Chapter 704: Cooperation

After retrieving the desired source matter and divine artifact, Li Mochen's demeanor became more composed and relaxed. He still went out once every two days, freely inspecting the shops that caught his interest, showing no signs of abnormality on the surface.

But after returning to the manor, Li Mochen worked overtime to convert the spoils in his hands into his own strength as quickly as possible.

Since the original owner of the 'Life Authority Seal' was dead, Li Mochen could use it directly. However, to wield it more freely and at will, he would need to spend some time to completely refine it like the 'Gungnir Holy Spear'.

Supposedly, this was the main purpose of Li Mochen's trip to the outer realm—he urgently needed the ability to perceive evil, chaos, and corruption.

But refining a divine artifact was not something Li Mochen could accomplish with a mere thought; it would take at least three to five months of painstaking effort to complete.

So Li Mochen prioritized the enhancement of the 'All-Heaven Thunder Fire Star Core Sword Array', pouring all the star source matter and thunder source matter into all the swords of the array.

Just seven days later, the set of swords underwent a transformation, achieving the truth 'Star' and the pseudo-truth 'Thunder'.

Truth laws are the threshold for pseudo-truth divine artifacts, and a single truth is the weakest among all divine artifacts. But 'Star' itself encompasses all phenomena, and the 'All-Heaven Thunder Fire Star Core Sword Array' is not a single mythical armament; its five core main swords each possess the truth 'Star'—which is extremely powerful. In terms of power, it is by no means inferior to the 'Gungnir Holy Spear', which has three truth divine authorities and has been strengthened by Odin to near the truth level.

Thus, after the transformation of the 'All-Heaven Thunder Fire Star Core Sword Array', Li Mochen only hoped to encounter someone to test his sword against, to try out his signature move.

Then, Li Mochen unhesitatingly used the lump of metal source matter on the 'Scarlet Dragon Armor', and immediately, the artifact underwent a huge change from the inside out, naturally generating the ultimate 'Sturdiness'.

Li Mochen did this not to continue using the 'Gladiator Divine Authority' of the 'Scarlet Dragon Armor' to acquire new abilities, but to strengthen the material to make the artifact more durable.

This mythical armament, which had followed Li Mochen the longest, was still relied upon by him and still retained some potential; it could replace its replication target once more in the future.

Unfortunately, the 'Gladiator Divine Authority' of the 'Scarlet Dragon Armor' could no longer be improved. After mastering the high-level 'Gladiator Divine Authority', Li Mochen found that he had reached its ceiling.

This divine authority was a unique power and ability formed by Spartacus, combining 'Learning' and 'Plunder', based on the concept that in ancient Rome, victorious slave gladiators could obtain all the weapons and property of the defeated.

Thus, aside from Spartacus himself, it was difficult for others to expand it further, and since there was no 'Gladiator' source matter in this world, the possibility of further improvement was cut off.

Even the high-level 'Gladiator' that Li Mochen mastered was incomplete; without relying on the 'Scarlet Dragon Armor', he could not directly replicate others' power.

Two days after the 'All-Heaven Thunder Fire Star Core Sword Array' completed its transformation, the annual auction gala of the Radwen Exchange began as scheduled.

When Li Mochen and Zhuanxu arrived at the event, they found that the item list had doubled compared to a month ago! There were also two additional pseudo-truth-level mythical armaments and mythical materials of the same grade.

"This is interesting. Usually, it's rare to see even one pseudo-truth auction item, but now there are seven."

Zhuanxu looked at the item names on the list, smiling with sarcasm: "Junior Brother, your appeal is truly extraordinary."

Li Mochen was indifferent, even somewhat expectant: "This is not a bad thing for me. If they really plan to make a move, it will suit my purposes."

Zhuanxu glanced at him and then nodded slightly: "I see. You're preparing to go on an expedition, aren't you?"

At this moment, Li Mochen was once again armed to the teeth. And this time, he also had an extra 'Life Authority Seal' in his hand. But he used his own abilities to modify and conceal it; unless he wished, others could not see it.

The more auction items there were, the more people were currently targeting him. Li Mochen speculated that changes might occur even before the auction ended, so he was ready to fight at any moment.

