Wang Xianmao naturally did not need Wang Yulou to tell him what the South Annex City Developnt Office was. The old Patriarch, who still appeared vigorous and youthful, flicked his sleeves and silently tossed a jade slip to Yulou.
The jade slip recorded the changes in the West Sea observed by the Wang Clan over the past thousand years while sending people on West Sea demon hunting missions. In other words, it indirectly docunted how Immortal Venerable Shenguang had risen, step by step, to beco the renowned Immortal Venerable of the West Sea.
After reading its contents, Wang Yulou's expression shifted slightly. It was indeed exactly as he had guessed.
But in the end, he just smiled and shook his head, burning the jade slip to ash with a fire art. When he looked at the patriarch again, his gaze remained firm.
"Have you thought through the key points of this matter?" the patriarch confird once more.
After reviewing his reasoning one last ti and assessing the situation in the West Sea, Wang Yulou spoke calmly. "Patriarch, Yulou's thoughts are straightforward. Earning more resources is always a good thing.
"On the other hand, in case of unforeseen circumstances, the Wang Clan will at least still retain so value to be exploited. The Wang Clan is ultimately just a small clan within the Immortal Alliance; we cannot sway the overall situation.
"For choices like this, the key is simply not to choose disastrously wrong. As for whether it is completely right, we always have to take risks.
"Patriarch, I don't know much, but I am fairly clear on the principle of making a decisive cut when necessary.
"After all, in this world, there has never been a perfect, foolproof plan."
How the half-finished path to the Purple Palace arranged by the Ancestral Master would turn out was still uncertain. Wang Jingyi's old cultivation arts for the Purple Palace were even more highly suspicious.
Wang Yulou's machinations in the West Sea were essentially an extra bet that Shen Guang would withstand the backlash of the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction trying to make an example of him. This kind of choice could not sway the chess ga of the Immortal Venerables.
But for Wang Yulou and the Wang Clan, his choice was already part of the Wang Clan's overall strategy, which was why the patriarch was acting so cautiously. Wang Xianmao nodded in approval of Yulou's answer.
Convinced that Yulou was still clear-headed, he stopped worrying—as worrying was useless anyway—and instead asked, "It is good that you can think clearly.
"I was only afraid that the internal pressure on you would be too great, causing you to lose your judgnt.
"Also, the area needed for the combat arena will likely not be small. How much is land in South Annex City priced at right now?"
Land prices in the immortal city were an unspeakable pain in the hearts of countless cultivators. Although South Annex City was a newly developed annex city, the land prices were actually not cheap either.
Chen Yanghe woke from his intoxicated slumber; the beauty in his arms had already left. He propped himself up and raised a hand to Absorb a sound transmission talisman from outside the room.
This was Lian Chengxian's sound transmission talisman. It was precisely because of this talisman that he had woken up.
However, upon reading the contents within the talisman, Chen Yanghe's expression changed drastically. He hastily threw on his clothes, sprinted out the doors of the Bright Moon Night Inn, and headed straight toward the Information Gathering Court of the Western Sea Immortal City.
Seeing Chen Yanghe leave, the manager of the Bright Moon Night Inn gritted her teeth and still dispatched soone to deliver the critical information she had managed to gather to the Jade Palace Estate.
She stood at the entrance of the Bright Moon Night Inn, looked toward the location of the immortal city's Dragon Tiger Platform, and shook her head slightly. When she turned back, she was smiling again as she re-entered the inn.
The West Sea was bound to fall into chaos. This was becoming an unspoken consensus among those in the core circles of the West Sea.
Represented by Chen Yanghe, the three Immortal Alliance West Sea patrolling inspectors concealing their identities were, in the eyes of anyone with a bit of discernnt, like brilliantly glowing eternal lamps—they couldn't be any brighter.
Their team composition of one genius and two idiots was also extrely interesting, so much so that even Wang Yulou dared to use direct thods to fish for information from Chen Yanghe.
No one could guess the true purpose of the big shots of the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction in sending such a group into the West Sea to investigate Shen Guang.
As one of the two most conspicuous figures of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect's Behemoth Lineage in the West Sea, Wang Yulou's cultivation base was neither too high nor too low, and his status was just right. This made him an excellent channel for communication, which was why the manager of the Bright Moon Night Inn chose to cooperate with him.
However, when Wang Yulou received the ssage sent by the Bright Moon Night Inn's manager, he was in the middle of talking with the patriarch.
"Bright Moon Night Inn? Do you go there often?"
The patriarch's question was not easy to answer. Yulou gave a brief explanation, then handed the command talisman in his hand to the patriarch.
"Qionghai Perfected One once instructed Chen Yanghe that the number of Immortal Alliance personnel in the West Sea was too large and already operating at a loss. They must consider the overall situation of the Immortal Alliance and properly fulfill their duties as patrolling inspectors."
"Patriarch, how many spirit stones do you think delivering this intelligence to Senior Gu Qilang could fetch?" Wang Yulou asked with a smile.
The Immortal Alliance wanted to carry out layoffs in the West Sea! Although Qionghai was a Purple Palace cultivator who had erged from the West Sea, he now belonged to the ranks of the Immortal Alliance's Purple Palace cultivators.
