Immortal Path Space

Chapter 315: The Deal

When there were only a dozen or so Treasure Hunters left in their original position, they finally realized it was time to escape. Unfortunately, it was too late now, as Luo Zhongjie had already led his group to encircle them.

The few cultivators who had tried to escape earlier were all killed on the spot. The remaining dozen or so Treasure Hunters quickly met their end under the relentless attacks of Luo Zhongjie and his group.

Afterward, they began to clean up the battlefield. These Treasure Hunters had become quite wealthy, as they had collected three hundred fully packed Storage Bags from the thirty-plus individuals.

Wang Hong took a quick glance and noticed that many of the items were various raw materials he needed.

"I am Du Chongshui. I would like to express my gratitude to all the Fellow Daoists for saving us! Please accept this modest token of appreciation," Du Chongshui said as he and a few Foundation Building cultivators from their small sect, along with some Qi Cultivation Disciples, carried several large crates towards Wang Hong and his group.

The previous battle had left a deep impression on him. Both sides had similar numbers and strength, yet one side emerged victorious without any casualties, while the other was completely wiped out. The losing side had almost destroyed their sect just moments ago.

Du Chongshui had also realized that if this group were also Treasure Hunters, they wouldn't have survived for long even if they hid inside their sect. So, it was better to come out and express gratitude, creating a favorable impression.

Moreover, he felt that this group was quite different from typical Treasure Hunters. They were disciplined, coordinated, and didn't engage in fighting over the spoils. Instead, they collected everything together.

Du Chongshui ordered some Qi Cultivation Disciples to place the large crates in front of Wang Hong. He had already deduced that this group was led by Wang Hong.

"Fellow Daoist, you are too polite. We were merely passing through and couldn't stand by when we saw Treasure Hunters causing trouble. Maintaining peace in the Cultivation World is our duty," Wang Hong said firmly, sounding quite sincere.

With a casual motion, Wang Hong opened one of the large crates to reveal it was filled with Purple Copper.

Du Chongshui quickly opened the other crates, revealing more Purple Copper and a piece of Purple Copper Essence placed on top. Purple Copper was a refined product from Purple Copper ore and was high-quality tier-one refining material. It was suitable for refining defensive Magical Weapons and could also be used in Alchemy Furnaces for Magical Weapon refinement.

Within Purple Copper ore veins, there was a chance of obtaining tier-two Purple Copper Essence. This tier-two material had properties similar to Purple Copper, suitable for refining tier-two defensive Spiritual Weapons or for use in Spiritual Weapon Alchemy Furnaces. It was a precious refining material.

"Most of the other Spiritual Objects within our sect have been depleted to deal with the Treasure Hunters earlier. Only these relatively worthless refining materials remain in the warehouse," Du Chongshui explained after opening the wooden crates. He had been cautious, keeping items that could immediately enhance their combat abilities within the sect. In case this group turned hostile, they wouldn't have given away those valuable items. Although these refining materials were also precious, there were currently no trading caravans willing to visit in the chaotic Cultivation World, so leaving them in the warehouse served no purpose.

"Oh, do you happen to have a Purple Copper ore vein?" Wang Hong asked.Du Chongshui inwardly sighed in relief, fearing that revealing their Purple Copper ore vein might arouse greed in the other party. However, this matter couldn't be concealed because all the cultivators in the vicinity knew that their sect relied on a small Purple Copper ore vein.

"I won't hide it, Fellow Daoist. Our Spirit Ore Sect indeed possesses a small Purple Copper ore vein that produces Purple Copper ore. We provide a fixed amount of Purple Copper to the Hundred Refinements Sect every year. However, due to the current turmoil in the Cultivation World and the disruption of trade routes, all this Purple Copper has piled up in our warehouse," Du Chongshui admitted frankly, also hinting at their relationship with the Hundred Refinements Sect.

The Hundred Refinements Sect was a relatively well-known medium-sized sect in the vicinity, specializing in refining tools, with a Golden Core Patriarch overseeing the sect.

Wang Hong naturally saw through Du Chongshui's cautious intentions but saw no need to expose them.

He didn't intend to follow the example of those Treasure Hunters, forcibly seizing everything. He had his own sizable entourage, and if they all engaged in robbery and murder, it would be difficult to maintain order. If wealth could be obtained through violence, who would bother with legitimate activities?

"How about this? I won't ask for your Purple Copper for nothing. I can trade with you. I can offer Spirit Stones, Pills, and Spirit Wine in exchange for your stock of Purple Copper. What do you think?" Wang Hong proposed.

Upon hearing Wang Hong's response, Du Chongshui was overjoyed. With the other party's strength, they could easily wipe them out now, taking everything. Yet, they were willing to trade, and with consumable items that were in high demand in the current situation. Any faction needed these supplies urgently. With ample resources, they could withstand another wave of Treasure Hunter attacks, thanks to their sect's defensive formation.

"If Fellow Daoist is willing to trade with these supplies, I couldn't be more grateful. On behalf of our sect, I express our thanks to Fellow Daoist," Du Chongshui said with a deep bow, his gratitude this time coming from the heart. With these resources, they had hope of surviving in this chaotic environment.

Luo Zhongjie was then tasked with arranging the specifics of the trade with Du Chongshui.

After half a day of negotiations, both sides received what they desired, and both felt like they had gained the upper hand.

Currently, due to the presence of Treasure Hunters everywhere, no trading caravans dared to venture out. Most factions had redirected their forces, leaving only a skeleton crew to guard their strongholds, which was already a strenuous task. No one dared to venture out.

At present, various factions were like isolated islands, unable to establish contact with the outside world, making item trading even more impossible.

Wang Hong realized he had stumbled upon a massive business opportunity. Right now, no trading caravan had the strength to navigate this world filled with Treasure Hunters.

In the future, he could send Luo Zhongjie and his team to proactively engage in trade with various small and medium-sized factions.

At this time, survival was paramount, and rare Spiritual Objects that had been hoarded in treasure vaults were being brought out for trade.

Now, as long as they had Spiritual Weapons, Spirit Wine, and Pills – essential strategic resources – they could be acquired at a very low price.

Of course, all these matters would need to be addressed after dealing with that alliance of Treasure Hunters.

They packed all the items obtained from these trades into dozens of Storage Bags. With the Storage Bags they had seized from slain Treasure Hunters during this period, each of them was carrying dozens of Storage Bags.

This made their group appear just like Treasure Hunters as they moved through the world.

[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]