Chapter 577: Negotiation

On the hilltop, Tang Xiaoyan's mediation slightly eased the tension between Zhou Yuan and Fan Yao. The three parties, each accompanied by a small group of disciples, then gathered.

"It's quite a serendipitous encounter for our three parties to meet here," Tang Xiaoyan said, gently smiling at Fan Yao and Zhou Yuan, the leaders of their respective groups. Her gaze then shifted to the ancient, mist-shrouded forest before them. "This six-colored treasure land, while promising opportunities, also presents considerable danger. I believe you are all aware of this."

Both Zhou Yuan and Fan Yao nodded slightly. Setting aside other concerns, the vibrant mist itself was eerily peculiar, even capable of blocking spiritual perception, which was quite troublesome.

"Although the mist here is problematic, it is, fortunately, gradually dissipating," Tang Xiaoyan stated. "At this rate, we might be able to enter in about three days." She then seemed to recall something. "May I ask where you obtained your intelligence regarding this place?"

Zhou Yuan calmly explained, "A chief from the Minor Thunder Sect tried to snatch our Profound Origin Essence. I captured him, and he bartered this information for his life." Fan Yao, poker-faced, stated, "We ran into a Minor Thunder Sect team. Noticing their hurried demeanor, I simply stopped them and questioned them. Ultimately, they divulged this information." He paused, then bared a grim smile at Zhou Yuan. "Of course... I still ensured their demise in the end." It was clear that the actual events were far less straightforward than Fan Yao made them sound.

Tang Xiaoyan pursed her red lips and smiled faintly. "What a remarkable coincidence... A disciple from the Minor Thunder Sect was relentlessly pursuing one of our junior sisters and inadvertently leaked this very news."

Zhou Yuan's mouth twitched slightly. He exchanged a glance with Jin Zhang, both feeling rather speechless, and simultaneously, a hint of sympathy for the Minor Thunder Sect arose within them. These individuals truly suffered a miserable fate.

"That particular Minor Thunder Sect disciple held a relatively high position within their sect, so the intelligence we possess might be more detailed than yours," she continued. "Deep within this ancient forest lies a lake known as the Six-Colored Lake. Its waters are composed entirely of pure Profound Origin Essence. Collecting it would undoubtedly allow for the refinement of a six-color Spirit Building wonder. However, as you probably know, the lake also emits a powerful repellent force, preventing anyone without a four-color Spirit Building wonder from approaching." Tang Xiaoyan looked at both parties with her beautiful eyes and smiled. "I wonder if you have both achieved that."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan nodded slightly. During the journey to this location, the three-colored Spirit Building wonder in his Qi Mansion had already successfully upgraded to a four-colored one. Fan Yao likewise nodded nonchalantly; refining a four-colored Spirit Building wonder was not a difficult task for either of them.

"Now, the most challenging issue presents itself," Tang Xiaoyan explained. "Within the Six-Colored Lake resides an exceptionally powerful guardian beast. I believe that in a one-on-one confrontation, even Senior Brother Fan Yao might not be its match."

Fan Yao's eyes narrowed slightly. "What kind of Genesis Beast is that guardian, and what is its strength?" he inquired.

Tang Xiaoyan shook her head. "That information is unavailable; the Minor Thunder Sect's intelligence only goes so far."

"Under these circumstances, we must eliminate that guardian beast before we can harvest anything from the Six-Colored Lake," she continued. "Therefore, my proposal is for our three parties to join forces, push into the deepest part, and after we've slain the guardian beast, we can then determine the allocation of the Six-Colored Lake."

"How will the Six-Colored Lake be allocated?" Fan Yao asked languidly.

"What are your thoughts, Senior Brother Fan Yao?" Tang Xiaoyan responded.

Fan Yao's indifferent gaze swept over Zhou Yuan. "I propose that you and I each take forty percent, leaving the Cangxuan Sect with twenty percent."

At this remark, Zhou Yuan remained silent, but Jin Zhang's anger flared. He sneered, "Are you treating us like beggars?"

Behind Tang Xiaoyan, Zhao Ru's eyes lit up, and she was about to speak, but Tang Xiaoyan stopped her. Tang Xiaoyan smiled, "The Senior Brothers from the Cangxuan Sect will also be contributing, so such an allocation might not be entirely fair."

She was well aware that Fan Yao's maneuver was an attempt to win them over while simultaneously suppressing the Cangxuan Sect. Although the forty percent share was quite alluring, Tang Xiaoyan did not let it cloud her judgment. She simply didn't trust Fan Yao particularly.