He operated long-term in the immortal city at the Immortal Alliance headquarters, and the Chen family had even split into two branches. Therefore, this sacred decree that Qionghai Perfected One handed down to Chen Yanghe actually held significant reference value.
Putting down the command talisman, Wang Xianmao felt a sowhat indescribable emotion as he stood up and paced around in thought. Finally, he turned around and spoke faintly.
"Do not send it. I am afraid the Gu Family is up to no good.
"Yulou, with your intelligence, haven't you ever thought about how Qiyuan Zhenren managed to achieve the Purple Palace realm back then?"
Wang Yulou was abruptly startled. Gu Qiyuan had ventured alone into the heartland of the demon monk's Buddha Kingdom.
He survived and returned after fighting across ten thousand li, bringing back a great deal of information from the demon monk's side. This was considered a massive rit, and it was through this that he attained the Purple Palace realm.
But for the Gu Family to now aggressively run intelligence operations within the Immortal Alliance under the guise of a tea house... That indeed looked like a major problem.
"Patriarch, you an...?"
Wang Xianmao shook his head. "Not many people can be certain whether Qiyuan Zhenren is the demon monk's hidden piece within the Immortal Alliance. However, by not selling this information to him, we can at least play it safe.
"But Yulou, you are a smart person. You know, and all the insiders know, that Immortal Venerable Shenguang is definitely a hidden piece planted in the Immortal Alliance by the Demon Gods of the West Sea.
"Now that the three West Sea patrolling inspectors are heading straight for Shen Guang, Yulou, do you still want to buy land in South Annex City?"
How did Shen Guang beco an Immortal Venerable? Making his fortune in the West Sea, opening his Purple Palace in the West Sea, and becoming an Immortal Venerable in the West Sea—none of this would have been possible without the backing of the West Sea's Demon Gods.
This Immortal Venerable was not a legend born of a rogue cultivator. Rather, he was a legend born of colluding with extraterritorial forces outside the Immortal Alliance and leveraging them to step by step reach the Immortal Alliance's Gathering Immortals Platform.
Speaking purely of ruthlessness, Shen Guang, who pioneered five hundred li into the West Sea and sent countless Immortal Alliance cultivators into the bellies of the West Sea demons, could be said to have been ruthless to the absolute extre.
Stone Ancestor claid to have eaten ten thousand people over a thousand years. Averaging out to only ten a year, he had actually been very restrained. Compared to Shen Guang, Stone Ancestor could be considered the pinnacle of benevolence.
Over a thousand years, he climbed from the very bottom step by step to beco an Immortal Venerable. Among hundreds of millions, Shen Guang alone was revered.
How to explain this? Wang Yulou had seen it clearly long ago.
This was why there were plenty of demon general and demon king elders within the Ten Sects.
Of course, the First True Person Law also applied to these demon kings; they were typically called Demon Gods. In short, grand cultivators and bottom-tier cultivators like himself were simply not the sa.
From the perspective of the Ten Sects of Wunan and even the grand cultivators of the Immortal Alliance, there was no difference between humans and demons in their minds.
"Patriarch, I don't believe Immortal Venerable Shenguang will truly be dealt with. Furthermore, even if he is, it won't affect our ability to make a profit off the South Annex City expansion," Wang Yulou answered.
Shen Guang associated with demons. Now, the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction had targeted him as a breakthrough point, yet Wang Yulou still chose to align himself closer to Shen Guang amid the chaos.
How should one put it? This choice was full of courage, and also full of trust in Mang Xiang.
Wang Yulou believed that a grand cultivator like Mang Xiang definitely would not care about such trivial matters; his spirit wasn't that petty. If Mang Xiang were truly that superficial, it would have been impossible for him to steadily reach the threshold of the Golden Core realm.
Wang Yulou was very certain that those who could beco grand cultivators were usually the ones who first possessed the spirit of a grand cultivator, and then, using a spirit superior to their peers, crossed the boundless sea of suffering bit by bit. Every Golden Core was a legend.
Shen Guang sending millions to feed the demonic beasts seed quite hellish, but from another perspective, it was a legend among legends.
"Aren't you afraid that a civil war might break... Never mind, we can't control these things. Yulou, you've grown up."
Wang Xianmao had wanted to ask Wang Yulou if he wasn't afraid that a civil war would break out, causing his investnt in South Annex City to lose every last cent. But halfway through, he rembered Yulou's words: one always has to take risks, there has never been a perfect, foolproof plan.
Even the Immortal Venerables couldn't have everything go their way, let alone the Wang Clan.
Although Zhou Yingxi had repeatedly emphasized that the Bright Moon Night Inn was not a good place, Wang Yulou still ca.
After all, he truly hadn't done anything to wrong his Dao Companion here. Besides, the high-end restaurant he planned to open was currently barely more than a stroke on paper; it was still a long way from being completed.
Temporarily using the Bright Moon Night Inn as a place to entertain guests was rely a stopgap asure.
"Senior, here is the agreed seventy-thirty split. The Gu Family Tea House gave five thousand, so here are your three thousand five hundred spirit stones."
