Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies Chapter 261 Lesson For Another Time

Heart trembling, each member of the Lycan had various expressions at Yan Zaizen's arrival. King Moshe's eyes were filled with madness and aggression as well as a hint of fear. Admah and Levana faces were dark and their eyes radiated a baleful yet powerful force. The others were either cautious or fearful.
The only one that was different was Abrams. He was relatively calm in terms of outward appearance, despite his heart undergoing pounding gymnastics. This calm was cultivated from his years of existing and intuition.
Yan Zaizen had appeared from the spatial void, inducing ripples, yet that shouldn't be possible due to their location. After all, the entire area for tens of thousands of li was space locked. Even Heavenly Commanders attempting to rip space in this location would find it immensely difficult.
As for intuition, the man before him didn't seem to radiate an aura of murderous or vicious intent. Perhaps ill-intent, but nothing too violent. If he did, his methods displayed alone would cause the Lycan race as a whole to sweat.
"Who are you?" King Moshe bitingly said, his aura trembling like the prequel to a devastating calamity. In his heart, he was shocked that no one, especially Admah and Abrams hadn't taken immediate action. Normally, they were like demons to possible threats - eradicate first, think later.
Yan Zaizen could see exhaustion, vigilance, and a faint trace of hope from the depths of their eyes. He couldn't help but think that the Lycans must've truly been driven to the end of their rope. Originally, he expected to be tested by them in some way, perhaps attacked immediately upon reveal. During which, he would execute a few of his tricks to prove his abilities.
As for the current situation?
He felt no need to do so. It was depressing, almost heartbreakingly so. This one proud race was driven to the point that they were grasping at straws for any chance.
Yan Zaizen didn't have a complete grasp of the situation, but that was exactly the Lycans state currently. The only two options left were death or to become slaves until the end of their days. Both of which left them feeling weak and exhausted.
Knitting his brows, Yan Zaizen eyes flickered with a trace of pity, but no sympathy. "My name's Yan Zaizen," he decided to use his real name and get straight to the point. His plan to do theatrics that would awe the elites of the Lycan race was throw to aside.
He raised his hand slowly, provoking even further caution from the Lycan Race. From this hand, a silver light emanated until they formulated a spherical barrier with a hollow inside about the size of his palm.
When this barrier appeared, all of their eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's!" To them who had been tormented by this barrier, they could recognize it a mile away. Many of their expressions turned hostile as they looked at Yan Zaizen once more. Not only King Moshe, but the others auras and cultivation bases seemed to be shimmering, waiting for an order or signal to launch a full assault.
Yan Zaizen calmly chuckled, his expression carefree, but internally, he felt a hint of caution. This was a room of fourteen Heavenly Commanders, if they launched an attack in unison, even he didn't have absolute confidence to escape unscathed.
Gripping the spatial barrier, he clenched his fingers slightly and the barrier shattered in countless pieces. It seemed so simple but the profundities in this action left all those watching flabbergasted.
"The deal is simple. You concede to my demands, and I can open an escape route through the barrier for you. I may even be able to remove the barrier entirely." His words were smooth and exuded limitless confidence, as if this action was as easy as swatting a fly.
All the Lycan experts eyes widened, their hearts suffusing with that ever elusive hope. If the barrier no longer existed, they could scatter through the Border Expanse and regroup at a later date. The Darnixian Race would have to spend countless years hunting them all, if they could.
However, if the barrier was removed, then perhaps the segregation of the realms, which hindered their realm formation, could also be undone! If that was done, the Darnixian's would've entered this realm with no possibility to return. The situation would immediately be swapped as the realm formation could prevent their escape, empower their force, and launch devastating attacks.
This was in a similar way as the Deluge Realm formation that hindered Yan Zaizen from entering the spatial void or chaotic space.
