The central stone pillar at the Extreme Metal place shone with a faint golden glow. It was also the place where the metal element was the densest.
Of the five extreme places, the extreme metal place was the most difficult to forge, because no matter where it was, people had a tireless and boundless enthusiasm for mining ore. Whether it was flat land or high mountains, as long as the area was rich in ore, people would flock to it like flies to cow dung and exploit all of its minerals.
It would take hundreds of thousands of years for a place of extreme metal to gradually form. If this process of formation were disrupted by the exploitation of the ore, it would be difficult for it to return to its natural state. All five Extreme Elemental Places were formed thanks to their unique terrain and the forces of nature. Even Chu Cang Lan, who'd cultivated his demonic magic to the realm of Nine Changes, hadn't been able to use human abilities to create the Five Places of Extreme Elements or to repair them when they were damaged.
All five Extreme Elemental Places had been formed by millions of years of accumulation. It was simply impossible to use human effort to change them. Just like the Extreme Fire Place, this Extreme Metal Place had existed for eons. The huge glittering stone pillar in the centre must be the metal attribute treasure that the Extreme Metal Place had been cultivating.
In Han Shuo's previous world, there was a legend about the Immortal Monkey King. He was originally a stone monkey who received his weapon, the Magical Needle of the Sea of Tranquility - the Golden Cudgel - from the Dragon Palace under the seas. According to the legend, the cudgel was the metal attribute treasure born from an extreme metal place millions of years ago.
Because the Monkey King himself was born with the metal attribute, he was able to skilfully harness the power of the Metal Attribute Treasure. That's how he had become an eternal, legendary, immortal existence on Han Shuo's earth.
It seemed that the shimmering golden stone pillar standing silently in the centre of the cave was the treasure of this place of extreme metal. Whether or not its power was as miraculous as the Golden Cudgel, Han Shuo wasn't too sure.
However, Han Shuo understood that only the elite zombies refined by the extreme metal place would have the ability to master this metal attribute treasure. It was just like how it had to be the Fire Elite Zombie who took charge of the Fire Attribute Treasure - the Fire Lotus. That's why Han Shuo didn't touch this metal attribute treasure lightly, for fear of disrupting the natural functioning of the Place of Extreme Metal.
Arriving at the stone pillar, Han Shuo reached out to gently tap it. A crisp metallic ring echoed out, it was indeed the sound of metal. Thick waves of metal element slowly rolled from the stone pillar onto his fingertips, causing Han Shuo's body to stiffen slightly.
"Indeed, a metal attribute treasure. It seems that the metal elite zombie is quite lucky!" Han Shuo exclaimed quietly. He took a tour around the extreme metal place to see a variety of precious, rare ores that shimmered slightly. Han Shuo's heart was filled with joy. However, he didn't move a single ore in the Place of Extreme Metal. Han Shuo didn't want to act rashly before he had gathered all the materials to refine the elite metal zombie. He wanted to avoid altering the natural formation of this place and causing irreversible damage.
"Metal Elite Zombie, you are the only one left. Now even your weapon is finished." Han Shuo muttered. He opened his right hand and scattered the eight light points in the place of Extreme Metal. He commanded, "Protect this place well. Kill anyone, even the miners, who tries to come here."
"Understood. We won't let anyone destroy this place." The eight souls transmitted their decision.
Han Shuo didn't stay at the place of extreme metal. As his heart burned with the anxiety to immediately gather all the necessary materials to refine the Elite Metal Zombie, he immediately left the way he'd come in. At the area with the three tunnels, Han Shuo used the Demonslayer's Edge to cut off some huge boulders to block the tunnels, leaving only a hole as thick as an arm for the souls to enter and exit.
Stepping out of the belly of Mount Silk, Han Shuo saw Delia and the miners still waiting at the entrance. The administrator of the five mines, Elder Adleman, was also there.
"Have you taken care of everything?" Delia's eyes immediately lit up when she saw Han Shuo and asked enthusiastically.
Han Shuo nodded with a bright smile and said, "That's right. From now on, not only will those stone men stop attacking the miners, they will even give you some ore."
