Chapter 2610 - 2602: Cooperation Under Heavy Pressure

Chapter 2610: Chapter 2602: Cooperation Under Heavy Pressure

What a shrimp-man-pig-heart! The thought-form stayed silent for quite a while, then finally said, "Does the number of subjects really matter that much?"

Feng Jun was finding this guy more and more interesting, so he replied, "The number of subjects doesn’t matter, but if I don’t have even one, that’s just embarrassing."

The thought-form choked on that and only responded after a long time, "Are you trying to provoke me?"

"I wouldn’t dare," Feng Jun raised both hands and spoke solemnly, "Senior, please let me off this once. I promise I won’t come back to Mars for the rest of my life, and I’ll also restrain my disciples from coming. How about that?"

"Your disciples, huh..." The thought-form let out a soft sigh, but what it picked up on was not Feng Jun’s selling point at all. "A Golden Core should indeed have disciples, even though your bone age is under a hundred... How many Golden Core Masters are left on Earth? Has it dropped by a hundred yet?"

"Earth... should only have me as the sole Golden Core," Feng Jun said "should," but his tone was utterly certain.

"Only one left?" The thought-form was a bit curious. "Then what about Kunlun, how many Emergence Stage cultivators does it have?"

"On Earth, among those I know of, there are four Emergence Stage," Feng Jun answered in a deep voice. "Kunlun only has the Sect Leader who just broke through. My sect has two. The other one... long ago turned into an Artifact Spirit."

He didn’t even mention the name Danxia Heaven, because facing this kind of old monster, he still had some ability to resist, but if Ma Sanniang ran into it, she’d only have the option to kneel—her soul flying apart would be a matter of an instant, not to mention she herself is a Soul Body.

Feng Jun felt that Ma Sanniang was a good partner to work with.

Though she had some minor flaws, she didn’t mess up on the big things—who doesn’t have a few small issues anyway? So he refused to sell her out. Even if the Danxia Heaven Minor World was placed in Tianqin and even Emergence Stage cultivators might make a move, he was a man of principle and had always handled things this way.

However, what the thought-form cared about wasn’t "who that other Emergence Stage is." It sighed lightly. "Has it withered to such a state?"

"Right now on Earth, I’m the boss," Feng Jun declared without hesitation, "if we don’t count that senior."

The thought-form could feel his confidence—that arrogant "the Great Dao is right in front of me, so I won’t yield" kind of boldness. Back then... it had been the same.

"I remember six thousand years ago, Earth still had three hundred Golden Cores," it said with some emotion.

Feng Jun, on the other hand, answered without any hesitation, "In the thousand years since, Earth has only produced me as a single Golden Core."

To an old monster like this thought-form, a thousand years was nothing but a blink of an eye, hardly worthy of the phrase "since then." But the fact that Earth hadn’t produced a single Golden Core in a thousand years was indeed... an ominous sign.

In such ominous circumstances, someone this freakish appears as a "mainstay pillar." That meant it had to take him seriously—he couldn’t be sure of the other’s future prospects, but there was no doubt about his fortune, absolutely great fortune.

So it stated very straightforwardly, "In that case, we can always work together."

Feng Jun probed the surroundings and sensed that the spatial rules had already dissipated, so he chuckled. "You’re not afraid I’ll run now?"

A young man talking like that is a good way to end up without friends! The thought-form was once a mighty powerhouse; hearing this, one could well imagine its mood. But after all, it was a being that had lived for so long—it quickly suppressed that faint irritation in its heart.

"If we’re going to talk cooperation, we have to stand on a mutually beneficial footing. Coercion is not the attitude of cooperation."

Feng Jun first put away the Storage Talisman—basically a modified Storage Talisman—to show he wouldn’t forcibly take that Arrowhead, then asked, "How does Senior plan to cooperate? I don’t have much time right now; there are my attendants out in the starry sky who might be landing any minute."

"Just a bunch of Mortals," the thought-form’s attitude was like that of ordinary Cultivators—looking down on Mortals. "Let’s talk about this Arrowhead first. I’ll sell it to you for five thousand upper-grade Spirit Stones. Compared to fifty extreme-grade Spirit Stones, five thousand upper-grade Spirit Stones is already quite cheap."

"Thank you, Senior, but no need," Feng Jun shook his head and replied very cleanly, "I’ve gotten used to picking up bargains. If I have to pay money to buy something, I’m not that interested."

It wasn’t that he didn’t want the Arrowhead, but he couldn’t use this thing in the short term, and it was damaged to begin with. In his eyes, it wasn’t worth even five hundred upper-grade Spirit Stones. Thinking of how the other had just opened the lion’s mouth, he honestly didn’t even have the interest to haggle.

At the end of the day, it was because this thought-form didn’t give him a good feeling, and when you’re wandering the jianghu, you don’t casually show your hand.

"Only knows how to spend money on bargains," the thought-form said in a sinister tone, "so you just don’t want to trade with me, is that it?"

"It’s not that I don’t want to trade, it’s that this damaged ancient artifact, in my opinion, isn’t worth even fifty upper-grade Spirit Stones," Feng Jun answered righteously. "Senior’s asking price is so high—if I bargained too hard, it’d look like I was being disrespectful to someone above me. So I’d rather not buy it at all."

"Not even worth fifty upper-grade Spirit Stones?" The thought-form was genuinely a bit angry now. "This isn’t suspicious; it’s outright disrespect to your betters. An ancient artifact used in the Mahayana Realm, and you dare value it that low?"

"My apologies, Senior," Feng Jun shook his head and spoke earnestly, "I came here to pick up a leak. If I’d known it already had an owner, I wouldn’t have asked the price, and I certainly wouldn’t have made a special trip back to Earth."

