C20 Refuse to Trade!!

Chen Guo quickly recognized the illusion for what it was—a powerful control skill with significant utility.

He was still as lucky as ever!

Chen Guo nearly burst into laughter.

By now, everyone had caught on to Chen Guo's true identity.

They couldn't see the specifics of what Chen Guo had acquired, but the announcement of his defeat of the Ghost King Sun Chengzong had been broadcast across the entire chat channel.

"Trial challenger? Slain the rare elite Ghost King, Sun Chengzong, earning 5000 Slaughter Points!"

That announcement cemented Chen Guo's identity.

It was clear to all that Chen Guo was the enigmatic powerhouse that had long remained out of sight.

At that moment, Wang Shaoyun was deeply shaken, murmuring to himself, "So he is the elusive big boss. But how is it that he's so powerful? My two hundred men nearly faced annihilation, and yet he single-handedly took down the Ghost King Sun Chengzong. It's not fair, the heavens are unjust!"

Wang Shaoyun had worked hard to establish the Bellowtalons, aiming to make a grand entrance by defeating the Ghost King Sun Chengzong, only to nearly lose everything.

And the very Ghost King Sun Chengzong that had nearly obliterated them was effortlessly dispatched by Chen Guo.

Following this event, the Bellowtalons were bound to decline, if not disband entirely.

Wang Shaoyun was left with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Zhou Tao clapped Wang Shaoyun on the shoulder, offering some advice, "There's no helping it. Against a true genius, numbers don't count for much. If you're wise, you'll see that now is the perfect time to ally with this big boss. Otherwise, the Bellowtalons are sure to fall. You've got to be willing to make sacrifices!"

Spurred by these words, Wang Shaoyun rallied, "Exactly, if we can get this big boss to join the Bellowtalons, I'd gladly relinquish my role as leader. Let's go and win him over!"

With his spirits lifted, Wang Shaoyun composed himself and led the Bellowtalons' top brass to Chen Guo.

"Many thanks for your life-saving intervention. Without your timely action, our Bellowtalons' ranks might have been decimated!" Wang Shaoyun began, eager to ingratiate himself, "You are our Bellowtalons' savior!"

Chen Guo preserved her icy facade, dismissing them with a chill in her voice, "Spare me the sappiness. I had no intention of rescuing you. The Ghost King, Sun Chengzong, is a monster I've had my eye on for a while. Consider yourselves lucky I'm not holding you accountable for snatching my prey!"

There's an old saying that you don't slap a person who's smiling, yet Chen Guo did just that, causing Wang Shaoyun's expression to freeze.

Zhou Tao quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "Boss, we've long admired your style. How should we address you?"

After a brief pause, Chen Guo realized her alter ego needed a moniker and declared, "Just call me Guangcheng."

Any trial challenger worthy of leadership was well-educated and would recognize the name Guangcheng as the Yellow Emperor's mentor, a disciple of Primus, and one of the Sect's Twelve Golden Immortals.

This enigmatic figure adopting the name Guangcheng certainly had grandeur about him. And indeed, his ethereal presence seemed to embody the essence of a true Taoist sage.

"So, you're Boss Guangcheng," Zhou Tao said earnestly. "We've been hoping to extend an invitation for you to join the Bellowtalons. If you agree, the title of sect master is yours for the taking."

Wang Shaoyun, not to be outdone, added with a hint of reluctance, "If you join the Bellowtalons, I'm prepared to relinquish my role as sect master."

Chen Guo cut them off with a firm, "No need. I have no interest in joining your Bellowtalons."

Undeterred, Zhou Tao pressed on, "I understand you're a force to be reckoned with, but having a strong support network is always beneficial. We can prioritize resources for you—it's like having hundreds at your service. All we ask is for your protection and guidance to help us advance."

"And let's not forget the perks—power, status, wealth, companionship. Whatever you desire, we can provide."

Back when he was captain of the Heavenly Realm Squad, Zhou Tao had sought to bring Chen Guo into the fold. Now, as the newly minted vice leader of the Bellowtalons and finally face-to-face with her, Zhou Tao was eager to pitch the offer he'd been contemplating for so long.

Chen Guo had to concede that for a fleeting moment, he was nearly swayed.

Imagine, hundreds of people working under him, coupled with his replication ability—wouldn't he soar to new heights?

But the thought of how overpowered his Omnipresent Duplication talent was led Chen Guo to snuff out the idea. Keeping his secret under wraps was paramount, far outweighing any minor gains.

"You've made a compelling offer, but I prefer to go it alone. Still, we could engage in some exchange," Chen Guo mused aloud.

"Exchange?"

"Trading," clarified Chen Guo. "I've got some spare items that I don't need, but they might be of use to you. We could swap a few things!"

With that, Chen Guo opened his storage bag and discarded what he considered junk.

To others, this 'junk' was far from worthless—these were quality items. But Chen Guo, having opened a multitude of golden treasure chests, no longer valued the loot from white, blue, or even purple chests.

Onlookers watched as Chen Guo dropped over twenty items.

Skill books like Eight Extreme Fist Mastery and Form and Will Boxing Mastery, all products of the white chests, were part of the haul.

There were various weapons, slightly less impressive than the Seven Star Sword, on par with the Soul Slaying Saber, but to Chen Guo, who possessed both, these lower-tier weapons were unremarkable.

He also offered up two surplus Heavenly Snow Robes for trade.

To the crowd, these items were coveted treasures, each with the potential to enhance their capabilities.

Yet, what truly astounded them was Chen Guo's Cosmos Bag—that was the real treasure!

Despite being outnumbered by the hundreds present, not a soul dared to cross Chen Guo.

A boss that nearly decimated a group of two hundred was effortlessly soloed by Chen Guo. No one, no matter how bold, would risk provoking such a formidable figure.

"What are you looking for?" Zhou Tao inquired, eyeing the items with interest, recognizing their potential to boost his team's strength.

Chen Guo replied, "I'm after fragments of the golden treasure chest. They drop so rarely that I have to resort to piecing them together..."

Chen Guo possessed the power of duplication. A single fragment was as good as three golden treasure chests. Even trading these scraps for a fragment of a golden treasure chest would net Chen Guo a tidy profit.

"We've managed to collect a total of nine golden treasure chest fragments..." Zhou Tao said, trailing off uncertainly.

"What if I trade these twenty items for your nine golden treasure chest fragments?" proposed Chen Guo.

"Deal!" Zhou Tao agreed without hesitation.

The drop rate for golden treasure chest fragments was abysmally low; it took twenty to assemble a single chest. With their group of over eight hundred, they had only scraped together nine fragments.

To accumulate the full twenty needed for one chest seemed like an eternity away. Now, the opportunity to trade for twenty finished products seemed like striking gold to them.

And for Chen Guo, those nine golden treasure chest fragments were as valuable as twenty-seven complete chests!