He was naturally unafraid, and even intended to use this opportunity to establish his authority, intimidate the surrounding realms, and make the situation in the Bright World simpler and clearer. This required overwhelming power, and he could not afford to underestimate his enemies in the slightest.

The two walked together and soon arrived outside the auction house on the top floor of the exchange. At this moment, Li Mochen's expression shifted slightly as he looked meaningfully in a certain direction.

"What? Sensing a threat?" Zhuanxu also looked in that direction: "As far as I know, the King of No-Land does have a few capable fighters under his command. I wonder who has come this time."

They had encountered several deities with divine rank 20 along the way, but none had provoked Li Mochen's wariness.

"My divinity has indeed given a warning, but the sense of danger is not too strong."

Li Mochen reacted calmly: "Of course, it could also be obscured."

Just as the two entered the auction house, 'Cachino, the Trade Representative of the Tyrian Empire at the Radwen Exchange', who was standing high in the sky, withdrew his gaze.

"This is the lucky one who is said to have taken control of the Wishing Tower. What do you all think?"

"I can't see much, but I don't feel he poses much of a threat."

This was a tall, thin male with lizard-like green skin and a single eye on his forehead: "But do you really plan to make a move here? Radwen will definitely not stand idly by. If she allows it, the reputation of the Radwen Exchange will be ruined. The aftermath will also be troublesome; she won't let it go easily."

"So we have to rely on Delo's mythical armament. We'll solve the problem within a time slice; Radwen won't have a chance to interfere. And as for the aftermath—"

Cachino sneered coldly, his expression confident: "The defeat over two thousand years ago was a disgrace to the empire. If she ultimately chooses to expel me or start a war, then we'll start over. This exchange is crucial to our king; it is an indispensable piece in the future commercial empire of His Majesty."

"I have no problem, but according to current intelligence, that person also masters truth-level time sequence; his ability might even surpass my divine artifact."

The one who interjected now was the deity named 'Delo' mentioned by Cachino: "Although his main divine rank is only eighteen, he is still the one who thwarted the Lord of Lust and killed the King of Gluttony. Are you underestimating him too much? Also, isn't this acting too presumptuously?"

"There will be no surprises."

Cachino sneered, meeting the gazes of those around him: "I think you overestimate him, Delo. The King of Gluttony is strong, but in that world, his strength was not at its peak; it was like fighting with both hands tied. How could he not lose? But in the outer realm, he cannot compensate for the gap in rank."

"Of course, I won't be careless. I have already contacted several princes who are close to Horus; one of them also has some interest. We are by no means fighting alone. In fact, even if he truly defeats the King of Gluttony at full strength, he won't be able to return to that world. Even if His Highness blames me, that is my affair. The only thing you need to do is to kill him with all your might. Believe me, this is beneficial for the entire empire."

Li Mochen was unaware of this discussion in the sky; he had already entered the auction house with Zhuanxu. The venue was grand, covering at least one million mu. A single auction stage was as large as one million square meters.

But this was not purely for the sake of grandeur; it was due to practical needs. In the myriad realms of the void, there were many races with enormous bodies, such as the Titan gods, for whom three to five kilometers was ordinary, and beings like the King of Gluttony, Beleth, whose size approached that of a star beast, were not uncommon.

Of course, these powerful beings mostly possess the ability to change their forms. But the problem is that not every Divine Rank 19 or 20 is willing to do so. Thus, this auction house of the Radwin Exchange is still relatively large in scale.

Shortly after they entered, the Divine King Lamur himself came to greet them, personally leading them to the third box provided by the host—just from this number, one could see how much Radwin valued him.

According to Lamur, Box No. 1 here belonged to Radwin himself, Box No. 2 was always reserved for the trade representative of the Tera Empire, and Box No. 3 was perpetually kept for the most distinguished guests of the Radwin Exchange.

This was to be expected. Li Mochen was immensely wealthy, and this time he was clearly determined to acquire some items on the auction list. The commission alone afterward would provide the Radwin Exchange with over a billion soul gold coins.

Moreover, the 'Mother of Stars' had already decided to support this Lord of Fate, making them quasi-allies, so the Exchange naturally had to show its appreciation.

