“I know that you, Lord Dragon, are very strong, but don’t forget that none of those allied countries led by Northfortia are good-hearted.” Viocchi continued speaking. “If I guess correctly, your cultivation should be at the level of a Fifth-rank Sovereign, right? From what I understand, whether it’s Northfortia, Xidengia, or even Occidenta, the people they sent this time all have Fifth Sovereign experts.”
“If they join forces, you and your Glavale won’t stand a chance, no matter how strong you are, unless you also find alliances with other countries.”
“But from what I know, very few countries have the guts to go against Northfortia.”
“In other words, besides our Aquilandia, Glavale wouldn’t find anyone to ally with, even if they wanted to!” Viocchi replied in a deep voice.
“Are you suggesting that we should be grateful to you for giving us this opportunity?” Billy squinted his eyes slightly as he looked at the other party.
“I’m just stating the facts, aren’t I?” Viocchi responded in a low voice.
“You’re just a fool!” Azure Dragon interjected coldly. “No one cares about your alliances. You can roll back to wherever you came from!”
“You…” Viocchi furrowed his brows tightly.
“That’s enough!” Eligina spoke up again to stop the argument. Then she looked at Billy and said, “Lord Dragon, we have come to Glavale with utmost sincerity. While Viocchi’s words may have been disrespectful, Lord Dragon should understand that he is not talking without basis. So, please consider the alliance between us. It will be beneficial for both parties!” she continued.
“If Princess Eligina came here specifically for the purpose of forming an alliance, then please leave!” Billy waved his hand as he spoke. “Glavale doesn’t need to form alliances with any country. We don’t need anyone’s help to settle the score from a hundred years ago!”
In reality, Billy wasn’t opposed to forming an alliance with Aquilandia. After all, the more friends, the better. Especially since he wanted to redeem the shame from a hundred years ago in this tournament, having Aquilandia as an ally would make things much easier. In the worst-case scenario, even if Aquilandia couldn’t provide assistance, as long as they didn’t stand with Northfortia, it would still save him a lot of trouble. However, it was impossible for Aquilandia to form an alliance with Glavale on an equal footing. He was well aware of Aquilandia’s current predicament, caught between a rock and a hard place, with no easy way out. In recent years, relations between Aquilandia and several Western countries had become increasingly tense, reaching a point of extreme hostility. Including the incident in Place of Darkness, Billy had presented Aquilandia with a difficult dilemma, causing them to completely sever ties with the Western countries. Therefore, Aquilandia was in desperate need of finding an ally strong enough to counter Northfortia, and when considering the entire globe, Glavale was the most suitable option.
“Lord Dragon, you shouldn’t go too far. Princess Eligina came all the way to Glavale to discuss the alliance with you, and your attitude…” Viocchi spoke up again.
“Your words are nothing but nonsense!” Azure Fang interrupted before the other could finish, his voice low and menacing. With a flick of his wrist, his curved blade sliced through the air with a cold gleam.
“Damn it!” Viocchi roared, raising his hand to create a gust of wind to block the attack.
After Azure Fang’s blade tore through his defense, the force left a deep gash on his arm, causing blood to spurt out. Clearly, Azure Fang had shown mercy, or else, with Viocchi’s cultivation at the Second-rank Sovereign realm, he wouldn’t have been able to withstand Azure Fang’s attack.
“Hmm…” Viocchi grunted and took several steps back to stabilize himself, his face full of fury.
“This is a warning. If you dare to speak nonsense again, don’t bother returning to Aquilandia!” Azure Fang coldly interrupted his words.
Viocchi opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but sensing the killing intent emanating from Azure Fang, he involuntarily closed his mouth. Witnessing this scene, apart from Caruno and Eligina, the faces of the rest of the Aquilandia group were filled with anger. They hadn’t expected Azure Fang to resort to violence so quickly, completely disregarding their presence. After all, Aquilandia’s strength ranked among the top three globally. As the pride of Aquilandia, they were revered wherever they went. But now, they were being ignored.
“Minister Caruno, Princess Eligina, I have an unusual request, and I wonder if you would consider it?” Another curly-haired man from Aquilandia stood up. “I’ve heard that Lord Dragon is surrounded by formidable warriors. Today, if fate allows, may I have the chance to spar with them?”
“No reckless behavior. Sit down!” Caruno furrowed his brow slightly. In truth, he understood what Billy was thinking. He wanted Aquilandia to submit to Glavale. But as the prime minister of Aquilandia, he had to fight for the best interests of his country.
“No problem. Since our friends from Aquilandia have such an interest, Glavale wants to fulfill their request.” Billy smiled again. After speaking, he turned to the curly-haired man and continued, “You should be at the cultivation level of a Third-rank Sovereign, right? We also have a few people at the Third rank here. Feel free to choose one! No matter who you choose, as long as you can hold your ground for one round, we’ll consider it your victory. How about that?”
Upon hearing this, Stout, Judge, and the others couldn’t help but cough. Among the Aquilandia group, apart from Caruno, including Eligina, their brows furrowed slightly. Billy’s words weren’t very damaging, but they were extremely insulting. They were underestimating the people of Aquilandia.
“Lord Dragon, you’re really too arrogant!” the curly-haired man spoke up in a deep voice.
“Or how about we make a little wager?” Billy spoke up again. As he spoke, he pointed towards Harleen, Ivy, and Azure Fang, continuing, “These three are all Third-rank Sovereigns. Choose one to challenge. If you can hold your ground for one round without defeat, then the alliance will be led by Aquilandia. Otherwise, in this Global Martial Arts Competition, the people from Aquilandia will have to follow Glavale’s arrangements. How about that?”
“Are you sure?” The curly-haired man’s eyes lit up at Billy’s words.
“I wonder what Prime Minister Caruno and Princess Eligina think?” Billy turned to the two and asked.
“Minister Caruno, Your Highness, I have confidence in this battle!” Before the two could respond, the curly-haired man eagerly spoke, as if afraid they would disagree.
“Minister Caruno, you have the final say on this matter.” Eligina said to Caruno. Although she also thought Billy was too arrogant, this was a significant matter, and she didn’t dare to make a decision without permission.
“Since Lord Dragon is so confident, then let Ruachi give it a try!” Caruno responded after a brief thought.
“Thank you for your consideration, Minister Caruno!” the curly-haired man named Ruachi replied loudly. After speaking, he turned to Billy and asked, “Are you really allowing me to choose someone on my own?”
“Of course!” Billy replied nonchalantly.