Of the Five Sovereigns, Ossora was relatively unobtrusive and friendly. In their countless battles for control of the Omphalos, Ossora was usually on the defensive. He didn't fight unless he had to.
Han Shuo was led to a relatively secluded, peaceful pavilion in the Omphalos. When he met Ossora, Han Shuo was struck by how ordinary he looked, with his amiable smile on his face all the time. He looked like a typical middle-aged neighbour, not at all fearsome or violent as the rumours had it.
Even though Ossora was an Earth Energy Overgod, Han Shuo did not sense any particularly intense energy aura emanating from him. In fact, Han Shuo did not get the impression that this guy was a powerful Overgod at all. The aura he radiated was mild and calm. It felt as magnanimous as the ground he stepped on, rather than overwhelming and piercing.
If it weren't for the few Late-stage Highgod experts standing respectfully behind him, Han Shuo might even have overlooked this stranger in the pavilion because he seemed too ordinary.
Han Shuo approached Ossora alone. With a natural and relaxed smile, he said, "Hello, I'm Bryan."
An expert who could completely hide his aura so that even Han Shuo could not detect it must have possessed extraordinary power. Needless to say, Han Shuo was no ignoramus. He would not have disrespected Ossora just because he looked ordinary.
Ossora turned to look at Han Shuo as he entered. He laughed slightly and gestured to Han Shuo in a friendly manner, "Come, come! Over here. Haha, no need to be too polite. It's an honour to finally meet the famous Bryan. Your reputation as a genius apothecary in the Dominion of Death, Darkness, and Destruction precedes you!"
Han Shuo knew that from the moment he told Luolong his name, the information would have spread throughout the Fringe through the network of stringers. And before long, they would find out his identity and origin. Therefore, Han Shuo was not surprised that Ossora knew his identity as an apothecary. He calmly replied, "You flatter me, Lord Ossora. I may be well known in three Dominions, but Your Lordship could not be more famous in all Twelve Dominions!"
Ossora smiled bitterly at Han Shuo's compliment. He replied, "More infamous than famous, no?"
Han Shuo stared blankly for a moment before laughing and saying, "Aren't they pretty much the same?"
"They are," Ossora smiled and said, "However, we Fringedwellers will always be discriminated against by those in the Twelve Dominions. They can go to the fringe and even assimilate into society if they have enough strength. We Fringedwellers, however, will never be able to assimilate into their society. It's a shame!"
Ossora spoke the truth. Those who could not live in the Twelve Dominions could seek refuge on the Fringe. However, the Fringedwellers would have to overcome countless hurdles to live in any of the cities of the Twelve Dominions. Most cities would refuse Fringedwellers entry.
In their eyes, all who lived in the Fringe were thugs, murderers and godhunters. They did not want Fringedwellers entering their cities and disturbing their stability.
"Life is the same everywhere. But it wouldn't be a problem if a character of your level wanted to travel around the Twelve Dominions, would it?" Han Shuo asked smiling.
Ossora shook his head and sighed slightly, as if he was holding back some hidden sorrow. However, he did not explain it to Han Shuo.
After a short pause, Ossora looked at Han Shuo with a smile and asked, "You have done well in the City of Shadows of the Darkness Dominion. Why did you come to the Fringe?"
"Well, nothing much. I just feel that a place full of conflict would be better for cultivation," Han Shuo of course did not want to tell Ossora his real reason for coming to the Fringe, which was to take it under his rule.
Ossora cast a few intense glances at Han Shuo as if he knew that Han Shuo was not telling his true purpose. However, Ossora asked no more questions about it. He thought for a moment and said, "Now, let's talk business! I'm aware that you could refine some pretty miraculous medicines. Battles are breaking out all the time in the Fringe, and there is a great demand for your medicines. The Omphalos has its rules. If you want to set up your pharmacy in Omphalos and do business here, there are a number of hurdles and requirements that you will need to overcome. But I can help you skip all that. All I ask in return is the preemptive right to purchase on every batch of medicine you produce.
Han Shuo had been in the Omphalos for some time and he knew the cost of setting up a business in the Omphalos. Not only did they have to pay a large amount of black crystal coins as registration fees, they also needed the approval of at least three Sovereigns. And if they were approved, half of their income would be taxed. The conditions were so prohibitive that Han Shuo could not imagine the effort it would take to set up a Celestial Pearl branch in the Omphalos.
However, there was another type of shop in the Omphalos that did not have to pay any registration fees or taxes. This unique type of shop was called a Sovereign's Shop. As the name suggests, they were the property of the Sovereigns themselves. As stewards of the Omphalos, each Sovereign had ten Sovereign Shops. There might have been thousands upon thousands of small and large shops in the Omphalos, but there could only ever be fifty Sovereign Shops.
