"Heh—so the Primeval Jumang clan and the Red-Scaled Serpent clan really do share a deep history. That matches the ancient legends after all." Wei Zhao could not help smiling at the sight, though what drew his attention far more was the "lord" the Primeval Jumang King had just mentioned!

Clearly, it was the existence of that lord that held the hatred between the two clans in check. By the same reasoning, the tribute the two of them spoke of was likely meant to satisfy that lord's demands.

A faint, amused smile suddenly appeared at the corner of Wei Zhao's mouth. Interesting. Very interesting. This once-in-a-millennium Primeval Trial Ground truly did have its hidden dragons and crouching tigers!

"Boss, what do we do now? Should we take the chance to slip away?" Wu Cheng was terrified of alerting those two bloodthirsty monstrosities above, not daring to make a sound, only mouthing the words.

Everyone else was staring eagerly at Wei Zhao, thinking the same thing. If those two monsters really did start fighting, the crowd would be no mere onlookers enjoying a show—they would inevitably be caught in the crossfire, and if they wanted to sneak off, they had to do it fast.

"We can't slip away." Wei Zhao shook his head mildly. Those two might look as if they were about to tear into each other, but in truth they had been watching every move of his group the whole time. The slightest suspicious movement, and they would without question swoop down and kill them all in an instant.

"Then what do we do?" Qiu Lingshan and the others exchanged glances. If they could not find a way to escape, surely they could not really stay here and watch the show—one misstep and people would truly die. And once those two had decided a victor, there would be no chance of slipping away even then.

"No need to be so nervous. Just stay calm and watch how things unfold." Wei Zhao smiled. To Qiu Lingshan and the rest, this was indeed a grand spectacle before which they scarcely dared breathe. But to him, it was nothing more than watching a play.

By now the Primeval Jumang King and the giant Red-Scaled Serpent were at daggers drawn; the fuse had plainly been lit. Yet to everyone's surprise, the two suddenly stopped.

"Hmph. For that lord's sake, I'll let you off today!" the Primeval Jumang King snorted coldly.

"Ssss, ssss—who exactly is letting whom off, I wonder? You dead bird, you truly are shameless in your boasting!" The Red-Scaled Serpent hissed with laughter, then glanced down at Wei Zhao and the others and said: "How about this: we split these tributes evenly, and one side keeps out of the other's way."

"This is plainly the territory of our Primeval Jumang clan. On what grounds should we split evenly? Wishful thinking!" The Primeval Jumang King curled its lip in disdain, then in a tone of pure charity said: "How about this: the tribute on your territory stays yours. Each of us minds our own side. Otherwise, do not blame me for being unkind!"

"So there is no room for discussion, then?" The Red-Scaled Serpent flew into a rage at once. Having witnessed Wei Zhao's speed a moment ago, it knew that catching him was simply unrealistic. If it went along with the other's proposal, it would end up with not a single tribute—and that would mean facing severe punishment.

"Of course..." Before the Primeval Jumang King could finish, the Red-Scaled Serpent opposite had already abruptly plunged downward, diving straight for Qiu Lingshan and the others. It was both startled and furious: "You dare break the rules set by that lord? You have a death wish!"

The Primeval Jumang King was not about to be left behind and likewise plunged straight down. These human tributes, so rarely delivered to its doorstep, were not to be missed on any account—even if it died, it would never let that bastard Red-Scaled Serpent have the advantage!

Qiu Lingshan and the others were aghast, their faces filling with terror. Well, this was just wonderful. Instead of enjoying the show, they had become the target of every attack. In a situation like this, even several lives would not be enough to save them!

These two were beings comparable to late Golden Core cultivators. The group's defensive formation could at most withstand attacks at the Foundation Establishment level; at a time like this it was utterly useless, and even the icy Cold Prison Mirror Shatter would have no effect whatsoever. They could only wait helplessly for death.

At that moment Wei Zhao suddenly spoke: "The two of you really do seem to pay me no mind at all."

"Before us, what are you but a piece of dog shit!" The Primeval Jumang King sneered at the words.

"Ssss, ssss—so this human of yours is not clever at all, but a thoroughgoing fool. You are merely a little faster, and surviving this long is nothing but good fortune. Did you really think you could stand against me and this dead bird? I am curious: what exactly is stuffed inside that head of yours? Is it all shit?" The Red-Scaled Serpent mocked just as recklessly.

In their eyes, everyone including Wei Zhao was nothing but tribute. To dream of escaping their claws was sheer fantasy. Of course, it was precisely because these were tributes that the two behaved with such patience—tribute had to be alive, after all. Otherwise, even if delivered, it would not satisfy that lord. Had it not been for that scruple, everyone present would long since have become their rations.

"What is stuffed in my head, you will soon find out. But before that, I have one last question: what exactly is this lord you keep speaking of?" Wei Zhao asked in return, entirely at his ease.

"You want to know?" The Red-Scaled Serpent halted its dive and exchanged a meaningful glance with the Primeval Jumang King.

The Primeval Jumang King likewise checked its advance and sneered: "Foolish human, so long as you come along obediently with me, you will naturally get to meet that lord. I guarantee you will not be disappointed."

"Oh. Then never mind. My curiosity is not really that great—I only asked in passing." Wei Zhao shook his head.

"Ssss, ssss—you are not a complete fool after all. But there are plenty of tributes here anyway; one more or one less of you makes no difference. Even if you escape, it does not matter. The rest will be enough for me to report back with." The Red-Scaled Serpent took it rather magnanimously, not in the least feeling that Wei Zhao's escape was a loss of face. To it, so long as it could bring back enough human tribute to answer for its quota, everything else was negotiable.

"Then... will the two of you not fight over it a little more? Even if all of us surrender without a struggle, who gets more and who gets less is still a considerable problem, is it not?" Wei Zhao said with a smirk.

"Foolish human, do you truly take us for idiots? While the two of us are locked in battle, you would take the chance to flee with them in the chaos. Do you think we would fall for such an obvious trick?" The Primeval Jumang King was instantly amused. (To be continued.)