But as they flew through the VIP corridor, the three saw ahead a figure with an exceptionally obese body, completely blocking the kilometer-wide passage.

Upon seeing this person, Lamur's face instantly darkened: "Dak! What are you doing? This is the Radwin Exchange."

Zhuanxu's eyes flickered, communicating with Li Mochen telepathically: "This is the Asara warlord, named Dak. The Asara are the true favored race of the myriad heavens, a war god race. Although their population is only a little over thirty thousand, their power is second only to the Tera Empire."

Li Mochen had heard of this race, knowing they were very similar to the so-called 'Superman' in American comics and the 'Super Saiyan' described in another Japanese manga.

Their people are born with the power of an ancient god at Divine Rank 10, and they can grow infinitely, erupt boundlessly, with infinite strength and infinite potential. They are the darlings of 'nature,' barely learning divine authority or techniques, yet instinctively able to mobilize all natural forces in the world. Most are naturally warlike and violent in temperament.

The Asara military is powerful, not inferior to the Tera Empire. But they do not directly control territories and stars; their existence is more like mercenaries. They wage wars in every corner of the myriad heavens, conquering various great and small worlds, then selling them off. Occasionally, they accept employment from outsiders, but the price is usually high and depends on the Asara's mood.

An Asara warlord is already a relatively powerful individual among the Asara. They typically lead ten to twenty companions, along with some Asara juveniles, and command a massive army equivalent to a great world-level pantheon.

"Radwin? Do you think I care? Lamur?"

Dak was holding what seemed to be the thigh meat of some creature, fragrant and rich with demonic aura. As he gnawed, grease dripping from his mouth, he spoke: "Are you that Andre? The so-called Lord of Fate from the Bright World? Now, great Dak grants you a chance to gain my friendship. Offer me your Wish Tower as tribute—a Truth-level artifact must match a great master."

Li Mochen did not respond. He directly twisted time and space, bringing Zhuanxu and Lamur behind this mountain-like being.

"Are you insulting me?"

Dak stopped chewing, a cold gleam in his eyes: "Are you rejecting Dak? Rejecting the friendship of an Asara warlord? Don't think there will be no consequences, monkey?"

Li Mochen finally stopped, turning back with some helplessness yet anticipation: "I don't wish to put on such childish theatrics in public after reaching my current level of life. But if you insist, I can grant you the most painful lesson, fat pig!"

He knew that at this moment, countless eyes with ulterior motives were watching. If he showed any weakness, it might attract more enemies.

Thus, even if this fellow was an Asara, he could not back down, nor did he need to rely on the Radwin Exchange or the 'Mother of Stars.'

He could see that compared to the Asara and the Tera Empire, this 'Mother of Stars' had no deterrent power whatsoever.

And in Li Mochen's view, an Asara warlord was actually a good target to make an example of, a stepping stone to establish his authority.

"Fat pig?"

Dak blinked in astonishment, utterly incredulous: "Are you cursing me? Comparing me to that lowly, filthy creature that can only be slaughtered? You dare call me a fat pig?"

"Then what should I call you?"

Li Mochen looked up and down at his body: "'Fat pig' doesn't seem quite right either. A plucked fat pig—I think that might describe you better."

Instead of anger, Dak let out a 'ho ho' laugh: "You're interesting! A bold bastard."

But at the same time, his hand reached out to grab Li Mochen. The hand grew larger and larger, expanding to a kilometer by the time it reached Li Mochen, and the dense magical prohibitions within the Radwin Exchange were as good as nonexistent, shattering layer by layer without resistance. The surrounding buildings also crumbled into dust inch by inch.

The immense force made even Lamur, who intended to intervene, change color. His divine authority seemed to be doing its utmost to stop the Asara warlord, but he appeared unable to withstand it, retreating three thousand meters away.

"But courage must be backed by sufficient strength, monkey!"

The giant hand gradually closed around Li Mochen, while Dak's gaze remained fixed on Zhuanxu.

This True Martial Emperor was renowned across the realms; in his eyes, he was naturally more worthy of caution than the Divine Rank 18 within his grasp.

If Zhuanxu interfered, he knew he was no match for the True Martial Emperor, but offending the Asara was not a good choice either.

