"Ding! Congratulations, Host, on acquiring the magical treasure, the Myriad… human emperor banner (Red)!"
"Hey, hey, hey! You definitely meant to say Myriad Soul Banner just now, didn't you? You absolutely did!"
"Host, you misheard! I said human emperor banner!"
human emperor banner: A super magical treasure that can absorb and refine souls. Due to the dense purple aura it inherently possesses, it is often maliciously slandered by petty individuals as the Myriad Soul Banner.
PS: As the saying goes, if you don't cultivate diligently, you'll end up as brothers in the human emperor banner.
"System! Who are those petty individuals mentioned in this description? Do you dare to say it out loud?!"
Zhong Chen looked down at the human emperor banner in his hand, which was emitting thick black smoke. After observing it carefully for a while, his brow furrowed deeper and deeper. Finally… "System! Tell me, where is the slightest trace of purple aura here?!"
"…(￣ 3￣)a"
"System! You have the guts to change your name, do you have the guts to come out?! Don't hide inside and stay silent, I know you're home!"
"…o(*￣ 3￣)o"
…Let's not dwell on the time Zhong Chen was fiercely arguing with the System, holding the Myriad… human emperor banner that the System had stolen from who knows which cultivation world.
Let us fast-forward to the present.
Great Jura Forest, Town Entrance
Toreini swung her right hand downwards and said, "Begin!"
Rimuru, holding a sword with both hands, charged towards Gazel at an incredibly fast speed.
"Clang!"
Gazel easily blocked Rimuru's sword strike with his own sword, then pushed back with force, sending Rimuru flying several meters.
Watching Rimuru quickly regain his footing after being knocked back, Gazel said, "Is that all you've got, Rimuru?!"
Rimuru straightened his body, a sharp glint in his eyes, and said, "Less talk! That was just a warm-up! Don't be so impatient!"
After speaking, he held his sword diagonally with both hands, looking seriously at Gazel opposite him.
"Great Sage! Are there any openings in his defense?"
"Analysis: The opponent's swordsmanship has reached the master level. No openings have been detected at present!"
"As expected! Truly worthy of being a Sword Saint!"
Seeing that Rimuru wasn't attacking, Gazel took the initiative to strike. Rimuru blinked, and Gazel was already in front of him. He quickly raised his sword to block:
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Sizzle…"
In an instant, the two had exchanged more than ten blows, until Rimuru was once again pushed back several meters by immense force.
"He truly lives up to his reputation! But… I can't easily lose to him either!"
"But this is really difficult! Would it be better to just let Great Sage take over?"
Rimuru, who was contemplating whether to cheat, suddenly saw Gazel assume a familiar stance.
"That stance is…"
"Take this, Rimuru!"
Without giving Rimuru any more time to think, Gazel directly launched his attack:
"Obscure: Earth-Heaven Thunderclap!"
"Buzz…"
Watching Gazel disappear from his sight in an instant, Rimuru immediately looked around, searching for his figure.
Suddenly, a long sword appeared in front of Rimuru, coming from below. Reacting quickly, Rimuru took a small step back, dodging the attack.
"There's another move… above!"
Rimuru, growing more familiar with the sword techniques, instinctively raised his sword with both hands and held it flat above his head.
"Clang!"
"This…"
"To actually be able to block the King's move! This Rimuru fellow is truly extraordinary!"
In the eyes of the spectators, Rimuru perfectly blocked Gazel's sword, which was aimed at her head.
Gazel looked down at Rimuru, who had blocked his move, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. This smile then grew wider and wider, until it became a hearty laugh:
"Hahaha! You actually caught my sword!"
Seeing this, Toreini immediately raised her right hand and said, "That's enough! The match is over! The winner… Rimuru Tempest!"
Gazel sheathed his sword and said with satisfaction to Rimuru in front of him, "Through this exchange, I can confirm that you are not an evil entity!"