Abrams's thick eyebrows furrowed deeply, "Why would we trust you?" His words resonated true. For all they knew, Yan Zaizen was working with the enemy, using this opportunity to weaken or rob their force further, placing them at an even greater situation filled with desperation and hopelessness.
Yan Zaizen shook his head slightly, "I think you misunderstand." Those words caught the others off-guard. They assumed he would provide proof of relation, swear a soul oath, infernal oath, or heavenly oath, yet he did none of that.
"I don't need you to trust me, I don't even care if you do. My presence here at this time is coincidental and not on purpose. I don't care about the fate of your race or the fate of your enemies. I'm here because I can see us making a deal which we both benefit. If you want to decline, do so." Yan Zaizen acted casual, shrugging his shoulders with a face of indifference. An oath was a heavy matter which he had little intention to perform.
He had a faint feeling that his Non-Entity status would cause any oath he swears to backfire radically - especially a heavenly oath. This feeling existed even in the Asura Phantom Realm during the Princess Qin debacle.
"..." Abrams slowly pondered. To trust in an unknown man that appeared in your home and telling you he wishes to save you felt batshit crazy. No one in their right minds would do so, but the Lycans were truly desperate. Any deal they make, outside of giving away their freedom, was worth it. If it wasn't for this single moment of weakness, the Lycans would've already refused.
After all, they were a prideful race.
"What is it you want?" Abrams words caused the others to jump, looking at him in disbelief. Despite this, not a single person jumped out to say anything. Normally, they would, but the situation forced them to rely blindly on the words of a stranger.
Of course, if Yan Zaizen didn't enter the room using space laws, replicate the barrier and shatter it, and have a cultivation base that was impossible to read. After all, Yan Zaizen had the aura of an Essence Formation Realm cultivator. If they believed that was his true strength, they should bash their brains in cause it was useless.
"Here," he sent a soul transmission with his non-negotiable demands. It was as if he was holding the entire race hostage, leaving them with the option of life or death.
This soul transmission was sent to all the Lycan experts and when they read it, their eyes bulged to the size of full moons. The level of disbelief and shock was astonishing. Yan Zaizen had a faint feeling that such expressions made in unison by Heavenly Commanders were impossible to replicate.
"This…?!" Abrams felt his heart leave his body, and there was an illusion of becoming a beggar in the streets like mortals. His eyes dimmed considerably. King Moshe staggered backwards, his hands seemed to be shaking uncontrollably and his mind visibly reeling.
"Impossible!" Levana shouted, her head shaking continuously in a childish fashion, but she didn't seem to notice.
The others had similar or more exaggerated actions and expressions.
Yan Zaizen found this laughable, but he also felt a little unsure. "Did I ask for too little?" He thought to himself, expecting greater reactions. There was a faint hint of disappointment in his heart. He had asked for four thousand heavenly crystals, which amounts to four billion heavenly drops, and about a full-sized planet's weight of heavenly materials - regardless of what they were!
"I told you, you should've added another thousand heavenly crystals and a moon-sized worth of heavenly materials." Pinaka shrugged, not feeling an ounce of pity over Yan Zaizen's disappointment. Yan Zaizen, however, was a little cautious. He didn't want the Lycans to not be able to afford it.
"..." Abrams closed his eyes in thought, calculating the cost and result if it was possible. After a long moment, a truly long moment, he nodded. "If you can remove the barrier and the segregation surrounding the realm, we'll agree."
"What?!" As if a part of a harmony singing group, the Lycan experts, without exception, exclaimed.
"Good. Bring it here, I'll do so after getting my payment." Yan Zaizen was casual, sitting down as he meditated in patience. It was as if his demands were little.
"..." Abrams didn't speak. Instead, he grabbed the experts with his heavenly might and departed. Only Yan Zaizen remained in the room.
"Maybe...I did ask for too little…" Yan Zaizen warily smiled. With a self-pledge, he swore that he would always go for maximum value when scamming, oh no wait, offering one's services with others. After that, he resolutely nodded and felt better.