Yet Zhuanxu made no move, showing no intention to intervene. He merely smiled with schadenfreude: "Why are you looking at me? My junior brother's strength is now no less than mine, Warlord. If you don't go all out from the start, your defeat will come within 0.01 seconds!"

Dak was momentarily stunned, then felt a sharp pain in his wrist. He found that his palm had been forcibly pierced by an extremely powerful and sharp force. It even continued up his arm, rapidly disintegrating his bones and flesh.

Then he saw Li Mochen's eyes—cold and merciless, with surging killing intent and battle fervor brewing in those black pupils.

"You dare—"

Dak's next words were choked off, for at that moment, his soul core sensed extreme danger.

At the epicenter of their clash, the various natural forces Dak commanded were rapidly collapsing. Time, space, fire, earth—the natural forces he had mobilized were being shattered and destroyed like dry twigs.

The sharp spear force drilled toward him like a high-speed spiral bit.

"Roar!"

Blood flames erupted from every pore of Dak's body, his already massive frame swelling another fold. His shattered right hand regenerated in an instant, and a pair of blue battle axes appeared in his left hand.

The Asara never defend in battle; they always counterattack with unparalleled ferocity, overwhelming the opponent with their spirit and power.

At that moment, the space-time between them, nearly all dimensions, twisted and collapsed under their incomparable might. The web of laws for three thousand kilometers around was shattered into a tangled mess!

But when their weapons clashed, a look of disbelief appeared on Dark's face. Then his body was suddenly flung backward, smashing through countless buildings behind him, flying not only out of the auction house but also thousands of kilometers backward.

Even at this moment, Dark could not stop his momentum, and under the disturbance of the gun energy Li Mochen had infused into his body, he could not control his own body either. At this time, Li Mochen had already flashed before him.

Dark was desperately activating his bloodline; the Asura could temporarily extract from their own bodies a strength at least five to a hundred times beyond their normal limits. But he found the flow of time around him abnormally slow, even affecting his thinking speed. The edge of the 'Gungnir Holy Spear' had already sent chills through his entire body!

He knew that before he could successfully activate his bloodline, Li Mochen's spear would be enough to pierce his soul core.

And at this moment, less than 0.01 seconds had passed since Zhuanxu had spoken those words.

Fortunately, at that instant, a middle-aged woman with a kind face and a slightly plump figure appeared between the two. With a flick of her finger, she blocked Li Mochen's 'Gungnir Holy Spear'.

"Two honored guests, this is my exchange. Doing this will make me lose face and ruin the exchange's ten-thousand-year reputation."

Dark, still shaken, glanced at Li Mochen, whose eyes still flashed with lightning, and then decisively backed down: "I have no objections."

Li Mochen stared at him for a moment, then put away the 'Gungnir Holy Spear'.

He didn't know whether the Mother of Stars had appeared at this moment intentionally or not. But after all, he was on her turf and couldn't do as he pleased.

Besides, he had just taken a mass of Star Source from her, so he had to give her some face.

Radwen's expression relaxed slightly, but her tone still carried a chill: "Prince Dark, this time you were the one who provoked first. Am I so beneath your notice in your eyes?"

"I'm sorry, I apologize, and I will compensate. As for this gentleman, I will also give an explanation."

Dark was clearly speaking with a forced smile, but when he finished, he raised his hand and sent three pills emitting a faint purple glow to Li Mochen: "You are very strong, I am no match for you, especially in strength. It seems the rumors were wrong; you deserve a Truth Artifact. These are some spoils I obtained not long ago, consider them my apology."

He grinned at Li Mochen, his attitude surprisingly friendly: "Let's have a good chat sometime; I'm very interested in you."

Li Mochen glanced at the items, initially intending to disdainfully refuse. But they not only surprised him but also made it impossible to refuse. So Li Mochen casually waved his hand and swept the items into his sleeve.

"I accept your apology. I also admire you; you Asura are indeed as generous as the rumors say."

Hearing Li Mochen's words, which seemed both praise and mockery, Dark laughed heartily: "We Asura admire the strong and respect warriors. Besides, we can sense minds to a certain extent. Prince Willenstein, you deserve such respect from me. I can feel that you were truly ready to kill me just now, completely indifferent to my race. Also, the power hidden within you makes me in awe."