The thought-form’s intent grew sinister again. "What if I insist on selling it to you for five thousand upper-grade Spirit Stones?"

"If you try to push a forced sale, it’ll really affect the way I see you, Senior." Feng Jun still kept his tone steady and neither humble nor overbearing. "Besides, right now I only have a little over a hundred high-grade Spirit Stones on me. I’m guessing you won’t let me go back to fetch more, will you, Senior?"

The remnant thought was silent for a while, then said helplessly, "An ancient artifact used by someone in the Mahayana Realm, even if it’s broken, isn’t expensive at fifty supreme-grade Spirit Stones. Back in the day, selling it for over a hundred supreme-grade Spirit Stones was perfectly normal."

"That I really don’t know, because I wasn’t around back then." Feng Jun shook his head and spoke very bluntly. "But like you said yourself, Senior, that was ’back in the day’. The situation now is: don’t even mention supreme-grade Stones, we can’t even see high-grade ones."

"Talking price while ignoring the current background is just being irresponsible."

The remnant thought went quiet, and in the end spoke impatiently, "Take out all your high-grade Spirit Stones. I’ll sell you the arrowhead."

Feng Jun was speechless for a long while before letting out a sigh. "If you really insist on forcing the sale, Senior, I can buy it this time. But I don’t consider that a ’cooperation’."

What he meant was: you can force my hand this time, but as for future cooperation, you can forget it.

The remnant thought grew irritable again. "I’m making a move to help you retrieve that arrowhead... and that’s not worth a hundred high-grade Stones? Anyway you only have a bit over a hundred. The remaining Stones as the purchase price all go to me—doesn’t that make sense?"

"Fine, that does make sense." Hearing it put that way, Feng Jun couldn’t argue the point anymore.

"I still have more than a hundred and seventy high-grade Stones. The arrowhead is worth fifty high-grade. Senior’s action is a hundred high-grade. I’ll add another twenty high-grade as a junior’s first visit offering of respect. I’ll keep the few leftover loose ones for myself. Senior, how does that sound?"

The remnant thought went silent for a while, then said faintly, "Twenty high-grade Stones as ’respect’... Back then, if anyone dared talk to me like that, I’d glare him to death with one look."

This time Feng Jun refused to respond no matter what. He’d already said everything he needed to say, and all the probing he wanted to do was done.

Seeing him stay quiet, the remnant thought also lost its temper. "Then take out the high-grade Spirit Stones first."

Feng Jun took out the Stones and counted them. Sure enough, there were exactly a hundred and seventy-eight. He counted out a hundred and seventy, but the remnant thought changed its mind again. "Twenty-five high-grade Stones as respect. I’ll leave you three."

Faced with this going back on its word, Feng Jun actually felt like laughing. Just how Spirit-Stone-starved had this formerly awe-inspiring great expert become?

Of course, he absolutely couldn’t laugh out loud. If this one flew into a rage out of shame, who knew what it would do?

He put a hundred and seventy-seven high-grade Stones into a Storage Talisman, kept only one on his person, then held the Storage Talisman respectfully in both hands.

Space rippled slightly. The Storage Talisman vanished without a trace, and a cold, gloomy strand of intent brushed past. "At least you know what’s good for you."

Then Feng Jun’s body flickered through several Blinks, arriving outside the tunnel. He clasped his hands toward the sky. "I’ll have to trouble Senior to act."

The remnant thought ignored him. After almost five minutes, a strand of intent finally descended. "Hoo... that familiar taste. A pity there’s ultimately no supreme-grade Stones... take out your Storage Talisman."

Feng Jun was stunned. "Didn’t Senior say you could do it yourself? You said you’d personally make a move... using my Storage Talisman?"

"All this for just a hundred high-grade Spirit Stones, and you still want me to modify a Storage Talisman?" The remnant thought sounded displeased. "What would I be earning then? Hurry up and take it out. I’ll help you collect the ancient artifact and spare you the ordeal—isn’t that enough?"

So it all comes down to lacking Spirit Stones. Feng Jun understood this one’s situation, so he took out the Storage Talisman. In the next instant, a powerful baleful aura erupted above the ice layer, then vanished in a flash, as if it had all been an illusion.

Right after that, the Storage Talisman disappeared in an instant. In less than two breaths of time, the Storage Talisman reappeared in Feng Jun’s hand.

Feng Jun swept it with his Divine Sense and could feel that the broken arrowhead was already gone. He also had a faint intuition that the arrowhead had indeed been put into the Storage Talisman, so he put it away and clasped his hands toward the sky. "Many thanks for Senior’s care."

The remnant thought’s intent descended again. "This deal is done. Let’s talk about that Spirit Stone Mine. This time I really intend to sell supreme-grade Stones."

The corner of Feng Jun’s mouth twitched. That Spirit Stone Mine might not even be worth a single supreme-grade Stone; it was hard to say. How many did you plan to sell? "Senior, I truly don’t lack Spirit Stones. I’m not short on ordinary Stones or mid-grade Stones. What I lack are high-grade and supreme-grade."

"Then we can switch to high-grade." The remnant thought didn’t hesitate. "Spirit Stones below high-grade just turn my stomach."

"Then it’ll have to be a matter for the future." Feng Jun answered seriously. "But to be honest, I really have no interest in buying a Spirit Stone Mine."

"We still need to keep doing business." The remnant thought clearly didn’t want to stop here. "Why don’t you tell me what you’re short of right now, and I’ll see if I can help."

"What I’m short of?" Feng Jun pondered for a moment. He very much wanted to say he wasn’t short of anything at the moment. It might sound like asking for a beating, but that was the truth. "I can’t think of anything for now... What is Senior actually good at?"

(Updated to here, summoning monthly votes.)