was talking to air.

Although it was annoying, it was better than suffering the guy's mental bombardment.

After the two had traveled far through the astral plane, a figure appeared before Odyssey Ventrue in the sky above St. Desi Town.

"My king! Must the vampires of America and the Ventrue clan accept a fate of enslavement in the future?"

This person was another powerful member of the Ventrue clan—Schroeder Ventrue!

"You've seen the contract he offered, haven't you? Although harsh, it's not unacceptable. The key is we have no choice. St. Cyr Ventrue and Trol Ventrue have died at his hands, the whole process taking only three minutes. He has enough power to kill fifteen of the remaining seventeen of us here. The Ventrue clan would be completely destroyed by him. That Sky Scepter wasn't for escaping; it was to prevent us from fleeing."

Odyssey Ventrue shook his head: "Wait patiently for the awakening of Lilith and Caine, and the twelve True Ancestors. I've bought our clan three years. After three years, the world will surely change."

"I suppose that's all we can do."

The vampire prince named Schroeder sighed: "But I'm still worried. Normally, the ancestral oath in our blood overrides all contracts. But the terms of that contract are very strict. I'm afraid the power of blood won't let us break free from his control. His talent and strength are too formidable. Who knows what the situation will be in three years? If he becomes a high god, even Lilith won't be able to free us. Of course, that's unlikely, but we can't be too careful."

Odyssey Ventrue silently gazed eastward. After a long while, he spoke: "I know his next target. It should be Tremere."

...

The Tremere clan's chosen settlement in America was not far from Yellowstone Park. These powerful blood mages had opened a large-scale demiplane there for daily living.

The demiplane had a diameter of over a hundred kilometers, an area no less than Atlanta, which had tens of millions of people. Inside floated no fewer than three hundred magic towers, and beneath these towers of varying heights was a huge, technologically advanced city.

To Li Mochen's surprise, his process of subduing the Tremere clan was very easy. Just as he and Tomson Beo shuttled into the demiplane, they saw Moses Tremere, the clan leader, leading a group of demigod and legendary blood mages waiting for them.

No battle occurred. Moses Tremere directly led everyone to bow to Li Mochen in submission, raising no objection to the contract he offered. This made both Li Mochen and Tomson Beo extremely curious.

"Your Highness should know the origin of our Tremere clan, right?"

Moses Tremere explained calmly, his expression serene, not feeling aggrieved or unwilling about being enslaved: "In the early Middle Ages, our survival was difficult; all members lived in fear under the Church's persecution. Until Emperor Barbarossa provided us with庇护. He not only stabilized us, giving us time to study blood magic, but also provided substantial funds for us to build magic towers. Thus, the Tremere clan has always been the most loyal courtiers of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. Emperor Barbarossa's help to us far exceeded that of other Camarilla clans. Now, to serve you, who inherits the glory of the Hohenstaufen dynasty and holds the authority over life and death, is not unacceptable to all of us in the clan."

At this point, Moses Tremere bowed slightly to Li Mochen: "The Tremere clan is willing to fight for you and become your loyal subordinates. Correspondingly, we hope that Your Highness will treat our clan fairly and justly, just like Emperor Barbarossa did."

Li Mochen was extremely regretful. If he had known about the relationship between the Tremere and the Hohenstaufen family, he would not have promised Tomson Beo five hundred million gold shields.

The latter let out a series of cackling laughs: "Wow, looks like no battle is needed, right? Picking up five hundred million gold shields for nothing—this makes me feel balanced, Mr. Little Wiltonshtan."

Moses Rumor also invited Li Mochen to visit his twenty-story magic tower to learn about the current state of the Rumor clan. But Li Mochen declined. He was very interested in these blood mages, but since he had only spent two or three minutes with the Rumor clan, it meant he could still go to another place and try his luck.

"Where is the next target?"

Thomson Beo asked again: "Malkavian? Nosferatu, or Toreador?"

"Toreador!"

Li Mochen, steering the small dragon vein, once again roamed through the astral realm: "They are somewhat useful to me."

The Toreador clan of the Camarilla has many aliases, such as "the Fallen," "the Artists," "the Poseurs," and even "the Hedonists."

Members of this clan consider themselves a blend of elegance, flamboyance, brilliance, and ridiculousness, fantasy, and idleness. They also enjoy frequenting high society, but unlike the Ventrue, Toreador members dislike tedious official social engagements. Their only purpose in high society is to be noticed and admired, so they mostly act as artists, nobles, wealthy merchants, and the like.

What Li Mochen valued was the Toreador clan's intelligence capabilities. Their tentacles penetrated every corner of American high society.

