Ultimately, the transaction concluded only after the young Daoist priest purchased the supplies at a price three-tenths higher than what was initially billed.
Watching the dejected young Daoist priest with his head hung low.
The System's eyes darted, a mischievous expression appearing.
It then slung an arm around the young Daoist's shoulders and led him aside, saying:
"What's wrong, Brother Ming? It's just a small matter, why so glum? A little bit of money like this is the kind we brothers wouldn't even bother picking up if it fell on the ground."
The young Daoist priest's eyes widened: "You..."
Seeing the young Daoist priest about to curse, the System quickly added: "Brother Ming, I have a big money-making venture for you. I guarantee zero investment and high returns, making a fortune from nothing."
"You... if you have a profitable business, you'd bring me along? Do you believe that yourself?"
The young Daoist priest pouted, saying skeptically.
The System quickly chuckled, "What are you saying? Aren't we all brothers here?"
"Forget it, I'll be blunt. Brother Ming, see those volcanic rocks outside? They're all treasures. Things like Yan Jing, obsidian, Huoyun stone, and Huosui are all dug out from volcanic rocks."
"Moreover, if we can find the volcano that was destroyed and dig downwards, we might even unearth a fire-elemental crystal vein. Don't you think that's a treasure?"
"You provide the manpower, I provide the equipment and blueprints. We'll split the profits fifty-fifty. What do you say?"
After hearing this, the young Daoist priest narrowed his eyes and stared at the System: "You could be this kind? I'm finding it hard to believe."
After all, birds of a feather flock together. Including Lin Zhan and the Five Little Ones, none of these like-minded rascals were good people.
Even he himself wouldn't necessarily believe his own words.
"Would I trick you, Brother Ming? Besides, if I don't cooperate with you, who else can I find in the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield?"
"A vast expanse of volcanic rock, over 300 kilometers wide, cannot be mined in a short time without a million people."
The young Daoist priest considered it. What the System said made sense. He decided to try and negotiate a better price, after all, he had already been cajoled into paying thirty percent more for the goods.
The amount of money was a minor issue; reputation was paramount.
As a notorious "fixer" among all the myriad races of the heavens, being tricked on his own turf was an unbearable blow to his pride.
Seeing the young Daoist priest about to speak, the System quickly interjected: "Brother Ming, don't haggle anymore. Brothers have their own difficulties."
"Mining these things requires specialized equipment and tools, and those things cost a significant amount of money. I'm taking on great risks here, so please don't haggle further."
The young Daoist priest also felt that it made sense, so he nodded in agreement.
Once the two brothers had finalized their agreement, they immediately signed a contract. Each took on their respective responsibilities, one finding people, the other procuring equipment.
Lin Zhan and the Five Little Ones, who had been observing the two from a distance, exchanged smiles after seeing the two chubby fellows reach an agreement.
Xiao Kong said naively: "Boss, shouldn't we join in? These two chubby fellows are as shrewd as they come. If they say something is a sure bet, it's a sure bet."
"Old Fifth, what are you talking about? If we approach them now, we'll have to invest. It's much better to wait until they've mined all the volcanic rock, and then we can just pick up the leftovers," Xiao Jin said with a chuckle, peeking his head out.
Meanwhile.
The high command of the entire allied army of the Ten Thousand Races convened in the Deep Sea Secret Realm.
Even Rommel, who had been recovering in logistics, was brought over on a stretcher.
Rommel looked at the Demon Race Imperial Son, bewildered, and asked:
"Imperial Son, you're saying that Old Lin Black leveled your two major secret realms in three days and also annihilated 30,000 Great Demon Kings? Are you sure you're talking about Old Lin Black and not one of the Three Ancestors of the Human Race?"
The Divine Race Imperial Daughter added fuel to the fire, saying: "Not only that, but at the very beginning, he killed 5,000 of our Kings, captured the Imperial Son alive, and took down our Marshal, who is still incapacitated."
Demon Race Imperial Son: ???
Rommel: ???
Seeing their confused expressions, the Divine Race Imperial Daughter couldn't help but pout: "Stop dawdling, you two great heroes. Quickly figure out what to do next."
Rommel, hearing the Divine Race Imperial Daughter's taunt, retorted irritably:
"Don't ask me. I'm a cripple right now, recuperating. You two are the elites of the elites from the Divine and Demon races."
"I am merely a lowly Beastman whose family was destroyed. I'd rather not get involved with you. With this energy, it's better to live a few more days."
"Even if we lose the War of the Ten Thousand Races, Old Lin Black would likely disdain to kill a cripple like me. Besides, even if he kills me, I'll just be reunited with my family. It would be a release for me."
The Divine Race Imperial Daughter was taken aback. She couldn't quite gauge Rommel's state of mind.
What was this foolish fox thinking? Had he seen through the vanity of the world and no longer wished to live? If so, he should just slit his own throat, why pretend to be pitiful here? Did she have to prepare some travel money for his journey to the underworld?
Although the Divine Race Imperial Daughter thought this, she couldn't say it aloud.
"Marshal Rommel, to put it mildly, we all have personal grudges against Old Lin Black. Our Divine Race ancestors who died at the hands of their Great Shang army are countless. If we can't take this opportunity for revenge, how can we face them?"
"To put it broadly, this concerns the life and death of our Ten Thousand Races. You cannot refuse to act."
Seeing the Divine Race Imperial Daughter's hypocritical expression, the Demon Race Imperial Son couldn't help but sneer: Damn this sly wench.
Rommel turned to the Demon Race Imperial Son and said: "Imperial Son, what are your plans for the next step?"
The Demon Race Imperial Son was startled and secretly thought, why is this damned fox showing concern for me?
"Marshal Rommel, I was actually intending to discuss this with you and the Princess."
"I plan to build a stronghold on the left side of the Deep Sea Secret Realm, behind the Demon Volcano, forming a pincer formation with the Deep Sea Secret Realm and the Giant Demon Forest for mutual defense."
Rommel listened without speaking, instead contemplating it silently.
However, the Divine Race Imperial Daughter was displeased, as the Deep Sea Secret Realm and the Giant Demon Forest were both tributaries of her Divine Race.
If they were to suffer heavy losses to the Human Race here, wouldn't that also count as a contribution to the Demon Race Imperial Son?
Just as the Divine Race Imperial Daughter was about to object, she heard Rommel say: "Imperial Son, I don't think this is entirely appropriate."
"The new weapons of the Human Race are powerful. Even the defensive line of a secret realm like the Demon Volcano was destroyed. Can the cities we build later be stronger than a secret realm?"
"Instead of building cities here and becoming targets for the Human Race, it would be better to expand the Deep Sea Secret Realm, let the ocean completely block the Human Race's advance, and then we can hurry to research the weaknesses of the Human Race's new weapons."