The atmosphere in the arena became increasingly stiff, filled with the smell of gunpowder.

It had turned into an ammunition depot filled with bombs, and the slightest spark could trigger a violent explosion.

Both sides were at a standoff.

The blood underfoot was quickly frozen in the cold wind, but a trace of bloody scent still lingered.

In the deathly silent night, a pin could be heard dropping.

Everyone present gripped their weapons tightly, knowing that this calm would soon be broken, and what would follow would be a storm of death.

Li Tianran took a deep breath, his eyes flashed, and he opened his mouth to say, "Begin..."

"Wait!" At this critical moment, Bai Jingyan suddenly pushed aside the people around him and walked out. He looked at Li Tianran, and there were some complex things flashing in his eyes: "I have something to say."

"..." Li Tianran frowned. He subconsciously became vigilant, thinking that Bai Jingyan was trying to delay time or divert attention.

Ka-la-la!

A sound of mechanical rotation rang out. The Combat Berserkers would not obey Bai Jingyan's orders. They aimed their cold gun muzzles at him and the people around him.

"Your parents' ashes are very important to you." Bai Jingyan said softly, "Perhaps I can help you get them back."

Pa!

Li Tianran reached out and grabbed the barrel of the Combat Berserker's gun next to his left hand, slowly pressing it down. At the same time, his eyes flickered, and his heart beat faster.

"Actually, in all honesty... there is no irreconcilable hatred between you and me. Our conflict is only about a very simple thing: I want the gene of the Evolvers, and you want to protect yourself!" Bai Jingyan's eyes were bright, staring at Li Tianran's eyes, and said extremely sincerely: "Why can't we transform this war into a transaction?"

Li Tianran's eyes flickered.

At this moment, he was really tempted.

...

Southern suburb of Nancheng, a secret room.

In the dark room, there stood four or five people dressed in black coats, and it was impossible to recognize their appearance, or even their gender.

The room was filled with an atmosphere of "oppression," almost solemn.

"He wouldn't agree?"

A hoarse voice sounded, like a rasp, making people feel goosebumps all over.

"..." The person being questioned did not speak, just nodded indifferently.

"I thought so... This person is cold-blooded and selfish to the extreme, and will never shed any blood for his parents' ashes! This kind of person should have gone to hell long ago!" The hoarse voice sounded again.

"What do we do with these two boxes of ashes?"

In the darkness, someone spoke again.

"Throw them into the sewer... They're useless anyway!" said the hoarse voice.

"Why not throw them in the toilet... Hehehe!"

"Let his parents have no place to be buried!"

A crazy and resentful voice sounded. It was hard to imagine how much these people hated Li Tianran, that they would not even spare the ashes of Li Tianran's parents.

"Leave them for now."

Just at this moment, a cold voice sounded.

This voice obviously had a very high status among these people. As soon as he spoke, everyone stopped talking and just replied meekly: "Yes! Your order!"

"Has the goods that Tianchen's Southern Manager wanted been delivered?"

"There was a little problem on the way, it died... I have already prepared new goods to send over."

"Very good." The cold voice said: "The world has become like this, allowing us to develop rapidly. Seize this opportunity, and we can even become the masters."

"We are willing to follow you!"

Several voices spoke in unison.

The owner of the cold voice walked out, pushed open a tightly closed door, and outside was a huge hall like a cathedral.

In the very center, was a high platform like a podium.

In front of the high platform, nearly a hundred people knelt there devoutly, men, women, old people and children, with different identities.

But seeing the owner of the cold voice come out, they all showed the same fanatical expressions on their faces, knocking their heads on the ground, extremely devout!

The owner of the cold voice walked onto the high platform, and the light shone on her face.

She was a woman!

To be precise, she was an old woman!

Around fifty years old, wearing a black dress that looked a bit like a Taoist robe and a bit like a monk's robe, looking nondescript, with a lotus flower embroidered on her chest with gold thread!

At this time, she stood on the high platform, folded her hands together and whispered: "Heaven sends disasters, God destroys the world! How to be freed, only self-salvation!"

A tsunami-like response came from below.

"Praise the great Lord!"

Looking at this scene, an extremely satisfied smile appeared on her face.

...

"You can help me get back the ashes?" Li Tianran stared at Bai Jingyan, trying to find a trace of emotion called "deception, cunning" in his eyes. As long as either of these two clearly appeared in his eyes, Li Tianran would not hesitate to order the Combat Berserkers to open fire and turn Bai Jingyan and his subordinates into sieves.

But Li Tianran failed. There was no distracting thought in Bai Jingyan's eyes.

"I have vast connections, resources, and technology. If I want to find someone in Nancheng, I'm afraid it will be much more convenient than you, and faster." Bai Jingyan said very calmly: "We can carry out... resource exchange!"

"It's easy for you to find someone. You want to get what you want from me with just such a small chip. You're thinking too highly of yourself." Li Tianran scoffed at Bai Jingyan's proposal: "Even without your help, I can dig the other party out."

"The weight of the bargaining chip for resource exchange is not calculated like this." Bai Jingyan pushed up the slightly slipped frame on his nose and said, "Although it is very simple for me to find someone and doesn't require too much cost, this person is very important to you, and that's enough."

"Resources are not priced according to how much you pay, but according to the importance to the partner!"

Bai Jingyan obviously knew how to negotiate: "To me, the resources of a perfect variant are extremely important, and I can exchange them for my life! But to you, your parents' ashes are equally important, and worth your great price."

"So, this transaction is fair."

Bai Jingyan smiled, reached out his hand to Li Tianran, and slowly said, "I am a scholar. If possible, of course I hope to solve this matter peacefully! This is called... win-win!"

Bai Jingyan was very cold. Under his feet were the corpses of his companions, and his shoes stepped in the solidified blood of his companions.

But at this time, he had a gentle smile on his face, reaching out his hand to Li Tianran, the enemy, expressing his intention to cooperate.

Li Tianran looked at him, feeling as if he was facing a cold-blooded animal.