Hearing Gazel's words, everyone present, including Zhong Chen, nodded in agreement, while Rimuru said with a speechless expression, "Why?!!"
"I'm surprised you could see through my Obscure: Earth-Heaven Thunderclap. Well done, Rimuru!" Gazel praised, patting Rimuru's shoulder.
"Where is this guy putting his hand?! Get it off Rimuru's shoulder! Do you believe I'll go to your Dwarf Kingdom and carry rice?!"
Zhong Chen, who was standing by watching the show, stared unhappily at Gazel's hand on Rimuru's shoulder, secretly wondering if he should go to the Dwarf Kingdom and add some water to the rice.
"It was just a coincidence. That's my master's usual move. I often suffered losses from that move during training! That's all it was!" Rimuru humbly responded to Gazel's praise.
"What! Your master couldn't possibly be…"
Just then, Gazel was surprised to see Hakurou walking up to Rimuru's side.
"Hehehe! Lord Rimuru, you performed excellently!" Hakurou said, looking at Rimuru with a benevolent expression.
"Oh! Lord Sword Demon…" Gazel said, surprised, to Hakurou.
"To think he was just a lost kid in the forest back then. Indeed, one must look at him with new eyes after a separation of three days!"
After speaking, Hakurou took a step back, placed his right hand over his chest, and said with a smile, "Ah! My apologies! I have offended the King of the Dwarf Kingdom! You are now truly a case of the student surpassing the master, and I am truly happy for you!"
Regarding Hakurou's praise, Gazel did not put on airs as a king. Instead, he reached back and scratched the back of his neck, speaking respectfully to Hakurou, "To receive such praise from Lord Sword Demon, I am truly humbled!"
"So his master is Hakurou! The world is both vast and small!" Rimuru couldn't help but exclaim inwardly as he watched the two interacting.
"Alright, since the sparring is over, let's discuss anything else once we're inside the town!" Zhong Chen walked up to Rimuru, interrupting the continuous conversation between the few people.
"Uh… Lord Zhong Chen is right, this is indeed not a good place to talk right now!"
"Then let's go! Benimaru, arrange for the Pegasus Knights! Don't neglect them!"
"Yes, Lord Chen!" Benimaru, hearing Zhong Chen's command, quickly stepped forward and answered.
"Then, Pegasus Knights, please follow me!"
"Alright! Then we'll trouble Lord Benimaru!"
Watching the Pegasus Knights follow Benimaru and the others into the town, Zhong Chen turned to Gazel and said, "Lord Gazel, please!"
"Hahaha! Then this old man will respectfully accept!"
Night, Banquet Hall
"I see, so you came to investigate the mysterious monster organization that defeated the Orc Lord!" Rimuru, sitting cross-legged beside Zhong Chen, held a wine glass and spoke to Gazel, who was seated directly opposite him.
Gazel also raised his wine glass and said, "That was the original plan, but after meeting Mr. Kagaya Ubuyashiki and discussing with him, I decided to change my objective to seeing if your side is suitable to become an ally of my country!"
At this point, Gazel's expression suddenly became extremely serious as he said, "Rimuru! I ask you one thing!"
Looking at the serious Gazel in front of him, Rimuru also straightened his face and said, "Please speak!"
"Do you have the desire to form an alliance with me? If you can take control of this vast forest."
"By then, the wealth and power you possess will even surpass my country."
"Although Lord Zhong Chen is present, Rimuru, you don't have to worry about invasion from other countries, but having a country to back you up would be more convenient!"
"Ah! This…"
At this point, Rimuru looked at Zhong Chen, who was sitting beside him. Zhong Chen didn't speak, but simply smiled and nodded at Rimuru.
Understanding Zhong Chen's attitude, Rimuru turned back and solemnly said to Gazel, "Of course! I couldn't ask for more!"
Just as the two were about to reach an agreement, a figure walked into the banquet hall and, with a smile, said to everyone present, "Everyone, have I returned late?"
"Mr. Yaozai!!! You're finally back! *n"