“So tell me, how should this issue be settled?!”

Everyone's eyes were wide open with shock upon hearing what Chu Kuangren said.

'What do you mean about settling this issue?'

'You've already gotten the Cloudflow ore and smashed Ravengale Island into pieces. Shouldn't we be the ones who have issues to settle with you?'

“Chu Kuangren, you are free to take the Cloudflow ores with you. As for the damage you caused to Ravengale Island, we shall let you off the hook. So, you better don't take this too far!”

The talon-shaped nose old man said as he held back his anger.

“Let me off the hook? What is there for you guys to let me off the hook?!”

“Because your people stole my stuff, I had come all the way here and sought you guys out just to get it back. Some of you even dared to lie to me in the process as well. So let me ask once more, what is there for you guys to let me off the hook!”

Chu Kuangren questioned in a chilling tone. Then, a horrifying surge of Sword-based Daoist Rhyme emanated from his body, and like a mountain, its power weighed upon the talon-shaped-nose old man.

Under his suppression, the old man was so red with rage that his body trembled. “Didn't we return everything to you? Besides, the one who tricked you was that disciple earlier and not us. So what else do you want us to do?”

“Hmph, who's to say whether that person might be carrying out your orders instead. Since this issue was exposed, you killed him so that there is no opportunity for questioning. Do you guys take me for a fool? If you don't come up with some compensation today, I will never let you off the hook!”

Chu Kuangren snorted coldly.

The talon-shaped nose old man and others were dumbfounded.

They had never encountered such a brazen and impudent person like him before!

He had damaged their Ravengale Island to such an extent, yet he was still demanding them compensation. Why was Chu Kuangren such an extremely unreasonable person?!

Then again, he had the capability and strength to show for it, so what else could they do but comply?

“State your terms then.”

Said the talon-shaped nose old man held his tongue.

“One billion soulstones!”

“You might as well go and steal it!” The talon-shaped nose old man replied in anger.

“Steal? Don't lump me in the same category as you guys. I pride myself in doing things reasonably and will never do things like pillaging or killing others.”

“Y-you…” The talon-shaped nose old man's face paled. His whole body was trembling, and his Daoist core was shaking so bad that he nearly spurted out a mouthful of blood.

“Alright, alright, we'll do as you say.”

The talon-shaped nose old man had no choice but to agree.

They had no choice after all!

They could not defeat Chu Kuangren in a fight.

So what else could they do?

“I'll give you all three months to prepare that amount. If I don't see that pile of soulstones at my Black Heaven Sect within the next three months, I shall visit you guys again.”

Chu Kuangren uttered with a chilling tone.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly recalled something.

“When you robbed that merchant s.h.i.+p, what happened to the people on board? Don't tell me you killed them all.”

Chu Kuangren asked with coldness seething through his gaze.

“No, they're still alive, but they're now on the way to the Serpent Deity's Oceanic Domain.”

The talon-shaped nose old man bit the bullet and replied.

“The Serpent Deity's Oceanic Domain?”

“That's right. Today is the Serpent Deity's sacrificial ceremony, and each of the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands must offer at least ten thousand people as sacrifices.”

An uncontrollable rage erupted from Chu Kuangren. “So you're saying that during the sacrificial ceremony, at least tens of thousands of people will be devoured by that so-called Serpent Deity?”

“Yes.”

“Did you guys kidnap all of those people as well?”

“Chu Kuangren, this is an internal matter only for those of the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands. Do you truly want to meddle in this as well?” the talon-shaped nose old man asked coldly.

“I see. I don't mind you presenting sacrificial offerings to the Serpent Deity. You can do anything you want as long as the people sacrificed do not come from my Black Heaven Sect's territories. However, because the people tasked to deliver the Cloudflow ores are considered my workers, I have to check out the sacrificial ceremony,” Chu Kuangren replied coldly.

“Are you going to go against the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands over a few low-leveled cultivators and common folk?”

The talon-shaped nose old man could not believe how Chu Kuangren could always do things that were beyond everyone's understanding.

