Chapter 797 — The Terms of Cooperation
Blade of Dawn · Page 4 of 4
"I have said that I have no interest in your lives or your souls, but I will not permit the Yijin Nether Cult to continue existing within the order I am establishing—of course, I know your main sphere of activity is Typhon, but my order need not be confined to Cecil," Gaoyang said, unhurried. "I will reform you, from the entire cult down to each one of you; I will judge many, for as heretics you have committed many sins, but if you actively accept reform, I will also permit most of you to live and make amends for those sins; and I will promise that under the new order and law, you may still devote yourselves to your cause—did you not wish to break the shackles left by the gods? Continue, then, for I am very interested in that as well."
Here Gaoyang paused a moment and smiled.
"In a sense, this is in fact a brighter future for you—as the Yijin Nether Cult, you will gain the chance to return to the sunlight, and all you must pay in exchange is to accept 'reform.'
"Finally, let me add one more point: I am not a god, and I will not become a new god. You may swear fealty to me as you would to a mortal king, without fear of gaining a new shackle."
After Gaoyang finished, the great hall fell into a brief silence.
The Yaoyan cultists were waiting for Megor III to make his position known.
Selina Gerfen's gaze, meanwhile, remained fixed on Gaoyang.
"We cannot give you any answer now," the writhing aggregate of starlight finally spoke. "We wish to hold discussions free from interference and surveillance, and will inform you of the result at our next gathering."
Gaoyang breathed a quiet sigh of relief inwardly.
Just as expected.
To incorporate these Sleepers would obviously not go so smoothly and easily.
But so long as Megor III had shown an inclination to discuss, matters were already developing in the direction Gaoyang hoped.
"A reasonable choice," Gaoyang said calmly. He rose slowly to his feet, his gaze sweeping the hall. "But I must also warn you of one thing—you do not have much time, and the Upper Narrator will not wait for you."
"We are well aware of that," Megor III said in a deep voice. "But we must also emphasize one point—whatever the terms you propose, none of this will take effect until the matter is truly resolved. If the crisis of Sandbox One cannot be lifted, then even cooperation itself will be meaningless."
"Of course..."
Gaoyang said with a smile, and as his voice fell, his figure gradually vanished from the great hall.
Only after that majestic, powerfully built figure had disappeared, and the great hall had been quiet for several more minutes, did the Nether cultists finally break the silence: "This time... He has really left, hasn't He?"
"I don't know..." Yuri said, his expression ugly, shifting his body unnaturally, as though he were still not in good shape. "I keep feeling... there is still someone beside us."
Magnum thought for a moment. "How about I throw another mind storm and see?"
"Damn it! Enough! Your mind storm can only hit our own people here—it has no effect at all on the Outsider Wanderer!"
Gaoyang, who had merely dispelled his invisibility and not left at all, sat beside the Nether cultists and nodded in considerable agreement.