Chapter 2424: Conditions

"Of course, if fellow Daoist has any requests, feel free to tell me," Gong Mao said.

Lu Ye raised two fingers.

Gong Mao was puzzled.

"I want twenty percent of the profits from this battle!" Lu Ye said slowly.

Gong Mao was stunned at first, then widened his eyes, looking as if he doubted he had heard correctly.

Lu Ye simply looked at him calmly, firmly expressing his stance.

Suddenly, Gong Mao laughed aloud, with a hint of mockery in his laughter. He indeed thought highly of Lu Ye, but that didn't mean he would agree to such an absurd request.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. Just as he was about to speak, Lu Ye spoke first: "Perhaps no one has ever negotiated such terms with the Battle Arena before, but there's always a first time for everything. Why don't you give it a try? I can't guarantee anything else, but I can guarantee that I'll survive."

Gong Mao's expression subtly hardened. "Are you confident you can defeat a Ninth-Layer Dao Integration cultivator?"

Lu Ye looked at him calmly, radiating visible confidence.

Gong Mao said, "Even so, the Battle Arena cannot agree to your terms, fellow Daoist."

Lu Ye smiled. "I know you can't agree, but you can ask the people behind you."

Gong Mao's face darkened. "As expected, a newborn calf fears no tiger. Your tone is a bit too bold, fellow Daoist." If every trivial matter required alerting those above him, what would be the point of having a manager like him?

A Sixth-Layer Dao Integration cultivator defeating a Ninth-Layer one would indeed be astonishing and bring great benefits to the Battle Arena, but it wasn't enough to warrant him bothering the higher echelons.

"Furthermore, what I can guarantee is that this is just the beginning!" Lu Ye seemed completely oblivious to Gong Mao's hostility. "I don't mind the Battle Arena turning me into a money tree. I believe you have that capability. The condition is that I receive sufficient, tangible benefits!"

The hostility on Gong Mao's face slowly dissipated. He suddenly realized that Lu Ye wasn't just talking nonsense; what Lu Ye knew was far more than he had anticipated.

What especially caught Gong Mao's attention was Lu Ye saying this was just the beginning!

What did that mean? Could it be that this human's limit wasn't the Ninth-Layer Dao Integration realm?

If that were true, then with the Battle Arena's capabilities, they could indeed turn him into a money tree. There had been precedents for this in the past at the Battle Arena, but they often ended in failure.

"Twenty percent is not possible!" Gong Mao shook his head. This was the bottom line, and he couldn't make that decision on his own.

One must understand that if they truly promoted that battle, the final profits would be enormous. How could they possibly give away twenty percent?

"I have other conditions," Lu Ye said, as if he hadn't heard Gong Mao.

*You* have more conditions? Gong Mao stared wide-eyed at Lu Ye. They hadn't even settled on the first one!

"I want to hide my identity and appearance. I believe the Battle Arena can manage this," Lu Ye continued, as if unafraid of Gong Mao refusing him. "Although I've participated in some battles before, only a relatively small number of people have seen me; most still don't know me. The news of a Sixth-Layer Dao Integration cultivator defeating a Ninth-Layer one is too sensational, and with the unique nature of the Harmonious Realm, I don't want to be immediately recognized wherever I go in the future."

A strange feeling welled up in Gong Mao's heart. All cultivators who came to the Battle Arena to compete wished to forge a great reputation for themselves, making it easier to join the larger Harmonious Dao cities. Yet, the person before him actually wanted to hide his identity and appearance?

No wonder he previously showed no interest in gaining fame.

However, from another perspective, his concerns weren't entirely unreasonable.

What kind of person was this?

Gong Mao suddenly wanted to hear what other conditions he had, not out of expectation, but out of curiosity. "Do you have any other requests, fellow Daoist?"

"Yes!" As Lu Ye spoke, he took out a ruler and placed it on the table in front of him. "I need my opponent to refine this treasure and fight me to the death with it!"

Gong Mao lowered his head to glance at the ruler on the table. He hadn't been too concerned, as he was a Dao Integration cultivator himself, and as the Battle Arena's manager, he had seen countless treasures, big and small, in his life.

But the moment his gaze fell upon the ruler, he suddenly sensed something was amiss.

He couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

"Fellow Daoist, may I examine this treasure?" Gong Mao asked.

"Please do!" Lu Ye gestured with a raised hand.

He wasn't afraid that Gong Mao would steal it. With the Battle Arena's vast enterprise, if they resorted to snatching items from guests, they would have long lost all credibility.

So even though he was meeting Gong Mao for the first time and didn't know his character, he wasn't worried.

Because at this moment, he was not interacting with Gong Mao the cultivator, but Gong Mao the manager of the Battle Arena.

Picking up the ruler, Gong Mao examined it carefully. A moment later, his expression changed to one of surprise. "Is this the Sky-Measuring Affiliated Treasure?"

Only then did Lu Ye learn the name of this affiliated treasure.

"What did you mean by that, fellow Daoist?" Gong Mao looked at Lu Ye, his expression a mix of surprise and uncertainty. The more he conversed with this human, the more unfathomable he became.

"Literally what I said," Lu Ye replied.

