Chapter 1010: Reaching an Agreement
“Thank you for your goodwill, Brother Fu. I’d still like to try getting my name on the tablet. If that fails, I’ll try another way,” Ye Mo said apologetically to Fu Rong.
Seeing Ye Mo’s reluctance, Fu Rong grew concerned. He’d chosen Ye Mo precisely because of his lack of local connections; any mishap wouldn't implicate him. He knew the upcoming venture was dangerous, needing a pawn, and Ye Mo was ideal.
When Ye Mo persisted in his desire to leave, Fu Rong conceded, “Brother Ye, I won’t hide it. I know something about formations. This stealth formation has defensive capabilities—a level five formation, constructed by a Hollow Spirit state Forgery Grandmaster, Yu Baisheng, 150 years ago.”
“What? Yu Baisheng? The renowned level three Forgery Grandmaster from South Peace City?” Cheng Yugeng exclaimed, surprised.
Zheng Yidao was equally shaken, his familiarity with Yu Baisheng evident. Ye Mo, observing their reactions, understood Yu Baisheng's significance.
Ye Mo only crafted basic magic artifacts, yet he knew Forgery Masters held a status comparable to Pill Masters. Forgery Masters crafted magic artifacts; Forgery Great Masters forged spirit artifacts; Forgery Grandmasters created cultivation artifacts. Immortal artifacts were beyond the cultivation realm's capabilities.
A vast difference existed between Forgery Master grades. Anciently, they were categorized as top, middle, and low grade; now, like Pill Masters, they were ranked on a nine-level scale. A level one Forgery Master crafted low-grade magic artifacts, while a level nine could create extreme-grade magic artifacts—a night-and-day difference.
Yu Baisheng, a level three Forgery Grandmaster, could craft low-grade cultivation artifacts—a remarkable feat. Comparatively, Forgery Masters were rarer and more lucrative than Pill Masters.
“Didn’t Yu Baisheng qianbei disappear 150 years ago? His South Bank City shop is gone. How did you identify his formation?” Zheng Yidao asked, excitement already flickering in his eyes.
Even an ordinary Hollow Spirit state ruin was a fortune for Golden Core state cultivators; one belonging to a renowned Forgery Grandmaster like Yu Baisheng was even more significant.
Fu Rong nodded gravely. “Indeed, Yu Baisheng qianbei was exceptionally talented, also a level five Formation Master. I've studied his formations; I'm certain of his authorship. He once purchased a Huang Star Rock at auction—highly sought after. After the auction, he was attacked, vanishing from the cultivation realm. I later discovered this formation, but I'm unsure if its contents belong to him.”
“Since it's Yu Baisheng qianbei's ruin, why the delay in informing us?” Zheng Yidao complained, his tone sharp.
Fu Rong sighed. “I didn't intend to conceal it; I planned to tell you beforehand. We're friends, frequent collaborators. I wouldn't deceive you. We can't breach that level five formation alone; forceful entry risks damaging the contents. I devised a method, but it requires four tertiary-stage Golden Core cultivators.”
He looked at Ye Mo. “Were it not for the formation's age weakening it, I'd have no solution. This defense formation is beyond the capabilities of four Golden Core cultivators.”
Ye Mo ceased listening, the words “Huang Star Rock” echoing in his mind. His forgery skills, though not exceptional—at most a level seven Forgery Master—allowed him to create, at best, extreme-grade magic artifacts, usually top-grade.
But his knowledge remained. The Huang Star Rock was a level nine forgery material, suitable for crafting extreme-grade dao artifacts, especially flying magic artifacts.
With the Nine-Feathered Golden Perch feather he possessed, obtaining the Huang Star Rock would allow him to commission an extreme-grade flying dao artifact, potentially even reaching fake immortal artifact level. Then he could freely travel to North Far State.
His Golden Page World could only accommodate people after Truth Realization, but extreme-grade dao artifacts had no such limitation. These artifacts were treasures of nine-star sects, and a flying one was especially precious.
Fu Rong noticed Ye Mo's strange expression and silence. Turning to him, he offered, “Brother Ye, if you join, I’ll give you 20% of Yu Baisheng qianbei’s ruin.”
Then, addressing Cheng Yugeng and Zheng Yidao, he said, “As the discoverer, I’ll take 30%; you two get 20% each. The remaining 10% goes to the hardest worker. Objections?”
Ye Mo interjected, “I’ll take 10%, but the Huang Star Rock is mine.”
Silence followed, but Fu Rong quickly responded, “Agreed, but if there’s no Huang Star Rock, you still get only 10%. What about you two?”
“I agree,” Cheng Yugeng replied instantly. Zheng Yidao nodded in agreement.
Ye Mo understood their reasoning. The Huang Star Rock was rare, but its existence was uncertain. Yu Baisheng, being a Forgery Grandmaster, might have already used it, rendering Ye Mo's demand essentially a free 10% of the loot.
Furthermore, the Huang Star Rock presented challenges. Even Yu Baisheng was hunted for it. While valuable, finding a Forgery Grandmaster to craft it, and one willing to risk their life, was improbable.
An unworked Huang Star Rock was useless. Rather than a distant possibility, they’d take a more practical share, accelerating their ascent to Nascent Soul state.
Regarding the Nine-Foot Sea Snake beast core, Ye Mo remained silent, and Fu Rong conveniently forgot about it.
Still, Ye Mo remained cautious. This was their first meeting, yet Fu Rong brought him to such a valuable ruin. He felt uneasy, sensing a familiarity between Fu Rong and the other two, while he remained alone.
However, Ye Mo wasn't intimidated; even if the three joined forces, he wasn't afraid.
With the agreement finalized, they departed immediately. Ye Mo’s flying ship surprised them, though not excessively. He noted their middle-grade spirit flying ships, with Fu Rong’s comparable to his own in quality.