Pausing for a moment, Han Shuo looked solemnly at Delia and Adleman before saying, "But you must remember that no one is allowed to pass through the three tunnels where the Stone Men reside. It won't be my responsibility if someone dies after trespassing."
Adleman hastily assured Han Shuo of the outcome when he heard his warning, "Rest assured, my lord, I will definitely discipline the miners well and not allow them to enter that area."
"My Lord, don't worry, I don't think they'll dare come in anyway. After all, only my lord can deal with these stone men. How can some miners be their opponents?" Delia's bright eyes were still glued to Han Shuo's body as she replied with a smile.
Han Shuo thought the same when he heard Delia's words. He remembered that the stone men did not seem to be afraid of magic. In that confined space, even senior swordsmen would be courting death if they faced the stone men. Although the mountain people's bodies were strong and sturdy, their strength was still a far cry from that of the stone men. Of course, they wouldn't be foolish enough to seek their own death.
"Alright. You only need to go there once a month to collect the ore. The stone men have already agreed to my demands. They are much better at gathering ore more than you are anyway. They will always help you mine the ore as long as you don't interfere with their lives," he said. Han Shuo replied.
"Thank you my lord, thank you my lord!" Adleman was truly grateful to Han Shuo and bowed ceremoniously as he spoke.
"Elder, there is no need to stand on ceremony. This is only something I should do as the City Lord of Brettel City." Han Shuo helped him to his feet and spoke with all sincerity.
With the Stone Men crisis resolved, Han Shuo did not stay on Mount Silk. Adleman and his subordinates resided on Mount Silk, so they didn't return to Brettel City. Now, only Han Shuo and Delia were on their way back.
Han Shuo felt a growing sense of urgency, and he desperately wanted to leave Delia behind and return directly to Brettel City. However, as he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that doing so would be a bit rude to her. So Han Shuo slowly walked down the rough mountain road to the main road with her.
Han Shuo now felt a little guilty about his actions. He had been caught staring at her in the mine and still hadn't taken the initiative to strike up a conversation. However, Delia had been staring at him in a strange way ever since they'd left the mine. Her sexy, hot body didn't seem to be uncomfortable either. In fact, she was deliberately trying to puff out her chest.
Even though Han Shuo was no gentleman, they were currently observing decorum as they made their way down the mountain. He had already been caught stealing glances, and his mind was preoccupied with the matter of finding the materials to refine the Metal Elite Zombie, so his perverted nature wasn't as strong as usual. He didn't even sneak a glance at Delia's chest on the way.
However, such behaviour from Han Shuo was mistakenly branded as hypocrisy by Delia. With her identity as the most beautiful mountain woman in addition to her outstanding strength, her eye for men was very selective. She hadn't chosen any of the young mountain men for many years and only played with those who admired her.
Delia was very tall at 170 centimetres. For the ordinary mountain people, that height was enough capital to strut around with. However, in the face of Han Shuo's 190 centimetres, Delia no longer felt proud. Moreover, back in the mine, she had been even more overwhelmed after witnessing Han Shuo's thunderous attack that had shattered the stone men to pieces. With a heart that only wanted to admire the strong, Han Shuo was her perfect target in every way.
Suddenly, Delia leapt to block the path in front of Han Shuo, her shining eyes staring hotly at him, her soft, silky breasts heaving.
Han Shuo was caught off guard and almost crashed into Delia's soft chest. He immediately stopped and unconsciously took a step back. He looked at her, somewhat confused as he asked, "What is it?"
"My Lord, you are a real man. I like you!" Contrary to Han Shuo's expectations, Delia's burning eyes were fixed on him as she boldly confessed her true feelings. The mountain women were very straightforward in their character, and Delia was one of the most outstanding examples. She was fierce, bold in love and bold in hate. The ordinary women of Lancelot's kingdom weren't so bold and outspoken.
Such a confession from Delia astonished Han Shuo. He squinted and swept his eyes up and down Delia's body as if he wanted to see her clearly.
As Han Shuo's eyes roamed over her body, Delia instinctively felt a little shy, especially when his eyes fell on her large and full twin peaks. Some of the more sensitive areas around her waist weren't spared either. Under the caress of his bold gaze, her body began to burn, making her a little embarrassed. However, Delia wasn't as shy as these ordinary women. She had confirmed that Han Shuo was her target, so despite her shyness, she didn't retreat. Instead, she even pushed out her breasts, appearing very confident in her own body.