Moreover, the current leader of the Toreador clan was also one of the only four elders of the American Camarilla blood clans. Although this theoretical weak god was rumored to be very weak in combat, he was still an elder of the blood clans.

"But Beo, I don't plan to pay you this time. We didn't go through any battle last time."

"Bullshit! At least three hundred million! Otherwise, I'll leave right now."

Thomson Beo couldn't help but curse: "How can you say that? You're even more black-hearted than old Wittenstein."

"Two hundred million!"

Li Mochen replied calmly: "It's free money, isn't it? So, are you going or not, Beo? Otherwise, I'll go find Del."

In fact, whether dealing with the previous Ventrue or the subsequent Rumor, Delphinia's abilities were more useful than the Death's Enemy's.

But Li Mochen didn't want to let the 'Nightlord of the Void' and the Inhumans get too full at once; he also needed to make that woman realize she had a strong competitor.

"You said it!"

Thomson Beo's anger turned to joy, and he spread his hands: "But Mr. Little Wittenstein, your approach really breaks my heart. I can see you want to recruit me, right? But I can't like a boss as stingy as you. You need to show me sincerity."

Li Mochen snorted: "Forget it, Beo! But regarding that matter in Manhattan a month from now, I can offer you a well-paid contract. If you're interested."

Did he not know what kind of person this guy was? He knew in his heart who could be recruited and who could only be kept on a leash.

And Thomson Beo was someone who, even if he invested twelve thousand percent sincerity, would be hard to win over. All he could do was keep him on a leash, using their friendship and enough commission to keep this person on his side.

Of course, there was also his own deterrence.

The potential of the Death's Enemy was almost as strong as Anthony's. And even now, Thomson Beo's combat power could match Roberte's. In certain special occasions, he could even tie down a powerful magic user—without needing the preparatory steps like the Blood-Eye Maid—so Li Mochen didn't want to make an enemy of this guy either.

"Anthony, is it? That's a pity."

Thomson Beo sighed with regret: "I've already signed a contract with Anthony. I have to stay by his side twenty-four hours a day and can't leave. But he's much more generous than you. If he can survive and successfully become a Legend, he'll give me eighty billion that day. That money could let me take it easy for a few years."

Li Mochen chuckled at that.

He knew that although Thomson Beo earned a lot of money, he also spent a lot. The guy actually spent very little on himself. The Death's Enemy's unique constitution allowed him to grow quickly without needing many cultivation resources. So most of the money was invested by Thomson Beo into various charitable organizations, and he genuinely did charity—

Once, someone tried to scam the Death's Enemy's money under the guise of charity. But soon after, Thomson Beo bloodily purged both organizations from top to bottom. He even flayed the leaders of those organizations alive.

And this time, for the disaster in Atlanta, Thomson Beo donated seven hundred million gold shields.

—In short, this was indeed a guy worth befriending.

The capital of the Toreador clan was near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was not only a famous gambling city but also a huge tourist city. Most members of the Toreador clan liked to linger there, enjoying the extravagance of Las Vegas. They also had deep roots in the gambling city, gaining considerable wealth.

And this place was only eight thousand kilometers from Yellowstone Park. This time, when Li Mochen steered the small dragon vein through the astral realm, he went all out, not worrying about mana consumption.

After the Ventrue and Rumor clans had successively submitted, there were no strong figures in the American Camarilla blood clans that Li Mochen needed to fear.

The elder of the Toreador clan was completely beneath Li Mochen's notice. As for the Gangrel, they were probably still sleeping in some wilderness, merged with nature, with little chance of coming out.

So Li Mochen was no longer concerned about possible counterattacks from the blood clan Camarilla, confident that even after high-speed astral travel, he could suppress the entire Toreador clan and any additional situations.

Just three minutes later, the two of them once again emerged from the astral realm. The moment they entered the material plane, Li Mochen fully extended his divine sense.

In an instant, a joyful smile appeared on Li Mochen's lips.

The Toreador clan must have received the news; their members were dispersing in small groups. But these Toreador, true to being the laziest and most indolent of the seven Camarilla clans, still had seven Toreador princes staying in this city.

...

Meanwhile, at the Sunrise Biopharmaceutical base in Manhattan, Li Mochen's secondary body, after stepping out of the teleportation gate, looked puzzled at Professor Gu Hong, who was waiting on the other side.

"Professor Gu, from your tone just now, it sounds like there's good news here, right? Has the 'Knight-level Bio-Armor' been completed?"