The manager of the Bright Moon Night Inn was a Foundation Establishnt cultivator. Wang Yulou naturally had to respectfully address her as Senior.
Even though he would also reach the Foundation Establishnt realm in the future, basic etiquette still had to be observed. Having made a neat little profit in spirit stones, the older manager's expression was as bright as a spring flower.
She laughed out loud and said, "Excellent, excellent! Young Master Wang, please proceed to the private room. Your expenses at the Bright Moon Night Inn today are completely on !"
Wang Yulou exchanged a few more pleasantries with her and then stopped declining. After all, he had just handed over a cut of three thousand five hundred spirit stones; what did this little bit of expense matter?
Not long after, Feng Jianxian, who had been called by Wang Yulou to accompany the guests, arrived first.
"Yulou, why are you inviting Xihai Longhu? You don't actually want to buy land in South Annex City, do you?" He stord into the room like a gust of wind, plopped down beside Yulou, and asked with concern.
"That South Annex City is still an empty stretch of barren land. Aside from Xihai Longhu barking about it every day, no one else is buying into it at all.
"At the end of the day, the Immortal Venerable has already set up one annex city outside the immortal city. If he sets up another one, where does that leave the interests of the Immortal Alliance?
"Yulou, you can't suffer a massive loss just trying to take advantage of a small bargain!"
Why did Wang Yulou originally think Feng Jianxian was worth befriending? The reason lay exactly here.
This older brother was truly a righteous and courageous sword immortal figure. He was renowned for it, even in the West Sea.
Smiling, Yulou poured a cup of wine for Feng Jianxian and offered a simple explanation. "Senior Feng, you might not know this, but my clan's patriarch has already arrived in the West Sea.
"He has also given his nod of approval regarding the purchase of land in South Annex City. He just left the specific handling to .
"After all, if I want to set up this kind of combat arena, I need a large piece of land to do it properly and beautifully. Aside from South Annex City, there are no other options.
"However, I can buy the land, but how I pay for it is another matter. Once Senior Longhu arrives, we will do such and such..."
Wang Yulou and Feng Jianxian spent a full half hour rehearsing their cooperation for later. Yulou was initially sowhat worried that Feng Jianxian might be displeased with his request for such cooperation.
Unexpectedly, Old Feng was actually intensely interested. The paynt plan Yulou proposed was simply groundbreaking.
Not long after, Xihai Longhu, who had received Wang Yulou's ssage, arrived at the Bright Moon Night Inn. He was a rather unique Foundation Establishnt cultivator; he disliked wearing magical robes and preferred battle armor, the sort who never took off his armor day or night.
The spiritual artifact battle armor crafted from demonic beast bones draped over his body, exuding a trace of wild, ferocious aura. Paired with his calm, resolute face, it made his bearing appear all the more extraordinary.
The manager of the Bright Moon Night Inn hadn't expected Xihai Longhu to show up. The esteed status of this well-known West Sea Foundation Establishnt cultivator and disciple of Shen Guang went without saying.
He hadn't visited the Bright Moon Night Inn in many years. Moreover, he hadn't co alone today.
Following right behind him was Xihai Long, Xihai Hu's older sister.
She was similarly a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator. Tall, with a heroic visage that revealed a hint of domineering air, she possessed a beauty rich in vitality and raw power.
"Big Brother Longhu, last night I dreamt of divine dragons and flying tigers, and today here you are! Upstairs, please."
"And Little Sister Long is as beautiful as ever. Hahaha."
Smiling like a blooming flower, the Bright Moon Night Inn manager led the two inside. Xihai Longhu rely offered a faint smile and a nod, a touch of gloomy frustration seemingly clinging to his brows.
It was Xihai Long, trailing beside him, who spoke up.
"Where is Wang Yulou?"
The Bright Moon Night Inn manager felt a slight jolt of surprise. Wang Yulou. Wang Yulou.
This son-in-law of Zhou Bojiao was truly extraordinary. His cultivation base was clearly only at the Peak Qi Condensation realm, yet the people he associated with were the likes of Feng Jianxian, Chen Yanghe, Chen Haidi, Mo Yunshu, and Xihai Longhu.
They were either from the direct lineages of major clans or famous Foundation Establishnt cultivators of the West Sea. It was evident that the West Sea would soon see the rise of yet another extraordinary figure.
Thinking of this, she suddenly felt that those three thousand five hundred spirit stones were slightly burning her hands. For such an extraordinary figure, a debt of favor was far more valuable than a debt of spirit stones.
Having been a manager for so many years, she had actually taken a massive loss with Wang Yulou. Despite the myriad thoughts swirling in her heart, the manager remained enthusiastic on the surface.
"Upstairs, upstairs. Young Master Wang has already been waiting for a while."
After escorting Xihai Longhu and Xihai Long into Wang Yulou's room, the manager let out a sowhat helpless sigh. Wang Yulou was a heavenly genius.
He was a heavenly genius of the Behemoth Lineage, a heavenly genius of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect. Even from the broader perspective of Wunan and the Immortal Alliance, reaching the Peak Qi Condensation realm in his early thirties made Wang Yulou a true heavenly genius.
