Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 713

He nodded. "More or less."

He said with a serious expression, "So...you have to get through these six or seven months."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Princess Xi's face grew more serious.

She pondered quietly for a moment before solemnly looking up at Qiu Tu and nodding, "We'll try our best."

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu gently patted her shoulder and said, "No matter what happens, prioritize your own safety."

“A great man in my hometown once said: ‘If the land exists but the people are lost, both the people and the land will be lost; if the land is lost but the people are still alive, both the people and the land will be gained.’”

People with keen emotional sensitivity are the most likely to perceive changes in the emotions and attitudes of those around them.

Perhaps because his loyalty had exceeded 60, Qiu Tu transformed Princess Xi from a scheming target and an ordinary ally into a confidante he could cultivate. Therefore, Princess Xi keenly sensed Qiu Tu's newfound closeness and sincerity towards her.

So she paused for a few seconds, then suddenly said softly, "Could you leave me the rank fragment of 'Eastward Flow'?"

Qiu Tu was taken aback. After a moment's thought, he opened his dimensional space, took out the "Eastern Flow" rank fragments he had collected before, and handed them to Princess Xi.

Princess Xi was even more silent, perhaps because she hadn't expected Qiu Tu to hand over such a valuable item to her so easily.

In that instant, she suddenly understood why Qiu Tu had so many followers and such a high reputation in the 8th Shelter.

She took the "rank fragment," then looked up at Qiu Tu with a resolute expression, "Don't worry. I will definitely hold on until you come back."

"Princess Xi's loyalty +1, now at 65"

Looking at the prompt in front of him and seeing Princess Xi's serious expression, Qiu Tu smiled.

He believed that before the "Isolation Mountains" collapsed, Princess Xi and Kou Xuan should be able to keep the influence of other sanctuaries at bay, making the entire "Northwest Region" his backyard. Then he, the "King of the Northwest," would once again ascend the throne!

Thinking this, Qiu Tu looked up into the distance. His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of barriers and land on the "Boundless Sea of ​​the Heart - Core Area".

So the remaining task is to head to the "Boundless Heart Sea - Core Area" as soon as possible to participate in the "Celestial God Rank" trial.

There are still 5 days until the "Celestial Rank" trial, which should be enough time to find "Zhao Ji"...

......

at the same time.

Boundless Sea of ​​the Heart - Core Area - Mandala Sand Sea.

The sun hung relentlessly high in the sky, like a giant fireball, pouring its light and heat down upon this sea of ​​sand. Without a single cloud to obstruct the view, the sunlight shone down without hindrance, scorching the sand until each grain was burning hot, each one like a tiny ember, searing any creature that walked upon it.

And on that endless sea of ​​sand, a woman dressed in white, like a proud and aloof iceberg, exuding unparalleled beauty and coldness, walked silently.

The scorching wind howled across the desert, but the moment it approached her, it seemed to encounter an untouchable divine object and vanished without a trace.

I don't know how long we walked like that, maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour.

She finally arrived at the very center of the Mandala Sand Sea.

With a wave of her hand, Zhao Ji produced a huge, fleshy leg, almost the same size as herself, radiating an eighth-tier aura.

Then Zehime threw it into the air.

The next second, the sea of ​​sand churned, and a tortoise, as large as a mountain, suddenly struggled out of the sand, raising its massive head to bite at the fleshy leg in the air.

Dust swirled and filled the air, but Zhao Ji remained standing there silently, then coldly uttered, "Information on the 'Trial of the Gods'."

It devoured the enormous leg of that eighth-tier creature. The giant sand turtle glanced at Zhao Ji with its weathered eyes, showing neither joy nor sorrow.

The next second, its hoarse, buzzing voice rang in Zhao Ji's ears, "This time, the 'Trial of the Gods' will be held in the peripheral areas, with the 'Northwest Region' and 'Southwest Region' being the most likely locations..."

"The trial details are unknown. After registration, you will be teleported to the 'Edge Area'..."

'Is this trial in the edge area?'

'And it's possible it's in the northwest and southwest regions?'

This result may have surprised Zhao Ji too much, for her brows furrowed slightly, and her eyes were as cold and clear as a deep abyss.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look in the northwest direction...

Her gaze pierced through layers of space, seemingly landing on the area she had come from, and also on that man...

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Chapter 624 The Death of Shen Yuzhou

Thinking of that man, Zeji couldn't help but recall her "promise" with him. Or rather... a one-sided seduction.

She deliberately told Qiu Tu about the "Celestial God Rank" trial, hoping to ignite his ambition.

