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*****
"Yes… yes…"
When George suddenly appeared, the two ordinary Nason guards instantly gulped in fright and quickly picked up their communicators.
Too terrifying, too terrifying—this man before them was simply too terrifying.
Although he was smiling kindly, appearing gentle and harmless, the memory of what they had just witnessed made their bodies tremble uncontrollably.
After stammering out their report, they did their best to steady themselves before speaking to George:
"We have already reported the situation here, along with your request, to Lord Elijah. He will quickly inform the King and then provide you with a reply."
"Then let's wait a while."
George nodded with a smile, not paying it much mind.
The strongest figures of Nason Island were usually the Nason King and the Nine Nason Guards.
Within the royal palace on the island, many exceptionally gifted children were selected. These children were trained and cultivated by the elders of the palace, continuously growing stronger.
Whenever one of the Nine Nason Guards died, the Divine Tree would select a replacement from among these children, and the cycle would repeat endlessly.
Elijah was one of the Nason Guards, but unlike most of the others who guarded the palace, he spent most of his life traveling abroad in service of Nason Island.
Qutong had once met Elijah overseas, so through Qutong's memories, George had also come to know some of Elijah's information.
Inside the palace of Nason Island, space twisted, and the Nason King appeared before the throne.
"King, how is it? Did he agree?"
One of the Nason Guards standing below asked.
The Nason King shook her head:
"No. But he did say he would fight for himself, which should at least help ease some of our burden."
Someone had broken the Golden Branch, triggering the succession of the throne and forcing Nason Island to open its borders.
As Nason King, she knew full well that once the island was opened, it would inevitably attract the greed of Behemoth.
Even before this, the Behemoth Corporation had constantly sought to invade Nason Island, attempting to claim both the island and the Divine Tree as their own.
However, when the island was closed, storms would rage around it, preventing planes and warships from approaching. Only a few experts could ever manage to enter, so Behemoth had been forced to give up.
But now, with the island open, the Behemoth Corporation was certain to invade on a large scale.
Facing Behemoth's massive armies of genetically enhanced soldiers and their devastating modern weapons, she had no confidence in being able to defend the island until the succession ritual was complete.
Therefore, to protect Nason Island, she had no choice but to step into the game herself, hoping to seize victory amid chaos.
She had deliberately used trade negotiations as a pretext to invite the world's major powers, openly announcing the opening of the island.
In this way, all factions began preparing to land on the island, including many estranged "outlaws" who had grudges with Nason's hidden exiles.
The situation was indeed unfolding as she had anticipated. Though Behemoth had strongly suppressed other major powers from openly seizing the Divine Tree and Nason Island, her senses told her that many extraordinary individuals had still secretly infiltrated.
Among them were elite operatives sent covertly by various powers, as well as independent transcendents curious about the island—or seeking revenge against its exiles.
If she could use these people well, they might become a thorn in Behemoth's side.
At the same time, she was contacting the Market and the Paradise factions, hoping they would help the palace resist Behemoth's invasion.
The Market flatly refused, claiming neutrality, though in truth they had already pledged allegiance to Behemoth and could no longer be relied upon.
The leader of Paradise, however, while not giving a clear promise, seemed to imply he stood on the palace's side.
The leader, "Upside-Down," had long opposed Behemoth with his band of rogues, even before coming to the island. This time, Behemoth would never spare him.
Thus, when Upside-Down said he would fight for himself, it meant he would indeed battle Behemoth to the bitter end—just not for the sake of the palace.
"King, I have some news."
At that moment, Elijah reported everything his subordinates had gathered about Ruan Feng's situation.
Hearing Elijah's account, the Nason King's eyes lit up:
"This person is truly that powerful? Do we have any intelligence on him?"
She was not afraid of strong transcendentals landing on the island. What she feared was that too few would come, or that they would be too weak—scared off by Behemoth's might.
Behemoth wanted the Divine Tree and the entire island. Anyone landing here, no matter what they sought, would inevitably clash with Behemoth.
Her aim was to intensify such conflicts. The greater the clashes, the more Behemoth's power would be worn down, and only then might Nason Island survive.
"Yes. His name is Jin Baobao. Recently, he has become incredibly famous in the Eastern Transcendent World. Some even call him one of the world's top experts."
Elijah, the Nason Guard, replied.
As the one responsible for Nason's foreign affairs, he had long been gathering intelligence abroad, and had naturally heard of Jin Baobao's meteoric rise.
"However, such a dangerous figure—I think the King should be cautious about engaging with him."
The sudden appearance of such an unplanned powerhouse could easily disrupt his own schemes, so he was reluctant to see the King receive him.
After all, he was the one who had broken the Golden Branch and triggered the succession.
But it was not because he truly wanted to be King, nor because he wished to betray Nason and side with Behemoth.
If he had harbored betrayal in his heart, the Divine Tree would have stripped him of his status as a Nason Guard immediately.
Why, then, did he break the Golden Branch and let Behemoth's people in?
Because, after years abroad, he had witnessed the power of the great nations. Compared to them, Nason was utterly insignificant—barely worthy of being called a country.
While outsiders lived peaceful, stable, and prosperous lives, the people of Nason endured constant killing and strife, while even the island's natives remained impoverished and backward.
To the outside world, Nason Island was nothing more than a fat piece of meat, destined to be carved up eventually.
So rather than wait for that fate, he chose to act. By "seeking the tiger's skin," he would draw all parties into the game, and at the final moment personally destroy the Divine Tree, thereby opening a new path and future for the island's people.
Even if it cost him his life, he would accept it without regret.
And precisely because his ultimate goal was still for Nason Island's sake, the Divine Tree judged him worthy to remain a Nason Guard.
"It doesn't matter. Right now, we can't afford to be picky. I'll go in person."
The Nason King's figure flickered, vanishing from the throne room.
When she reappeared, she was standing before George.
"King!"
The two ordinary Nason guards, upon seeing her, immediately dropped to one knee in reverence.
The Nason King merely nodded, then turned her gaze toward George:
"I hear you wanted to see me?"
"That's right. I'm interested in the Divine Tree and wish to study it. I wonder if that would be possible?"
George stated his purpose directly. With his strength, there was no need for pretense.
The Nason King was not surprised. She simply smiled:
"Very well. I will take you to see the Divine Tree."
(End of Chapter)