At Sunrise Biopharmaceutical, bio-armors of levels ten to twelve were named 'Warrior.' Among them, Type A was melee, Type B was ranged, both already developed and in mass production. Type C was mage-type, which was slightly more difficult to develop and had not yet been finalized.

Knight-level referred to bio-armors of levels thirteen to fourteen. Currently, both Type A and Type B were progressing gratifyingly. According to the development brief he received three days ago, results could be expected within a week at most.

Li Mochen's secondary body had originally been in the magic tower researching how to turn the 'Golden-Winged Blade Dragon's' blade horn into a divine weapon.

But half an hour ago, as he began designing a magic array, he received a communication request from Gu Hong.

The latter asked him to come to the biological experiment base in Manhattan as soon as possible, saying there was a major matter to report.

"Not Knight-level; that will take at least two more days."

Gu Hong's face was flushed with excitement: "But there is indeed great news. Our procurement department bought a few good things."

As he spoke, he led the way, bringing Li Mochen into a control room with glass walls on all sides.

"Look to the left. These are the Moshlar bio-armor cases we recently purchased. Thirteen pieces this month. For some reason, Moshlar relics have been flooding the market lately. It's said that two more Moshlar ruins have been excavated, the nineteenth in half a year. Some archaeologists have confirmed that the heavy blow suffered by the Maya civilization originated from the Moshlar invasion. It should have been a glorious civilization, a glorious pantheon—"

Feeling he might have digressed, Professor Gu Hong didn't continue on that topic. He pointed to the right: "But our biggest gain is those two bio-armor cases on the right."

Li Mochen looked over and saw two black cases in a laboratory. Inside were not the 'black slime' or 'mucus' he had seen before, but something like leather armor with a metallic sheen on the surface. Around them, various instruments were detecting, sensing, and collecting data.

At first glance, Li Mochen noticed the difference in these two bio-armors. Their life forms were more stable, their auras stronger, and they were perfectly integrated with the surrounding magical energy, almost seamlessly, without strong aggression.

"Demigod-level bio-armor?"

Li Mochen's eyes flickered with uncertainty. He focused entirely on the two armors in the cases, even entering a state of heavenly mind to sense them.

Then, in no time, Li Mochen confirmed that they were indeed demigod-level bio-armors!

An incredible joy surged within his heart.

Four months ago, he had delegated the acquisition and unlocking methods of bio-armor cases to Gu Hong. But at that time, he never expected that the procurement staff of Sunrise Biopharmaceutical would bring him such a big surprise.

"These two demigod armors are much more stable than Legendary ones. They are more self-disciplined and have a 'hibernation' ability, allowing them to enter a near-hibernation state to reduce wear and tear. So they still have ample energy inside; two thousand years of sealing haven't made them hungry."

Gu Hong's eyes shone: "BOSS, we must unlock their secrets. This will greatly advance our bio-armor technology and make it safer."

Li Mochen understood his intention: "You want one or two demigods to oversee and help analyze their structure, right?"

"Preferably two demigods with exceptionally strong perception. Although they seem safe, we need to prevent accidents, don't we?"

Gu Hong added: "And more financial investment, more researchers, and more precise equipment—at least national laboratory level."

"Agreed!"

Li Mochen's voice was decisive, and his eyes gleamed with a strange light. There was no reason to refuse.

"But our experimental site must be moved to Atlanta. I recently acquired the Howard family's Howard Pharmaceutical Company, which has two larger, safer, and more advanced experimental bases. I want to transfer the research data and personnel here there."

Gu Hong hesitated briefly before agreeing: "Alright. I'll try to persuade the employees. It shouldn't be a big problem. With such good research material, our core staff won't give up easily. But I also hope you, BOSS, can provide them with a good living environment."

Atlanta was, after all, the stronghold of the Wittenstein family, and their experiments had entered the demigod stage. Since Gu Hong learned that Howard Pharmaceutical had also been acquired by Li Mochen, he knew they wouldn't stay here long. Atlanta was undoubtedly safer than Manhattan.

"Also, I want one of these two demigod armors."

Li Mochen looked over: "That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

He clearly noticed Gu Hong's reluctance, then chuckled lightly: "If there's a second Moshlar demigod armor, there will surely be a third. We have sufficient funds; we'll get them eventually. Besides, I can provide usage data after wearing it, which is also important, isn't it? That will benefit your research."

"Fine."

Gu Hong sighed: "Who made you my BOSS? But this demigod armor isn't without risks. It requires the host to have strong mental power, almost comparable to a demigod's. Otherwise, one can't withstand the consciousness inside the demigod armor, leading to mental damage or even corrosion and assimilation. So if you plan to use it, BOSS, you must be careful."