Tang Xiaoyan's gaze shifted to Zhou Yuan. He, too, offered a faint smile and stated, "I propose that you and I each take forty-five percent, leaving the Sacred Palace with ten percent."

"Are you courting death?!" Fan Yao's face darkened. He fixed a cold stare on Zhou Yuan as blood-red Genesis Qi surged around him, whistling and emanating immense pressure.

Witnessing this, Tang Xiaoyan sighed helplessly, realizing that any hope of pre-determining the proportions had now vanished.

"Since we cannot agree, let's temporarily set aside the discussion of the Six-Colored Lake. How about we first join forces to eliminate the guardian beast?" Tang Xiaoyan proposed, opting for a compromise.

This time, both Fan Yao and Zhou Yuan nodded. They understood that to gain access to the Six-Colored Lake, the most formidable guardian beast would ultimately need to be overcome.

"Once the mist thins out a bit more, we'll prepare to depart." With this agreed upon by all three parties, Fan Yao cast a cold glance at Zhou Yuan, then turned and left with his group. Zhou Yuan cupped his hands towards Tang Xiaoyan, then offered a smile to Luli behind her, before turning and departing.

Watching both parties depart, Tang Xiaoyan quietly shook her head.

Zhao Ru murmured, "Xiaoyan, Fan Yao's proposal wasn't bad. A forty percent share would be a significant gain for us." Hearing this, Luli immediately interjected, "But Zhou Yuan also offered us forty-five percent!" Zhao Ru cast a sidelong glance at her. "Does he even have the right to make such a claim? Do you believe him?" "Why wouldn't I?!" Luli retorted defiantly.

Tang Xiaoyan waved a hand, halting their dispute.

Luli looked at her, complaining, "Senior Sister Xiaoyan, Fan Yao clearly has no intention of negotiating. It seems his ambition for the Six-Colored Lake is vast. I suspect... he wouldn't even be satisfied with forty percent."

Tang Xiaoyan smiled. "Do you believe Zhou Yuan truly intended to negotiate?" Her gaze drifted towards the direction Zhou Yuan had left. She slowly added, "Your friend, it turns out, is also quite ambitious..."

During the earlier negotiation, Fan Yao genuinely lacked sincerity, and his appetite clearly wouldn't have been satisfied with forty percent. However, Zhou Yuan's demeanor suggested a similar ambition. This piqued Tang Xiaoyan's curiosity: Fan Yao's assertiveness stemmed from his formidable strength, but did Zhou Yuan possess similar confidence?

"Forget it. For now, let's just focus on uniting to eliminate that most troublesome guardian beast..." "As for the distribution of the Six-Colored Lake... I doubt that will be easily resolved when the time comes..."

Over the next few days, the three groups continued to wait. As they did, the mist grew progressively thinner. Somewhat unexpectedly, however, as the mist receded, the colorful light emanating from within became even more dazzling. This led to a steady stream of other groups arriving to investigate over the course of several days. When they discovered the three major factions gathered, they were undoubtedly astonished. Nevertheless, they quickly, and excitedly, deduced that a treasure must be present; otherwise, why would forces from the Sacred Palace, Cangxuan Sect, and Hundred Flowers Immortal Palace all converge here? Thus, word quietly spread, and the area rapidly grew more bustling, with various factions discreetly appearing.

Zhou Yuan, Fan Yao, and Tang Xiaoyan were not surprised by the arrival of these other forces. Nor did they make any effort to deter them, understanding that if these groups entered, they could serve as cannon fodder, drawing out some of the Genesis Beasts within.

Three days passed swiftly, marked by the increasing presence of various groups gathering outside the ancient forest. By the dawn of the fourth day,

Zhou Yuan, Fan Yao, Tang Xiaoyan, and the others on the hilltop suddenly opened their eyes. They watched the distant ancient forest, noting that the pervasive mist was becoming increasingly faint. Spiritual perception was now able to function, albeit preliminarily. Three gazes met, and the next moment, a whistle pierced the air as all three groups simultaneously rose. *Swish! Swish!* Then, hundreds of figures from the three parties swiftly darted forward at the same time, soaring through the sky like large birds. Under the watchful, covetous eyes of many hidden observers, they directly plunged into the ancient forest.

Shortly after they entered the forest, the various hidden factions could no longer restrain themselves. They surged forth en masse, pouring into the forest. In an instant, the long-silent ancient forest erupted into a frenzy of activity. The battle for the six-colored treasure land had finally begun.