Chapter 1: Extracting Oil from Stones (Part 2)

Li Ran asked, “You’ve come over… is there something?”
Ruo Wangtian said, “Elder, we’re preparing to engage in a battle formation. Um, we’d like you to act as an observer and referee…”
At that moment, Guo Shier approached and said, “Don’t rush. I have something to say.”
Ruo Wangtian knew well that Guo Shier was a terrifying freak—his strength surpassed even that of professionals at the ninth-tier altar, and he could control hundreds of thousands of spirit beasts. Though he held no goodwill toward Guo Shier, he didn’t dare underestimate him either. This guy was like a blood-sucking mosquito, ready to bite viciously at the first opportunity. He said, “Alright, what do you have to say?”
Li Ran understood what Guo Shier was thinking and said, “Well, whether it’s as an observer or referee, the terms will be discussed by my brother. Do any of you have objections?”
Ruo Wangtian, Yi Jumaru, and Hua Wulang immediately looked troubled. The three of them had been extorted by Guo Shier more than once, suffering greatly with little gain and losing countless rare materials. They feared him deeply.
Ri Guang and Ti Luoya had met Guo Shier for the first time and didn’t have any particular feelings about him. The only thing that caught their attention was Guo Shier’s altar, which seemed somewhat special. Without overthinking it, Ri Guang said, “We have no objections.”
Only then did Guo Shier step forward with a smile and ask, “How do you plan to conduct the battle formation? Let’s discuss your rules.”
Ruo Wangtian said, “It’s simple. The common method is the Hundred Battles Formation—there are single fights and group battles. Whoever wins more than fifty battles is considered the winner, while the loser… must leave immediately.”
Zhen Wuji nodded in agreement; he also thought this was a common way to resolve disputes and avoid heavy losses. Since both sides were strong, a full-scale battle could result in countless deaths among professionals, something neither side could afford. If both sides suffered equally, it would be even more devastating.
Guo Shier shook his head and said, “This method isn’t good. The loser… suffers too much.”
Ruo Wangtian and the other five were stunned. Ri Guang asked, “This is already the best method. Otherwise… what do you think would be a fairer way?”
Guo Shier smiled slightly and said, “I have a better method. Well, consider it a suggestion. It’s up to you whether to listen or not.”
Ruo Wangtian said, “Okay, go ahead.”
Li Ran and Zhen Wuji exchanged a glance. Both knew Guo Shier was up to something, but they couldn’t guess what.

Guo Shier laughed and said, “Hehe, it’s a very simple method. You came first and occupied Bone Mountain… You came later and want to seize Bone Mountain… But Bone Mountain is unclaimed land—first come, first served. So everyone relies on their own strength to get it…”
The five of them showed signs of impatience. Who wants to listen about who came first?
Guo Shier continued, “Well, since your goal is Bone Mountain, it’s simple… It’s only natural that you, having come later, also want to get it.”
Ri Guang and Ti Luoya nodded repeatedly, but the expressions of Ruo Wangtian and the other two were not good.
Guo Shier went on, “Of course, those who came first definitely won’t agree. Either you fight each other and use your strength to defeat the others and take control of Bone Mountain. But in my opinion, the difference in strength between the two sides is limited. If a fight breaks out, the casualties would be too heavy for either side to bear. So I have no objection to a battle.”
Li Ran smiled and said, “Hurry up and state your rules.”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “The rule I want to change is simple. One hundred battles will determine one hundred shares of the spoils. For each victory, you get one share. For example, if Bone Mountain is divided into one hundred shares, winning one battle means taking one share of it.”
Ri Guang and Ti Luoya nodded at the same time. Of course, they wouldn’t object to such favorable terms. Ruo Wangtian shouted, “How is that possible?”
Guo Shier said, “Don’t rush. I still have something to say…”
Hua Wulang said, “Okay, go ahead!”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Senior Ri Guang, Senior Ti Luoya, since you came later and want a share of Bone Mountain, shouldn’t you show some sincerity too? Based on the value of those shares, contribute one hundred precious materials. Since it’s a gamble with both winning and losing possibilities, you can’t just get a share if you win but get nothing if you lose, right?”
Ri Guang and Ti Luoya were stunned. It made sense—there couldn’t be gains if you won but nothing if you lost. Such a gamble indeed wouldn’t hold up.
Ruo Wangtian and the other two weren’t fools. They immediately understood and secretly felt lucky. Their side was betting Bone Mountain itself—losing meant losing everything, while the other side could just leave without any loss. Ruo Wangtian slapped his thigh and said, “That’s right! If we lose, we have to give up Bone Mountain, and if we win, we get nothing! No, we need to discuss this again!”
Neither side dared make a decision. Ruo Wangtian said, “Everyone, wait a moment. Let’s go back and discuss this further.” The five of them immediately flew back to resume negotiations.