Through her interactions with Qiu Tu over this period of time, Zhao Ji had already discerned that Qiu Tu was a man full of ambition and desire.

In human terms, it would be like saying, "A true man should not live to eat from five tripods, but die to be cooked in five tripods."

This man is destined to leave a significant mark on human history and even world history.

Therefore, she believed that Qiu Tu would come to the "Boundless Heart Sea - Core Area" as soon as possible after learning about this opportunity, and then meet up with her.

But to her surprise, more than a month has passed, and she still hasn't sensed Qiu Tu's presence in the "core area".

Long before she left the "Northwest Region," she had planted her "Divine Mark" on Qiu Tu. That "Divine Mark" not only allowed Qiu Tu to find her, but also allowed her to sense and find Qiu Tu.

Now, only five days remain until the start of the "Trial of the Gods." Yet, she hasn't sensed anything from Qiu Tu...

This means that Qiu Tu has never been to the "core area". After all... even if Qiu Tu was ambushed and killed as soon as she entered the "core area", she should at least have some sense of it.

'Did...the kite string break? Or was something else delayed?'

Thinking this, Zhao Ji's expression remained as cold as ice, but a slight ripple stirred within her heart.

Shouldn't we look into the situation in the "Northwest Region"?

'after all.....'

'This time, the Trial of the Gods will also be held in the "Edge Region"....'

Thinking this, Zhao Ji slowly withdrew her gaze. She looked up at the enormous sand turtle in front of her, which was as tall as a seven or eight-story building, then waved her hand and coldly said, "I'm leaving."

Upon hearing her words, the sand turtle lowered its head, which resembled a small mountain, to the ground in respect as it faced Zhao Ji's retreating figure.

Before that giant sand turtle, Zhao Ji's figure appeared as small as an ant. Yet, she also seemed as imposing as a god-king...

'I never imagined that after all this time, I'd have to go back...'

With a sigh escaping her lips, Zhao Ji's figure flashed, and in the next second, she vanished into the endless sea of ​​mandala sands...

......

Meanwhile, in the Northwest region, at the Youzhou military camp.

After more than half an hour of conversation, Qiu Tu and Princess Xi were finally drawing to a close.

Qiu Tu looked at the Princess Xi in front of him, and then at the 66 loyalty points above her head, and felt a sense of satisfaction.

In fact, before meeting Princess Xi, Qiu Tu had already gone to see Kou Xuan and Yan Chen from afar.

Kou Xuan's loyalty has surpassed 50, and Yan Chen's loyalty has reached 39. Both have improved significantly and are now barely usable.

Now, with the addition of Princess Xi, whose loyalty is 66, Qiu Tu suddenly has three more high-ranking officials under his command. Moreover, neither Kou Xuan nor Princess Xi are acting alone; they are the leaders of their respective factions.

Therefore, Qiu Tu essentially annexed two major forces. He not only gained two top experts, but also took over their territories and people.

Of course, gaining the loyalty of the leaders of these factions doesn't guarantee the loyalty of their confidants. Once Qiu Tu returns to the Northwest region, a series of personnel adjustments will undoubtedly be necessary. He will need to both win over and suppress some individuals to fully absorb both factions.

However, these are all things for the future. We can only proceed gradually after Qiu Tu has completed the "Trial of the Gods" in the "Core Area" and the two areas have been completely integrated.

Now, both Princess Xi and Kou Xuan are more like regional "vassal kings": although they have pledged allegiance to Qiu Tu, they still have considerable autonomy.

Therefore, for Qiu Tu, the most important thing to do is to go to the "Boundless Heart Sea - Core Area" and participate in the "Trial of the Gods" to improve his strength. Then he can return in seven months.

Moreover... since Zhao Ji left, Qiu Tu hasn't contacted her for over a month. Now, with only five days left until the "Trial of the Gods," Qiu Tu isn't sure if she's still waiting for him...

He had to hurry over there to ascertain Zhao Ji's feelings.

Thinking this, Qiu Tu slowly came back to his senses.

He stood up and said to Princess Xi beside him, "Alright, let's call it a day. See you in six or seven months."

At this point, Qiu Tu glanced at the "rank fragment" in Princess Xi's hand again, and then subtly gave an order, "I hope that by the time I return, you will have already advanced to the seventh rank."

Qiu Tu didn't dare to issue this order on a whim.

Those who are still in Qiu Tu's inner circle can all be described as "blessed by fate," true "prodigies of the human race."

After all, given Qiu Tu's current status, those who can still stand by his side are all those who have been selected from among the hundreds of millions of people in the entire "Northwest Region".

