Chapter 583: Intent to Cooperate

The words of the Snow Jade Fairy instantly dispelled the ill intentions that had just begun to arise in the minds of those three Mahayana-stage powerhouses across from her.
They had no idea what kind of relationship existed between Su Che and Snow Jade, but from what they could see, they truly believed the two were closely connected and on the same side.
Although Su Che was only at the Refining Void stage, his notorious reputation could not be underestimated. Moreover, his confident expression at that moment showed that he was fully confident in his combat abilities, which allowed him to speak so boldly earlier.
As for the “Snow Jade Fairy,” the three of them had long heard of her—she was a peak-level powerhouse among the Mahayana stage, mysterious and highly respected… How could such a person be easily made an enemy?
“The two fellow cultivators must have misunderstood,” said Lady Lu Nan, a woman who naturally exuded a gentle and soft demeanor. She chuckled and said, “The three of us haven’t even had a chance to say anything yet. Please don’t misinterpret our intentions.”
“We’ve hidden here to avoid the great calamity of the Witch Clan’s invasion. If we can survive these few decades, it will be time for us to ascend to the immortal realm. Truth is, we don’t necessarily need the Witch God Order to protect ourselves. After all, those of us at the Mahayana stage are not easy targets. Even if we encounter two or three Witch Clan warriors, as long as we work together, we have a good chance of defeating them.”
After Lady Lu Nan finished speaking, Master Guang Hao also said kindly, “Lady Lu is absolutely right. We’re not in such urgent need of the Witch God Order. But it’s a fortune to meet you two fellow cultivators at the Thunder God Temple today. This is a bond between people, and we should sit down and celebrate properly.”
The other Ancestral One with Divine Eyes also nodded solemnly with his eyes closed. He closed his eyes because all his supernatural powers resided in them—opening his eyes meant engaging in battle.
As for “sitting down to discuss” or “sitting down to celebrate,” it was impossible for them to enter the magical space where they were hiding. Su Che and Snow Jade certainly wouldn’t foolishly venture into someone else’s lair.
So, where to sit then?
It was simple!
Whoosh…

With a casual gesture, Xueyu created a magnificent scene in this hall, resembling a fairy garden, complete with a rock formation over twenty feet tall, a small fish pond several feet in diameter, and a pavilion beside it. Inside the pavilion stood stone tables and benches—exactly five benches in total.
“Please!”
Xueyu extended her hand in invitation; her long sleeves swayed as if in a breeze, and her ethereal figure resembled a fairy descending from the heavens, inviting everyone to her celestial abode.
Guanghao and the others chuckled as they entered the pavilion, while Su Che remained calm and expressionless, actually trying to patiently see what tricks Xueyu would pull next.
After sitting down, the five of them acted like old friends, sipping fragrant tea and exchanging trivial chatter: praising Xueyu’s exquisite and delicate garden, highlighting its uniqueness everywhere… and also saying that the tea was excellent, with a taste so wonderful it was rare to encounter even once in a thousand years…
Finally, as if losing patience, Su Che urged, “Let’s get to the point quickly. The sooner, the better. I’m busy.”
This was indeed the temperament expected of the legendary evil master. They were all cultivators of the immortal path, bound by pretense and courtesy, but an evil master didn’t need such things!
Guanghao and the others exchanged glances before nodding in agreement.
Seizing Su Che’s prompt, Xueyu asked directly, “The three of you hiding here are not just to avoid the Witch Clan, are you? Could it be that the Thunder God Temple itself holds no appeal for you?”
“If someone else said or asked this, I would come up with a bunch of excuses to dodge it.”
Elder Guanghao was the first to respond, “But since we’re being straightforward, to show our sincerity, we must admit that there indeed is a secret buried within the Thunder God Temple. I’ve spent thousands of years working on it… And it is precisely because I know this place so well that I chose it as our hiding spot.”
When Elder Guanghao spoke these words, neither the Ancient Ancestor with the divine eyes nor Saintess Lunan showed any intention of stopping him, seemingly fully following Elder Guanghao’s lead on this matter.
Or it could be understood that the ‘secret’ was discovered by Elder Guanghao, who had invested much effort into it, and he was willing to share it with anyone—no one else had the right to object.
“Today, since we know that Master Tianyu and Sister Xueyu have come to the Thunder God Temple to explore its mysteries, I should even more share the insights I’ve gained over the years with everyone.”

At this point, Master Guanghao fixed his gaze on Su Che’s face and said with a smile, “If we can gain something from this, aside from what’s rightfully ours, we would kindly ask Master Tianyu to stay here for another thirty to fifty years, so that we can benefit from his presence and find some peace of mind. After thirty to fifty years, the three of us will ascend one after another and won’t take up too much of Master Tianyu’s time.”

