X9500 ran his hand over the helmet and let out an eerie laugh: "Hehehe... Hahaha! Sure enough, Earth is the most entertaining!"
"I'm about to tremble with excitement!"
The Pursuer standing next to him crossed his arms and said coldly, "All this scheming is such a hassle. Can't we just kill and seize the Sword Master's inheritance directly? I'm not like you; I don't enjoy the process of fighting."
The Longevity Person, holding a crimson hammer, said sinisterly, "What he enjoys is not the battle itself, but the game with powerful 'Chess Players'."
"In his eyes, we are just two useful chess pieces, nothing more."
Upon hearing this, the Pursuer frowned but remained icy: "I don't mind being used. Even being a chess piece is fine, as long as I can achieve longevity, everything else can be sacrificed."
"As for you, Crimson Hammer, I've heard you previously had some conflict and friction with the Extremely Effective Monarch."
"I hope you don't let hatred cloud your judgment."
"If you dare to lag behind, I won't hesitate to kill you!"
Crimson Hammer, with a knack for thick skin, wasn't offended by the direct threat but instead sneered insidiously: "Rest assured! I'm not short-sighted."
"We Title Holders have recently been secretly captured by the Mysterious Research Institute."
"At times like this, we need to huddle together for warmth."
"Only united can we stand against those Scholars."
"The Extremely Effective Monarch is detestable in character, but I admire his wisdom."
"So… let's just follow his command!"
Hearing the words of Crimson Hammer and the Pursuer, X9500 laughed maniacally like a lunatic: "Sword Master's Secret Inheritance? Hahaha… It's hard to say if that thing even exists."
The Pursuer seemed to be struck at a sore spot, unfolding a pair of black wings about three meters wide: "What do you mean?"
All he sought was longevity, so what was the point of coming to Earth if the Sword Master's Secret Inheritance was a hoax?
"Relax, relax, you're too tense."
X9500 said flippantly: "The Sword Master's Secret Inheritance may be fake, but that doesn't mean you have no way to achieve longevity."
"At this stage in the game, some secrets need not be kept any longer."
Upon hearing this, both Crimson Hammer and the Pursuer held their breath, focused, and listened closely.
The Extremely Effective Monarch is among the most mysterious of all Title Holders.
No one knows how many cards he holds or what he's thinking.
Anything he treats as a secret...
Must be of high value!
"Ah, ah."
X9500 looked at his two companions with a half-smiling expression: "Half a century ago, the Black Rock Martial Arts Civilization... let's just refer to that civilization by the Earthlings' term."
"At that time, I forced the Black Rock Martial Arts Civilization to the brink of extinction. They pooled together the wisdom and new knowledge of all the top talents on the planet to finally advance the Eighth Rank of Inner Qi to the Ninth Rank."
"In order to carve out a path to the Tenth Rank of Inner Qi, they even created what I have named the 'Thought Essence Extraction Technology.'
"I can tell you, I've been using the Thought Essence Extraction Device to continually fortify my soul."
"As of now, I already have a soul lifespan of three hundred years."
The Pursuer's eyes sharpened, and his black wings trembled as if he wanted to seize X9500 immediately.
But he is ultimately no fool.
He knows that a guy like X9500 must have laid many layers of fallback plans, and if he hadn't assured victory, he wouldn't share this secret selflessly.
Making a move now would only make an enemy with nothing gained but a torn facade.
"Not bad, not bad."
X9500 looked at the Pursuer, pointing his finger at him a few times: "You're much stronger than I imagined."
"Obsessed with your inner desires yet able to restrain them, your performance might exceed predictions."
"Well then, let me finish."
X9500 put his hands behind his back, waddled around a few times, and finally said in a poignant tone: "You may not know, but the Earth-native known as 'Prophet' has already advanced the Inner Qi Martial Arts to the Thirteenth Rank."
"The feature of the Thirteenth Rank of Inner Qi is that it can extend the lifespan of Earth Humans by twenty to fifty years."
"This is merely enhancing the body and delaying cellular aging."
"From my perspective, Earthlings are like guarding a mountain of treasures without the key to enter."
"The true value of the Tenth, Eleventh, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Ranks of Inner Qi lies in the enhancement of soul strength!"
"Care to guess, after obtaining these Secret Technique inheritances, when combined with the Eternal Civilization's technology, how long can we live?"
"Three hundred years, four hundred years, or even five hundred years?"
The Pursuer's breathing grew heavy, about to vibrate his black wings to capture Ma Ran and force him to reveal the secrets of Inner Qi Cultivation.
"Satisfied with just five hundred years?"
X9500 chuckled: "If my plan could be completed, we might truly achieve Longevity and Vision."
"Live for a thousand years, or even a hundred centuries."
The Pursuer, who had flown hundreds of meters away, immediately turned back upon hearing this.
X9500's words hit him right where it mattered.
Indeed.
Five hundred years might count as longevity, but it's a far cry from immortality!
That's not what the Pursuer truly desires.