Li Ran smiled and said, “You fixed their flaws, but you also offended those people from the ancient clans.”
Guo Shier laughed and replied, “If I offended them, so be it. Hehe, anyway, we’re about to leave this place.”
Li Ran said with a smile, “They still don’t know your strength. Once your altar is stabilized, you’ll realize the advantages of the Heavenly Altar. Hehe, your sacrificial spirit is quite powerful—it knows to collect natural runes. With those runes enhancing it, your Heavenly Altar will undergo tremendous changes.”
Zhen Wuji said, “I don’t know how powerful the Heavenly Altar is, but I do know that Shier’s sacrificial treasure is extremely powerful. It’s an amazing item for group battles. With that treasure, we hardly need to fear any ancient clan. Hehe, even those massive merchant alliances and federations can be suppressed.”
Li Ran said, “It may not be enough against top experts, but against professionals with altars below the eighth level, hehe, it can sweep through armies effortlessly.”
Guo Shier shook his head and said, “This is just an external object. It’s the power of that object, not my own strength.”
Li Ran praised him, “I was planning to remind you, but it seems you understood on your own. Hehe, not bad. You’re quite quick-witted.”
Zhen Wuji also nodded slightly and said, “However, having a powerful sacrificial treasure can protect oneself from danger. Hehe, that’s also very important. Only with a life… can one have everything else.”
At that moment, arguments erupted among the opposing sides below, and their voices were clearly audible even to Guo Shier and the others. Li Ran laughed and said, “Reaching an agreement isn’t easy. Shier, with just one sentence, you made them argue fiercely. You’re really crafty.”
Guo Shier laughed and said, “I didn’t say anything. It’s just a distribution plan. Their way of fighting through bets is too crude and unfair. For the Yuanke Alliance, the Red Flag Merchant Alliance, and the Dayang Sect, they’re at a huge disadvantage…”
Zhen Wuji glanced at him, slightly puzzled. Judging from Guo Shier’s previous extortion tactics, it seemed he had no interest in standing up for others. He must have some other motive.
Guo Shier laughed and said, “Really, don’t look at me like that. I’m truly thinking of their best interests.”
Zhen Wuji couldn’t help but say, “Is it because… you extorted a lot from them and feel guilty? I don’t quite believe it.”
Li Ran found this amusing. Guo Shier sighed and said, “Sigh, I’m a good person. Why doesn’t anyone believe me? It’s really disheartening.”
Zhen Wuji said, “Hmm, you are indeed a good person. You’ve gotten me a lot of advantages, haha.”
Guo Shier replied, “Taking advantage and acting humble—what an unkind thing to do.”

The three of them joked around for a while, and the argument below also ended, seemingly reaching a consensus. Soon, the five of them flew up again.
Li Ran asked, “How did the discussion go?”
Ruo Wangtian replied, “We’ll follow Guo Shier’s plan—each of us contributes a hundred items. We’ll use Bone Mountain’s share, and they’ll provide a hundred pieces of various materials, all of roughly equal value.”
In truth, the Gu family couldn’t provide that many materials; fifty or so would be enough for them. If they lost even fifty pieces, they wouldn’t be able to continue the bet.
Yi Jumaru said, “Please act as an impartial referee, senior.” The other four also said, “Thank you, senior.”
At that moment, Guo Shier appeared again. He waved his hand and said, “Slow down, slow down… You’ve reached an agreement, but we haven’t yet… Brother Li Ran, can I represent you and Senior Zhen Wuji?”
Li Ran nodded. “No problem. I’ll agree on behalf of Zhen Wuji. You take full responsibility for the negotiations.”
It was necessary to use someone’s authority as a pretext. Guo Shier asked, “The five seniors, do you agree as well?”
Ruo Wangtian felt uneasy but had no way to stop him. He sighed and said, “Alright, what do you want to discuss?”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “Having Brother Li Ran and Senior Zhen Wuji act as referees isn’t a big deal, but… why should they stay here to do that? The two elders have a lot on their plates and are very busy…” From “brother” to “senior” to “the two elders,” he kept elevating their status.
Li Ran’s lips curled slightly, and Zhen Wuji also suddenly understood what Guo Shier meant.
Ruo Wangtian was frustrated. This guy had already extorted countless things and now wanted more. Yet what he said made sense—why should the two seniors stay here to act as referees? They weren’t idle either. He took a deep breath and asked, “What do you say they should do… for them to stay and act as referees?”
Guo Shier smiled and said, “It’s simple. As referees, no matter who wins or loses between your two families, they’ll have to leave behind a few items—of course, chosen by us… Don’t worry, it won’t be many; three or five will suffice.”
Ruo Wangtian’s brows furrowed, but he didn’t object, as each item was quite large, and three or five indeed wasn’t much. But while he didni object, others did. Ti Luoya said, “Three or five items… it’s not much, but what if there’s a dispute?”

Guo Shier said indifferently, “Everything depends on Brother Li Ran. Whoever he says wins, that’s who wins. Don’t worry; he won’t be biased, because… there’s no need.”
Ti Luoya asked, “What if the senior decides one side will win, but the other side refuses to accept it?”
Guo Shier replied, “They still have to accept it! Hehe, the cost of refusing is high!”
Ri Guang asked, “How high?”
Guo Shier said, “It’s simple. We’ll join the side that refuses and fight until they accept it!”
Ti Luoya sneered, “War can’t be won by just a few people!”
Guo Shier laughed and said, “No matter which side it is, as long as I join, the other side is doomed to lose.”
Except for Ruo Wangtian, the other four all laughed—laughing at Guo Shier’s arrogance and ignorance. Li Ran and Zhen Wuji also laughed; they certainly understood what Guo Shier meant.
Ti Luoya said, “Oh, with just a seventh-level altar practitioner like you, can you threaten such a large group of practitioners? I don’t believe it… Do you?” Among the practitioners below, not to mention those at the seventh level, there were even thousands at the eighth level. No one could give an exact number, but even with that, Guo Shier’s words seemed laughable.
Guo Shier smiled and said, “I may not have many other skills, but when it comes to group fights, in this world, if I’m not number one, then no one dares to claim to be!”