Deeper Cooperation

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Lu Yang handed a storage ring to Vice Cult Master Shi. "Inside are two hundred bottles of fire seeds and two hundred barbecue grills. That should be enough for a while." Vice Cult Master Shi sent a strand of divine sense to make a quick sweep through the storage ring. Joy surged in his heart; with these items, the number of branch stores would no longer be an issue. Vice Cult Master Shi pushed an account book and a storage ring over to Lu Yang. "These are the operating records for the past month, as well as your cult's share of the profits." Lu Yang counted the spirit stones in the storage ring; there were about one hundred and twenty thousand. An ordinary Golden Core cultivator's entire net worth was merely this much. Putting on an indifferent front, he casually handed the storage ring to Tao Yaoye. "Put this in the treasury once we get back." Tao Yaoye silently accepted the storage ring without a word, her heart far from calm. A hundred and twenty thousand spirit stones! A lifetime of savings for a Golden Core cultivator—even she didn't possess this many spirit stones. Lu Yang sent Tao Yaoye a voice transmission. With the Immortal Fairy present, there was no fear of Shi Huagu overhearing. "Junior Sister Tao, keep your calm. Once the patent for your Phantom Bubble comes through, you'll earn far more than this. "Besides, don't be frightened just because he's a demonic cult vice master at the Body Integration stage. In the future, he might even come begging you. After all, your Phantom Bubble is the most ideal tool for advertising." "Why?" Tao Yaoye didn't understand what he meant, but Lu Yang only smiled without explaining further. Seeing Lu Yang's nonchalant demeanor, Vice Cult Master Shi worried that the meager amount had dissatisfied Lu Yang, potentially creating a rift between the Nine Nether Cult and the Heavenly Court Cult. He hastily explained, "Since business has just begun and the initial investments were substantial, yielding profits is still difficult. I must ask for Prodigy Lu's understanding. I believe that after a year or two, when barbecue shops are opened across the entire continent and business takes off, millions or even tens of millions of spirit stones will flow into both our cults' treasuries every single day!" Vice Cult Master Shi wasn't talking wildly or making empty promises; this was the result of actual calculations. Lu Yang waved a hand. "Cult Master Shi misunderstands. It is not that I look down on this amount of spirit stones. Our cult's treasury holds countless ancient rare treasures, with everything from heavenly weapons to immortal fruits. If we wanted spirit stones, selling off just a tiny fraction would bring infinite wealth. "I merely wish to remind Cult Master Shi that establishing barbecue shops together is a testament to the fellowship between our two cults. Do not let yourself be confined by spirit stones. Can the friendship between our two cults truly be measured in mere spirit stones?" If it was merely a transaction of spirit stones and opening barbecue shops together, such cooperation was destined to remain superficial. What Lu Yang wanted was deeper cooperation with the Nine Nether Cult. Vice Cult Master Shi was overcome with shame, feeling that despite being at the Body Integration stage, his own horizons were terribly narrow. Truly worthy of being a prodigy of the ancient Heavenly Court—his expansive vision left him thoroughly humbled. Just as Lu Yang felt he had broadened Tao Yaoye's horizons enough and was preparing to leave, Vice Cult Master Shi hurriedly called out to him. "Young Cult Master Lu, Prodigy Tao, please wait." Tao Yaoye's heart skipped a beat, thinking they had been exposed. "What is it?" Lu Yang wondered. The goods were delivered, the spirit stones accepted—what else could there be? At the same time, he transmitted his voice to Tao Yaoye, signaling her not to be nervous. "May I ask what views Young Cult Master Lu holds regarding the ancient cultivators?" A sudden idea had struck Vice Cult Master Shi. He remembered that Lu Yang didn't just want spirit stones, but deeper cooperation. In that case, then let them cooperate deeply! "Ancient cultivators?" Lu Yang chuckled softly. His eyes revealed the pride befitting an ancient prodigy, accompanied by disdain toward those "ancient cultivators." "Before our Heavenly Court Cult, someone dares to call themselves an ancient cultivator?" Only then did Vice Cult Master Shi come to his senses. Of course! Whether they were cultivators of Great Yu or cultivators of Great Qian, before Lu Yang, they were all juniors. In terms of antiquity, who could compare to the Heavenly Court Cult? In terms of foundation, who could be mentioned in the same breath as the Heavenly Court, which governed the stars of the boundless skies? As vast as the Central Continent was, how could it compare to the sea of stars across the heavens? In