"Extremely Effective Monarch, just say everything you have in one breath. I will fully cooperate with all your plans, and I will never act on my own!"
Hearing this, X9500 gently patted the Pursuer's helmet and said softly: "Good kid, very sensible."
"Perhaps for some, seizing the Thirteenth Rank's cultivation method is enough."
"But…"
"There's a saying from Earth that I really like."
"Only children make choices; I want it all, dammit!"
"Hehehe...hahaha...HAHAHAHA!"
X9500 laughed maniacally: "Using the Thought Essence Extraction Device to acquire Thought Essence requires premium 'Soul Material'."
"Demon Child Zhang Kuang, Martial God Su Qiangwei, Prophet Ma Ran, they are the best, top-tier heroic level materials!"
"Just one of them can extend soul longevity by half a century!"
"However..."
"Ma Ran cannot be killed directly, nor can he be used as raw material; we must keep him around."
The Crimson Hammer, who had been silent all along, finally couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked, "Why?"
X9500's tone suddenly turned icy: "There's no why. You be my dog, and I'll feed you meat and bones. It's that simple, understand?"
Crimson Hammer gripped his weapon tightly, gritting his teeth in anger, wishing to smash this lowlife into pulp with one strike.
But in the end, he held back.
Descending upon Earth is only the first part of the plan.
Afterwards, they must collaborate further to return to the Eternal Civilization, eliminate the scholars, seize the Mysterious Research Institute, replace those scholars, retreat behind the scenes, and grasp power.
For X9500, who likes to plan meticulously before taking action, capturing Ma Ran, Su Qiangwei, and Zhang Kuang is just the first step in the strategy.
Even from the perspective of Crimson Hammer, the layout by this Extremely Effective Monarch was seamless, with everything connecting perfectly without any flaws.
Once the first step is completed, the subsequent tasks will become increasingly easier.
For Crimson Hammer, immortality is a good thing, but power and reputation are even more important to him.
In the plan to seize power, the Extremely Effective Monarch is an indispensable character.
"Just kidding."
X9500 suddenly said with a grin: "No hard feelings."
"The real reason is..."
He became serious in tone: "We need to consider the issue with a perspective of sustainable development."
"The entire Black Rock Martial Arts Civilization exhausted all their resources to barely deduce the Eighth Rank of Inner Qi to the Ninth Rank."
"Ma Ran alone, based on the Ninth Rank of Inner Qi, deduced four new realms in a short time."
"Given more time, he may well deduce more levels."
"Whether this is due to his unparalleled talent or because he glimpsed the crystallized wisdom of future Earth Civilization through 'Foreknowledge' means,"
"I've prepared a backup plan."
At this point, X9500's tone took on an amused flavor: "Frankly, I personally lean towards the former."
"After all..."
"Inner Qi Cultivation is increasingly difficult."
"And according to the information I've gathered, the range of the Prophet's prophecy is not extensive."
"He should only be able to see within two months into the future."
"On Earth, besides him, other natives have only cultivated up to the Fourth Rank of Inner Qi."
"So..."
"The likelihood of the second hypothesis is extremely low."
"Even so, Earth must become our forbidden zone, no one is allowed to lay a finger on it!"
Crimson Hammer, teased for a bit, felt a mix of anger and embarrassment.
However, he still acknowledged X9500's reasoning and judgment.
X9500 scrutinized Crimson Hammer up and down, nodded slightly, and then spoke in a calm tone: "In making the layout, I considered the 'momentum' of the Crimson Guild and the 'strength' of the Pursuer."
"Don't hold back your trump cards, abandon all thoughts, and unleash your potential!"
"Only by perfectly executing my orders do you have a chance to survive!"
...
Meanwhile.
In Grass Hut Academy, Ma Ran suddenly opened his eyes, a faint purple gleam passing through his pupils.
He dialed President Huang Weiguo's number.
"Still up so late, haven't rested? Could it be..."
Before Old Huang could speculate, Ma Ran spoke in a deep voice: "The Inner Qi Net I set up in advance has detected the whereabouts of three Title Holders from the Eternal Civilization."
"The Extremely Effective Monarch, Crimson Hammer, and the Pursuer have already descended upon Earth."
"They are very cunning, didn't fall into our encirclement, and successfully avoided all of our traps."
"Execute Plan B."
Old Huang immediately responded: "I'll arrange it right away!"
President Huang Weiguo's voice showed a slight tremor.
The nearby academic societies were all being entangled by the suddenly arriving invaders.
Now, it happens to be the end of the global Extraordinary One's exchange meeting, so while Grass Hut Academy had highly concentrated defensive forces, there were some slight vulnerabilities in the previously laid net.
Those Title Holders from the Eternal Civilization were too strong in their ability to create and seize opportunities!
There's at least one strategic expert among them!
Thankfully, Ma Ran thought comprehensively, planned deeply, and had prepared Plan B beforehand.
Otherwise, if caught off guard, scrambling to respond, the enemy might have truly succeeded in their schemes!
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