Astral Pet Store (WN)
chapter-159

Chapter 159 Teams Assembled

A moment of thinking later, Ye Chenshan replied, “Let me check in with my captain about your merit points.” To give Su Ping selection priority among all the treasures they were going to collect was already the best they could do. After all, they were going there for those treasures themselves. If Su Ping had bad eyes, it was likely that he would pick up some garbage even if he could pick first.

There was something else Ye Chenshan kept secret from Su Ping. They had the general information about the amount of the treasures and other details, and they intended to hide that information from Su Ping.

Naturally, they were trying to make sure that the best of the treasures would be enjoyed by their team alone.

“Sure.”

Su Ping didn’t mind that Ye Chenshan wasn’t making any compromises about those treasures. The interests of both parties had to be kept at a balance. Ye Chenshan wouldn’t agree to anything disadvantageous to them. This was the same rule that Su Ping applied in doing business.

Ye Chenshan went to contact his captain.

Soon, his captain answered the call.

On the other side was a male with a low voice. He sounded like he was around forty years old.

Ye Chenshan didn’t step away from Su Ping. The conversation happened right under Su Ping’s nose. Ye Chenshan knew that even if he had stepped aside, eavesdropping his phone call was as easy as pie for Su Ping given his abilities, unless Ye Chenshan used his astral powers to isolate his voice, which would seem strange.

Besides, talking about this in front of Su Ping was a way to show his sincerity.

As for the result, Ye Chenshan already had an idea. He was simply going through the motions, contacting the captain and posing the question. The terms Su Ping required weren’t easy to accept.

“Two million? That’s a bit much.”

“Captain, you know I owe my life to Mr. Su here. You know what happened…”

“I understand. But the other team members may complain. We have to work as a team…”

“I know, captain. But this exploration is going to be dangerous. I’ve told you about Mr. Su’s abilities. If this is too much for you, I will pay the extra myself.”

“Don’t be like that. We are all from the same team. Never mind, two million it is…”

The call ended. An agreement had been reached.

Ye Chenshan breathed in relief and smiled at Su Ping. “Done, Mr. Su. Two million.”

“Okay.” Su Ping nodded. This wasn’t a surprise for him. Ye Chenshan seemed to have had a difficult conversation. That being said, since Su Ping had been on the streets for a long time, he didn’t mind those appearances. When he put forward the terms, Su Ping had done the math himself. What he was asking was not out of line.

They were bound to meet eighth-rank beasts during this exploration and there might be more than one of them.

After all, for an exploration less dangerous, their team wouldn’t invite anyone else. They could have handled it by themselves. Who would want to risk leaking confidential information, not to mention sharing benefits with outsiders?

Su Ping also thought encountering ninth-rank beasts during this exploration was highly possible. Considering this level of danger, what Su Ping was asking for was a friend’s price!

“I heard something a couple of days ago. The Mysterious Realm is opening up because some big potatoes in the Longjian Base City want to prepare some young people for the Elite League. That is the only thing being revealed to the public. In fact, something is happening in the Mysterious Realm. Preparing youngsters for the Elite League is a disguise for their true intention.”

Ye Chenshan felt well-disposed toward Su Ping, so he began to share some rumors he had heard after the business-side of their deal was settled. Ye Chenshan continued, “But those are just stories and speculations. I don’t know if they’re real or not.”

Su Ping didn’t mind. “Even if the stories were true, they have nothing to do with us.”

“You’re right. After all, those big potatoes control more information than we do and they are more powerful. We will be considered lucky if we can find the treasures there,” Ye Chenshan agreed.

Su Ping nodded.

“Mr. Su, you must be ready. The Mysterious Realm opening up is going to attract many people. Some students still in school with powerful connections will have the opportunity to go.”

Ye Chenshan added, “Apart from those elite students who are taking the chance to get ready for the Elite League, some senior explorers are going as well and the second group poses the greatest threat. There’s no surveillance inside the Mysterious Realm. Killing for money is a common occurrence. The danger doesn’t only come from the beasts but from our own kind as well.”

“Noted.”

Su Ping didn’t reveal any emotions. Ye Chenshan smiled after a moment of surprise. “Of course, Mr. Su, you will be with us, Team Polaris. People won’t challenge us, generally speaking. That being said, we cannot be too careful.”

Su Ping nodded.

“I will head back if you have no further questions. I will come and pick you up the day after tomorrow,” Ye Chenshan said.

