Death... and me

The twins' group weren't the only ones surprised by it, though. The Blue Luan also found it strange that Kentucky, a Divine Demon Beast like himself, didn't know of its existence. "Wait! It can't be that you really don't know about it, right?"

Kentucky nodded, responding, "I heard about them, but I've never tried to get in contact before and avoided it." Of course, that was all lies.

Nevertheless, Gulan believed that since he refused to believe that another Divine Demon Beast like himself didn't know of it. "So, you're one of those who think you can do everything alone. Well, that's quite a common thing for demon beasts, let alone Divine ones. However, you should count yourself lucky. It's because the Demon Beast Alliance exists that the Soul Rulers don't go all out after you."

Kentucky snorted in response, saying, "Hmph! Even if they come, they'll have to pay the price to take me away." As always, Kentucky kept up his overbearing act.

Gulan laughed in response, though. "Hahaha! With your cultivation, you're nothing against their top experts. Anyways, forget about it. Whether you want their help or not is not my problem, nor do I care." Gulan's eyes then narrowed before continuing, "I don't want to fight another Divine Demon Beast again, so leave this place. This territory is under my control, and I won't allow you to take anything from it."

Rean and Roan looked at each other after hearing that as they could imagine why the Blue Luan was saying that. Soon, one of them said to Kentucky through Spiritual Sense, 'Kentucky, ask him if he's looking for the Heaven-level ore here.'

Kentucky nodded in response before asking Gulan, "Are you looking for the Heaven-level ore deposit?"

Gulan's expression turned dark as soon as he heard those words. "How do you know that? This information shouldn't have been known by anyone." As he said that, Spiritual Energy, Yin Energy, and Water Element began to gather around him. Gulan was ready to bury Kentucky's group here if their answer wasn't to his liking.

Kentucky then smiled before saying, "How about we make a deal? I'll tell you where the deposit is located, and you'll introduce me to the Demon Beast Alliance. I'll also keep quiet about this deposit and even help you mine it if you wish."

Gulan was taken aback to hear those offers, prompting him to ask, "Why would you do that?"

"Simple," Kentucky answered. "The fact that another Divine Demon Beast like me is part of this alliance tells me a lot about it. I want to know what would make a Blue Luan take part in such a thing. There are bound to be a few benefits for a Divine Beast like me there, right?" As one could expect, it was Rean and Roan who told Kentucky to ask that.

The Blue Luan calmed down a little as he thought about the pros and cons of the offer. Eventually, he decided that getting to know where the deposit was located was a lot better than leaving it to the Ice Salamanders to search. "Very well. However, aren't you afraid that I'll kill you as soon you show me the location?" Sure enough, anyone in Gulan's position would think that.

Kentucky laughed in response as he said, "Hahaha! You can try if you want. I'm not exactly your match in head-on combat, but I'm very confident in my escaping abilities." Kentucky wasn't lying. In fact, if Kentucky, Rean, and Roan worked together, they probably would be able to take the Blue Luan head-on. It's just that Rean's group didn't wish for the Blue Luan to know of their real power.

Gulan didn't know whether Kentucky was playing with him or if that was true. However, the fact was that he needed to find the deposit. "Very well, where's the deposit?"

Kentucky then flapped his wings as he shot in the distance, telling Gulan, "Come with me."

Gulan quickly flapped his wings soon after and followed Kentucky from behind. Although it only took a few minutes to arrive at the location, with their speed, they covered over a hundred kilometers in the distance. Eventually, Kentucky stopped above an open field that had grass growing and only a sparse number of trees. "Here we are."

Gulan was quite surprised by the sight since he was expecting the deposit to be under some mountain or similar place. "Are you sure? I can't feel anything." Gulan's Spiritual Sense went as deep as possible, but he only saw dirt and rocks.

Kentucky smiled before nodding, explaining, "It's here. However, neither of us will be able to feel it with our Spiritual Senses since it is too deep. I believe your Spiritual Sense can't go more than three or four kilometers into the ground, right?" Gulan nodded and waited for Kentucky to continue. "The deposit is over ten kilometers down there."

