Chapter 1220 'Key'

After a moment, he let out a long, silent sigh, as if he had lifted some invisible burden.

He raised his head, met Luo Li's clear yet all-seeing gaze, and then looked at Di Xuanming's eyes that were burning with cold flames.

Su Qingjue pursed his lips slightly, and finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying an unprecedented lowness and seriousness:

"City Lord Luo, Emperor Xuanming... This matter involves the core secrets of the Su family and is also part of the Frozen Throne's mission. It must not be leaked to anyone."

He paused, his eyes becoming extremely complicated. "But today, to prove the Su family's sincerity, and for the sake of the demonic calamity that could sweep across the entire continent, I, Su Qingjue, swear in the name of the Su family's direct bloodline that everything I say next is true."

His gaze swept across everyone in the hall, finally settling on Di Xuanming, and he spoke word by word:

"Saint Su Hanyi's remaining soul is indeed deep within the Su family's ancestral land, guarded by Saint Qingyue herself. She...is not being imprisoned or studied. The Su family took her away because her remaining soul contains a crucial... 'key'. A 'key' that can only be activated by the Su family's purest ice bloodline at the right moment. It is the key to the ancient seal beneath the Frozen Throne!"

"The core of the seal?" Luo Li's eyes suddenly focused, and many thoughts suddenly came to mind. "Could it be related to the Demon God?"

"That's right!" Su Qingjue nodded heavily, his face no longer showing any warmth, only an incomparable solemnity.

"The Frozen Throne is not merely freezing cold. Beneath its core lies a source of demonic erosion, sealed in ancient times by the ancestors of the Su family and several powerful human beings at the cost of their own lives! It's a highly unstable spatial rift connecting to the Abyssal Demon Realm! Although the rift has been sealed, the demonic erosion has never ceased. Strangely, over two years ago, the seal unexpectedly quieted. And the 'key' within the remnant soul of Saint Han Yi is one of the keys to strengthening the seal!"

He sighed and continued, "Originally, this key should have been kept by each successive Saint Maiden to protect the seal. However, Saint Hanyi left the clan many years ago and did not leave the treasure behind. As a result, Saint Qingyue has devoted all her attention to guarding the seal over the years. That's why the Su family is so anxious about the appearance of the previous Saint Maiden. I hope City Lord Luo can understand."

He looked at Di Xuanming, his eyes filled with an indescribable complex emotion. "Taking away Saint Han Yi's remaining soul is not because the Su family covets anything, nor does it mean they consider her a traitor. On the contrary, her remaining soul is more stable in the special soul-nurturing environment of the Su family's ancestral land than in the outside world, and the power of the treasure is also slowly being nurtured and restored. The Su family is protecting her."

Di Xuanming's expression changed, and he was about to say something when Luo Li gently held his hand.

Luo Li raised her eyes, "I know why the demonic energy on the continent suddenly disappeared two years ago."

Su Qingjue immediately said, "Please enlighten me, City Lord Luo."

Luo Li did not hide anything and briefly recounted what happened after meeting that senior, including what that senior had said about the nine pieces of Demon God's inheritance fragments.

The three members of the Su family listened with serious expressions and looked at each other. The complexity of this matter had exceeded their expectations.

The Su family has been living in seclusion, thinking that as long as they protected the Demonic Continent under the Frozen Throne, they would be safe. However, they didn't expect that the real crisis has always been there.

There is less than a year left before the three-year seal ends, and they must inform the patriarch and the saint as soon as possible.

He raised his hand and signaled the old man behind him to pass the message to the clan.

Luo Li naturally saw it, but she didn't stop it. Bai Ze and others saw that Luo Li didn't move, so they didn't say anything either.

The old man received Su Qingjue's signal, and seeing that Luo Li did not stop him, he immediately condensed an ice flower, tore open a crack in space and stuffed it in.

Luo Li watched his actions with great interest and said calmly, "The Su family didn't leave the city this time just to listen to what Su Youming and the other two said?"

Su Qingjue was now speaking the truth. "Yes and no. Before Youming and the other two returned to the clan, the people we sent out had already reported back to the clan what had happened on the continent in recent years. It was only their return that accelerated the Su family's thinking."

Luo Li tapped her fingertips lightly, "So, the Su family is indeed here to discuss cooperation with Bulicheng?"

Su Qingjue met Luo Li's cold eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts. He took a deep breath and suppressed the fear that had just surged up in his head due to the mention of the Demon God's inheritance fragments and the three-year period. His expression became more serious than ever before.

He no longer had any false courtesy, and his voice rang out clearly and firmly in the hall:

"Yes! City Lord Luo, the Su family is here for cooperation! And not just to verify the authenticity of the Demon God's inheritance!"

He slightly turned sideways, his eyes swept over Di Xuanming, Bai Ze and others, and finally fell back on Luo Li.

"The fragments of the Demon God's inheritance are scattered, and the three-year seal is approaching. This is a catastrophe that will sweep across the entire continent! Although the seal under the Frozen King's throne has temporarily calmed, the root cause has not been eliminated. If the Demon God's will is revived through the inheritor, the first to be affected will be the ancient rift! There are countless dormant demons beneath it! Even though the Su family has the foundation, spiritual weapons, and the responsibility to protect it, they know that they cannot support it alone!"

