"If we can stick together inside the space, we can collaborate to secure these rewards and counter foreign factions. When the Mountain Crown Wheel appears, weâll compete fairly."
Cannibal Chainâs proposal was straightforward: cooperate early to maximize gains, then compete for the ultimate prize. This way, even the losing side wouldnât walk away empty-handed, avoiding the desperation of a gambler whoâd lost everything.
After all, both sides would still need to coexist and progress together upon returning to the country. This agreement set clear boundaries, ensuring neither crossed the line.
Ye Zhongming agreed. They were all smartâthis was the most mutually beneficial arrangement under the circumstances.
"Then perhaps we can start collaborating now, exchanging resources to strengthen and balance our forces. What do you think, Mr. Ye?"
Wu Xiu leaned forward slightly, a smile on her face.
An hour later, Wu Xiu and Ruan Xiao left satisfiedâand so did Ye Zhongming.
As the undisputed top figure in the national region, he still needed allies here.
"They really do have good stuff."
Xiao Min glanced at the items on the table inside the tent, impressed. Cannibal Chain, as a major commercial organization, truly lived up to its reputationâeven Cloud Peakâs members couldnât help but covet their treasures.
To ensure smoother operations, Ruan Xiao and Wu Xiu had engaged in a small-scale trade with Ye Zhongming.
Of course, at their level, even a "small-scale" trade was enough to cause a stir.
These items would significantly aid Cloud Peak.
At Ye Zhongmingâs feet was a crate of various potions.
The Mountain Crown Wheelâs space would undoubtedly be fraught with danger and combat. No matter how strong Cloud Peak was, they couldnât guarantee absolute safety. If their mental energy, stamina, or health were severely depleted, potions would be crucial.
This crate contained over a thousand bottles of varying types and grades, to be distributed as needed.
These werenât cheapâYe Zhongming had paid a hefty sum.
But the item that delighted him the most was inside a box on the table: the Artisanâs Heart.
Ye Zhongming had obtained this item beforeâbeginner and intermediate versionsâand later collected advanced ones through extensive searching.
He had assumed that was the end of it, but Ogre Chain surprised him with the Supreme Artisanâs Heart, which increased the success rate of crafting high-grade equipment (gold or above) by 10%.
This was a perfect match for Ye Zhongmingâs needs, and naturally, it came at a high priceâfive bottles of Seven-Star Evolution Potion and one gold-grade equipment.
Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely.
The success rate for gold and purple-grade equipment was inherently low, with strict thresholds and limitations. Even Ye Zhongming couldnât craft them casually.
Though he had produced many gold and purple-grade pieces, the number of failures far exceeded his successes.
Each failure meant the loss of precious materialsâenough to make even Ye Zhongming, as wealthy as he was, want to vomit blood in frustration.
A 10% increase in success rate might seem small, but it represented a massive leap forward, saving countless materials in the long run. The price he paid was practically a bargain.
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For Cannibal Chain, the item was uselessâonly a top-tier, prefix-bearing Artisan like Ye Zhongming could use itâbut they had still offered it at a friendly rate.
Ye Zhongming used it immediately. If the Mountain Crown Wheelâs space didnât open today, he planned to test its effects by crafting high-grade equipment.
There was also a spatial ring on the table, containing a special type of battle beast feed.
It wasnât necessarily better than Cloud Peakâs own, but after two consecutive meals, it granted battle beasts resistance to cold and mild toxins.
This was extraordinary. In Alaskaâs freezing climate, many of Cloud Peakâs battle beasts had shown discomfortâfew could match Yangosâ complete indifference to the cold.
Though their high evolution levels and exposure to Mist Essence prevented any major loss of function, the cold still slightly impacted their combat effectiveness.
Ye Zhongming hadnât found a good solutionâhe wasnât skilled in crafting beast gear, so he couldnât just "clothe" them for warmth.
This feed solved that problem.
Lastly, there was something called "Zero-Point Fireflies."
Ye Zhongming was well-traveled, but the transparent box containing a thousand meticulously arranged, artificially crafted firefly-like objects still made him sigh in amazement.
Forget their functionâjust their price was staggering.
Cannibal Chain had charged him one purple-grade equipment (to be delivered), one Eight-Star Evolution Potion, and a hundred of the latest model crystal grenades!
And that was still the "friendship discount"!