"You're not bad." Han Shuo suddenly smiled weakly a long time later and spoke softly.
Delia was delighted. A passionate smile blooming on her lips, she spoke boldly to Han Shuo, "My Lord, then you want me, don't you?"
End of the first part of the chapter.
Shaking his head, Han Shuo replied, "I am sorry. I already have a woman and I love my woman."
Delia's face darkened when she heard these words. She hung her head in silence for a moment before raising her face again and saying stubbornly, "I, Delia, have never had a man before. Only you have been strong enough to make me lose my resolve. Whether you have a woman or not, I want to be your woman."
Han Shuo was stunned. He looked at Delia's stubborn face, the face of a woman who did not seem to know the meaning of defeat. His first thought was that either this woman had been worshipped by the mountain men for too long, or perhaps her standards were too high. It seemed that she had her own agenda, regardless of his willingness.
Han Shuo himself was not a gentleman who could control his desires with a beautiful woman sitting on his lap. Otherwise there wouldn't have been Emily and Phoebe, and of course Fanny, with whom he was obsessed. Of course, Han Shuo was a horny man who had to mount every woman he saw. A demonic practitioner like Han Shuo wouldn't have any scruples about worldly restrictions. As long as he was genuinely interested in a woman, he'd throw all morality to the wind.
Delia's body was extremely alluring, and her face was also very beautiful. Han Shuo did not deny that he was attracted to her beauty. But that was all it was, lust. If there was no responsibility attached to having sex with her, he would have taken her without hesitation.
But everything had its limits. If Delia insisted on being with him, but he only stayed in Brettel City long enough to play with her, only to abandon her afterwards, then the thirty thousand mountain men here would not be willing to let this matter go. Han Shuo didn't want to touch such a hot potato either.
"Hehehe, I really have, and not just one." Han Shuo explained a bit before continuing, "To be honest, I only have a little interest in you. But it's just the kind of interest a man would have for a beautiful woman's body, not the kind you feel. You should understand what I mean, yes?"
"What? You have more than one woman ?" Contrary to Han Shuo's expectations, Delia didn't care too much about the implications of his words. Her surprise had only caused her to clarify the first sentence.
Han Shuo nodded, inwardly wondering if Delia was going to make some nonsense. However, as he thought about it, this matter would be exposed sooner or later, so he didn't deny it. Han Shuo replied with a nod, "Mhm, there is indeed more than one. So what?"
"Then that means you don't mind having me as another one! I'm willing to be one of your women. It's still better than being the only woman in a mediocre man's heart." Her eyes bright with excitement, Delia continued, "I knew it. A man like you can't have just one woman. Adding me shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Han Shuo's eyes and mouth were wide open in shock at Delia's words. These mountain women were unexpectedly bold and direct. Even someone as free as Han Shuo, who'd always done what he wanted, found this attitude hard to digest.
Delia still wanted to discuss this matter in detail, while Han Shuo wanted to leave to find the materials to refine the Metal Elite Zombie. Not knowing how to respond to Delia, he replied directly, "Let's discuss this later. For now, I still have no interest in you. I'll consider your proposal when I'm interested in you. Alright, I have some things to take care of, so I'll go first."
Han Shuo shot into the sky as soon as the last words left his mouth. His magical yuan circulated, radiating an aura that placed him high above the entire world, and he turned into a black streak of light that disappeared into the clouds without a trace.
Delia watched with rapt attention as Han Shuo's flying posture gradually disappeared into the horizon. She smiled resolutely, nodded her head firmly and whispered to herself, "I will definitely make you fall in love with me. My Lord, hahaha, only a man like you can make me submit from the bottom of my heart!"
Of course, Han Shuo did not hear these words. He flew all the way to Brettel City, looked for Little Fatty Jack, and gave him the list of materials needed to refine the Metal Elite Zombie, saying, "Acquire these materials for me. Use the Boozt Merchant Guild or whatever merchant guild you want, just get me these materials as soon as possible."