In the end, she was the one who had underestimated the heroes of this world. ——
"Twenty thousand spirit stones for a single mu?"
Wang Yulou found Xihai Longhu's quoted price genuinely amusing. A grand cultivator's thod of raking in resources was just this simple.
They brought people in to enclose a piece of land, which could then be directly exchanged for spirit stones. It was practically robbery.
Judging by the area currently marked out for South Annex City, forty-eight thousand mu ca out to nearly a billion spirit stones. A billion spirit stones...
If sold off all at once, it would probably suck up all the circulating spirit stones in Wunan until the market dried up completely! Of course, this price was definitely inflated; circulation value and actual value were two completely different things.
However, this price also proved Wang Yulou's guess. The projected total revenue of a billion spirit stones was rely a pipe dream.
Even calculating the actual inco generously at a fifty-percent discount, the resources corresponding to the five hundred million spirit stones from Immortal Venerable Shenguang's South Annex City expansion could establish dozens of Purple Palace cultivators.
This once again proved that all those so-called quota limits on the Gathering Immortals Platform were complete fakes. The real issue lay in resource distribution.
No grand cultivator was willing to reduce their already acquired share of resources to give a portion to soone else, even if that person was their own disciple.
Moreover, looking at the relationship between the land price in South Annex City, the expected revenue, and the corresponding number of Purple Palace cultivators, the status of Purple Palace grand cultivators within the Immortal Alliance was actually quite questionable. The Purple Palace realm didn't seem all that amazing...
Yet, Patriarch Mangxiang was terrifyingly strong, daring to directly threaten Tianshe with the total slaughter of the Sky Serpent Sect. Wang Yulou couldn't quite see through it all clearly.
The information hidden away by those grand cultivators was far too precious; it couldn't be bought.
"That's right, buying in bulk gets you a discount.
"Yulou, if you buy ten mu or more at once, you can get a twenty percent discount. For fifty mu or more, it's a thirty percent discount, which ans fourteen thousand spirit stones per mu of land.
"Calculated against the land prices in East Annex City, once South Annex City develops in the future, it's an easy fourfold return.
"What do you think? This price is quite practical, isn't it?"
Xihai Longhu smiled as he painted a rosy picture, but this kind of benchmarking was practically a joke.
"Brother Longhu, anyone who goes to buy land in South Annex City knows exactly what the deal is with it," Feng Jianxian interrupted.
"Your quoted price is bullying Yulou a bit.
"Fellow Daoist Xianmao, the patriarch of the Wang Clan, has already arrived in the West Sea. If you actually cheat Yulou and Fellow Daoist Xianmao cos knocking on your door, where will you put your face?"
Feng Jianxian played the bad cop like an absolute idiot. Naturally, Xihai Longhu didn't get angry; he knew Yulou had brought Feng Jianxian along precisely to act as his foil, so he rely raised his eyes to signal Xihai Long to follow up.
He had brought support of his own! "Feng Jianxian, what is the aning of your words?
"Our South Annex City Developnt Office is a departnt personally established by the Immortal Venerable, acting solely to carry out the Immortal Venerable's sacred decree.
"There are currently a few minor difficulties regarding South Annex City, but the Immortal Venerable has already issued a sacred decree. There will be major developnt for South Annex City in the future. You need to have confidence in this."
Xihai Long was a very straightforward female cultivator. When she acted straightforwardly, it was absolutely flawless.
Immortal Venerable, Immortal Venerable, always the Immortal Venerable. Immortal Venerable Shenguang stood high in the ninth heaven above the West Sea.
His every move was like an imperial edict in the West Sea—no, it was even more effective than an imperial edict. Of course, there was a price to utilizing this authority.
Every ti Immortal Venerable Shenguang used it, he consud massive amounts of tangible and intangible resources. The cost was practically imasurable.
"Yulou, did you hear that? Xihai Long is talking about the future. If you ask , you shouldn't buy land so lightly. The current situation in the West Sea is sowhat complex. It won't be too late to buy after the dust has settled."
Feng Jianxian countered Xihai Long's rebuttal, imdiately deflecting and striking back, directly pinning the labels of 'complex' and 'unsettled dust' onto the Immortal Venerable that Xihai Long had invoked. Everyone here was a smart person.
Naturally, Xihai Longhu understood what Feng Jianxian was emphasizing: your Immortal Venerable is not the Sole Venerable of the Immortal Alliance. He is stirring up trouble left and right in the West Sea, and how it will end in the future is still hard to say!
"Hmm... Senior Xihai Longhu, South Annex City is so large, yet currently only so insignificant, marginal Foundation Establishnt cultivators have set up properties there. Why haven't the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda and the Myriad Dao Origin Hub opened branches in South Annex City?" Wang Yulou asked, feigning confusion.
Why? The disciples of the Immortal Venerable had their own rivalries.
If Xihai Longhu actually managed to build up South Annex City, he would fall even more deeply into favor. Xihai Qingfeng and Xihai Zhongcheng simply weren't willing to help!