Su Ping didn’t ask Ye Chenshan to stay. He had to make the best of time to prepare as well.

Having sent away Ye Chenshan, Su Ping logged onto the explorers’ website to check the email Ye Chenshan had sent him.

Su Ping took a careful look and he then had a better understanding of Longtai Mountain. He didn’t try to find more information online. Ye Chenshan’s research had to be more thorough than his.

“In the 109 parcels of this Mysterious Realm hides danger as well as treasure. Those 109 parcels are the main exploration and training sites. The other important site is the dragon stand and the dragon bones! “The dragon bones are used for testing.

“Whenever the Mysterious Realm is available, some young elites would go to the dragon bones for testing. The top ones are most likely to be taken as students of titled battle pet warriors.” Su Ping found this information interesting but it wasn’t relevant to him. He didn’t want to take a titled battle pet warrior as his teacher.

He began to browse the details of the 109 land parcels. Of the 109, 57 had been explored and the information of the 57 parcels was quite specific. The treasures in the 57 parcels had been taken away already.

Some of those treasures were delivered to the explorers’ shop. Explorers could save up some merit points to purchase those treasures.

The water barrier Su Ping had bought was such a piece of treasure.

The rarer and more precious treasures had been collected by people with strong connections or powers.

Su Ping had to admit that the information Ye Chenshan had provided him was comprehensive. It mentioned that once, in parcel 28, a piece of treasure had been recovered and people said that piece of treasure could inflict harm on legendary battle pet warriors!

Someone leaked the information when that piece of treasure had been uncovered. Many parties began to fight for that and a bloody war was waged.

That event happened more than a decade before. It was a story of another time.

Ye Chenshan was surely trying to appeal to Su Ping by including this story in the file. He intended to show Su Ping how alluring those treasures could be.

“Each parcel has a number. Apart from those that have been explored, the other parcels remain unknown. Almost all the treasures in the explored parcels have been taken away, but there can be some pieces that might have been missed.

“Each parcel has a different environment…”

The information of those explored parcels was specific, but there were very few details about the unknown areas.

Su Ping browsed through the file to have an initial understanding of those places. Somehow, he had a feeling that this Mysterious Realm seemed familiar.

Su Ping turned off the computer. There was no time to lose. He took his pets and went to the dragon king’s heritage round. He could train his pets while exploring more dragon scale lands.

While Su Ping was preparing for his visit to the Mysterious Realm, other people in Longjiang City were getting ready as well.

In the upper town area.

Xu Kuang and Xu Yingxue were sitting in the living room. Apart from them, their father, Xu Jianguo, was also there. He was the president of the Xu Group.

The Xu Group was an enterprise with assets ranging in the billions. In the Longjiang Base City, the Xu Group was a famous top-ten enterprise. Most families used items produced by the Xu Group’s subsidiaries. “Sister, do you mean it?” Xu Kuang was surprised.

He had found out about this just then.

The Longtai Mountain was opening up and his sister’s team was going. Born in a wealthy family with a sister that was a senior explorer, Xu Kuang was well-aware of those Mysterious Realms, which were far more dangerous than the barren areas. They would have to fight people in addition to the beasts.

Every time a Mysterious Realm was opened, someone would come out with a smile while another… would never come out again!

“Have you decided which parcel you’re going to?” Xu Jianguo asked.

Xu Yingxue looked at Xu Kuang, patted his head, and answered the question, “I just learned about it. We are going to parcel 83.”

Xu Jianguo’s eyebrows were knitted together. “Do you need Zhang to protect you secretly?”

Xu Yingxue shook her head. “We are working with two other teams and we have everything ready. We can make it even if other teams try to challenge us.”

Xu Jianguo was still frowning. He loved and cared for his daughter dearly. “If you sense any danger, you must protect yourself first. I asked someone to prepare this armor for you. Take it.”

“Sure,” Xu Yingxue answered happily.

Xu Kuang interrupted, “I want to go!” The smile on Xu Yingxue’s face disappeared. “Don’t start acting up!” Xu Kuang went on, “I just want to go to the dragon stage and test my abilities. It is a public area where no conflicts can happen.”

Xu Yingxue was relieved to hear those words. But she still adopted a grumpy tone, “Do you need that test to find out about your abilities? I don’t think you can pass the first dragon bone. Don’t go there and humiliate yourself. The chances of going there don’t come cheap.”

Xu Kuang was hopping mad. “Dad, look at her.”

“She’s not wrong.”