“Cut the c.r.a.p and bring me to that so-called Serpent Deity's Oceanic Domain!”

Chu Kuangren uttered indifferently.

“Alright, alright. Let's see what you can possibly do to the Serpent Deity under the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands' very noses!!”

The talon-shaped nose old man said coldly. After all, the main reason why he agreed with Chu Kuangren's demand was that he, too, had some plans of his own.

The amount of one billion soulstones would prove too huge of a burden on Ravengale Island. However, if they could borrow the strength of the Serpent Deity, they might be able to have Chu Kuangren dealt with.

By then, they would not have to provide the soulstones.

“Let's go.”

The talon-shaped nose old man said as he led Chu Kuangren towards the Serpent Deity's Oceanic Domain.

At this time, somewhere in the seas.

Thirty-six huge s.h.i.+ps slowly gathered, and onboard each s.h.i.+p, there were groups of people who were bound together.

The people who were bound to the deck seemingly knew the fate that was to befall them, as all of them looked as white as paper.

Eventually, all thirty-six huge s.h.i.+ps had gathered.

“Greetings, fellow Chieftains.”

The Chieftain of the Ravengale Island put his hand into a fist salute and greeted each Chieftain.

“A good day to you as well, Ravengale Island Chieftain.”

“Sapphire Island Chieftain, I notice that your sacrificial offerings this time are not bad at all.”

“Haha, you're overpraising us.”

The Chieftains of the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands continued to greet each other.

At the same time, they were secretly noting down what everyone else had brought as sacrificial offerings too. In some way, the sacrificial ceremony was indirectly a comparison of the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands. Whoever had the best sacrificial offerings would obtain the blessings of the Serpent Deity.

That was somewhat the main consensus among the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands.

For instance, in hopes of a successful ascension to become a Sage, the previous Ravengale Island Chieftain sacrificed his wife to the Serpent Deity. As such, he received an ascension treasure item which ensured his success in becoming a Sage.

“Take a look at that. The Sapphire Island Chieftain has brought a lot of people this time!”

Everyone then looked at the Sapphire Island Chieftain.

His huge s.h.i.+p was crowded with people. There were at least thirty or forty thousand of them, all of whom were strong men.

Many of them were cultivators as well.

“Sobs….”

A burst of crying was heard.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound in shock.

There were many children, who were around the age of seven or eight, aboard another huge s.h.i.+p. As if sensing that something was about to happen, all of the kids started bursting into tears.

“Papa, mama, where are you…”

“Sobs… I want to go home.”

On that s.h.i.+p stood a benevolent-looking elderly man dressed in white robes and holding a cane in his hand.

“I only have three thousand young boys and girls with me. It's nothing much.”

The elderly man chuckled.

The other Chieftains looked at him with a cautious gaze.

“Three thousand young boys and girls, huh? Tsk, I guess only the Whitesmoke Island Chieftain is crazy enough to do something like this.”

“He beat all of us this time.”

“It seems like the Whitesmoke Island Chieftain will be taking first place in this sacrificial ceremony.”

The sacrificial-offering people on board the other s.h.i.+ps were all mad when they saw the three thousand young boys and girls.

“All of you are animals! How can you stomach doing such an inhumane thing!”

“Those are kids for heaven's sake! You b*st*rds, imbeciles! People like you should suffer the pain of a thousand cuts and go to f*cking h.e.l.l! F*ck all of you!”

“You animals! If you still have any bit of decency left in you, please let the children go! You can pick on us instead. I dare you!”

“*sshole. *ssholes like you guys will not die in peace…”

No matter how the people cursed and yelled, the Chieftains of the Thirty-Six Oceanic Islands were unmoved. They simply only stared at the people with a cold gaze.

They had long gotten used to that scene.

“Why are these sacrificial offerings always so noisy during the Serpent Deity's sacrifice offering ceremony? They buzz like a bunch of flies,” one of the Chieftains complained.

“Let them curse all they want. They're not going to last long anyway.”

“I think the Serpent Deity is going to come anytime now.”