Wang Yulou's question struck Xihai Longhu's sore spot. Thinking of those two good brothers of his, he cursed inwardly with hatred.
However, there was no way to discuss family matters with an outsider like Wang Yulou. And if he did spill it, it would be detrintal to selling the land.
Thus, he rely smiled and replied.
"The Myriad Dao Origin Hub doesn't take up much space, so it makes no difference whether they co or not. The Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda does want to co, but these things must be taken step by step. They will definitely co in the future."
Wang Yulou frowned, softly repeating the word.
"The future..."
Feng Jianxian instantly understood and imdiately went for the throat.
"In the future, South Annex City will have massive developnt; in the future, the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda will move to South Annex City. Future, future, always the future. Brother Longhu, do you have a single definite guarantee?"
Wang Yulou and Feng Jianxian were pressing aggressively, but Xihai Longhu felt an indescribable joy in his heart—he really wants to buy!
As a result, the negotiation in the room fell into a cycle: Wang Yulou's side questioned South Annex City, while the South Annex City Developnt Office emphasized the Immortal Venerable's sacred decree and direct orders. Wang Yulou's side questioned the situation and the future, while the South Annex City Developnt Office emphasized that as long as the Immortal Venerable was there, there was a future. After cycling like this for an entire hour, going back and forth seven or eight tis, Xihai Long finally couldn't hold it in anymore.
"Yulou, Yulou. Let's do it this way.
"We've been talking for so long, and your big sister's mouth is completely dry. Furthermore, Big Sister is very grateful for your urging regarding the work of the South Annex City Developnt Office.
"Big Sister toasts this cup of wine to you.
"I'll down it all. Yulou, drink as you please."
Calling herself 'big sister' and insisting on drinking, Xihai Long imdiately picked up her wine cup and downed the seventh-grade Flowing Brilliance Nectar in one gulp. Since a seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator was showing him so much face, what could Wang Yulou, a re Qi Refining cultivator, do?
He just had to match her. Thus, in the next round, Xihai Long poured seventeen cups of wine into Wang Yulou in rapid succession, forcibly drinking the Peak Qi Condensation realm Wang Yulou into a stupor.
However, neither Feng Jianxian nor Xihai Longhu had any intention of stopping her, because everyone present understood the situation. Right now, they were like a willing groom and an eager bride; the only sticking point was negotiating the price.
Of course, this didn't an Wang Yulou and Xihai Long had developed feelings for one another, nor did it an they were negotiating a price to do anything improper at the Bright Moon Night Inn. The Bright Moon Night Inn was certainly an improper place, but all four of them were proper, respectable figures, so their business was naturally incredibly proper.
"Yulou, since you feel our South Annex City Developnt Office's quote is too high, what price do you think is appropriate?" Staring at Wang Yulou with eyes like silk, Xihai Long licked her red lips and spoke.
Having four Dao Companions at ho, each beautiful in their own way, Wang Yulou entirely ignored Xihai Long's seductive gaze. However, this seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator possessed a heroic spirit mixed with untad arrogance, and that arrogance was rendered alluring by her slight alcohol flush.
It was indeed a unique charm. While admiring her, Wang Yulou toyed with his wine cup and spoke.
"I plan to buy one thousand mu of land."
Feng Jianxian smiled, assuming he had misheard. Xihai Long's silky, seductive eyes instantly turned clear.
She was certain she hadn't misheard. Xihai Longhu sized up Wang Yulou and said,
"Yulou, you've drunk too much."
Wang Yulou shook his head. "I don't intend to pay a single spirit stone.
"Senior Longhu, the vast West Sea has boundless potential. But you can't eat it all by yourselves!
"The expansion of South Annex City has been so difficult precisely because you took the stance of monopolizing everything from the very start. The current East Annex City was built up slowly over a lengthy period.
"Everyone got a cut of the profits during that process, so naturally, they supported the Immortal Venerable. If South Annex City wants to develop, it cannot do without the support of outsiders like us.
"I plan to build a combat arena in South Annex City, but it won't just be a combat arena. There will be accompanying facilities... Let use one thousand mu of land for free.
"In return, I am willing to give the South Annex City Developnt Office a thirty percent share of the future profits.
"And once I develop this one thousand mu of land, cultivators will co to watch the magical combat more frequently. New West Sea cultivators will choose to purchase properties directly in South Annex City, and South Annex City will naturally flourish gradually."
Xihai Long adjusted the collar she had just accidentally pulled down and sat up straight. Only now did she realize her assault had been for nothing.
He had never been truly drunk.
"Impossible, Yulou! Handing one thousand mu of land to you for free—even if I agreed, my Master would never agree!" Xihai Longhu stared directly at Yulou as he spoke.
This seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivator was so imposing that Yulou could feel a nearly tangible pressure. Over the years, he had seen many seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators.
Only Old Yuan had ever pressured him like this, but that had been internal strife within Dripdrop Cave. No matter how much Old Yuan bared his fangs, Wang Yulou wasn't afraid.
Xihai Longhu, on the other hand, was an outsider. Wang Yulou had to bear the full brunt of his pressure.
