Top-tier Unruly Master-Chapter 1697 - 1734: Negotiating Terms

At this moment, many elders and sect masters were surprised by Long Ren’s words. They hadn’t expected the Lake Master to reward the Leng Jian Sect with three years’ worth of cultivation resources, which was undoubtedly a fortune for any sect, leading to inevitable envy among the other sect masters.

However, regardless of their thoughts, no one dared to voice any objections. Some of the sect masters or individual elders were aware that Long Ren needed Liuli Grass. They knew that Long Ren had a beloved girlfriend who had unfortunately contracted a strange illness, and only the Liuli Grass could save her, which was why Lake Master Long Ren had unhesitatingly rewarded the Leng Jian Sect with three years’ of resources.

After all, that woman was of utmost importance to Lake Master Long Ren.

At this time, Ding Fan, curious about Long Ren’s decision, asked the Great Elder beside him about the situation. It was only then that Ding Fan learned about Long Ren’s girlfriend. Understanding Long Ren’s actions, Ding Fan was curious about the strange illness afflicting her. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

As a Grade Nine Alchemist, Ding Fan was unmatched in medical means, yet he had never heard of any illness that required Liuli Grass. Could it be that the person had too much True Qi? But that seemed highly unlikely.

It’s known that True Qi is highly valuable to a cultivator. It not only enhances cultivation and strength but also improves a cultivator’s vitality, which is a significant boon. No cultivator would wish for less True Qi, so who would need to use Liuli Grass?

Thus, Ding Fan couldn’t help but ask the Great Elder beside him:

"What kind of illness does Long Ren’s girlfriend have that requires Liuli Grass?"

The Great Elder sighed slightly at Ding Fan’s mention of this matter and said,

"The Lake Master’s girlfriend has a strange illness where her True Qi doubles and grows rapidly. There’s likely no one in this world who can cure it, only Liuli Grass can alleviate her condition. The Lake Master is a man of deep emotion; he has already paid a great deal for her..."

Hearing the Great Elder’s words, Ding Fan understood Long Ren’s excitement, but he was also quite interested in Long Ren’s girlfriend’s illness. However, Ding Fan knew he couldn’t say much at this moment. Even though he wanted to help his dear brother by checking on his girlfriend’s illness, he hadn’t even met the person and naturally couldn’t say much more. Otherwise, he worried that his good intentions might lead to adverse effects...

...

At this point, Leng Jian heard Long Ren’s words. The firm and unwavering attitude of his opponent gave him more confidence. Leng Jian shook his head and said,

"Lake Master, thank you for your kindness. I know that three years’ worth of cultivation resources would be seen as manna from heaven for any sect among the Thirty-Six Caves, but it’s not what I need."

Long Ren was momentarily taken aback, not quite understanding what the other party was saying. One must know that he had just agreed to give the other party’s sect three years’ worth of cultivation resources, which was definitely unprecedented for them, yet the person had refused.

For a moment, Long Ren had doubts about what the other party truly wanted.

"No way! How could someone refuse three years’ worth of cultivation resources! Those resources are what a sect needs for three years, including countless High Level Pills, and this Leng Jian must be out of his mind!"

"I don’t think he’s out of his mind. He probably has an ulterior motive, and maybe he’ll make some shocking request."

"This Leng Jian is really hard to decipher. Previously, he generously offered a Supreme Quality Medicine Pill to show gratitude, but now he seems to be threatening the Lake Master. What’s going on with this guy?"

"It makes sense. He offered a Supreme Quality Medicine Pill to ensure everyone’s respect and protection from the Thirty-Six Caves. Now, he’s found the Lake Master’s weakness and is bound to make a hefty demand!"

"No way... this person is indeed quite crafty..."

"..."

For a moment, everyone watched Leng Jian’s actions and were discussing among themselves. They were surprised that, despite the Lake Master offering such favorable conditions, the other party refused. It must be noted that he was just a sect disciple—albeit an outstanding one who might have great trust from his sect.

Yet, such matters weren’t something a mere disciple could decide. But now it seemed it was just this person negotiating terms with the Lake Master. Everyone speculated, frequently glancing at an elder sitting in the corner, Leng Jian’s master, and sect master of the Qinghe Sect, Tian Zhen.

At this moment, Tian Zhen looked indifferent, as if he had no interest in the matters of this conference hall or even his disciple Leng Jian’s current performance, appearing completely unconcerned, giving people a strange feeling.

Yet, nothing could be discerned from him, and naturally, no fault could be found. The insightful ones understood that this person’s scheming matched that of his disciple. As the disciple reflects, so does the teacher.