The face of the 'Mother of Stars' Radwen changed slightly.

Before this, she, the 'Mother of Stars,' had not received half the respect from this Dark Overseer. And even though she personally intervened to save his life, his attitude toward her was mostly perfunctory.

Li Mochen now regarded Dark Overseer with higher esteem; he could hear sincerity in the man's words.

He was also a social being, so he immediately suppressed his anger and killing intent, beaming with a spring-like smile: "Overseer Dark's temperament suits my taste. If there's an opportunity in the future, I would very much like to make friends with you."

He had only said this out of politeness, but unexpectedly, the other side took the opportunity: "Why wait until later? You're here for the auction, why not join me?"

Li Mochen was momentarily speechless, and just as he was thinking of how to politely decline, his mind stirred, and he changed his mind and agreed.

※※※※

"—That woman Radwen is up to no good. You must be careful of her; she's rotten to the core."

In Box No. 3, Overseer Dark showed no regard for being on the Mother of Stars' turf, his expression disdainful: "That scheming woman thinks I should be grateful to her. But don't I know she could have prevented it? This whole thing shouldn't have happened. She's too petty to be trusted. It's just that there are no heroes like you, Andrei, in this star region, and she was lucky enough to get a Truth Artifact, which allowed her to rise to prominence."

Li Mochen, however, was not in a position to speak ill of Radwen, though he had sensed, with the help of his newly acquired 'Life Authority Seal,' that she had already arrived at Box No. 1 nearby when the incident occurred.

"I personally admire Empress Radwen's resistance against Chaos, and she has given me great help this time."

Li Mochen also didn't think the Mother of Stars was necessarily wrong in doing so; she had no reason to offend the Asura for his sake, and it might have been a test by Radwen.

"Then you'd better be careful. If you trust this Mother of Stars too much, the probability of being betrayed is as high as ninety percent."

Dark chuckled: "Also, after this auction, you need to be careful. The Terra Empire has its eyes on you. Mainly the King of No Land's people, and possibly one of the princes, 'Iron Hand' Ferrus Manus."

Li Mochen exchanged a glance with Zhuanxu, both showing expressions of unsurprise.

The Asura give the impression of being reckless and warlike, but they actually possess an immensely powerful intelligence system, which is one of the foundations for the Asura race, with only thirty thousand people, to dominate the vast majority of pantheons, races, and forces in the myriad worlds.

"I will be on guard against them."

Li Mochen nodded, then changed the subject: "But I'm more curious, Overseer, what exactly do you want from me?"

Dark blinked, feigning ignorance.

Li Mochen sneered: "I know that your attack on me just now was mostly a test. I guess you must have a purpose, right?"

He didn't believe that Dark, backed by powerful intelligence resources, would be so reckless as to attack him.

"Do you gods of the Bright World always speak so directly?"

Dark rubbed his bald head, looking embarrassed: "I do have something to ask for your help. But if you were really like the recent rumors—a heavily restricted Law God who only relied on the power of the World Root to defeat the weakened 'Gluttony King' Beleth—then I wouldn't have brought it up. But you've surprised me, Andrei. I know you didn't use your full strength just now. Thirty percent, right? True Martial Emperor probably wasn't lying; your strength is not inferior to his."

"I did hold back some power, but it's not as exaggerated as you say."

Li Mochen shook his head: "Can we get to the point, Overseer? I'm curious what the omnipotent Asura need my help with."

"Call me Dark! We're friends now, Andrei."

Dark said familiarly: "This matter is not urgent; we'll discuss the details later. Look, the auction has started. I'm very interested in a few items Lamur has brought; they're coming up early—"

Li Mochen's eyes flickered. In his memory, the first few pages of the auction list were almost entirely slaves, from many conquered or destroyed worlds. Some were even provided by slaver gangs.

Over the next five hours, Dark made five bids, spending seventy million soul gold coins. He bought intelligent races skilled in combat, totaling seven million people.

In the future, these slaves would join the Overseer's legion, becoming claws and teeth for the Asura.

Li Mochen felt little emotion; his divinity dictated that he held a considerable degree of coldness and rejection toward beings and races other than believers and humans. Not too severe, but it didn't allow him to empathize with these slaves.