However... The light inside the room subtly shifted on a dinsion unperceivable to anyone present, and Shen Guang's voice rang out in Xihai Longhu's mind.
'Give it to him.'
Xihai Longhu kept a calm face, but he was startled inwardly.
'Master, that is letting him off too cheaply.'
This was actually a bit of a slap to the face. Xihai Longhu had just stated that even if he agreed, Immortal Venerable Shenguang might not.
But in almost that exact sa instant, Immortal Venerable Shenguang directly began giving him backdoor instructions.
'I agree, you have no right to speak for !'
'Then ask for forty percent.
Speed this up, your actions are too slow.' In response to Xihai Longhu's reminder, Shen Guang indicated that asking for another ten percent was fine; he wouldn't mind more.
'Xihai Zhongcheng...'
Xihai Longhu wanted to continue lodging petty complaints, but Shen Guang didn't care in the slightest.
'Focus on doing your own job.'
The Immortal Venerable's backdoor instruction was simple and ended very quickly. Xihai Longhu had never expected that his Master would actually be anxious—so anxious that he was directly rushing him.
"How is it for free? Senior Longhu, thirty percent of the profits go to the South Annex City Developnt Office.
"That is my paynt for the land. As for the scenario where there are no future profits, that's easy to handle.
"If my combat arena and related properties are still not profitable after five years, you can simply repossess it. Developing South Annex City concerns the welfare of West Sea cultivators and concerns the Immortal Venerable's decision.
"Yulou naturally wishes to lend a hand.
"I still hope Senior Longhu gives a chance."
Put plainly, he was trying to gain sothing from nothing. Wang Yulou's exorbitant demands seed idiotic, but his absolute bottom line was actually one hundred mu of land.
If it truly didn't work out, fifty mu was fine too; he wouldn't consider it too little. Furthermore, paying with spirit stones was also an option.
Fifty mu at seven or eight thousand spirit stones per mu was completely acceptable to Wang Yulou. The land price in East Annex City was already seventy or eighty thousand spirit stones per mu.
Buying risk assets at a ten percent discount was inherently a good deal. He could then negotiate to pay half upfront and slowly pay the rest in installnts, simply using his status as Perfected Man Fujiao's disciple as collateral.
It could be said that Wang Yulou's aggressive haggling and exorbitant demands fully embodied the wisdom of the Wang Clan's bargaining philosophy. But what he hadn't anticipated was Xihai Longhu's reaction.
"Do you know how large one thousand mu of land is? Also, thirty percent is far too little," Xihai Longhu said.
"We need to take at least eighty percent. Your share cannot be that high; it's simply inappropriate."
"Moreover, there is nothing special about this combat arena of yours. You can run one, and others can too. You have no right to take seventy percent!"
Feng Jianxian's brain was completely scrambled by the situation, but Wang Yulou reacted with shaful rage.
"Is Senior Longhu bullying for being young and powerless?" Wang Yulou demanded. "Your South Annex City Developnt Office can open its own combat arena. You can open a new Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, a new Myriad Dao Origin Hub!"
However, this act still needed to be perford for outsiders to see.
"Since you want to play dirty, don't bla for reciprocating and letting the entire West Sea know how the South Annex City Developnt Office bullies people!"
During the profit-sharing negotiation, Xihai Longhu had rely emphasized that Wang Yulou's combat arena concept wasn't unique. Wang Yulou instantly seized on the underlying implication, extrapolating the lack of uniqueness into an accusation that Xihai Longhu wanted to steal his idea and monopolize the profits.
Furthermore, he feigned the appearance of being bullied, angrily declaring his intent to tear away all pretenses. In truth, at this mont, Wang Yulou felt deeply regretful—regretful that he had acted too cleverly in the past.
How wonderful it would be if he truly were a massive idiot. Idiots had the advantage of being idiots; that way, his rage would probably look much more genuine.
But such things could only be imagined. After all, if Wang Yulou really were a massive idiot, Xihai Longhu never would have sat across from him to negotiate in the first place.
What Wang Yulou couldn't imagine was that Xihai Longhu had actually already received Shen Guang's Sacred Decree. Immortal Venerable Shenguang was highly dissatisfied with the expansion speed of South Annex City and had directly ordered Xihai Longhu to agree to the demands.
Therefore, his smooth negotiation combo of playing the idiot and losing his temper actually carried a substantial threat. If Xihai Longhu botched an affair ordered by the Immortal Venerable, then even if he ended up opening the combat arena himself, as long as Wang Yulou stirred up trouble, Xihai Longhu would be stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Even though he thought of all this, Xihai Longhu didn't panic in the slightest. He sneered and began explaining.
"Yulou, naturally, I, Xihai Longhu, won't fight you to run a combat arena. I have no interest in that."
"But you must understand, one thousand mu of land is twenty million spirit stones. Since we're handing over twenty million spirit stones' worth of land, it isn't excessive at all for us to take an eighty percent share, is it?"
Feng Jianxian could already tell that sothing was off. Could it be that they actually intended to agree to Wang Yulou's conditions?
