Deep Sea Hunter, but Deep Sea Titan

She noticed that the patterns on the flag had changed to the style of the Yan Kingdom, and Skadi and Laurentina's clothes had also changed to the style of the Yan Kingdom.

"Is the mountain moving?"

"Ah, could it be that Lord Gonggong has regained his true form? Congratulations..."

Zuo Le quickly recalled the records in the Si Sui Tai, and realized that the original "Gonggong" should have been in this form.

This matter also needed to be reported to Si Suitai, but he forced himself not to show obvious hostility or obstruction for the time being.

Because Si Suitai couldn't control Luo Ting in the same way it could control the Sui Beast's agent.

Xi was now completely engrossed in her work—because her home, which had been without water and electricity, had been repaired, so she began an impromptu creative exercise on her own.

"You seem to be thinking about something rude, mercenary."

Laurentina walked up to W. In this form, Lotin relied more on Laurentina as his mouthpiece and spokesperson.

Now, Lodin's language has become incomprehensible to these tiny mortal beings.

He could certainly create a proxy body like the giant beasts, but there was no need; having the nun he trusted most to do it for him was enough.

Lotin focused his attention on Laurentina rather than Skadi. If this skin allowed him to change the magnification of the field of view, Lotin would really look down on these little things.

He remarked that the outfit combined the styles of the Deep Sea Hunter and the Yan Kingdom, and was somewhat similar to the New Year skin for the operator Xuyu.

It perfectly showcases the deep-sea hunter's muscular, powerful yet elegant and crisp curves.

I just don't know what additional effects it will have.

"No, I was just asking where you are."

W rarely used a polite expression in a sentence, and she suddenly had a bad feeling.

Suddenly, a tuft of W's hair was singed; it turned out that a tiny drop of lava had dripped from her forehead.

She looked up, but still couldn't see the full figure of the bronze giant. However, common sense told her that mountains generally don't walk, and since the painting had begun to return to normal, it was even less likely that the mountain would walk.

"Miss, could this be..."

W pointed to the rolling hill and asked Laurentina timidly.

"uh-huh."

Laurentina smiled and nodded, her attention still largely absorbed in her new clothes.

"Ah, you see, I haven't let go of the battle flag you gave me even in this situation, so you can't doubt my motives."

Luo Ting ignored W's change of expression and instead checked on Ya, who was still alive.

"What do you mean by saying that lousy chess player schemed against you?"

"The literal meaning. My agreement with him was to continue until we found the location of the Year Beast. This Mountain and Sea Scroll was indeed something I discovered while wandering around shortly after he awakened me."

"only……"

"Just what?"

"The timing of this discovery is too coincidental. Because of the attack by the Sui Beast, my body is riddled with holes and I don't have much time left. Meanwhile, there has been no progress in finding the whereabouts of the Sui Beast's tomb."

"And then you just happened to find the [Scroll of Mountains and Seas]?"

"That's true. And he's the one who told me how to use the Mountain and Sea Scroll."

"I tried to take over the ownerless [Scroll of Mountains and Seas] with the power of the Misaligned Spring and Autumn Annals, and he told me that the body of the giant beast could be repaired here."

"Cut the Spring and Autumn Annals" is Ya's ability, which allows him to incorporate mountains and rivers into his own space, so it can be considered a space-based ability.

We can basically draw a conclusion about Lotin now.

It seems that letting Ya find the Mountain and Sea Scroll was originally a move by "Wang". Was it also within the other party's expectations that I found the Mountain and Sea Scroll?

"Even if this move is within his game record, so what?"

Lotin said that if you can predict something but don't have countermeasures, isn't that the same as not predicting it at all?

Neither the Sui Beast nor the Ya were at their peak. Only Luo Ting, now that he had retrieved the [Shan Hai Hui Juan] and unlocked the corresponding skin, was no weaker than the original Nautilus who fought the Sui Beast in ancient times.

I'm capable of flipping the table, so why should I play chess with you?

"So, even if you think I have offended you, and there are old and new grudges, could you at least settle things after I've fulfilled my long-cherished wish?"

Ya was an honest man who was single-mindedly focused on taking revenge on the Sui beast. However, he was used as a pawn by Wang and manipulated at will, falling into a trap set by others.