terms of the power of an era, the Ancient Era possessed the widely known Four Ancient Celestials, the Immortal Celestial hidden away by history, and Dou Tianzun—a full six celestials! Whether Great Yu and Great Qian even had celestials was another matter entirely! The so-called ancient cultivators didn't even bear comparison to the Heavenly Court Cult! How muddled he had been! Hearing Lu Yang say this, Vice Cult Master Shi felt reassured. With indignant resentment, he said, "I wonder if Young Cult Master Lu has heard that half a month ago at the Qingzhou Grand Ceremony, ancient cultivators suddenly appeared, disrupted the order of the festival, and brought it to a hasty conclusion!" Lu Yang nodded. "I have heard a little." "To tell the truth, I temporarily opened a branch at the Qingzhou Grand Ceremony to test how receptive the people of Qingzhou would be to a barbecue shop. Before I could even gauge the situation, cultivators of the Great Yu Dynasty disrupted everything!" Vice Cult Master Shi grew furious just speaking of the matter. He had been minding his own business running his shop, keeping his river water separate from their well water, yet those blind ancient cultivators just had to come and stir up trouble. Did they know how important Qingzhou was? Among the seventeen provinces of the Great Xia Dynasty, Qingzhou's strength easily ranked in the top three! How much money could be made by running a barbecue shop in Qingzhou! He had heard that in the past, Qingzhou's strength had ranked in the lower middle. It was twenty thousand years ago when a provincial governor appeared in Qingzhou. Not only was this governor exceptionally powerful at the Tribulation Transcendence stage, but his thinking was also completely unconstrained, constantly doing things that ordinary people could never conceive. The Qingzhou Grand Ceremony had been proposed by this very governor. Under the governor's leadership, Qingzhou's strength flourished day by day, rising into the top three and even claiming the number one spot at its peak! "There are fifteen barbecue shops jointly opened by our two cults. Losing one shop is no great loss in itself, but the problem is that if these ancient cultivators could destroy it once, they can destroy it a second time!" Between the lines, Vice Cult Master Shi was reminding Lu Yang that the Great Yu cultivators hadn't destroyed just a Nine Nether Cult shop, but a shop belonging to both the Nine Nether Cult and the Heavenly Court Cult. Using his lightning tribulation to blast Venerable Calamity half to death had failed to vent Vice Cult Master Shi's fury. Venerable Calamity had escaped, leaving him powerless to do anything about it, so he could only take his anger out on the other ancient cultivators. The barbecue shops were tied directly to his debt of one billion. If he couldn't pay it off and was struck dead by heavenly lightning, then his feud with the ancient cultivators would be a mortal, blood feud! If he didn't avenge this grievance, he swore he would not be human! Lu Yang understood clearly: Vice Cult Master Shi had formed a grudge against the ancient cultivators and wanted the Heavenly Court Cult's help. He was naturally more than happy to get involved. With a faint smile that was not quite a smile, Lu Yang looked at Vice Cult Master Shi. "Does Cult Master Shi still remember the plan I devised for your cult last time at the barbecue shop?" Vice Cult Master Shi blurted out immediately; a Body Integration cultivator's memory was formidable indeed: "'The Nine Nether Cult should externally ally with the Demon Domain and the East Sea, and internally ally with the Unfeeling and Yaoyang Cults. When the struggle of the Golden Age arrives, our two cults shall take action together; then immortal achievement shall be attained, and the Nine Nether shall flourish!'" "In that plan, did I ever mention joining hands with the cultivators of the Great Yu and Great Qian eras?" Vice Cult Master Shi's eyes lit up. Indeed! In that plan, there was simply no place for the ancient cultivators! "This world originally belonged to our Heavenly Court. If our Heavenly Court Cult could not tolerate Immortal Ying Tian and the others ruling the ancient times, could we possibly tolerate Great Qian, Great Yu, and Great Xia ruling the continent?" Vice Cult Master Shi was overjoyed. The Heavenly Court Cult's stance was even firmer than he had imagined. With the powerful support of the Heavenly Court Cult, let's see what those damned ancient cultivators do now! "I implore your cult to join hands with my Nine Nether Cult to deal with the ancient cultivators together!" Vice Cult Master Shi rose, his eyes burning with eagerness as he voiced his desire to cooperate with the Heavenly Court Cult, his words exceptionally sincere. Lu Yang stood up at an unhurried pace, a confident smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he shook hands with Vice Cult Master Shi. "Then, to a pleasant cooperation."