Gulan narrowed his eyes as he pondered over Kentucky's words for a bit. "Wait for me here. I'll be right back." Without waiting for Kentucky's answer, the Blue Luan soon left in a flash of blue light.

Around thirty minutes later, Rean and Roan saw the Blue Luan come back, followed by two demon beasts. Naturally, those demon beasts were none other than the Ice Salamanders. Gulan went to find them so that they could excavate the place. After all, as a Demon Bird, Gulan didn't want to go underground where it would be at a disadvantage.

"You two, head down there. The deposit should be over ten kilometers underground. If you find something, come back up straight away," the Blue Luan ordered.

The two Ice Salamander brothers didn't know what Kentucky and those two humans were doing there, but they didn't dare to question Gulan. Soon after, the two descended and penetrated into the ground. As land demon beasts, they didn't have much difficulty making their way down.

Gulan and the twins' group waited for another 40 or so minutes before eventually, the Salamanders shot out of the ground once again as one of them gleefully said, "Gulan, it's there! There's a huge deposit of Earth-level ore, so we believe the Heaven-level ore should be in the center."

Gulan couldn't help but get a little excited. He would be able to trade those Heaven-level ores for many things beneficial for himself with the Demon Beast Alliance or even the Zasfins themselves. However, he quickly looked back at Rean's group as he pondered about something.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Yin Energy, Spiritual Energy, and Water Element gathered around the Blue Luan as he shot forward, shouting, "Die!"

The world around Rean and Roan froze over as they were enveloped by some kind of ice field. That made their movements a lot slower, which took them aback. However, they didn't panic. In fact, Rean and Roan didn't even move and only waited on Kentucky's back.

Following that, Kentucky's body burst with black flames that devoured all the Yin and Ice Energy on the surroundings, boosting his own power as he flapped his wings. In the next second, he disappeared from his position in a flash of black light.

Gulan's eyes widened when he saw it. He was sure he had taken them by surprise, but the Minokawa still reacted in time. Not only that, but the Minokawa displayed a speed just slightly slower than his own even though he was an entire stage below himself.

The pursuit only lasted a few seconds when suddenly, Gulan stopped in the air. Kentucky, too, stopped as he looked back at Gulan with a smile and asked, "Is your test over?"

Gulan was taken aback for a moment when suddenly, he burst out in laugher. "Hahaha! So you noticed, huh?" Kentucky nodded and waited for Gulan to continue. "Yes, this was just a test. However, if it turns out that you were too slow, I wouldn't have stopped. After all, dead bodies tell no secrets," Gulan said as the energies around his body calmed down.

Kentucky couldn't help but comment, "I was still slower than you, though."

"True." Gulan nodded. "However, although I wasn't flying at my full speed, I think you weren't either, right? Since I can't guarantee that I can kill you, I better not try. Besides..." Gulan looked at Rean and Roan. "They might only be flies compared to you or me, but they could still run away if I focused on you. The opposite would also be possible if they flee in different directions as I won't be able to focus on you, so you would end up escaping."

Gulan then turned around before saying, "I'm going to pay a visit to your valley once I finish excavating the ore there. You better keep your part of the deal, or I won't stop until I get you." Following that, Gulan left.

Rean and Roan looked at Kentucky before asking, "How is it? Do you think he can catch or fight against the three of us together?"

Kentucky, as a Divine Demon Beast, obviously had a better sense of Gulan's strength as he answered, "Our chances would be slim, with Gulan most likely being the stronger side. I would say a 20-80% chance of victory. Obviously, we have the 20%. If we focused solely on fleeing, I would give it a 70% chance of success. Of course, I can't guarantee anything since I haven't seen his full power."

The twins nodded, not doubting Kentucky's assessment.

Rean couldn't help but comment, though. "Our chances will be much better if I can forge us Heaven-level swords. Kentucky, was that the only deposit you found so far?"

Kentucky pondered over the question for a bit before saying, "There was another one, but that one's very far away. It's also outside the Koran Forest, close to one of those big tribes we passed on the way."

The twins nodded after hearing that. The question now was whether it was worth the risk or not.