"First: there is no limit on the powers on either side of the oath-duel; if they're willing, we may each bring in any interstellar civilization's power that's willing to join this duel," the Black-God Sovereign said first.
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes and looked at the Black-God Sovereign opposite with a smile. "It seems that master behind you is willing to send you reinforcements? Quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships, or T7-grade ones?"
The Black-God Sovereign snorted coldly. "You may bring the Holy Elf Empire into the war too, if you have it in you. This clause is our demand; if you don't agree to it, there's no need for us to talk further."
"No problem; we can agree to this clause. Then we have one condition too. The time of this decisive battle must be three years from now, and within these three years neither of us may wage armed war, for any reason, on the other or on any territory connected with the other. Nor may either of us work in secret through hidden dealings."
Three years?
In truth the Black-God Sovereign was not very happy at heart with three years.
What he could accept was one year or two.
That was just enough time for him to finish bringing the Devourer Civilization together, and to finish preparing for a great decisive battle as well.
And it would not leave too much time, giving the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire more chance to grow.
And three years was plainly rather long.
But with the earlier condition set down, they could hardly refuse this condition the Owl Dragon Emperor put forward.
That was negotiation.
You cannot simply set terms entirely to your own liking; the other side will surely not agree.
You have to strike choices and balances among many terms.
"Three years is too long. Thirty months," the Black-God Sovereign decided to bargain.
Thirty months was exactly two and a half years.
It was only six months less than three years, but those six months might well make a great difference to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire.
"Thirty months it is," Zhao Chen settled it.
In truth, in his heart, Zhao Chen had expected two years.
Two and a half years was already a fair enough time for him.
And once these two things were settled, the rest of the clauses and conditions were basically not very important; the two of them talked them over more or less and were done.
"So that's it?" Zhao Chen looked at the clauses recorded one by one in the hologram before him.
"That's it." The Black-God Sovereign nodded.
Then the two of them each took up one half of the Oath Fruit.
Then they ate them at the same moment, and the next second many strange particles of light appeared around them, giving a sense of magic.
And this scene was being recorded by both sides' scientists and researchers.
After all, such a special fruit might well come from a god-level civilization, so naturally the process of its use had to be recorded; if they could later fully grasp even one point of it, it would be a huge breakthrough in science for them.
And next, Zhao Chen and the Black-God Sovereign both felt their minds enter some mysterious place.
They stood in the palms of a golden colossus.
This golden colossus stood there, hands held level before its chest, and Zhao Chen and the Black-God Sovereign each stood on one of its palms.
At the same time, a strange voice sounded in both their minds; no one knew what language it was, but as it came into their minds it turned of itself into words they could understand.
The next step was for the two of them to recite together the terms of the covenant they had agreed.
And as they recited these terms of the covenant, line after line of golden words rose before the golden colossus.
When they had recited the last of them,
the golden colossus spoke again.
"The covenant-duel is made. Whoever breaks the covenant shall be dealt with by divine punishment."
The next second, Zhao Chen and the Black-God Sovereign opened their eyes at the same moment; they were still in that shuttle's cabin.
But both of them noticed something odd.
Zhao Chen raised his arm; a golden tattoo had appeared on it, and looked at closely, the golden tattoo was very like the golden colossus they had seen.
"It seems this covenant fruit really does come from a very, very strong interstellar civilization," the Black-God Sovereign said beside him.
"That goes without saying," Zhao Chen shot back beside him without ceremony.
The Black-God Sovereign was taken aback a moment, looking at the Owl Dragon Emperor before him; this fellow really was special, acting with him at that moment as if they were old friends.
Not the least air of an empire's emperor could be seen about him.
"Come to think of it, a civilization like Order has developed to the point of being a single consciousness. Then T7 and higher interstellar civilizations must be very special beings. It may even be just like the folk saying: at the end of science, there's really mysticism."
The Black-God Sovereign did not dispute Zhao Chen's words.
He only rose to his feet in silence.
"Leaving already?" Zhao Chen called after the Black-God Sovereign, who had turned his back and was walking toward his own shuttle.