Imposing human morality on intelligent beings with entirely different worldviews was itself a very foolish thing.

Moreover, under Dark's command, these people would not be mistreated. Instead, they would be well-fed and well-treated, and soon armed to the teeth to go kill and conquer in various miserable worlds.

Five hours later, the auction entered the phase of magical energy materials. Li Mochen remained a spectator, while Dark made consecutive bids, buying large quantities of magical energy materials.

"This is the downside of not having a direct territory: we have almost no stable source of materials. Apart from a few friendly forces that can provide a steady supply, we have to buy from exchanges. And these materials are so expensive that I wish I could just go and rob them."

As he said this, Dark had already spent about 3.2 billion soul gold coins. He sighed: "I know I can't do that; it would only make things harder for us."

Li Mochen sneered inwardly; these Asura were no better than those Blood Feast Maggots. After every conquest, the Asura plundered all the wealth of that world.

The reason they didn't damage the world's roots was simply that a damaged world wouldn't fetch a better price.

But by now, he had guessed some of Dark's intentions: "The cooperation you mentioned, Dark, is it about magical energy materials?"

"The two worlds you're in are very special; they can cultivate many unique creatures and plants. This is a big business, Andrei."

Dark nodded, then casually brought up a light screen: "Take a look at this list. You can choose from it. We can provide seeds, young animals, and complete cultivation techniques, and even cover the funding. You just need to take good care of them and supply us exclusively at the best price."

Li Mochen glanced at the light screen and saw that it contained over 170 names of plants or animals, many of which he had never heard of.

"Your senior brother is knowledgeable; you can ask him for advice. We come with great sincerity; we can't hide anything from him, can we?"

Dark smiled: "But what we want from this cooperation isn't just magical energy materials. The main purpose is also the unique modern weapons and starships from your world. Ideally, we provide the materials, and you process them."

Li Mochen found it strange: "As far as I know, you have conquered many worlds, possess a vast amount of modern and even futuristic technology, and have countless top-tier craftsmen. Besides, you also have many stable military suppliers."

Dark grimaced: "You're right, but the problem is that there aren't many worlds in this vast star region that can produce high-tech warships."

"How is that possible?"

Li Mochen couldn't understand: "Even with the technology and blueprints, they can't produce them?"

"It's impossible, Junior Brother," Zhuanxu suddenly interjected. "The main reason is the laws. Ancient worlds and modern worlds cannot manufacture weapons that require the support of many laws. Take the starships under your command as the standard; currently, no more than thirty-two worlds can produce them. Most of them are controlled by the Terra Empire and its allies. The rest belong to the Four Gods of Chaos and neutral forces. The Bright World and the Dark World have always been heavily focused on by the Emperor's Starlight, and their law networks are already quite complete. You should know this best."

Li Mochen nodded thoughtfully; the Emperor's Starlight indeed shone on the Bright World at all times.

"I see!" Li Mochen asked in return: "Then what do I get?"

"This business is very profitable, Andrei. Even at the most favorable price, it can make your annual income several times higher than Radwen's. In addition, I can also provide some legions to help you fight. Not like that scheming Radwen's kind, but truly helpful ones."

Dark spread his hands: "Don't forget, our investment is also huge; this financial venture is very risky. We are indeed optimistic about you, but even you, Andrei, may not be able to guarantee that you can withstand the invasion of that one when the time comes, right?"

Li Mochen's expression changed; he knew that 'that one' Dark referred to was the Emperor.

This was the greatest burden weighing on his heart, the source of all his anxiety and urgency.

Although the Emperor had never acted or interfered with the Bright World, He had been transforming the two worlds, ripening them.

Li Mochen believed that when the final time came, and both worlds could fully accommodate the Emperor's power, becoming a battlefield suitable for His body, He would certainly intervene with overwhelming force, sweeping away everything with His irresistible power.

Neither the Chaos Gods nor the Creation Gods currently troubling the Emperor could stop Him or confront Him in this world.

Perhaps in that one's eyes, everything happening in the Bright World now was meaningless, including Li Mochen himself—mere clowns before the true master's arrival. No matter how lively they danced, they were just insects about to be crushed by a steamroller.