Chapter 535

Chapter 535: You Can Surrender Now

“Since the East Temple Head has words to share, I’ll listen carefully,” Midi said, lowering his height.

At 1,500 meters, speaking to the East Temple Head while looking down felt overly confrontational.

Yet Midi refused to crane his neck upward.

He settled at the same height as the podium where the East Temple Head stood, meeting them at eye level.

This showed goodwill.

But also defiance.

No one before had dared address the five temple heads as equals—not even top City faction leaders.

Yet Midi did exactly that.

“The Black Dragon Conference was meant to be governed by the Dark Dragon God himself. We priests shouldn’t interfere,” the East Temple Head began, bowing to the massive dragon’s shadow before turning to Midi. “But continuing this fight goes against the Conference’s spirit.”

“Explain,” Midi replied flatly. As nobility, he’d already guessed her angle.

“The Conference exists to select guardians and heirs for the Dark Dragon God from the Shaded Realm. The strong should enter Dark Dragon City for training. Turning petty grudges into death matches wastes potential,” she said smoothly. “I ask you to show mercy, both for my sake and the Conference’s purpose.”

“You want me to spare Catherine?” Midi glanced at the Arena below.

“As a Child of the Dragon, her pride is natural. Let this be her lesson—why press further?” The East Temple Head’s patience thinned when Midi didn’t immediately agree.

What status did he hold compared to hers? Her tone alone should’ve been concession enough. Yet he hesitated—outrageous!

But with the competition ongoing, she kept her polite mask.

Midi fought back a sneer.

Where was this concern when Catherine tried killing him? Now that defeat loomed, suddenly it was about “Conference spirit” and “youthful pride.” Not once had the temple head uttered “defeat”—only “lesson.”

He’d expected excuses, but her shameless confidence still surprised him—as if she spoke for the entire Shaded Realm.

Fairness? Midi never chased illusions. The Shaded Realm obeyed one rule: the strong dictated truth. He sought power, not justice.

Yet here she stood, twisting facts despite his clear advantage. Pathetic. Still clinging to the eastern temple’s faded glory.

What to do?

Midi studied the Ice Queen below, still struggling to steady her aura.

After long consideration, he spoke: “All your pretty words just beg me to spare your worthless disciple. Fine—but not for free. You think sweet talk stops my attack? Dream on, East Temple Head.”

“You—” Her composure cracked.

Midi had shredded her pretense with one sentence.

If not for the protection granted to every Black Dragon warrior during the Black Dragon Conference, Midi’s words alone would’ve driven the East Temple Head to shred him to pieces.

Even as her face darkened, she had no choice but to endure.

“Since you insist, Mr. Midi,” the East Temple Head steadied herself before speaking again, “I’m willing to pay a cost. Name your demand.”

“My demand means little. What matters is how much you value Catherine’s life,” Midi answered casually with a smile.

Though inexperienced in commerce, Midi understood bargaining well as nobility.

Under equal conditions, both sides would test and contend before compromising.

But the contest had already ended.

Midi had staked his life and won.

As victor, he’d keep the upper hand—why offer a starting price?

Seeing the East Temple Head’s shifting gaze and silence, Midi didn’t wait. He shot back to 1,500 meters in the high skies.

Another black fire orb crashed downward, followed by a diving Heavenly Dragon Strike.

Catherine, hurriedly recovering below, scrambled to defend. Her condition worsened instantly.

“Midi Asreks, cease!” The East Temple Head shattered her table with a slam. “You think I won’t act against you here?”

“Can’t, not won’t,” Midi scoffed. “Did you think I’d let you stall for her recovery? At least hide your schemes—or has the eastern temple’s arrogance rotted your brains?”

“You—”

But as Midi said, even with power to kill him instantly, she couldn’t touch him here.

Discarding courtesy, Midi cut her off: “One chance. Name your price. Satisfy me, and she lives. Refuse, and she dies beneath my blade.”

Never in the Conference’s history had the East Temple Head been threatened—nor Catherine taken hostage.

Catherine trembled with rage. The usually composed Temple Head fell speechless.

Unconcerned, Midi dove again. The attacks wouldn’t stop until she named her price.

Watching the eastern temple’s pride—a Child of the Dragon honed through years of selection—get battered bloody, the Temple Head’s fury peaked.

Yet she realized: only honest dealing would save Catherine. Threats and tricks failed here.

“One Celestial Dragon Flower. One Lava Fruit. One Black Dragon Crystal. Enough to reach level 68!” she spat through gritted teeth.

A calm mind revealed Midi’s urgency: using Shelly and Catherine as whetstones to level up.

Her three Ultra-Rare Materials surpassed battle’s potential stimulation. Surely he’d accept.

But Midi’s reply chilled her: “Insufficient. But for your ‘sincerity,’ I’ll advise: add one Illusory God Wine, a Black Rock Heart, and Shadow Sunflower. Then we deal.”

“What?!” Her control snapped again.

Midi had inflated the price by half.

Truthfully, he only wanted the Illusory God Wine—a second bottle might propel him to Ruler of Psychic Energy. The other items were decoys to hide his psychic nature.

Seeing her hesitation, Midi’s subdued Black Iron Dragon Flame flared anew.

“Deal!” She relented as he prepared to strike again.

“Hand them over.” Midi extended his palm.

A flick of her storage ring sent six items flying: the flower, fruit, crystal, wine, rock heart, and sunflower. Midi seized them.

“Genuine,” confirmed Eighth Apostle Rot’s voice, his psychic energy having scanned each.

Satisfied, Midi stored the materials. Returning to the Arena, he recalled the Devouring Sound Orb.

From the high skies, he gazed down at Catherine’s pale face.

“Now,” he said lightly, “you may surrender.”