Ye Lingling sat beside Ye Haitang, her large eyes blinking as she watched Gu Xuan. She hadn't uttered a word, waiting for him to finish his persuasion so she could deliver the final "assist" at the perfect moment. Gu Xuan had already explained the pros and cons to her; internally, she was already leaning toward joining the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan to secure the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid—and Gu Xuan.
Wait... mostly for the orchid!
After a long silence, Ye Haitang nodded. "Go on."
Gu Xuan didn't keep her in suspense, launching into the rhetoric he had long prepared. "It is the trend of the times."
"The trend of the times?" Ye Haitang was puzzled by this answer.
Before she could ask, Gu Xuan continued, "Do you understand the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan? Or rather, do you understand the Clan as it stands today?"
Ye Haitang faltered. She understood it—but then again, she didn't. Wasn't it just one of the Upper Three Sects? The only one built around support masters? What was so special about it now that demanded her family's surrender?
Gu Xuan saw the confusion on her face. "What you know is merely the surface. I say it is the trend of the times because the Clan is no longer what it used to be."
"How so?" Ye Haitang asked.
Gu Xuan glanced at Zhang Jinyuan, his gaze indifferent. "My grandfather has broken through to Rank 97. My Second Grandpa, the Sword Douluo, is on the verge of breaking through to Rank 98."
The previously resting Zhang Jinyuan snapped his eyes open. As a Rank 86 Soul Douluo, he was a powerful figure in the soul master world. Cultivation wasn't just about piling up time; when did becoming a Titled Douluo become so easy? He knew that Gu Rong and Chen Xin had been stuck at Rank 95 and 96 for years. Now this boy claimed they had suddenly surged upward?
For a Rank 86 expert like Zhang Jinyuan, every step was a struggle. He estimated his limit was Rank 89; breaking through to Rank 90 would require a miracle. For a Titled Douluo to break through, it required more than just time.
"Hard to believe?" Gu Xuan smiled. "The truly unbelievable parts are yet to come."
Ye Haitang and Zhang Jinyuan looked unsettled, but they didn't dismiss him. They knew Gu Xuan wasn't the type to spout nonsense just to act tough.
Gu Xuan then dropped a heavy bombshell. "Aside from my grandfathers, the sect now has three new Titled Douluos. And they won't be the last; more will be born in the near future."
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Zhang Jinyuan blurted out instinctively.
Gu Xuan's smile remained as he stared calmly at Ye Haitang. She stared back, meeting his heterochromatic gaze. After a long pause, she spoke with a complex tone. "It is possible..."
"What?!" Zhang Jinyuan looked at his wife in disbelief. "How can it be? Even with your talent, you are only Rank 85. Can Titled Douluos be produced like this?"
Ye Haitang sighed. She was an intelligent woman; she hadn't managed to lead a family and keep two talented men in harmony by being a fool. She stared at Gu Xuan. "If I am not mistaken... You must have found one of the three legendary treasure basins?"
"Hehe, it could only be so. Something my lineage has searched for a lifetime without success was found by you. Only such a place could nurture Immortal Grade herbs. Only such a place would allow you to refine Mixed Yuan Pills using ten-thousand-year herbs like they were candy, or look down on a Soul Ascension Pill."
Gu Xuan remained calm, though he was impressed. Talking to smart people was indeed easy—provided they had the knowledge to recognize what they were seeing.
Zhang Jinyuan, however, had quieted down. As her husband, he understood the implications. If they had found such a place, then yes, anything was possible. Those were Immortal Herbs—treasures that could seize the very creation of heaven and earth.
"Is it true?" Zhang Jinyuan asked, needing one final confirmation.
Gu Xuan didn't answer with words. He reached into his storage soul tool and placed two porcelain bottles on the table, pushing them past the three treasure boxes toward Ye Haitang. "Grandma Ye should recognize these."
Ye Haitang picked up one bottle, opened it, and was instantly met with a bone-chilling cold that filled the room. She stared at the icy blue liquid inside. She then opened the second bottle, and a searing heat immediately consumed the cold, making the air stifling. The liquid was fiery red, looking as if it could burn the soul. Each bottle held only a single drop.
"Extreme Ice and Extreme Fire. Your heterochromatic eyes are related to this, aren't they?" Ye Haitang looked at him, then shook her head. "No... what Immortal Herb changes appearance like that? Taking the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot together has miraculous effects, but..."
Finally, she spoke the words. "It is the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well..."
Gu Xuan smiled. "Consider these drops a greeting gift. Grandma Ye, you know I'm not lying. The Ye Family is masters of herbology; I wouldn't dare try to trick you on this subject."
Ye Haitang's heart was in a state of upheaval. She was certain it was the Well. Her grief was as deep as her shock; if she had found it, the Nine-Hearted Begonia would have surpassed everyone. But there were no "ifs."
She was genuinely wavering. A Clan with the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well possessed everything the Ye Family could ever offer, and more. What saddened her most was that they weren't the first to partner with the Clan. Since Gu Xuan could refine pills effective for Titled Douluos, the Clan already had an alchemy master. If she joined now, her family's status wouldn't rise as quickly as she hoped.
She knew that Nine-Hearted Begonia owners were natural "queens of plants" with an innate advantage in medicine, but they were a step behind. Furthermore, Gu Xuan's skills clearly came from a direct inheritance—one that was likely exclusive to the Clan.
In an instant, she weighed the benefits. The temptation of the Well was too great, and joining meant a "free" Eight Petal Immortal Orchid. But she knew "free" was often the highest price. Joining meant selling their lives to the Clan forever.
No wonder Gu Xuan called it the trend of the times. With that Well, the Clan's rise was inevitable. Five Titled Douluos? What other power on the continent could match that?
"Grandma Ye, I've said my piece. You can take your time to consider," Gu Xuan said calmly.
He wasn't worried about them attacking him. Why else would he reveal the ranks of the Sword and Bone Douluos and the three new powerhouses? It was a display of absolute force. Zhang Jinyuan could crush him now, but the aftermath? Five Titled Douluos backed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda would dig up his ancestors' graves. He didn't dare move.
(End of Chapter)
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