Heavens will
Zach calculated the amount of time it would take Mamba to reach the nascent soul realm, with Mamba's previous experience and cultivation resources,he would take at most a decade and a half or two. At that time,most of his men would be at the foundation establishment realm, with some of the talented ones having broken through into the core condensation realm.
"Let say I offer you a place,what will I get in return?"
Instead of giving an answer,Mamba motioned to the waiter to bring over a small wooden chest from his cabin. In it were a couple dozen bonded books,that Zach found out to be manuals.
Amongst them were three cultivation manuals,all low ranked, several martial and spirit qi skills manuals,and a couple of manuals on the basics of formation,pill refinement and spirit tool forging.
Zach took his time going through the manuals and discovered that the low ranked cultivation manual, Warrior's Will,that his guards practiced was better than the three handed to him by Mamba. As for the martial and spirit qi skills,they were decent enough but for the basic manuals on formation,pill refinement and spirit tool forging,they could not hold a candle to the ones Zach had recorded for Timothy and the herbalist.
"These manuals and skills can be put up for exchange at the garrison and the martial hall..."
Zach thought,he had commissioned the construction of a Martial hall before he left. He planned on establishing a place where the residents could go train as to improve the overall strength of his strength. And with the new set of martial manuals,the residents strength will be boosted by a large margin.
The good thing about martial techniques was that unlike spirit qi skills, everyone could practice them, provided they were at the second stage of body forging realm. Also cultivators could triple the strength of a martial technique by simply using their spirit qi to it.
"I like them,but you do understand that it would take you close to two decades to achieve all that..."
Mamba knew what Zach was hinting at. Zach had already picked out the reason behind Mamba's decision of establishing a sect at the core of forest. This was where the ruins of his former hometown was. Establishing his sect here would mean that he will end up monopolizing the whole region and closing down the ruins.
Zach understood that where there ruins,there were treasures to be found. And in this case,the ruins belonged to an ancient prosperous city.
"What is it that you want Lord Zach?"
Mamba inquired,he could only hope that Zach's demand were reasonable.
"Three things..."
Zach said as he lifted three fingers.
"Apart from these manuals and the twelve imprisoned bandits plus half of your current resources and materials,I want access to the ruins for my men and I."
Mamba had told Zach of the dangers in the ruins. Anybody below the core condensation realm would be sending themselves to an early death if they ventured into the city.
"Two, you and your men will help protect my territory when called for the time you will spend at my territory..."
Zach was not going to let them safely and comfortably cultivate as his territory was being attacked.
"Three,I want fifty slots reserved for my residents during your sect registration,and also these residents should not be restricted from helping the territory in terms of great danger."
Many sects had rules that prevented their disciples from participating in matters outside the sect,apart from carrying out tasks and missions assigned by the sect, that's why Zach added the extra term.
Mamba bid his time as Zach enjoyed his spirit wine. He could fill the spirit qi and vital energy from the meal slowly being assimilated into his body and dantian.
"I will have to hunt some foundation establishment realm and a couple of core condensation realm beast for my men..."
Zach thought as he waited for Mamba's reply. The foundation establishment realm beast would be rationed to all guards at the high stage and peak stage of spirit qi gathering realm,as for those at the low stage and mid stage,their bodies could not assimilate the energies from such spirit beasts.
The core condensation realm beast would be preserved for Zach.
"I agree to your terms, Lord Zach,but I have one more to add..."
Mamba agreed to Zach's demands,as they were favourable for both parties,as for his demand on half of his resources and materials and the twelve imprisoned bandits,he did not mind as he had already planned on handing both over to him as a token of goodwill.
"Am all ears..."
"You and I will sign a thousand years agreement on peaceful coexistence and relationships between our two territories..."
A thousand years may seem long to mortals but for cultivators like them,it was nothing,as long as they cultivated and raised their realm,their lifeline would increase.
A low stage spirit qi gathering realm cultivator could leave for at most two hundred and fifty years and with each breakthrough,their lifeline increased by a range of a hundred to three hundred years. As for peak stage foundation establishment realm cultivators,they had a life span of close to three thousand years. And this almost tripled for peak stage core condensation realm cultivators.
Currently for Zach and Mamba, they had five thousand years tacked under their sleeves.
"I agree..."
Zach did not have to think twice about this,having a good relation with a sect was a welcome for him. If it was upto him,he would have 8ncreased the duration two several more thousand years.
Though he was quick to agree,he knew well that he had to give up his forest expansion plan. The core of the forest was located about seven hundred kilometres from the grassy plane.
"Guess I will have do with the current region..."
Zach thought as they both drafted the terms and conditions of their contract. It took them an hour. After they were done,they called on the heavens will to act as a witness. This resulted in dark clouds gathering above the bandits lair. Sounds of thunder and lightning could be heard and seeing.
The sudden storm did not go unnoticed by the bandits and all the residents of the settlements and villages within the forest and the grassy plane.