Unaware that Immortal Venerable Shenguang had given Xihai Longhu backdoor instructions, Wang Yulou simply shook his head and said, "Senior Longhu, everyone is well aware of how inflated the land prices in South Annex City are."
"Even if you sold it to at five thousand spirit stones a mu, I wouldn't buy it. Let's do this: we'll skip talking about profit sharing."
"I'll pay in spirit stones to buy it outright."
"Five hundred spirit stones a mu. I'll take three hundred mu for now. How does that sound?"
Hacking the price from twenty thousand down to five hundred was roughly equivalent to chopping a person down to the heel. No, it was chopping down to the skin on the soles of their feet.
No, it was chopping so deep that only the layer of mud beneath their feet remained. One could only say Wang Yulou certainly had the nerve to ask.
Even with Xihai Longhu's extraordinary bearing, he felt as disgusted as if he had swallowed a dead fly. His gaze toward Wang Yulou grew increasingly hostile and hard to suppress.
He was too shaless! Longhu even suspected that Wang Yulou had co today just to play him.
No, he had even co to play his Master.
"Wang Yulou, did you invite the Elder and here just to mock us?"
Xihai Long lost his patience first. Much of the land in South Annex City had been sold recently, and the absolute lowest price had been eight thousand spirit stones per mu.
Wang Yulou hacking it down to five hundred was inappropriate no matter how one looked at it. Highly inappropriate.
"Elder Longhu should clearly know whether I am being sincere," Wang Yulou said. "Constructing South Annex City is a great endeavor, and I genuinely want to lend you seniors a hand."
"However, when you two seniors ca with a price of twenty thousand spirit stones per mu, your sincerity was sowhat questionable. Later on, there was talk of taking eighty percent, and how you could also run a combat arena."
"I understand all of that. After all, if I could monopolize it all for myself, I would want to monopolize it too."
"But the Immortal Venerable taking eighty percent? I, Wang Yulou, am perfectly willing to hand all the remaining profits over to our beloved Ancestral Master. The problem is, does the Ancestral Master only deserve to take twenty percent?"
With Wang Yulou putting it that way, the negotiation was on the verge of breaking down entirely. If Shen Guang took eighty percent, it ant Patriarch Mangxiang could only take twenty percent! Even if Shen Guang himself were here, he probably wouldn't dare say those words out loud.
It was extre pressure, but it was a Peak Qi Condensation realm cultivator pressuring two seasoned Foundation Establishnt cultivators. One of them was even a disciple of Immortal Venerable Shenguang who possessed top-tier strength within the Foundation Establishnt realm—Xihai Longhu.
It could be said that at this mont, Wang Yulou was gambling. The expansion of South Annex City concerned Immortal Venerable Shenguang's grand plan to erode the Immortal Alliance's right to rule in the West Sea.
As a direct descendant of the Behemoth Lineage, Wang Yulou's purchase of property in South Annex City held highly representative weight. On the other hand, if he could manage the combat arena well and thereby increase South Annex City's popularity, it would also be massively beneficial for the South Annex City Developnt Office.
In Wang Yulou's eyes, his condition of buying three hundred mu of land for five hundred spirit stones per mu was actually far from excessive. There were priorities and urgencies, truths and falsehoods.
The waters of the cultivation world had always been unfathomably deep. There were no standard boundaries for far too many things, and even the rules themselves were rely bargaining chips in the ga.
South Annex City was rely a marked-off piece of zero-cost land, granted value solely through Immortal Venerable Shenguang's absolute authority.
Given how complex the current situation in the West Sea was, whether Immortal Venerable Shenguang could forcefully endure the impact from the Immortal Alliance's Conservative Faction was still a lingering question. Faced with Wang Yulou showing his hand, Xihai Longhu was sowhat baffled. Where was all this confidence coming from?
It ca from the simple fact that Wang Yulou truly understood the situation. The thoughts of grand cultivators were as ethereal as the clouds in the sky, but their pursuits of profit inevitably had to materialize into concrete actions to be realized.
Guessing their thoughts would never lead to clarity. Only by watching what specifically occurred could one trace the true underlying threads.
Among the nurous factions currently in the West Sea and the countless explicit and hidden threads of conflict, Wang Yulou was certain that Shen Guang was absolutely facing suppression. This was the single truth amidst all the complexities.
And gambling on South Annex City was gambling that Shen Guang could withstand the suppression. This was Wang Yulou's wager.
He did not believe it. He refused to believe that a newly ascended Golden Core who had fought his way up within the cage of the Immortal Alliance would fail so easily!
Furthermore, Shen Guang winning and Mang Xiang successfully attaining Golden Core were not mutually exclusive outcos. What Wang Yulou looked forward to most was his Ancestral Master attaining Golden Core while Shen Guang continued to roam freely in the West Sea for a while longer.
That way, with the two grand cultivators winning, Wang Yulou could realize his own double victory. In the future, when his Ancestral Master, carrying the montum of the Red Lantern Illumination Sect, snatched back the sect's original four thousand li of the West Sea, Wang Yulou could win a third ti!
