Chapter 240: The Concept of Flood Control

In a mysterious sea region of Azure Water Federation; Dozens, nearly a hundred, individuals wearing hooded cloaks and shrouded in mystery, gathered in a hidden base's meeting room for a conference.

"The Naga Demon King's team has failed."

"Although they broke the seal, they did not find the Azure Water Covenant. Even all three members of their group have lost contact, and it is preliminarily confirmed that they are all dead!" An elderly figure with an octopus head reported this information to the assembled group.

The octopus-headed elder continued, "At the moment, we are not quite clear on the details of the deaths of the three. We need some time to conduct a detailed investigation."

"Damn it!" A cloaked member of the Hermit Association, speaking in a hoarse and angry voice, said, "We invested a lot of resources in nurturing this Demon King. We even expected to use the summoning ability of the Demon King to prepare for our future plans. I never imagined she would just die like this."

Another member of the Hermit Association in black cloak said, "The death of a Demon King and a few Heroes is not a big deal. We have cultivated more Demon Kings and Heroes than just a few. The biggest problem now is the Azure Water Covenant!"

"Indeed!"

"Now it seems the claim that the Azure Water Covenant is hidden in the Abyssal Trench is simply a rumor."

"We must obtain this covenant. Without breaking this shackle that has bound us for thousands of years, our clan won't be able to achieve anything."

Members of the Deep Sea Hermit Association discussed fervently. At this moment, the octopus-headed elder looked towards the chief seat---a robust figure wearing a red cloak, though still a member of the Hermit Association, the color of his cloak resembled that of freshly soaked blood.

"Don't worry. From the very beginning, I knew the Azure Water Covenant couldn't possibly be hidden in the trench." The leader in red cloak let out a sinister sneer, "Over the years, the Federation's high-ranking officials have been spreading misleading rumors, trying to deceive our Deep Sea Hermit Association. Little do they know, I've long figured out the true location of the Azure Water Covenant. It's just a play we're acting along with them."

Upon hearing this, everyone present showed various expressions. The octopus-headed elder spoke, "The president is revealing this information now because the timing is ripe. Getting the covenant is just a matter of time. There's no need for worry."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances. The news seemed too sudden. However, the president of the Deep Sea Hermit Association was not a simple character. He was the most frightening, sinister, terrifying, and cunning individual in this vast sea. The Deep Sea Hermit Association had been in existence for over three hundred years, and no one had ever been able to truly see through the president. There were even rumors that the president might not be the same person throughout this time. And this octopus-headed elder was the most trusted and closest subordinate of the president. The fact that they said something like this was enough indication that this matter was almost coming to an end.

The octopus-headed elder continued, "In addition to making this announcement today, there's another issue worth noting. The highest council of the Azure Water Federation has recently issued a bounty for the Darkness City's Demon King in the Chaos Forest."

This matter was no secret. Even with poor intelligence capabilities, one could pick up some information regarding this. The high council of the Azure Water Federation, the highest authority, recently issued a bounty to the entire federation's Hero Guilds. Anyone who could slay the Demon King of Darkness City in the Chaos Forest would receive a reward of over 500 million standard gold coins and a hundred islands.

This information was not limited to the Azure Water Federation. The Sunset Empire also issued a similar bounty. However, the most substantial reward came from the northern Thunder Empire. The Thunder Empire announced that anyone who could kill this Demon King would immediately receive a reward of 20 billion standard gold coins, hereditary marquis noble status, and even the qualification to marry into the royal family.

This matter had become quite prominent, as the rewards were lucrative. The Deep Sea Hermit Association could not be unaware of it. The leader in red cloak chuckled sinisterly, "A Demon King rising from the Chaos Forest, ending the chaos that lasted for thousands of years, annexing over ten provinces and tens of millions of people to the north. I've never heard of such a Demon King."

The octopus-headed elder spoke with a serious expression, "Nowadays, there are Demon Kings everywhere, but so far, I've never heard of a Demon King developing to this extent. I wonder if there's a force supporting him from behind."

"That is plausible." The leader in red cloak said casually, "The Azure Water Federation is about to undergo major changes. I don't want any other forces taking advantage of the situation. Send some Heroes over and investigate what's going on!"

"Understood!" The octopus-headed elder immediately made arrangements.