Among them, Princess Xi and Tang Feifei are clearly the cream of the crop. They are mature and resolute, and the "Cataclysmic Path" is perfectly suited for leveling up. They can be considered potential "peerless geniuses." If their progress is slow, then there are very few fast ones in the entire human camp.

In comparison, Yu Die, La Ri Luo, and Shen Ling Shuang are all a level below. They are extremely high in one aspect—character and talent—but slightly lacking in another. Therefore, although their strength is also improving rapidly, they are gradually falling behind Qiu Tu.

Next up are people like Guan Xiao, Yan Chen, and Liu Xiong Yuan. While they have good character, their talent can only be described as slightly above average. This limits their progress and ultimately their potential.

As for ordinary people among the Cataclysmic Beings like Liu Fuping, Eagle, and Ellie, their temperament and talent were both average, so their progress in strength was naturally at a snail's pace. This led Qiu Tu to have long since given up hope on their abilities. He left everything to fate.

It was precisely because Qiu Tu had already silently divided his confidants into ranks that he had such requirements for Princess Xi.

Princess Xi clearly had a good understanding of her own talent. So after hearing Qiu Tu's words, she nodded seriously and said, "Don't worry. We've planned everything out."

She said, "When the three of us were preparing the plan, we actually noticed a key flaw in the plan, which was the lack of high-end combat power."

"That's why I went to great lengths to trick the Fourth Sanctuary into giving me a 'Shan Gen' (a type of acupoint) and forcibly advance to the sixth rank."

Princess Xi paused, then continued, "Afterwards, our plan is that once I stabilize my cultivation, the Kou family will cooperate with me to gradually take over the entire Sixth Sanctuary, then overthrow the 'King Kang' regime, and completely nail King Kang to the pillar of shame!"

"With this revenge against King Kang, my 'Cataclysmic Path' will most likely advance by leaps and bounds. My strength will also increase accordingly."

"At that time, it is very likely that we will be only one step away from the late stage of the sixth rank or even the peak of the sixth rank."

"Therefore, I believe that by the time we meet again, I will definitely have broken through to the 7th rank!"

"If I don't arrive," Princess Xi paused, then said earnestly, "I am willing to accept any punishment you may impose."

Hearing Princess Xi's pledge, Qiu Tu calculated the time: there should be seven months until their next meeting. According to Princess Xi's plan, it should be achievable.

So he said with a smile, "Then I'll wait for President Lin's good news."

After saying that, he glanced at Princess Xi one last time and then said, "Alright. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

He paused for a moment, winked at Princess Xi, and then said, "After all... you've all given me such a big gift. I should give you a big gift in return."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Princess Xi hesitated for a moment before asking, "A grand gift? What grand gift?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu simply smiled mysteriously, "You'll find out tomorrow. Alright, I'm leaving."

After saying that, he waved his hand and turned to leave.

Seeing Qiu Tu leave so resolutely, Princess Xi's expression became even more hesitant. She couldn't help but stand up, then looked at Qiu Tu and asked, "You... are you really just leaving like this?"

Upon hearing this, Qiu Tu paused for a moment, then turned back to look at Princess Xi and asked, "Otherwise what?"

Princess Xi was silent for a moment, her hand unconsciously touching her heavy chest, and then she said, "You came here so late at night, really just to chat, and didn't you intend to do anything?"

Hearing Princess Xi's words, Qiu Tu smiled and said, "Of course."

He said, "Have you forgotten what I told you back then?"

“I did act a bit abruptly towards you in the past. But that was just a means to facilitate cooperation.”

“You are now one of my people, so… those methods will no longer be used against you. Because… you are my confidant, my partner, and I respect you greatly.” (Chapter 595)

Finally, Qiu Tu put his hands behind his back and said with a deep expression, "You really have a lot of misunderstandings about me. Actually... I'm neither power-hungry nor lustful."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Princess Xi froze. She couldn't help but recall her conversation with Qiu Tu back then.

Indeed... ever since that incident, Qiu Tu has never been disrespectful to her again. Instead, he treats her with utmost respect.

So... is what Qiu Tu said true? Is he really a virtuous gentleman?

Thinking this, Princess Xi suddenly remembered the harem of women surrounding Qiu Tu. Then she recalled what Yan Yan had told her: the way Qiu Tu's hometown offered its loyalty...

She immediately sensed that something was wrong.

She looked up at Qiu Tu and asked, "But you don't treat your other female subordinates the same way."

As a scumbag, how could Qiu Tu not know how to answer this question?

His captivating eyes, which seemed to hold deep affection for everyone, glanced indifferently at Princess Xi and said, "So... you're special."

Princess Xi's heart skipped a beat.