"Once I have avenged this thousand-year-old grudge, whether you want me to be killed, tortured, or made to serve you like a slave, I will have no objection."

Ya once looked down on the Sui beast, who suffered humiliation at the hands of mortals, but now he had no choice but to bow his head and beg for a chance to fulfill his long-cherished wish.

"What a passionate person he is."

"But do you think that if I keep someone who once dabbled in the Scroll of Mountains and Seas around me, wouldn't that be like raising a tiger to cause trouble?"

Luo Ting, who knew this part of the story, was fully aware of just how intense the hatred this person—this beast—held for the Year Beast.

However, He possesses the potential to interfere with the Mountain and Sea Scroll, and is extremely easy to exploit, so Luo Ting cannot simply ignore it.

At this moment, Lotin stomped the earth, stirring up gushing lava that made the mountains dance.

Ya's already damaged body was shattered into fragments. These fragments were devoured and assimilated by the [Shan Hai Hui Juan], completely disappearing and becoming a figure in the Shan Hai Hui Juan painting.

The existence of Ya as a giant beast came to an end.

But His consciousness remains in the Mountain and Sea Scroll, just as the dead Time Beast is still "watching a movie".

"However, if I had the chance to banish the true form of the Year Beast, I could also put its consciousness into this painting to satisfy your vengeance."

"If that's the case, it's not unacceptable."

He was stripped of all his claws and teeth, but he need not worry about disappearing. The Mountain and Sea Scroll became the anchor point for his remaining consciousness.

As long as the goal of avenging the beast is achieved, the process is insignificant to Ya, which demonstrates his obsession and madness.

Therefore, Luo Ting was even more determined to remove His claws and teeth, otherwise, if He were to interfere with the Mountain and Sea Scroll again, it would be a huge loss.

"I'm warning you beforehand, the Sui Beast that was reassembled from that lousy chess piece might actually be a completely new entity."

"The grudges you hold may be ones that He has never remembered or known."

"If he can't do it, how can you expel the original form of the Year Beast that has already split and dissipated?"

"Because the consciousness of the original Sui Beast is still present."

Luo Ting recalled that Wang had expressed something similar in the story, saying, "I feel the humiliation and resentment He endured." This suggests that the original form of the Year Beast still possesses the consciousness to feel humiliation and resentment.

Wang's original intention may have been good; he wanted to free his brothers and sisters and to bring his deceased sister back to life.

But his mistake was that he tried to use things he couldn't control as his pawns, including Lotin and the Year Beast itself.

He should not have refused to return the "Shan Hai Hui Juan" (a communication scroll of mountains and seas) to Gonggong, but instead abused its power to obstruct Luoting.

Unlike other skin tokens, this item is unique in that it did not originally exist in the world of Arknights. It is a rare artifact that appeared when Lodin came to this world, and it has currently demonstrated three abilities: decomposing and repairing behemoths, maintaining independent internal spaces, and eroding other independent spaces.

It's fine if you take it and use it when no one is watching, but it's a bit impolite of you to use force to try and keep the Mountain and Sea Scroll for yourself when Luo Ting comes to get it himself.

I'm already here, why don't you at least ask me to let you use it?

Clearly, Lotin is not a "generous" person, and after arriving in the world of Terra, he is unlikely to remain so. Therefore, this matter cannot be left unresolved.

"It seems I also need to visit the tomb of the Year Beast."

"However, before that, we need to observe the attitudes of the Yan Kingdom's court and the Suitai."

He wanted to see how much of the promise Wei Yanwu made to Luo Ting could be fulfilled, and what Yan Kingdom's final attitude towards him would be.

This way he can decide whether to awaken the Year Beast or banish it.

Chapter 187: Talk it or not

"Now that Your Excellency Gonggong has successfully retrieved your true form, would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Sishui Terrace?"

To put it mildly, Gonggong did get what he wanted during his visit to Xi, and even killed a giant beast right in front of him.

Although the giant beast was only recuperating from its injuries, Zuo Le felt that even the Ya from thousands of years ago would not be able to defeat this bronze giant. It was just a matter of whether it would win by a few more or fewer moves.

"The agreement has been reached, and it would be somewhat offensive for you to trouble him with other matters."

As Lotin acquired a new form and donned new clothes, Laurentina also gained knowledge of the official language of Yan, which freed her from having to communicate with the official in the Imperial Household Department using her less-than-fluent Victorian language.

