Pang Wushang's sudden proposal caught Water Crimson and the others off guard. None of them had expected Pang Wushang to be the one to proactively seek cooperation.
After all, Pang Wushang had always been proud. Even though Zero Wing had demonstrated impressive strength at the Azure Business Association's family tournament, his attitude toward them had merely shifted from cold to neutral — treating them as equals at best.
The Azure Business Association was a superpower that rivaled the major guilds. While it might not match Zero Wing or the Violet Sword in cultivating newcomers, its territory, resources, and sheer number of talented members were leagues beyond what Zero Wing could hope to match.
The family tournament only involved the younger generation of the five great families. As for the rest of the association's members, those outside the five families made up the vast majority — and the number of gifted newcomers among them far surpassed that of the five families. Some of these prodigies were even stronger than Yan Xiaoqian, but they simply weren't allowed to participate in the Azure Business Association's family tournament.
"If the Azure Business Association is willing to cooperate, selling off some slots is fine. But how many does Elder Pang have in mind?" Shi Feng wasn't surprised by this, because Water Crimson and the others had no idea just how seriously the various superpowers took the cultivation of their younger generation.
The youth were the future!
A venerable guild like the Azure Business Association owed much of its current success to exactly this philosophy. That was also why first-rate guilds remained forever stuck at the first-rate level — unless someone of truly extraordinary talent emerged, they would never ascend to the ranks of an Azure Business Association.
Having heard Shi Feng's clear statement that players could potentially gain further advancement through the trials, no matter how proud Pang Wushang might be, no matter how little he had previously thought of Zero Wing, his instinct would drive him to cooperate.
This was precisely why Shi Feng had spoken so freely in front of Water Crimson. Under normal circumstances, he would never have revealed such things on the spot for Pang Wushang to hear.
Cooperation between Zero Wing and the Azure Business Association was essential. Zero Wing had no real foothold in the Western Continent outside of Starlight Bastion. To truly establish themselves on the Western Continent, they needed to partner with a local superpower.
The Divine Will Tribe was a decent potential partner, but in terms of commerce it was far inferior to the Azure Business Association — especially when it came to cross-continental trade, where the Divine Will Tribe could offer virtually nothing. Furthermore, Miao Wuyin served as a bridge between Zero Wing and the Azure Business Association, which would make their partnership more stable and secure.
"We'd prefer thirty to forty slots. If that's not possible, I'd be willing to accept ten, Chairman Black Flame." Pang Wushang hesitated for a moment before speaking with a hint of nervousness.
The Azure Business Association was vast. Beyond the gifted newcomers from the five families, there were also numerous talented recruits from outside the families who needed cultivation. If enough slots were available, naturally he would want all of them to benefit. But if there weren't enough, the five families would have to take priority.
"Forty?" Shi Feng pondered for a moment. "It's not impossible. But you'll have to meet the three conditions I outlined."
"Really?" Pang Wushang's eyes lit up, unable to contain himself. "If that's the case, please go ahead, Chairman Black Flame. Don't worry about three conditions — even four or five would be no problem."
Forty slots would be more than enough for the five families, and they could even bring along the gifted newcomers from outside the families. With that, the neutral elders and council members would inevitably side with the Pang family.
"First condition: I need the Azure Business Association's help. Three days from now, I'd like to bring over roughly a hundred people from Zero Wing's Eastern Continent branch." Shi Feng looked at Pang Wushang as he spoke.
"That won't be a problem. Three days is plenty of time. Just have them gather at the Ten Saints Empire and we'll handle the rest." Pang Wushang nodded without hesitation.
Travel between the two continents was difficult for other superpowers, but for the Azure Business Association it was simple. Moving a hundred people — even two hundred — was no issue at all. It just cost some Magic Crystals.
"Second condition: Zero Wing would like to acquire a medium-sized shipyard and a prime plot of land in Tidal City within the Silver Moon Empire." Shi Feng immediately stated his second requirement.
In the future, trade between the two continents would primarily rely on sea routes, and Tidal City was the number-one port city in the Silver Moon Empire. Establishing a foothold there would allow Zero Wing to conduct business between the two continents with ease.
"That's fine as well. I'll notify my elder brother right away — you just need to go there directly to handle the handover." Pang Wushang wasn't surprised by this either.
Zero Wing had no roots on the Western Continent. The best way to access its resources was to establish a presence in a port city. As cross-continental traffic grew, Zero Wing would enjoy a significant advantage — teleportation arrays could only carry so much. Initially, scarcity would keep prices high and profits healthy. But as more and more factions gained the ability to travel between the continents, prices would plummet, and volume would become the key. A port city was therefore essential.