With his plans settled, Xu Qingtong went to Cloudwater Retreat and found Shen Haotian.
"Sect Master, after a night of careful consideration, I feel that the academy has only just weathered the drain of a great battle and is struggling to take even a single step. I cannot add to its burdens!"
Goosebumps rose all over Shen Haotian when he heard this. Since when had this brat become so understanding? When someone offered favors unbidden, they were either scheming or stealing!
"It is rare for the Grand Elder to be so considerate of the academy's difficulties. Whatever you want, just say it! As long as the academy can afford it, I will certainly lend my full support!"
"Thank you, Sect Master! Then I won't stand on ceremony!" Xu Qingtong said. "You needn't trouble yourself over the materials for building the sect. Just give me five hundred million spirit stones, and I'll find a way to handle it myself!"
"Five hundred million spirit stones? Why don't you sell me instead! See whether I'm worth five hundred million spirit stones!" Shen Haotian said irritably.
"Don't get worked up. Even if a deal falls through, goodwill remains. Everything is negotiable! If you think I'm asking too much, let me work it out for you! A Mountain-Guarding Grand Array alone would surely cost thirty to fifty million, wouldn't it? Besides, once it's built, we'll need supreme-grade spirit stones to run it! An array of that caliber would need at least three to five hundred supreme-grade spirit stones..."
Like a pair of crooked merchants, one named a sky-high price while the other countered with a dirt-low offer. Their tongues crossed swords for nearly four hours before they finally settled the spirit stone accounts. The academy gave Xu Qingtong three hundred million spirit stones to build