Chapter 566

Chapter 566: Submission and Cooperation

“The leader of the Spirit Armored clan is quite stubborn,” Xu Fan said with a smile.

At this moment, the mortal kingdom was completely surrounded by the one hundred thousand puppets Xu Fan had dispatched.

Not a single fly could escape, whether from the skies or the ground.

Above the mortal kingdom, a Celestial satellite equipped with the fasting Spirit Gathering Formation loomed.

“There’s a saying in the cultivation world: ‘If you refuse the toast, you’ll face the punishment.’ It seems you still don’t grasp its meaning,” the leader of the puppets said coldly.

“You may have the power to turn us into demon slaves, but before that happens, I’ll drag the entire mortal kingdom down with me,” the man in silver armor said, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his face.

At that moment, countless beams of spiritual light erupted from the borders of the mortal kingdom, forming a barrier that cut off the flow of spiritual energy.

“You’ve run out of chances.”

As soon as the puppet leader finished speaking, the fasting Spirit Gathering Formation activated in the sky.

Instantly, the spiritual energy within the mortal kingdom, where the Spirit Armored clan resided, was rapidly drained.

At the same time, a mesmerizing sound echoed from the heavens, like the song of a fairy or the voice of divine law.

Just as the trapped Spirit Armored clan prepared to resist, they were ensnared by the sound, transforming into a state of impenetrable armor, unyielding and indestructible.

“With the Spirit Armored clan’s traits, you’re practically asking for trouble if you don’t find a powerful ally to rely on,” Xu Fan remarked, chuckling as he watched the light curtain.

From the moment he saw the slime-like form of the Spirit Armored clan, he had understood their strengths and weaknesses.

Their greatest strength was their extraordinary Defensive Strength, capable of withstanding both magical and physical attacks.

Moreover, all their supernatural abilities were defense-oriented.

Their weakness, however, was their vulnerability to mind-control spells; once their minds were clouded, they would harden into armor.

“If you lose your senses, I’ll drain your spiritual energy, and you’ll all obediently turn into jelly,” Xu Fan said, his eyes fixed on the light curtain.

“Hidden Spirit Sect, you underestimate the Spirit Armored clan. We’ve long since developed defenses against mind-control techniques.”

“Our flaws are relics of the past, from hundreds of years ago.”

Just as the man in silver armor felt a surge of triumph, he suddenly sensed something amiss. His body began to soften, and his spiritual energy drained at an alarming rate.

Before he could finish speaking, he melted into a pool of viscous liquid, sliding off the middle-aged man.

In an instant, the entire mortal kingdom’s tens of thousands of Spirit Armored clan members turned into jelly.

“Let’s keep them for now. If they refuse to submit, brainwashing will be our only option,” Xu Fan said.

He had developed a certain appreciation for this clan’s behavior since their arrival in the Human Realm.

Even when attaching themselves to mortals with spirit roots, they did not seek to dominate their minds, choosing instead to coexist peacefully.

“Understood,” Grape responded.

Three days later, a silver, jelly-like substance appeared before Xu Fan.

“Have you made your decision? Submitting to the Hidden Spirit Sect comes with significant benefits,” Xu Fan said, gazing at the motionless silver jelly on the ground.

“I’ve said it before: our branch of the Spirit Armored clan will never submit to another race or powerful being in this lifetime.”

“Even if you control us, the spirit of our clan will endure forever.”

A human face appeared on the Silver Jelly, speaking with excitement.

“Spiritual energy needs to be praised to be passed down. I’ll take down your entire clan in one go.”

“Even if I wipe you out, who else will know besides me?” Xu Fan said with a smile.

“Our clan will never submit to the human race,” the Silver Jelly said stubbornly.

“I’ve already seen your clan’s life-or-death divine technique.”

“To be honest, your clan’s talent is strong, but this divine technique really holds back the Spirit Armored clan.”

Xu Fan lounged in his chair, enjoying Bear Two’s cloud in the sky, with various snacks beside him. This was his most comfortable state.

“I really appreciate your clan. How about giving you a chance to cooperate with my Hidden Spirit Sect?”

Just as the Silver Jelly was about to speak, Xu Fan interrupted.

“As a gesture of sincerity, I’ll help optimize your techniques and methods and provide basic benefits.”

A light curtain appeared in front of the Silver Jelly.

“A large Spirit Gathering Formation, foundational attachments to puppets, privileges for magical treasure trading, top-tier supplies of the five elemental origins…”

The Silver Jelly looked at the varied benefits and responsibilities on the light curtain, gradually feeling tempted.

However, it soon realized, “Isn’t this the same as the submission conditions you gave me before? And it’s even worse than last time!” The Silver Jelly felt deceived.

“There’s a big difference. The submission conditions are now cooperation conditions; our relationship is equal.”

Xu Fan pointed at the Silver Jelly, then at himself, and drew a symbol of equality in the air.

“To me, there’s no difference,” the Silver Jelly replied.

“At least it sounds better. Take the two big clans that submitted to my clan, the Precious Artifact Rabbit Clan and the Wind Blue Rain Goose Tribe. They’re dependent clans.”

“And you’re the beast race cooperating with my Hidden Spirit Sect; aside from not straying too far, you’ll have much freedom,” Xu Fan said leisurely.

He’d seen many stubborn individuals like this before; he’d persuade them if he could, and if not, he’d move on.

“The word ‘cooperation’ means freedom and ensures your clan’s spirit can continue.”

Xu Fan’s words struck a chord in the Silver Jelly.

“Just know, I don’t have much patience for a small force like you that lacks even a beast king.”

“If you miss this chance, your entire clan will become demon slaves.”

Xu Fan, reclining in his chair, turned his head and looked lightly at the Silver Jelly.

Today he was in a good mood, which is why he bothered to persuade.

The Silver Jelly remained silent, curling into a perfect sphere.

After a long while, a voice emerged from the sphere.

“I demand you issue a heavenly path oath as a condition for our cooperation.”

The sphere then transformed back into a puddle of Silver Jelly.

“Sure, cooperation is mutual; you’ll also issue a heavenly path oath,” Xu Fan replied with a smile. He casually grabbed a Spiritual Fruit that looked like grapes and popped it into his mouth.

“Alright, our clan will work with you,” said the Silver Jelly.

When they first heard about the Hidden Spirit Sect, they thought about relocating their entire clan, but they couldn’t bear to abandon the human companions they had nurtured for so long.

While they were still hesitating, Xu Yuexian found them, which led to the current situation.

“That’s more like it. Not every beast race gets the chance to collaborate with the Hidden Spirit Sect,” Xu Fan remarked, pulling out a Core Formation Stage Puppet.

“This is a personal gift for you. I tweaked it a bit to suit your clan’s traits.”

“This puppet should work well for your kind.”