If Shen Guang won but Mang Xiang failed to attain Golden Core, Wang Yulou was still guaranteed to win once. If Shen Guang lost but Mang Xiang attained Golden Core, Wang Yulou would still barely manage to break even; after all, the Red Lantern Illumination Sect also intended to seize ruling authority over Western Sea Immortal City.
When the ti ca, he could make up the difference elsewhere, recouping his lost investnt in South Annex City. All of these expectations rested entirely on whether Xihai Longhu would accept his move.
However, before Xihai Longhu could accept his move, he received a sound transmission talisman.
"Longhu, a rogue cultivator has barged into the immortal city's Information Gathering Court.
"They cried out that they bought fake demonic beast materials at the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda's beast dismantling yard and were beaten half to death by the cultivators there.
"Jin Shan has already arrived at the Information Gathering Court. His stance is unclear, but Li Haikuo is currently making trouble. Co quickly!"
Wang Yulou noticed that after reading the sound transmission talisman across the table, Xihai Longhu's gaze towards him had shifted once again.
"Yulou, let's both take a step back. Five hundred mu of land, and our South Annex City Developnt Office wants a forty percent share of the profits. How about it?"
Each side was taking a fifty percent cut, but Wang Yulou was no longer entirely willing to accept this move. This was because, as an information gathering envoy of the Information Gathering Court, a sound transmission talisman ant for him had just arrived in his own hands.
"Yulou... Uncle Xunzhou's head has completely exploded with stress.
"Chen Nian, the gatekeeper of the Information Gathering Court, was also subverted this ti. Those people have set their sights on the Demon-Suppressing Treasure Pagoda, and they even want to bring down our Information Gathering Court while they're at it!
"True Person Longhu and the Border Warden True Person have already arrived. Return to the Court imdiately to await orders!"
Feng Jianxian felt as though he had beco an outsider today. After the two n received their respective sound transmission talismans, their attitudes completely changed.
Xihai Longhu made massive concessions, while Wang Yulou suddenly treated his previous exorbitant demand as a genuine condition.
"Senior Longhu, I serve in Western Sea Immortal City's Information Gathering Court as an information gathering envoy. Do we want to compare the contents of our sound transmission talismans before continuing negotiations?" Wang Yulou asked with a smile. "Or rather, should we stick to what we first discussed? One thousand mu of land, thirty percent. At this exact mont, such a condition shouldn't be considered harsh, right?"
Chaos had already erupted within the Information Gathering Court, but Wang Yulou was in no rush.
If the sky collapsed, the tall ones would hold it up. The struggles within the Immortal Alliance naturally had their respective faction leaders playing chess against one another.
He cared more about his own interests. Xihai Longhu's expression constantly fluctuated between dark and clear.
Only now did he understand why his Master had appeared so anxious. The chaos of the West Sea had already begun!
Under these circumstances, the expansion of South Annex City had to be turned into an established fact as quickly as possible.
"You refuse to pay a single spirit stone, yet you want one thousand mu of land. Wang Yulou, I cannot possibly agree to this condition," Xihai Longhu said.
Xihai Longhu truly was unwilling to accept such a condition. Even if it was Shen Guang's order, he didn't want to accept it.
But reality forced him to accelerate the movents of the South Annex City expansion, and the faster the better.
"Forty percent," Xihai Longhu finally conceded. "Also, we must sign a Dao pact. My Master's Dao pact, not the Immortal Alliance's Dao pact."
"You must not reveal the price at which you obtained the land to anyone!"
An Immortal Alliance Dao pact would be scrutinized by the Immortal Alliance, while Shen Guang's Dao pact ant Shen Guang was the final arbitrator. This was the only difference.
Wang Yulou accepted the Dao pact handed over by Xihai Longhu and directly stamped his seal: Wang Clan's Jade Palace.
Afterward, he handed the Dao pact back to Xihai Longhu and said, "Deal! Senior Longhu, you truly are the West Sea's number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator. What imnse spirit!"
Xihai Longhu never missed a chance to sar his good brother Xihai Zhongcheng, and imdiately denied it.
"Don't. The number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator of the West Sea is Xihai Zhongcheng. He always claims he can fight one against a hundred, and even killing a Purple Palace cultivator is not out of the question for him."
As far as Xihai Longhu was concerned, the title of number one Foundation Establishnt cultivator wasn't worth a fart. Whoever wanted it could have it.
It was best placed squarely on Xihai Zhongcheng's head. Just like that, with certain mysterious grand cultivators making the first moves, the two sides reached an agreent at lightning speed.
Although Xihai Long was shocked by Xihai Longhu's generosity, he didn't forget to issue a reminder.
"Wang Yulou, you must construct the combat arena as soon as possible. You cannot just hold onto this land doing nothing, exploiting loopholes to take advantage of South Annex City."
Giving him the land was to have him act as an example, to play the role of the lead sheep. Hoarding land or speculating on real estate was not allowed.
"Understood?"
"Construction will begin tomorrow!"
Wang Yulou's reply was resolute and decisive. The storms were rising, and the West Sea was in chaos; it was the perfect opportunity to sail against the current!
Only with the imnse spirit of steering a boat against the current could one find that sliver of fleeting opportunity that would never reveal itself in normal tis.
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