"Thatâs right. So if you want me to get back to my body and free your friend, youâll need to take me to my own body. If you donât, then I canât do anything. Iâm sure you understand whatâs at stake, right?" Blood Dragon Emperor asked, smiling.
"Whatâs at stake? You just kidnapped one of my tamed beasts. Itâs not like my life is on the line. How about I just kill the Snake Monarch? Your soul would be destroyed too, wonât it?" Long Chen asked, smiling.
"Your life is at stake, not mine," he added.
"Youâre bluffing. Youâll never kill him. I know you care for him." Blood Dragon Emperor exclaimed.
"I also care about my time. Are you really willing to take the risk?" Long Chen asked, smiling.
Blood Dragon Emperor frowned, hearing Long Chenâs words. He didnât want to test Long Chen. Who knew? This guy actually might kill him.
"What do you want?" he asked the Blood Dragon Emperor.
"What I want isnât the question. The question is, what can you give me?" Long Chen asked, hands behind his back.
"Enough nonsense! Just tell me what you want! Iâm the Blood Dragon Emperor! After I get my body, I can give you anything you want! Just name it!" The Blood Dragon Emperor roared.
"Can you give me phoenix blood?â Long Chen asked, smirking.
"That...I canât give you that. The Phoenixes are really powerful mythical beasts. And they are never alone. I canât face them, so itâs impossible! Ask for something else!" The Blood Dragon Emperor shook his head.
"So you canât do it. So much for calling yourself the mighty Blood Dragon Emperor when you canât even get the blood of a phoenix. I guess I overestimated you," Long Chen muttered, sighing.
"Itâs not that simple! You have no idea how strong those are! Theyâre like a very powerful species that live far away in their own realm. Getting there undetected is already impossible, let alone getting their blood!" Blood Dragon Emperor answered.
"The only way to get their blood here is if you find a stray Phoenix here for some reason, but that wonât be the end of it. Even if you succeed in injuring it and getting its blood, it can still leave safely and return with an army of other Phoenixes!"
"Hurting one is the same as offending the entire Phoenix Species! Theyâll come to kill you no matter where you are! And thatâs if you managed to injure that phoenix. There need to be many coincidences for that to happen," he added, sighing.
"What you did is just say that you canât get my Phoenix Blood while giving a bunch of excuses," Long Chen let out, rolling his eyes. "You canât give me what I want. Thatâs the only truth!â
"Ask something else. Other than this, I can give you anything you want," Blood Dragon Emperor said firmly.
"Fine, get me the world traveling stone," Long Chen told the Blood Dragon Emperor.
"World Traveling Stone? Why do you want that?" Blood Dragon Emperor asked, surprised.
"Hmm? It seems like you know something about that stone? Thatâs a good start. Where is it?" Long Chen asked, frowning.
"The world-traveling stone was something everyone of my caliber would know. Thatâs what was used to send me to the Immortal World. In fact, I even possessed one myself," Blood Dragon Emperor explained.
"I can help you get that. Just let me take my body first. Thatâs the promise of an Emperor!"
"Why should I trust you?" Long Chen asked, shaking his head. "I want that stone first before I get you your body. Who knows, you might turn on your words later on."
" Preposterous! Do you think this Emperor would lie to a kid?! I have my dignity!" The Blood Dragon Emperor stated firmly. "You can always trust me!"
Long Chen looked at the Blood Dragon Emperor weirdly. "Please tell me you donât really expect me to trust you, do you?"
"Thatâs right. Help me get my body; Iâll give that stone to you," Blood Dragon Emperor nodded.
"I apologize, but I donât trust you. I want that stone. First, everything else can be done later. Thatâs the one and only condition," Long Chen held onto his ground, not accepting the suggestion of Blood Dragon Emperor.
"Why are you being so stubborn! Just help me and get your Beastâs body back! Then Iâll give you the stone too. Whatâs the purpose of wasting time? Just listen to me!" Blood Dragon Emperor said, yelling.
"Iâm in no hurry to get Snake Monarch back, donât worry. Heâs not a human, and youâre not a Dark Spirit. Thereâs no risk to him, even if you spend a year inside him. It can be just like a vacation for him where he sleeps peacefully." Long Chen explained, smiling.
"Well then, the ballâs in your court now. Think carefully. This opportunity wonât come again and again," Long Chen let out, smiling.
âAll I want is the stone that you possess. Just get me to it, and weâre done. Iâll bring you to your body, and youâll be free to wreak havoc on the entire world. Doesnât it sound good?" he continued.
âAt this point, youâre the one delaying yourself. Accept all my terms, and we can start. Give me that stone!"
"Youâre a really stubborn man. You wonât listen to me, would you?" Blood Dragon Emperor asked, frowning.
"Nope." Long Chen shook his head repeatedly like a child.
"Do you even know where I kept that stone? Itâs impossible for you to get it. And even I canât get to it without my real body. In these weak bodies, we can never get to it," Blood Dragon Emperor explained. "So, getting my body back is the most important part of this quest."
"Donât worry about getting to it. Iâm sure I can get to it one way or the other. Just take me to it. Where is it?" Long Chen asked.
"Itâs on the Island of Dark Souls in the Beast Realm," Blood Dragon Emperor explained.
"We can get to the Beast Realm, but getting to the Island of Dark Souls is the hardest part. As for surviving there, itâs even harder. Itâs a journey that will be filled with death only," he continued.
"Let me get my body, and I can get that stone in a minute. Thatâs the only way to get it. Donât be crazy and listen to me!"
"Iâm sorry, but I have trust issues. I want that stone first. As for the Island of Dark Souls, it doesnât matter.. With your knowledge and my strength, we can get to it easily," Long Chen still didnât listen.