Han Shuo stared blankly for a moment after hearing Ossora's suggestion. He asked in an uncertain voice, "You mean...?"
Ossora nodded and replied, "Yes, I will provide you with one of my Sovereign Shops. You should know the advantages of a Sovereign Shop. Its masters and workers have residency rights and do not have to pay any fees to stay in the Omphalos."
Han Shuo did not immediately agree. He raised his eyebrows, looked at Ossora and asked, "The only condition is the preemptive right to purchase the medicines I personally make?"
"Yes, it's as simple as that," Ossora replied.
Han Shuo smiled respectfully and replied, "The offer sounds too good to be true. I dare not accept it rashly. Lord Ossora, let's not mince words. Why are you offering me such a great gift?"
Ossora was silent for a moment before he suddenly chuckled and said, "For me, it's much more interesting to be friends with a character like you than to be enemies. You are not the kind of person to bow down to anyone. I'm not as naive as some people who think they can turn you into a servant. And so as not to make an enemy of you, I should express my goodwill in advance. This would also make cooperation possible in the future. Haha, I mean no harm. It's okay if you don't want to take over my Sovereign Shop. I won't force it on you."
"Why should I not take it?" Han Shuo smiled and replied, "It would be rude to refuse such a gift. Thank you for the gift!"
"Luolong, you will be in charge of this matter," Ossora instructed. Then he turned to Han Shuo and said with a smile, "You are a decent boy. But still, be careful in the fringe. I hope I get a good return on my investment in the Sovereign Shop."
Han Shuo nodded with a smile, but said nothing. He knew that Ossora was doing this so that they wouldn't be enemies for a while. Given the way Han Shuo had acted, it was only a matter of time before conflicts arose between Han Shuo and the four sovereigns. Ossora, on the other hand, would be able to avoid those conflicts. He could even use them to gauge Han Shuo's true strength. If Han Shuo could diminish the strength of the other four rulers, it would be good news for Ossora, who would remain unharmed.
Even if it turned out that Han Shuo was indeed weak enough to be killed by the other four Sovereigns, Ossora could simply take back the Sovereign Shop that he had given to Han Shuo. Whatever the outcome, Ossora would lose nothing. There could be no better investment for Ossora.
Ossora and Han Shuo talked for a while. Ossora gave instructions to his followers before nodding to Han Shuo with a smile and leaving.
After Ossora left, Luolong stepped forward to congratulate Han Shuo on receiving a Sovereign Store that was tens of thousands of square metres in size. He would take care of the tasks of setting up the Celestial Pharmacy branch on Han Shuo's behalf. The previous tenant of the shop was evicted in one day.
Every inch of ground in the Omphalos was worth a shit ton of crystal coins. There were only fifty Sovereign Shops in the entire city, and Han Shuo was given one soon after arriving in the outskirts. Many envied the treatment he received, but no one dared to cause him any trouble.
Han Shuo had thought about setting up the headquarters of the Celestial Pearl Pharmacy in the Omphalos before coming to the Fringe. The most insane and top-class pharmacists were all in the Fringe. In addition, poisons, crystal nuclei and ingredients banned in the Twelve Dominions were sold here in abundance. The Fringe was a paradise for Han Shuo, who cultivated the dark demonic arts.
Han Shuo had no plans to go into business for himself anytime soon. After securing the shop, Han Shuo instructed his servants and the Five Elite Zombies to purchase the materials needed to rebuild Pandemonium. It took them nearly three months and an untold fortune to purchase the materials. Han Jin had also dug up some more materials from the nearby mountains and valleys.
Finally, the group began to return to the Pandemonium. Han Shuo reactivated the Yin Gathering Formation and the elemental energies began to gather in the valley. Goron and the others were amazed at the intensity of the elemental energies.
After creating rooms for his followers in the Pandemonium and settling them down, Han Shuo and the Five Elite Zombies began to build their future home. Earth Elite Zombie hid deep underground. He spent a year excavating a huge underground palace. Metal Elite Zombie carved out stone chambers in the mountains surrounding the valley. The Five Elite Zombies had also built numerous solid structures in the valley.
For two years, Han Shuo and the Five Elite Zombies worked tirelessly on Pandemonium before finally completing the mega-construction. The valley had been transformed into a treacherous place where every step could mean certain death. The Yin Gathering Formation at the centre had been surrounded by several dozen demonic formations, large and small. Colourful miasmic gas shrouded the valley, limiting visibility.
Over the past two years, a few Fringedwellers had wandered in or tried to explore the area, but all of them had miraculously disappeared without a trace. As time passed, no one dared to enter the area.
With everything in place, Han Shuo gathered all his men and gave the first of many orders he would give in his conquest of the Fringe.