Gong Mao hesitated. "You mean you want to give this affiliated treasure to your opponent, let him refine it, and then have him use it to fight you?"

Lu Ye nodded.

"Why is that?" Gong Mao truly couldn't understand what Lu Ye was thinking. Just like his previous request for twenty percent of the next battle's profits, this request was even more preposterous.

Who in this world would give a treasure to their enemy? And an affiliated treasure at that! One must know that if this item were offered, even a Dao Integration cultivator like himself would be tempted.

"Of course, I have my own considerations. If you're willing, just make the arrangements."

To advance, Liao needed to find an enemy with an affiliated treasure and fight a life-or-death battle with them. However, enemies with affiliated treasures were hard to come by, especially now that he was still in Yuanxi City.

But the Battle Arena offered him hope.

Since Gong Mao was already arranging for him to fight a Ninth-Layer Dao Integration cultivator, it would be perfect to have that unseen enemy refine this treasure. Thus, the condition could be met.

As for whether Liao could advance to an affiliated treasure after this battle, that would depend on its own fortune. In fact, neither Lu Ye nor Liao itself could be sure if this plan would even work.

But regardless, it was worth trying. This was the only method the man and the blade could think of at the moment.

"Honestly, I really can't see through you, fellow Daoist," Gong Mao said, looking at Lu Ye with a complex expression. He had truly never met such a strange person.

"Just cooperation," Lu Ye replied calmly, implying there was no need to understand too much.

Gong Mao asked, "A Ninth-Layer Dao Integration cultivator, aided by an affiliated treasure—are you truly confident you can defeat them?"

Lu Ye leaned back, a hint of arrogance appearing on his face. "As I said, this is just the beginning. If the Battle Arena is willing, I don't mind you turning me into a money tree." He paused, then added, "And as the one who discovered this money tree, if my value increases, your position in the Battle Arena should also rise, right?"

These words struck a chord with Gong Mao.

His face immediately showed a mix of hesitation and struggle.

After a moment, his expression firmed. "Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment. I'll contact my superiors to see what they say."

Lu Ye gestured for him to proceed.

Gong Mao didn't leave. He took out a sound transmission talisman and sent a message.

Evidently, he didn't receive an immediate reply, so he casually started chatting with Lu Ye, subtly probing for information about him.

Lu Ye parried his questions off-handedly.

"By the way, please thank the fellow Daoist who has been arranging my opponents for me," Lu Ye suddenly remembered.

He now realized that the person who had been arranging Seventh-Layer Dao Integration opponents for him earlier was one individual, but the two times an Eighth-Layer opponent was arranged later, it must have been Gong Mao's intervention. Gong Mao likely wanted to test his abilities, which led to their subsequent meeting.

Otherwise, there was no reason for his opponents to suddenly change from Seventh-Layer to Eighth-Layer.

Gong Mao blinked, then said, "No problem."

A moment later, Gong Mao suddenly checked his sound transmission talisman; a message seemed to have arrived. Lu Ye subtly observed his expression, but found that Gong Mao's face remained unchanged, revealing nothing.

A short while later, Gong Mao put away his sound transmission talisman and said, "Fellow Daoist, your requests have been approved by my superiors. However, regarding the profits, they have only agreed to ten percent; that is non-negotiable. All other conditions are as you stated, and I will also help you choose a suitable opponent."

"When will it start?" Lu Ye asked.

Gong Mao replied, "Since an affiliated treasure needs to be refined, it certainly won't be possible in the short term. It will take at least three months."

And this was under the premise that the Battle Arena would fully support the chosen Ninth-Layer Dao Integration cultivator in refining the affiliated treasure. If the cultivator had to refine it on their own, the time required would undoubtedly be much longer.

"Three months..." Lu Ye nodded, indicating he could wait. "Can I still participate in battles?"

He still wanted to earn more Dao Fish.

"It's best not to. Although we will conceal your identity and appearance after three months, if you are too active, curious individuals are bound to discover clues. To ensure the success of the great battle three months from now, you cannot participate in any more fights until then."

"No problem," Lu Ye nodded.

Although he felt a bit regretful, the wait was worth it compared to the potential profits after three months.

He didn't know the exact amount of ten percent of the profits after that battle, but as long as the Battle Arena managed it well, it wouldn't be a small sum.

Compared to the arduous effort of participating in numerous battles, this kind of profit was truly a windfall.

"Fellow Daoist, please wait a moment while I prepare the contract!" Gong Mao said, standing up.

"Contract?" Lu Ye looked at him suspiciously.

"In the Harmonious Realm, one cannot make vows in the name of the Star Abyss Will, but the Battle Arena's contracts are time-tested, so you need not worry too much."

"No need, I trust you," Lu Ye waved his hand.

Of course, he wouldn't easily trust the Battle Arena, but since vows couldn't be made in the name of the Star Abyss Will, any contract would be meaningless. The Battle Arena was a massive enterprise; if they truly reneged, there was nothing he could do.

He trusted his own judgment more. A vast establishment like the Battle Arena wouldn't jeopardize its credibility, built over countless years, for this matter.

Moreover, after one battle, the Battle Arena should be able to see the value of future cooperation. By then, whether there was a contract or not, the Battle Arena wouldn't renege on today's agreement.