’Is this all you’ve got?’

The words echoed like a tolling bell in the Scorpion King’s mind.

It was as though he had never heard such words before, especially from the Horn Lizard King.

His shock was so great that his aura fluctuated.

His calm, indifferent expression faltered as he stared at the Horn Lizard King as if he were looking at a completely different creature.

As a King, he recovered quickly, and his expression became colder. The brief moment of astonishment disappeared, replaced once again by an icy dignity.

"I came here to give you a way out, but it seems you have been bewitched by the humans, and you can’t be reasoned with any longer." His voice carried a trace of disappointment, but beneath it was an unmistakable killing intent.

"Enough of this nonsense." The Horn Lizard King cut him short and rose to his feet. His towering figure slowly stood upright, causing the entire hall to feel even more imposing than before.

Thud! Thud!

The Horn Lizard King took two steps forward, and his aura was fully unleashed. A terrifying pressure erupted from his body like a dormant volcano.

Humm! Hummm!

Feeling the horrifying pressure, the Scorpion King was stunned to his very core.

His pupils contracted violently as the overwhelming aura pressed against his own without the slightest sign of weakness.

’How could this be?!’

’How can he be this strong?’

His emotions spiraled out of control.

To control the strength of every Beastman, the Scorpion Clan had hoarded all the important locations and ruins.

Every major inheritance and hidden opportunity within the Bleeding Desert had long since been placed under the Scorpion Clan’s control.

Even the ruins they couldn’t explore, they kept their locations secret.

Rather than allowing other races to obtain those opportunities, they would rather leave them untouched for generations.

And without such ruins to look for opportunities, there was no way for the other races to grow stronger quickly enough to reach their level.

That had always been the foundation of the Scorpion Clan’s absolute dominance over the Bleeding Desert.

Yet, here was the Horn Lizard King reaching his level.

Even though there was a slight weakness in his aura compared to his own, that did not dismiss the fact that he had attained the same level.

"Shocked, aren’t you?" he sneered.

The satisfaction in his voice was impossible to conceal after suppressing himself beneath the Scorpion Clan for so many years.

"You thought you could control the fate of my entire Horn Lizard Clan, but you’re wrong." His eyes shone brilliantly.

"Even though your Scorpion Clan controls the best resources, that does not mean there aren’t opportunities to grow stronger in the desert."

"It might be difficult, but they exist."

"So now, what power do you have to command me?" he retorted.

"I’ve been itching to test my power against a worthy opponent." A savage smile slowly appeared on his face as his battle intent continued to rise.

"I guess I can start with you."

He looked directly at the Scorpion King, his eyes blazing with fighting intent exploded from his towering body, causing the entire King’s hall to tremble violently.

The Scorpion King stared directly into his eyes and saw that the Horn Lizard King was not kidding.

He was going to fight him.

Right there.

Right now.

His heart trembled, and his mind raced.

Countless thoughts flashed through his head in the briefest of moments as he carefully weighed the consequences of such the battle.

Was he scared of fighting the Horn Lizard King?

Hell no.

But with the mysterious disappearance of his army and the loss of his mighty General. The confidence he once possessed had already begun to crumble.

He dared not blindly fight the Horn Lizard King.

There were many things at stake in this battle unlike any other battle he had fought before.

If humans were not involved, he would have gladly accepted the challenge and taught this little lizard a lesson he would never forget.

But now, things were different.

He was truly terrified of the humans.

Compared to the Horn Lizard Clan’s army and their King’s strength, he feared the humans more.

The Horn Lizard Clan was a threat he understood, but the humans... they were an enemy completely beyond his comprehension.

Humans were not mindless fools like Beastmen who only followed the commands of their King.

They schemed, planned, deceived, and patiently waited for the perfect opportunity before striking.

Also, they had so many strange abilities that terrified him.

If he were to slip and give those damned humans even the slightest chance.

He believed his Scorpion Clan would be gone before he even realized it.

Thus, he must be very careful and bide his time until he controls the humans before unleashing his wrath.

With this thought, the Scorpion King took a deep breath to calm his rage.

The violent killing intent within his eyes gradually subsided as reason once again overcame his emotions.

"Since you have attained my level, we can now discuss this as equals."

Although his tone had softened slightly, the arrogance within his voice remained completely unchanged.

Even though he was taking a step back and conceding, he acted arrogantly, as though he was granting a pardon to one of his followers.

Watching his actions, the Horn Lizard King scoffed, his disdain for the Scorpion King increasing.

"What do you want to discuss? Tell me quickly. You must know, I have a war to lead," he said impatiently. His fingers lightly tapped the armrest of his throne.

Listening to such arrogant words, the Scorpion King was furious but managed to control his emotions.

The muscles on his face twitched slightly before he forcefully suppressed the urge to attack.

’You just wait...’

’When everything is over...’

’You will regret this...’

"How about I make you an offer you can’t refuse?" the Scorpion King said seriously.

His tone became calm once again, as though he was absolutely confident that no one could reject what he was about to propose.

"Which is?"