"Is there any need for us to talk further here? The next time we meet, it will be you or me," the Black-God Sovereign said coldly.
Zhao Chen stood up too, looking at the Black-God Sovereign before him. "To tell you the truth, I rather like the look of you. How did you end up as Order's errand boy? Any interest in throwing in with me?"
Once again the Black-God Sovereign was made to laugh by this fellow's words.
He walked onto his own shuttle and turned around to look at the hatch slowly closing, and the Owl Dragon Emperor opposite.
"First think about whether you're a match for Order."
When he had said this, the hatch closed completely.
Zhao Chen looked at the closed hatch and could only shrug helplessly.
Then he walked back on his own.
"That fellow is rather interesting. Pity he's the kind who keeps things hidden," Zhao Chen said to himself, already back on his own shuttle.
When the hatch had closed,
the corners of Zhao Chen's mouth turned up in spite of himself. "I just wonder what kind of face is under that helmet of his. Frozen and blank? A domineering tycoon? Whatever it is, I think when he sees that last gift I'm sending him, his face is sure to be a sight."
Zhao Chen was truly very much looking forward to that.
The pity was that Zhao Chen himself would not get to see it.
Just then the docked shuttles began each returning to its own flagship.
After that, as agreed, both sides held their fire for now.
The Owl Dragon legion fleets' interstellar warships would all withdraw to the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire within twenty-four hours.
And during this time, the Devourer Civilization's interstellar fleets were not to interfere in any way.
And when Zhao Chen got back aboard his Dragon Emperor, a guest was already waiting there:
the Flame Elf Queen.
"You really agreed on a ceasefire?" The Flame Elf Queen looked at Zhao Chen curiously.
"Didn't you see it all in the broadcast just now?" Zhao Chen pointed at the video window beside them.
The meeting of Zhao Chen and the Black-God Sovereign just now, down to every word they said, had all been recorded.
The Flame Elf Queen looked Zhao Chen up and down. "Peace talks with the Devourer Civilization; trust you to come up with that."
"It's not peace talks; only a ceasefire for now. We're still enemies. It's just that, given how things stand now, going on fighting would be completely pointless for us. And we both have things more worth doing. Since we see it the same way, why can't we set this matter aside for now? As for the fighting, we've agreed that in thirty months we'll carry on this unfinished battle of ours."
When Zhao Chen had said this, he looked at the Flame Elf Queen. "Whatever else, I still have to thank you for bringing your Flame legion fleets here in support. If you and your legion fleets hadn't appeared here, we might have had to work harder to get the Black-God Sovereign opposite to the negotiating table."
The Flame Elf Queen waved her hand and said calmly, "We're allies; fighting side by side is just what we ought to do. It's only that I came all this way and didn't destroy a single Devourer Civilization interstellar warship, and I'm a little sore about it."
Zhao Chen smiled slightly, then said, "Don't worry; we won't let our Lady Flame Elf Queen make the trip for nothing this time. You won't get the chance to destroy any Devourer Civilization interstellar warships. But when you go back this time, you can take a Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought home with you."
At these words of Zhao Chen's, the Flame Elf Queen's eyes went wide at once, and she looked at the Owl Dragon Emperor opposite with suspicion.
This was a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship, and he meant to hand it to her just like that?
It was something she did not want to believe.
And Zhao Chen looked at the Flame Elf Queen just then with gratitude in his eyes. "I know that bringing those Holy Elf legion fleets here to support us this time actually went against the will of your Holy Elf Empire's other elf rulers, didn't it? They only agreed to your taking the Holy Elf legion fleets on exercises in the Holy Elf Empire's universe. And you took it on yourself to bring the legion fleets straight onto the battlefield. If you go back empty-handed, those fellows will surely not miss this chance to attack and impeach you. Your seat as Flame Elf Queen could even be at risk. But if you bring back a Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought, it's another matter."
Only then did the Flame Elf Queen understand what Zhao Chen intended.
The look on her face changed and changed again.
Then she turned her face away and put on an air of not caring. "Those are my legion fleets; I'll take them wherever I want. Those cowards have no say over it!"