At this moment, despite Tian Zhen’s outward cold demeanor, if carefully observed, one would notice his ears occasionally twitch, clearly showing he was secretly listening intently to the current events, and his heart was full of excitement. He was thrilled that he had truly cultivated a good disciple.

Unexpectedly, Leng Jian actually obtained the existence of Liuli Grass in the Xuantian Secret Realm, and he was also very grateful that he had made everything clear to the other party in advance. He couldn’t believe that his dream was about to come true, how could he not be thrilled.

The more excited he was inside, the more his exterior seemed indifferent, appearing to be very well-disguised, but he sharply contrasted with the elders or other sect masters around him who were constantly whispering.

If this matter had nothing to do with Tian Zhen, Sect Master Tian, people would only find Tian Zhen’s behavior somewhat strange, but because this matter might be directly related to the other party, some smart ones could already guess a few things from observing them.

Quite a few sect masters knew that the calm demeanor of Sect Master Tian at this moment was unusually peculiar, since that disciple was his sect’s disciple. Furthermore, that disciple had currently rejected the Lake Master’s three-year reward of cultivation resources for their sect.

Most sect masters knew that if this matter happened to their sect, they would be paying special attention to it, as it both concerned their sect’s disciple and involved such an important matter as cultivation resources. However, Sect Master Tian appeared so calm at this moment, clearly suggesting the matter was not as simple as it seemed.

"Old Tian, you really know how to keep your cool. Do you know what your disciple is up to?"

An elder beside Tian Zhen, also a sect master, looked at him with some curiosity and asked.

"Hmm."

Tian Zhen nodded, without saying much more.

"Your disciple rejected the three-year cultivation resource reward, aren’t you a bit angry?" The elder beside him continued to ask.

"Whatever. Although he is my disciple, our Qinghe Sect does not have the Liuli Grass that the Lake Master wants, so the conditions proposed by Leng Jian are largely unrelated to me."

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Tian Zhen casually replied.

He naturally was quite aware of the current situation, having imagined this scene long ago, but he was pleasantly surprised that it was actually happening. He was very satisfied with Leng Jian and relieved that the other party didn’t disappoint him.

This time, Leng Jian’s journey to the Xuantian Secret Realm was not only a huge change for him but also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for their sect. He definitely heard about Leng Jian’s rejection of the Lake Master’s three-year resource reward, but it didn’t come as a surprise to him.

Moreover, he knew that he already instructed Leng Jian beforehand. If this disciple had accepted the three-year cultivation resource reward, he might’ve been unable to contain himself by now. However, the opposite was true—everything was within his expectations...

Long Ren was indeed startled upon hearing Leng Jian’s words, knowing he had offered very generous conditions, not only a three-year reward for a sect but also a considerable amount of cultivation resources for an individual cultivator. For a sect, it was needless to say.

Yet the counterpart had rejected them, leaving Long Ren a bit surprised.

Despite not showing signs of surprise to Thailand, Long Ren couldn’t hide his eagerness for Liuli Grass, knowing he had been searching for this kind of spiritual material for nearly ten years. Now, finally discovered by a disciple from the Xuantian Secret Realm, how could he not be thrilled? He hesitated for a moment and directly asked:

"Then tell me, what do you want in return? I will fulfill your request!"

Leng Jian was somewhat tense but knew his master sacrificed too much for the sect and definitely didn’t want to see his master disappointed. Moreover, he didn’t want to see his sect slowly decline, as it wasn’t just a sect to him—it was home.

Leng Jian had been an orphan from childhood, constantly taken in by his master, and lived in the Qinghe Sect since he was young. He had strong feelings for the Qinghe Sect. Although the Qinghe Sect seemed unchanged at this moment, the master’s constant worry revealed to him that the Qinghe Sect was already on the decline, and without sufficient cultivation resources, the sect, his home, Qinghe Sect might slowly fall apart.

This was something he absolutely didn’t want to see, so pushing aside all reservations, he knew his master had waited for this opportunity for a long time, and clearly realized that their sect had this once-in-a-lifetime chance for a comeback. If they missed it, their sect might lose its hopes forever.

After some hesitation, Leng Jian prepared for the worst possible scenario and then spoke to Long Ren:

"Lake Master, our Qinghe Sect does indeed require cultivation resources, not just those. After all, Qinghe Sect is also your subordinate sect, and I know you hope for Qinghe Sect’s prosperity as well. Therefore... we need that Spirit Vein located in the Central Southern Ridge Plain."