After hearing Guanghao’s words, Su Che nodded silently, beginning to weigh his options.

Logically, Guanghao’s request wasn’t excessive at all. He was offering to share the results of thousands of years of hard work, and Su Che could participate and benefit from them. Once the benefits were obtained, it was only fair to divide them according to each person’s contribution—this was a common practice in cooperation and didn’t require further discussion.

Moreover, the three of them would make concessions when distributing the benefits, allowing Su Che to get a larger share. So, the price Su Che had to pay was merely staying here for a few decades to protect them from the Witch Clan’s attacks.

A few decades was nothing compared to the long lives of those in the Refining Void stage or beyond—it wasn’t even a few days by ordinary standards. A short period of cultivation would pass in the blink of an eye. This request was truly not excessive and wouldn’t cause any loss to Su Che.

On the other hand, the Witch God Token would only be useful to the three of them for the next few decades. Once they reached the Immortal Realm, it would become worthless. Therefore, as long as Su Che was willing to stay here to protect everyone and keep the token in his possession, the outcome would be the same.

At this moment, Su Che only needed to consider one question to make his final decision: “Master Guanghao spent thousands of years exploring the secrets here. How much time would it take me if it were me?”

Su Che didn’t have that much time to waste at the Thunder God Temple. To be honest, if he saw no results after a hundred years, he would definitely give up.

Now, he happened to meet someone like Master Guanghao, who knew the way and could save him countless hours. So, by paying the price of thirty to fifty years, he might just be able to seize his own opportunity!

Speaking of “opportunities,” Su Che believed that since it was his own opportunity, no one else could take it away. Even if he had to share some benefits with others, what was taken away might not necessarily be his opportunity—it could just be trivial things.

If it was his, then it was his; if not, there was no point in forcing it!

This truth may seem like nonsense, but few in the world truly understand it thoroughly and can adhere to self-discipline.
“Sure!”
After a brief pause, Su Che nodded and said, “Moreover, I can guarantee that if everyone treats each other sincerely and avoids any schemes or tricks during this time, even if nothing is achieved in the end, as long as we feel a mutual rapport, I’m willing to stay here for decades and do my part as a true friend.”
Su Che’s words were both an expression of his attitude toward dealing with others and a warning to them—no one is a fool, so it’s better not to resort to petty cleverness and embarrass themselves.
A person’s reputation is like a tree’s shadow; given Su Che’s current fame, even though he was only at the early stages of the Refinement Phase, he could stand on equal footing with those at the Great Vehicle Phase without any problem.
Coupled with his confidence in his own combat abilities, it’s no wonder he spoke so boldly each time.
“Great!”
“Wonderful!”
Hearing Su Che agree, Guang Hao and the other two showed signs of delight. However, whether this “delight” was genuine or feigned was only known to them.
On the surface, before the Witch Clan invaded the Spirit Realm, Guang Hao and the others had attached great importance to the secrets of the Thunder God Temple. Without special reasons, they wouldn’t have easily gotten involved to share in the benefits. But faced with the life-or-death crisis caused by the Witch Clan, the allure of external gains diminished greatly, and they preferred to give up some benefits in exchange for a protector like Su Che.
Besides, the so-called treasures obtained in the mortal world might not necessarily be usable in the Immortal Realm; there would be even more opportunities waiting for them once they reached the Immortal Realm… As those nearing ascension, they could understand these principles.
Considering these factors, Su Che believed their willingness to cooperate was somewhat credible.
After reaching an agreement with Su Che, Guang Hao and the others turned their attention to Xue Yu. Next, they naturally needed to discuss the terms of cooperation and how to divide the benefits upon success…
But before they could speak, Xue Yu took the initiative to say, “I don’t mind. As long as Master Tian Yu is satisfied, it doesn’t matter whether I get more or less personally.”
“Just as the rumors say, Princess Xue Yu truly possesses noble virtues and is worthy of our admiration.”

Guanghao and the other two immediately offered their praise, saying, “However, since it’s a partnership, we must not treat any collaborator unfairly under any circumstances. Fellow Xueyu, rest assured—we are all on the verge of ascending; our mindset is different from ordinary people’s, and we’re not the kind to haggle over trivial matters…”
Such a way of negotiating naturally avoided any conflicts. Once again, Fairy Xueyu won everyone’s admiration with her noble character, ensuring a very smooth negotiation process.
Of course, in Su Che’s eyes, she remained the most detestable woman in his mind. If possible, he would not hesitate to cut off her head, slice her body, chop her into pieces, and turn her into a pile of flesh.