The leader in red cloak then addressed the other members present, "Our common cause is about to usher in a significant developmental stage. Each of you has tasks to undertake. Everyone must work together diligently."

"Understood, president!" The members dared not slack off and hurried off.Vissit novelbin(.)com for new novels

......

Meanwhile, in Darkness City, Shui Lan had already changed into clothes. She looked at herself in the mirror---a face that could rival the elegance of Elf King Nancilia and the charm of Succubus Queen Han Kexin. However, Shui Lan's demeanor and style were unique.

"Gun, with good intentions, caused a great mistake and became a scapegoat for eternity, ultimately being executed by the Heavenly Emperor."

After hearing the story, Shui Lan fell into contemplation.

At this point, Zhang Nu said, "By forcibly uniting loosely affiliated and mutually hostile forces, isn't this approach similar to Gun using Xi Rang soil to block the floods? The various tribes did not abandon their conflicts just because of a binding covenant, internal strife has even intensified, mutual hatred, blood feuds, and class solidification persist, brewing for centuries without any relief."

"One day, the fragile balance will no longer exist, or the tribes' repression of hatred will reach a critical point, resulting in a more terrifying outbreak!"

Shui Lan replied, "But there is no better alternative."

Indeed, without the establishment of the Shui Lan Federation, it would likely be a colossal sea of chaos.

Zhang Nu said, "Then you should listen to the continuation of this story."

Shui Lan, curious, asked, "Did Gun's failure in flood control have any further developments?"

Zhang Nu continued with the story, "Gun is the heavenly deity of my homeland. His body didn't decay for several years after death, and a new life formed in his abdomen. Later, the Heavenly Emperor cut open his stomach and released the new life, naming it Yu."

"Yu inherited his father's mission and continued to manage water disasters, but he adopted a completely different approach. He chose to dredge the floods and divert the major floodwaters."

"This method was challenging and labor-intensive initially, and the effects weren't immediately apparent. However, over time, the floods gradually came under control. After that, for the rest of eternity, there were no catastrophic floods capable of destroying the world."

Shui Lan remarked, "Are you trying to convey the lesson that... it's better to alleviate than to block?"

Zhang Nu nodded, "Exactly."

"But that's impossible!"

Zhang Nu asked, "What was the chaotic situation like in the past in Chaos Forest?"

Shui Lan answered, "The Chaos Forest has been chaotic since ancient times, and the strength has been declining. Even if there were brief periods of unity, the tribes couldn't live in harmony, ultimately leading to collapse."

Zhang Nu continued, "And what about now?"

She took another look at the Darkness City. Elves, orcs, giants, dwarves, goblins, fox-kin, tigerfolks, bearfolks... these races peacefully coexisted in the same city. In the end, the Azure Water Federation was a super-sized version of the Chaos Forest. If the Chaos Forest could be transformed like this by the Demon King, could the same methods be applied to the sea tribes?

Shui Lan furrowed her brow and said, "I now understand the message you want to convey, but how did you achieve all this? Why can the various races in the forest live together harmoniously?"

Zhang Nu replied, "This involves the relationship between the means of production, productivity, and distribution. It's a profound field of study."

Deep in thought, Shui Lan said, "I want to go out and travel for a while, and I'll return in about seven days."

"Sure," Zhang Nu did not refuse this request. Shui Lan needed time to adapt to her body. She could not immediately start working for him. During this time, she could witness the changes in the forest firsthand. Zhang Nu believed that she would gain a deeper understanding of these concepts.

If Shui Lan could support him like Nancilia, future expansion activities in the Azure Water Federation would be much easier. As for whether Shui Lan would escape, Zhang Nu was not concerned about that at all. She was, after all, a legendary empress, unlikely to do something so base. Moreover, she could not escape Zhang Nu's control.

After Shui Lan left, Zhang Nu examined the Stellar Gateway. He was very satisfied with this masterpiece. It was well worth the over fifty million gold and a large number of precious spatial gems spent. In addition to the Stellar Gateway, he had a Rift Tower in hand, but it also required a large amount of materials and would have to be put on hold for a few days.

Just then, Zhang Nu received news of a disturbance on the federal frontlines. The three powerhouses of the Darkness City faced a threat from the Thunderous Society. A new round of confrontation between Heroes and the forces of the Demon King was intensifying on the frontlines."