"You have prepared a large team of celestial masters for the Year Beast."

Lotin asked Laurentina to convey his message through the system chat interface.

The so-called Celestial Masters are a unique group of scholars and practitioners of Originium Arts in the Yan Kingdom. In the culture of the Yan Kingdom, they are endowed with a distinct sense of historical mission.

"Your grand act of bestowing titles upon gods makes you think you are omnipotent, but even a true dragon has never dared to attack me."

After the skin is officially unlocked, its backstory and history are now also available to Lotin, allowing him to learn some details that were previously more obscure.

"Since all under heaven belongs to the king, and all within the borders are his subjects, then why are those high and mighty barbarians unwilling to heed the wishes of the people of Great Yan and to protect their land?"

These were the bold words spoken by the once spirited and ambitious Zhenlong, and he also accomplished this feat.

Only one similar individual became the exception.

"Gonggong". Whether it is floods in the southeast, sea monsters in the South Seas, or evil spirits in the northern frontier, as long as the jade pendant is offered as tribute, one can receive the great power to move mountains and fill rivers.

"Imperial conferment of divine titles" means that a large number of giant beasts that had angered the true dragon were hunted down and killed by the betrayal of the Year Beast.

This also signifies the submission of the other giant beasts.

But this "Gonggong" is different; the true dragon interacts with Him through an "alliance."

What? You want me to respect (not obey) your wishes and maintain your territory? Fine, then you'll have to give me tribute.

Later, Nautilus left this place simply because the alliance had expired.

Of course, besides that, one's own strength is always the most crucial factor.

Gonggong had become so powerful that Yan Kingdom could no longer deal with him properly. The Sui Beast alone had already forced Yan Kingdom to suffer a loss of more than one in ten soldiers and a century of hardship for the people. If they were to provoke another powerful being no less than the Sui Beast, the Great Yan Kingdom would probably become a desolate land overflowing with lava.

At that time, Nautilus was just a blank slate, without any equipment or runes, relying solely on maintaining his gigantic form and skin-related abilities.

With the boosts from his level, equipment, and talent, Luo Ting's strength has now far surpassed that of Gonggong, a figure recorded in the history of the Yan Kingdom.

Even though the Yan Kingdom is now far stronger than it was in ancient times, it will still suffer heavy losses when facing the resurrected Sui Beast.

The ease with which the Ya was dealt with provided Luo Ting with a relatively reliable benchmark of strength. It seemed that even if Luo Ting did not incite the mortal forces that submitted to him, his own strength under the [Shan Hai Hui Juan] skin was enough to deal with the variable of the Sui Beast and simultaneously crush the Yan Kingdom's trump card.

Therefore, he has absolutely no need to back down now, and Lotin has always only done what is necessary in matters outside of entertainment.

"Restoring the old alliance is his bottom line."

"Either restore the alliance, or never see each other again; otherwise, it would be a pity to waste this vast expanse of green mountains and clear waters."

If you want to continue cooperating, then show sincerity; if not, then forget it and pretend the other party doesn't exist from now on.

But besides that, there were other thoughts on my mind—

"All rivers will flow only with angry lava."

Laurentina relayed Lotin's wishes with a cold expression. In fact, the one she served had never shown weakness in front of any of Terra's state apparatus.

In Iberia, they forced the Grand Inquisitor to cooperate with them, even resorting to a hard attack on outposts under the worst possible circumstances.

In Longmen, the mysterious chief administrator was always all smiles.

In Qazimir, the original ruling class of Qazimir was almost physically wiped out, and the number of pitiful wretches crushed was no less than that of the [Conquerors].

The same applies to Lontinim and Kazdel.

Laurentina was well aware of Lotin's inner obsession; he could not accept being ordered around and driven by others.

This inability to decide one's own actions according to one's own will would awaken a deep unease within the sailor of Agor.

Only he himself can control him.

Is that considered a threat?

Even Zuo Le, who had practiced martial arts since childhood, broke out in a cold sweat due to the pressure.

He wasn't talking to the Agorians before him; his eyes were fixed only on the towering bronze colossus.

"Threats, warnings, think what you want, think whatever you want."

"These are his intentions. If you are truly sincere, please send someone to discuss this. It would be too impolite for him to come in person."