Driven by curiosity, Bai Qi reached out and pulled off the cloth covering the mirror. The next moment, he saw a half-human, half-fish figure appear in the reflection.
"Basha?"
Seeing the half-human, half-fish demon, Bai Qi instinctively called out her name, the Water Demon, Basha.
Honestly, the Holy Lord and Basha didn't have a very good relationship before.
One a fire demon, the other a water demon, they were like oil and water, naturally incompatible. Moreover, when the demons were dividing up the Earth in the past, Basha occupied the oceans. To expand her territory, she frequently manipulated the sea to erode the Holy Lord's domain.
In response, the Holy Lord was not to be outdone. He used his authority to evaporate vast amounts of seawater, thus snatching territory from Basha.
Their conflict had a long history.
However, the current situation was vastly different.
Hearing Bai Qi's voice, Basha suddenly turned around. Seeing Bai Qi's figure in the mirror, she displayed an expression that was... sickening.
"Holy Lord, you've finally returned."
Basha tried her best to appear friendly, but the forced expression on her dead-fish face was truly unbearable.
"Alright, alright, Basha, don't be like that. Just say whatever you need to say quickly. This is making me very uncomfortable."
Honestly, Basha herself was uncomfortable putting on such an act. She reverted to her original appearance and said, "Holy Lord, I already know. The next Hell Gate is mine. When will you open the gate and let me out?"
Hearing Basha's words, Bai Qi raised an eyebrow. It went without saying that if she said this, it was because those three idiots couldn't keep their mouths shut and let something slip.
"Holy Lord, don't forget, a portion of your rage is still in my hands. Hell is weakening my power every moment. If this drags on, I can't guarantee I won't end up like Zhong Su."
A threat, a complete threat.
If this were before Bai Qi went to the Chao Shen world, Basha's threat might have had some effect, but now, it was inconsequential.
Having absorbed and digested a massive amount of stellar energy, Bai Qi's current strength far surpassed the Holy Lord at his peak. The portion of rage held by Basha and Zhou Lan was merely a feather in his cap. It would be great to get it back, but it didn't matter if he couldn't.
Due to Bai Qi's previous efforts, most of those who were meant to be released had been. Xi Mu and Xiao Feng were still active on Earth. Moreover, when Xi Mu came out, he even brought out Bo Gang, who had been re-imprisoned not long before, to divert attention.
Zhong Su and Di Kui, those two unfortunate souls, one was deliberately targeted by Bai Qi, and the other was foolish enough to court disaster, leading to them being re-imprisoned in Hell. Without some extraordinary opportunity, it was unlikely they would return to the surface anytime soon.
Therefore, only Basha and Zhou Lan had not returned to the surface.
Looking at the dejected Zhong Su and Di Kui, and then thinking of the Holy Lord and the other two enjoying themselves outside, the two felt an unbearable itch in their hearts.
The more anxious Basha became, the calmer Bai Qi grew.
He calmly began to negotiate terms with her.
"Let me tell you the truth. My strength has now recovered to its peak. The portion of rage you hold is of little consequence to me. Furthermore, what you just said has displeased me. Therefore, I am currently contemplating whether or not to open the gate and let you out."
"No, Holy Lord, you can't do this to me."
Hearing Bai Qi suggest he wouldn't let her out, Basha immediately panicked and said, "Holy Lord, you can't do this to me. We are all demons, and now the righteous energy is at its peak. If you let me out, I can help you share the pressure."
Heh.
What kind of nonsense is "help me share the pressure"? You actually have the nerve to say that.
Not to mention anything else, the likes of Bo Gang, Di Kui, and Zhong Su who were released before, didn't each of them come out to establish their own so-called kingdoms for their own selfish desires? Zhong Su was like that, and so was Di Kui. Bo Gang was even worse, only knowing how to eat when he came out.
Even Xi Mu and Xiao Feng, who had some brains, knew to escape the moment they were released, but these two were hiding in the corners of the world to recover their strength. None of them ever thought of coming out to share the pressure for Bai Qi.
Bai Qi knew Basha's little intentions all too well. She sounded good now, but as soon as she escaped Hell, she would likely dart into the sea to rebuild her underwater kingdom.
Moreover, times have changed. With Bai Qi's intervention, the Black Qi Mother's strength could now contend equally with the Righteous Qi. Coupled with the forces he had assembled and his own strength,
Even if the Righteous Qi wanted to, Bai Qi would not be afraid to take aggressive action against him. Instead, he might even seize the opportunity to counterattack.
However, speaking of which, the Atlantis of this world, Basha's former underwater kingdom, had evolved over the centuries, forming its own operational system and even having its own Sea King. It was rumored that the current Sea King was a hybrid of human and Atlantean royalty, and had joined the Justice League. If Basha returned and wanted to reclaim her kingdom, a clash with the Justice League would be inevitable. At that time...
Thinking about it, Bai Qi couldn't help but show a sinister smile, which made Basha in the mirror shiver and secretly wonder, "Holy Lord, what wicked scheme are you hatching now?"
Bai Qi, having recovered his composure, looked at Basha in the mirror and asked, "How is Zhong Su?"
"Huh?"
Bai Qi's question was rather abrupt, why suddenly bring up Zhong Su?
"How else could he be? Thrown back into Hell. Who knows how many years it will be until he leaves next time? He's sulking alone right now."
Bai Qi's eyes darted around, a plan forming in his mind. He cleared his throat and said to Basha, "How about this, although I don't particularly like you, and I know that even if I let you out, you won't help me share the pressure from the Righteous Qi, I'm just a kind-hearted person. I can't stand to see my brothers and sisters suffering in Hell. So, I'll give you an opportunity."
"What opportunity?"
"How about this: as long as you help me obtain a portion of Zhong Su's lightning power, I will open your Hell Gate and allow you to return to the surface. What do you say?"
The reason Bai Qi chose Zhong Su's lightning power over Di Kui's or Zhou Lan's was mainly because Zhong Su's lightning power was too violent, and Basha, with her special physique, could not hold it for an extended period.
"Are you crazy? Zhong Su is severely weakened now. He will absolutely not give me a portion of his lightning power."
"That's none of my business. It's your own problem. When you've obtained it, I will naturally let you out."
With that, he didn't give Basha a chance to speak further. He picked up the cloth beside him and covered the mirror again.
The current world seemed too peaceful to Bai Qi. Releasing Basha might bring some vitality to this world, at least it would make those in the Justice League move.
As for those cosmic garbage from the Qi Rui clan, they wouldn't be around for much longer.