He took a step forward, keeping a very low profile, yet with a determination to burn his boats:

"Lord Luo, you received guidance from that senior, possess crucial information, and even faced the power of the Demon God's inheritance within the ruins. This experience is exactly what the Su family needs! For generations, the Su family has guarded the Frozen Throne. They possess an understanding of that seal, the nature of demonic energy, and the many secrets left behind in the Great Desolate Land that is unattainable to the outside world."

Su Qingjue's words were sincere and urgent. "We are not trying to get something for nothing. The Su family is willing to offer all the information we know so far as the cornerstone of cooperation! We only ask to share the information about the fragments of the Demon God's inheritance with Buli City and discuss countermeasures together! In the matter of searching, tracking, and ultimately destroying the Demon God's inheritor, the Su family is willing to do its utmost and obey City Lord Luo's orders!"

"Obey orders?" Emperor Xuanming's cold voice sounded again, filled with strong doubts.

He did not lower his guard because of Su Qingjue's sincerity. Instead, his gaze pierced him like an icy cone. "The Su family has been in seclusion for thousands of years, boasting of their detachment. The Frozen Throne is a place where orders are strictly enforced. Now you are willing to let an outsider make the decision? Envoy Su, your promise sounds too unrealistic."

The old man behind Su Qingjue's face changed again, but Su Qingjue raised his hand to stop him.

Su Qingjue looked directly at Di Xuanming and said calmly, "Young Master Di, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures! The pride and rules of the Su family are nothing in the face of the danger of the continent's collapse! City Lord Luo's ability, courage, and the key she holds are worthy of the Su family's humble attitude and full cooperation!"

"Besides," he changed the subject, his tone carrying a hint of depth, "Dispatching isn't about submission, but rather collaboration based on a common goal and leveraging each other's strengths! The Su family needs the clues Bulicheng has, and likewise, Bulicheng shouldn't reject the Su family as an ally, right?"

He looked at Luo Li again, his eyes extremely serious. "Lord Luo, the Su family's words are not empty. If you agree, Qing Jue can swear an oath to the heavens! The Su family can immediately submit a portion of the intelligence they have as a token of sincerity. After both parties have established initial trust, the more detailed records in the secret book will be open to the clan for review!"

The hall fell silent again, with only the echo of Su Qingjue's powerful words lingering.

Luo Li sat upright in the main seat, her fingertips still gently tapping the armrest. Her cold face showed no emotion, but her deep gaze seemed to penetrate Su Qingjue's sincerity, reaching deep into his soul, examining the determination and hidden intentions behind his every word.

The lingering aroma of tea had long since dissipated, leaving only an invisible tension pulling in the air.

After a long while, Luo Li slowly spoke. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly set the tone:

"There's no need for an oath to heaven." Her words startled Su Qingjue.

"The Su family's sincerity," Luo Li's eyes swept across the two elderly men behind him who were also waiting nervously, and finally fixed on Su Qingjue's face, "needs to be proven with actions. This is the premise for me to accept the Su family's cooperation."

A light of surprise suddenly flashed in Su Qingjue's eyes, and his tense nerves relaxed.

However, Luo Li's next words made his heart tighten again:

"But the prerequisite for cooperation is that Di Xuanming must personally confirm the well-being of his mother Su Hanyi's remaining soul."

Luo Li's tone left no room for doubt, carrying the decisiveness of a superior:

"Emissary Su, please convey a message to the Su family. Within three days, I must receive a clear reply from the Su family's Saintess: Emperor Xuanming is permitted to enter the core of the Su family's ancestral land to visit his mother. Only after confirming that Su Hanyi is safe and sound, and that the power of the treasure she carried is indeed being nurtured and restored as you stated, rather than being imprisoned and exploited, can subsequent intelligence sharing and coordinated operations officially begin."

She leaned forward slightly, and the invisible pressure enveloped Su Qingjue like a substance:

"This is the bottom line of cooperation and the first step in building trust. If the Su family can't even do this..."

Luo Li's voice suddenly turned cold, like a thousand years of ice. "That so-called giving your all and obeying orders is just empty talk."

Luo Li's words were firm and decisive, leaving no room for maneuver.

She tied the most core trust issue directly to the core of the ancestral land that Di Xuanming cared about the most and was the most difficult for the Su family to open to outsiders.

The joy on Su Qingjue's face froze in an instant, replaced by an extremely solemn look and a hint of embarrassment.

Allowing an "outsider" with powerful unknown bloodline, who is currently hostile to the Su family, to enter the core of the ancestral land to visit the former saint?

This was definitely not something that a mere envoy like him could easily agree to.

The two old saints behind him changed their expressions drastically and subconsciously wanted to speak up to object.

Di Xuanming suddenly looked at Luo Li, with complex emotions surging in his eyes.

He didn't expect that Luo Li would put his demands so directly and so firmly at the center of the negotiation table.