Ye Haitang and Zhang Jinyuan were scrutinizing Gu Xuan, and Gu Xuan was similarly sizing them up. Although Ye Haitang radiated a maternal aura, Gu Xuan knew that a woman capable of being the head of a family was definitely not as simple as she appeared on the surface.
Ye Lingling affectionately held Ye Haitang's arm, looking at Gu Xuan with a dazed expression, remaining completely silent.
After sharing a moment of intimacy with her granddaughter, Ye Haitang returned to the main topic.
"You are Lingling's classmate, so I shall call you Xiao Xuan," Ye Haitang's voice sounded warm, like the morning sun, making it difficult to refuse.
Gu Xuan smiled and nodded. "It is my honor."
Seeing how polite Gu Xuan was, Ye Haitang nodded slightly. She had originally thought Gu Xuan was too young to deal with and that it would be necessary to go directly to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Now it seemed this child was more than met the eye.
"Xiao Xuan, Lingling mentioned the Mixed Yuan Pill in her letter. I have noted this favor. Should you have any needs in the future, I will do my utmost to help," Ye Haitang said with a smile.
Gu Xuan waved his hand. "Grandma Ye, you are being too formal. That pill was a gift for Lingling; there's no need to speak of favors. If Grandma Ye is so inclined, perhaps you could visit the Clan for a chat sometime."
Hearing this, Ye Haitang felt satisfied. She knew that despite his youth, this boy was an "old fox" of the world. Consequently, she decided to skip the pleasantries and get straight to the point.
"I believe you know my purpose for coming today. I heard your Clan possesses an Eight Petal Immortal Orchid? I have come specifically for that item," Ye Haitang stated plainly.
Gu Xuan shook his head helplessly. "Grandma Ye, I know the importance of that orchid to the Nine-Hearted Begonia, just as you understand its value. I won't waste words; the conditions were mentioned in Lingling's letter. Beyond that, I cannot make the decision."
Ye Haitang frowned slightly. She hadn't expected Gu Xuan to leave no room for maneuvering, effectively locking the conditions down.
She sighed. "The orchid is indeed important, but your conditions are too harsh. Forcing the Nine-Hearted Begonia to merge into the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan is no different from severing our legacy. What use would the orchid be then?"
"I have come with great sincerity. Why don't we both take a step back and negotiate? What do you think?"
Listening to her, Gu Xuan's expression didn't change at all. His smile remained, though it carried a hint of helplessness. "Grandma Ye, how could I not understand your predicament? But you must also understand mine."
After a pause, he continued, "However, I can look at your 'sincerity' first. If I find it sufficient, I might be able to put in a good word with Uncle Ning."
Hearing this, the expressions of Ye Haitang and Zhang Jinyuan shifted slightly. 'He can operate like that?'
Zhang Jinyuan noticed his granddaughter's expression and fell into thought. Although Ye Lingling was not of his direct line, he raised all of Ye Haitang's grandchildren as his own. There was no lack of geniuses in their family, yet Lingling was indifferent to them all. Her gaze toward Gu Xuan, however, was entirely different. As her "Second Grandfather," he spotted the clues immediately.
While Zhang Jinyuan was lost in thought, Ye Haitang acted. She pulled three silk boxes from her storage soul tool and placed them on the table. Gu Xuan watched, wondering what kind of treasures she could produce.
Ye Haitang opened the first box. Inside was a plant that looked similar to a sunflower. Gu Xuan recognized it instantly: the Sun-Burning Flower. It was only one word off from a common sunflower, but its effects were worlds apart.
Such flowers didn't grow in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well because they required at least ten hours of direct solar radiation daily—a condition the treasure land didn't meet. Its function was singular but magnified to the extreme.
The flower contained the purest solar radiance, the source of all life. It could raise the grade of any pill by an entire level. According to ancient records, this applied to any pill. Whether it was true or not, the record alone proved its rarity.
Judging by its appearance, this flower was at least ten thousand years old. If it were an Immortal Grade, its value would skyrocket. For instance, if a pill provided a 30% boost to a Titled Douluo, fusing it with this flower would double that gain.
Gu Xuan immediately thought of Ning Fengzhi. The Star-Moon Pill, intended to help the Clan Leader break through Rank 90, might struggle on its own, but with this flower, the success rate would be comparable to when Ning Fengzhi broke through to Soul Douluo. This could potentially allow the Eight Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda to finally evolve into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda. However, Gu Xuan kept his expression neutral.
"The Sun-Burning Flower... pure and extreme Yang..." Gu Xuan calmly recited its effects and growth environment.
Ye Haitang nodded. Since he could refine the Mixed Yuan Pill, his medical knowledge was clearly high. It saved her the trouble of explaining. She closed the box and opened the second one.
A medicinal fragrance immediately wafted out, clearing the mind and smoothing the flow of soul power.
"A Soul Ascension Pill," Gu Xuan said before even seeing it.
The pill did exactly what its name suggested: it raised soul power. However, they varied in grade. This one was high-quality, though it couldn't compare to the ones refined by Yang Wudi using Immortal Herbs.
Ye Haitang looked at Gu Xuan with increasing appreciation. Being able to identify it by scent alone suggested the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan refined similar pills, perhaps even better ones.
"Correct. This is a Soul Ascension Pill capable of helping a Rank 69 Soul Emperor break through to Rank 70."
It wasn't top-tier, but it was certainly high-grade. Gu Xuan noted it was a nice bonus, but nothing revolutionary for him.
Ye Haitang closed the box and opened the third. A strong surge of soul power erupted. Gu Xuan immediately identified it as a soul bone.
It was a leg bone—a left leg bone. Although it ranked last among the six main soul bones, its soul power fluctuations were at the ten-thousand-year level. Even a thousand-year soul bone could cause a bloodbath; a ten-thousand-year one was a treasure. Gu Xuan's eyes brightened.
The flower was for Ning Fengzhi. The pill was decent. But this bone was the highlight—the highest value item on the surface.
"This is a left leg bone from a 20,000-year-old Golden-Feathered Eagle. The skill is likely speed or attack-based, with speed being more probable. Its value is at least five million Gold Soul Coins."
Ye Haitang closed the box and pushed all three toward Gu Xuan. "These three treasures in exchange for the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid, plus an alliance with my Ye Family. What do you think?"
(End of Chapter)
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