"No problem!" Possessing a mountain of gold coins, Jack replied with one hundred percent of his lung power. He projected an extraordinary spirit that screamed, "Consider it done! As he finished these words, he added, "Oh, right, Dick was looking for you.
When Han Shuo heard that Dick was looking for him, he left Jack. He went straight to the Dark Mantle stronghold in Brettel City, since Dick was usually there. In fact, he found Dick there after arriving at the Dark Mantle Stronghold in Brettel City. The latter was processing and organising some information about the seven grand duchies that had been sent back by his subordinates.
When he saw Han Shuo suddenly walk in, Dick quickly stood up to greet him in surprise. He then sat down and asked with a smile, "My Lord, why have you come here?"
"I heard from Jack that you were looking for me. Has something happened?" Han Shuo asked Dick as soon as he sat down.
There were only six members, including Dick, in this secret fortress. However, Han Shuo was absolutely sure that there were more than six Dark Mantle members stationed in Brettel City. It was just that they were usually scattered around the city or the seven grand duchies. They were all undercover or on secret missions.
They wouldn't come here unless circumstances warranted it. Only when they had a piece of accurate information or had successfully completed a mission would they come in to report to Dick. Originally, Dick had been stretched thin in terms of manpower. However, when Han Shuo had arrived here, Candide had transferred some members to Brettel City to be under Han Shuo's direct command.
All of the secret activities of the Lancelot Empire were managed by Candide alone. Even Brettel City, located in the far east of the empire, was under his control. As Candide's most outstanding subordinate, Han Shuo had the right to manage the Dark Mantle's personnel network in Brettel City, in addition to being the Lord of Brettel City. Dick was naturally under Han Shuo's jurisdiction.
"My Lord, I've been looking for you because I have some information. It's just that you weren't in the mansion at the time. I didn't expect you to come to me personally. The honour really frightens this little one". Dick himself sat down with a smile before explaining to Han Shuo.
"Alright, less nonsense. What actually happened?" In private, Han Shuo and Dick never continued their master-servant act for long.
Dick chuckled and let out a cough. With a solemn expression on his face, he said, "We might have a big problem this time. All seven Grand Duchies have agreed to a truce. According to the information our people sent back, the grand dukes of all seven duchies will soon be holding a secret meeting in a mountain valley. We have no way of knowing the agenda for the meeting, but I'm almost certain they're meeting to figure out how to deal with us.
The Seven Grand Duchies had been at war with each other when Brettel City was no threat. However, now that Brettel City had unleashed its ferocious, domineering momentum, it had naturally become the greatest threat to the seven grand duchies.
The seven grand duchies had all split from the Vanerdun dynasty. A hundred years ago, the royal family had fought among themselves for the throne, splitting the Vanerdun dynasty into seven duchies. These had gradually become the seven Grand Duchies of today. When there was no external threat, they liked to invade each other for advantage. However, their history made them a family, and a common enemy would soon find himself facing a tightly knit alliance of the seven duchies. .
The Lancelot Empire hadn't clearly understood this peculiar situation last time, and was tempted to invade the Seven Grand Duchies. In the end, the Seven Grand Duchies joined forces to force the Lancelot Empire to retreat. Also as a result of this event, Brettel City had fallen into a slump, reduced to a worthless existence.
"It seems that the Seven Grand Duchies now see Brettel City as a new threat. Hehehe, we should be proud. Brettel City's population isn't even a hundred thousand, far less than any of the seven grand duchies. I didn't think they would think so highly of us." Han Shuo smiled coldly at Dick.
"My Lord, the Seven Grand Duchies are absolutely not to be taken lightly. They can't be compared to ordinary bandit groups. They have true army. Not only do they have complete sets of siege equipment, but their years of constant warfare have made their common soldiers of high quality. They are even a notch stronger than the standard army of the Lancelot Empire. Dick smiled wryly as he explained to Han Shuo, "In addition, each duchy has at least thirty to forty thousand soldiers on standby, not to mention the many private armies of local aristocrats. If every man were to be roused to fight, and the seven grand duchies joined forces, their total force would probably be twice our population. We must not underestimate them!"
Rest assured. I already have a plan. I just won't let them get together." Han Shuo laughed darkly as his mind began to spin.