"???"
The elder from the Black Spirit tribe was stunned, unable to react for a moment.
But then, his expression turned strange. He had never heard such an absurd statement.
His mouth twitched as he said, "The four of us? Two tenths? And you think that's a bit too much?!"
Are you even speaking human words?
"What's wrong?"
Chen Shu shrugged and asked, "Why the long face?"
"Okay, I'll back down! I'll take a slight loss, you guys can have two tenths!"
"???"
The elder licked his lips and retorted, "I meant *you* take two tenths! Are you here to mess with me?"
The four of them, all King-level, only get two tenths, and you, a mere Golden-level, want eight tenths? Is there any justice in this world?
"I get two tenths?!"
Chen Shu's eyes widened, finding the suggestion equally unbelievable. "Have you no sincerity?"
"..."
The elder looked at Chen Shu deeply, never having met anyone so outrageous.
He took a deep breath, remembering that the opponent's teleportation skill was crucial, and managed to suppress his anger.
After a pause, he said, "I can compromise a little. You get three tenths!"
Without waiting for Chen Shu to speak, he continued:
"This is my limit. If you disagree, then we're done!"
"Three tenths, huh..."
Chen Shu stroked his chin. He hadn't really expected to get eight tenths; it was indeed a bit absurd.
The reason he'd said it was simply to facilitate negotiation. Three tenths had already met his expectations.
"Mmm..."
His expression shifted, and he continued, "Alright, but I have one more condition!"
"What?!"
The elder frowned, his patience wearing thin.
"I want priority selection!"
Chen Shu said firmly. He was primarily interested in obtaining the materials for making death potions; the other resources weren't of great use.
"Agreed!"
After a moment of thought, the elder nodded and accepted.
"Then I wish us a successful cooperation!"
Chen Shu grinned, "Finding me as a teammate, you've made a remarkably correct decision!"
"That's what I wanted to say to you too!"
The elder smiled and added, "I need to go meet the other three. Let's rendezvous at this location tomorrow at this time, how about it?"
"No problem!"
Chen Shu nodded and, with a flash of teleportation, left the spot with Dali.
"Truly a remarkable skill..."
Envy flickered in the elder's eyes.
Space-type abilities were already extremely rare, and high-level space-type users were even rarer. Finding a collaborator was incredibly difficult.
After standing there for a moment, the elder, accompanied by the blood-red phantom beside him, silently departed...
...
Chen Shu and Dali abandoned their original base and found a new underground cave.
To be on the safe side, they changed their dwelling location almost daily, otherwise, they would have already been found by the altar creatures.
"Chen Pi, you really want to cooperate with him?"
Dali's eyes held a hint of worry as he spoke, "I don't think he's a good person."
"What's the big deal?"
Chen Shu lay comfortably on the ground, a blade of grass in his mouth, and said:
"He's not a good person? I never intended to be a good person myself!"
"..."
Dali's eye twitched. "You don't mean to..."
"We'll see depending on the situation."
Chen Shu shook his head. "I haven't even met them yet, and I haven't seen any money. It's too early to talk about this."
"That makes sense too."
Dali nodded. "But all four of them are King-level, and they've surely known each other for a long time..."
"Not a big problem."
Chen Shu scoffed. "If I can't win, I can still escape."
Even legendary-level beings couldn't keep him, let alone King-level ones.
As long as he could preserve his life, he was already in an invincible position.
"Since you have your own plans, I won't say any more."
Dali chose to trust him, after all, Chen Shu was his childhood friend.
With that, he took out his black notebook and began contemplating recipes again.
"Death Altar..."
Chen Shu closed his eyes, a sense of anticipation growing within him.
He had already witnessed the most dangerous [Dragon Abyss] and the second most dangerous [Demon Nest]. Now, he could finally get a glimpse of the third, the [Death Altar].
"What a shame, the Demon Nest only saw the plundering of the Bat Emperor's territory..."
Chen Shu couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, murmuring:
"I hope to have a good harvest..."
The thought of the abundant resources within made his palms tingle with excitement. Accompanied by pleasant fantasies, he gradually drifted off to sleep.
...
The next day,
Chen Shu and Dali arrived early at the agreed-upon meeting spot, waiting.
He leaned against a black tree, his eyes closed, meditating, while Dali was immersed in his own world.
Their demeanor suggested they were not in a dangerous beast-ridden land, but rather at home.
The reason for their relaxation was the spatial rabbit beside them.
Possessing [Battle Instinct (Dragon)], it could avoid almost any sneak attack from creatures and instantly teleport them away.
Just then, a rustling sound came from a distance.
Four figures, dressed in varied attire, approached, whispering amongst themselves as if discussing something.
"Hmm?"
Chen Shu heard the commotion and looked ahead.
"Eh? The Southern Jiang Bandit is this punctual?"
The elder leading the group was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected the other party to arrive so soon.
"Of course, that's my professionalism!"
Chen Shu brushed some dirt off his clothes, his gaze scanning the other three: two men and one woman.
One man, around thirty years old, wore a casual short-sleeved shirt, and a small fox with pink pupils rested on his shoulder.
The other was a middle-aged man, his expression calm and unfathomable. A sleeping purple-gold rat sat on his head.
The only woman, also in her thirties, had a voluptuous figure, exuding mature charm with every smile and gesture. Curiously, there was no contracted spirit beside her.
However, what Chen Shu focused on most was their strength – all of them were King-level without exception!
Moreover, his perception was that they weren't just newly promoted King-level, but likely already at the two-star level, making them top-tier powerhouses of Blue Star.
"Old Black, is this the collaborator you found?"
The man stroked the fox on his shoulder, his gaze towards Chen Shu tinged with doubt.
"Don't underestimate him!"
The elder from the Black Spirit tribe quickly waved his hand and said, "How can someone hailed as the world's number one genius be ordinary?"
"You yourself said he's a genius, not a strong fighter!"
The man shook his head and looked directly at Chen Shu. "A Golden-level, why should he get three tenths of the spoils!"
Under normal circumstances, he might not have provoked Chen Shu, as those who gained worldwide fame were rarely to be trifled with.
But now, with his own interests at stake, he naturally had to stand up and defend them!