Chapter 275: The Wisdom of Shouren

"Let's talk peace!"

Lu Ye looked at Shouren Daoist and spoke.

Shouren Daoist was stunned for a moment before his face lit up with joy.

"Really?"

"Really. However, I’m not satisfied with your offer. On top of your original proposal, each sect must add another 500,000 Supreme Spirit Stones. I’ll give them time to gather the resources. Three days later, at the ruins of the Jiang family, hand over the stones to me. From then on, all grievances between me and them will be settled," Lu Ye declared.

"Another 500,000..."

"That’s the final offer!"

Lu Ye’s tone was firm and unyielding.

He knew very well the financial strength of these factions. This amount of spirit stones would undoubtedly deal them a heavy blow—and that was exactly what Lu Ye wanted.

Otherwise, they’d never learn their lesson.

Shouren Daoist hesitated several times, but Lu Ye remained patient.

Right now, Shouren Daoist was surely racking his brains on how to save the other parties some spirit stones. He likely understood that the more Lu Ye demanded, the greater the chance of complications arising.

Yet, under Lu Ye’s knowing, half-smiling gaze, all his thoughts seemed laid bare before the other man.

This person’s understanding of him was downright terrifying.

"Fine. Three days from now, I’ll bring the spirit stones to you!"

In the end, Shouren Daoist gave up bargaining. With those words, he took his leave.

Lu Ye and Lin Chuyue’s figures vanished.

Naturally, Lu Ye couldn’t place all his hopes on Lin Chuyue. Though she had confidently vowed to ensure his safety, what if she failed?

Then, all that awaited him would be a mere apology.

Lu Ye hated apologies—because whenever those words appeared, it meant he had suffered a loss.

No one who had done someone a favor would then turn around and say sorry to them.

The reason he chose the ruins of the Jiang family was precisely because the location was where the Void Dao manifested most prominently, making it ideal for cultivation.

And the backup plan Lu Ye had prepared required the assistance of the Void Dao.

Shouren Daoist returned.

"Everyone..."

This time, Shouren Daoist was wiser—or rather, he had never been foolish to begin with. It was only due to his temperament and Dao that he had become the scapegoat.

Now, Shouren Daoist returned with a grim expression, his head hanging low in dejection.

The group of powerful figures immediately paled upon seeing Grandmaster Shouren's expression, swiftly gathering around him.

"Did the negotiations fail?" Wang Yi of the Wang family urgently asked.

"He won’t even coexist peacefully despite compensation? Does he truly intend to annihilate us all?"

"A demon, truly a demon! What do we do, what do we do?"

Merely by showing a grim expression, Grandmaster Shouren had thrown all the faction leaders present into panic.

"The peace talks failed. Prepare yourselves for a desperate fight!" Grandmaster Shouren sighed once more as he spoke.

At this, everyone’s hearts turned utterly cold.

Failed…

The other side refuses to negotiate…

No one spoke further—only restless breaths filled the air.

He truly intends to wipe them all out!!!

"Then we fight! My sect possesses the Instant Spear—I refuse to believe it can’t kill him!"

"There’s no choice but a desperate struggle. Everyone, be ready to exhaust all your reserves. Even if our legacies are destroyed, we’ll drag him down with us!"

"Unwilling to negotiate, absolutely unwilling… A demon, a madman—he’s nothing but a complete lunatic!"

"No, I must disband my entire sect. The millennia-long heritage of my Huaguang Sect cannot end in my hands. If our legacy truly perishes, how could I ever face our ancestors?"

Some raged, some wailed, some remained silent.

Watching this scene, Grandmaster Shouren felt a faint sense of satisfaction.

This was it!

This was exactly it!

"Shouren, what exactly did he say? Did he not even give you a chance to negotiate?" another Grandmaster pressed.

Grandmaster Shouren hesitated slightly before speaking slowly.

"I did negotiate with him, but he made an outrageous demand—a price we simply cannot bear for reconciliation. There was nothing I could do."

"An outrageous demand?"

Countless eyes locked onto Grandmaster Shouren once more.

"Indeed, an outrageous demand. It far exceeded what we were willing to pay, so naturally, the talks failed." Grandmaster Shouren declared indignantly.

The crowd’s expressions darkened.

Far beyond what they were willing to accept…

Then it truly seemed impossible to reach peace. Even if they emptied their sect’s entire treasury, what would it matter if they succeeded?

Their sects would still decline.

Many cultivators are realists. If you don’t offer tributes to the sect elders for a year, they’ll start grumbling.

If you don’t offer tributes for ten years, the sect elders will obey orders but not proclamations—you can assign me tasks, but I can also choose not to do them.

A hundred years without offering tributes to the sect elders…

What sect elders? We’re already rogue cultivators, alright?

“Just how much does he want?” asked a Heaven-Earth realm expert from a first-rate sect.

Grandmaster Shouren sighed again.

“I truly can’t bring myself to say it.”

The crowd…

They couldn’t even imagine what kind of figure it was.

“Brother Shouren, just how much is it? Please don’t keep us in suspense…”

“Fine, I’ll tell you. Brace yourselves.”

Everyone steeled their nerves,

staring eagerly at Grandmaster Shouren.

“The number of Supreme Spirit Stones he wants is…”

Someone gulped.

“Two million three hundred thousand!”

Gasps of shock erupted—so much? Two million three hundred…

“How much?”

A Grandmaster from the Invincible Sword Sect asked in disbelief.

“Two. Million. Three. Hundred. Thousand!”

Two million three hundred thousand…

Suddenly, more than one person shuddered.

Someone rushed up to Grandmaster Shouren in a hurry.

“He only wants two million three hundred thousand?”

The loud voice startled Grandmaster Shouren.

“Only two million three hundred thousand? The most we can accept is two million! Two million three hundred thousand is already far beyond what we can bear. Where are we supposed to find another three hundred thousand Supreme Spirit Stones?”

Grandmaster Shouren said agitatedly.

Nearly everyone present had assumed Lu Ye’s demand would be outrageously high—five million or more.

But it was just two million three hundred thousand.

Just an extra three hundred thousand, it's indeed a heavy blow to them, but it won't kill them!

"What about us, aside from the top-tier factions?" someone hastily asked.

"First-rate factions two million, others one and a half million—only then is there a chance for negotiation!"

"You didn’t flip out on the spot, did you?" a second-rate faction member asked in wild delight.

"Uh, of course not."

"Good, one and a half million Supreme Spirit Stones—we’ll pay! We’ll scrape together every last bit if we have to!"

"What? You’d agree to such an outrageous demand?"

"Not outrageous, not outrageous! Our faction can take the hit—we’ll definitely gather enough!"

"I’ll pay too, I’ll pay too!"

"How many days does he want to gather the stones? I’ll notify my faction to prepare at once!"