Chapter 432: Friendship Price

"What transaction?"

Lin Chuan was intrigued.

"I want to borrow your Divine Cocoon for a while to comprehend my clan's Dual Bloodline Secret Art; it should give me great help."

The Dual Bloodline Secret Art is closely tied to the strength of one's vitality.

And the Divine Cocoon is the most vitality‑rich one Ye Xue has ever seen.

"Sure enough," Lin Chuan nodded, "What will you give in exchange?"

Ye Xue stared at him, "What do you want?"

Lin Chuan smiled, "Do we count as friends now?"

"Probably... yes,"

Ye Xue wasn't sure; between them there should have been a hostile rivalry.

But many years have passed since the contest for the secret realm.

Calling each other friends isn't a big deal.

"Fine."

Lin Chuan's smile turned playful, "Since we're friends, I'll give you a friendship price."

Ye Xue frowned, "What friendship price?"

Lin Chuan said, "If I need anything later, I will ask you to act for me three times, and you must not refuse."

"Alright."

Ye Xue agreed in one breath.

"Have you decided?"

Lin Chuan pretended to be serious, "The current me is considerably stronger than you; if I encounter an unsolvable trouble, it could be life‑threatening for you."

"So what?"

Ye Xue replied proudly, "We cultivators fear not death; besides, you're stronger now, but you may not always dominate me in the future."

"Hmm, you try," Lin Chuan said calmly.

"Do you think I can't catch up to you?" Ye Xue hated the feeling of being looked down upon, yet had to admit she was currently weaker than Lin Chuan.

Intuitively, that was the case.

If we truly fought, we probably wouldn't be opponents.

"I can catch up."

Lin Chuan wore a nonchalant expression.

Ye Xue grew angrier, clenching her legs, her dragon horns trembling with fury, but she could do nothing and had to return to the point,

"When will you lend me the Divine Cocoon?"

"It can be now," Lin Chuan smiled, "Is that convenient?"

"What's inconvenient?"

Ye Xue didn't understand.

Lin Chuan explained, "If I lend you the Divine Cocoon, I must stay by its side; it's not that I distrust you, but the Cocoon has long merged with me."

"If I'm not present, you can't control it."

"It might even backfire."

"Is that so?" Ye Xue said half‑incredulous, having no objection to Lin Chuan's method; after all, it was his treasure and so important, it was understandable, "If you don't mind, then stay guarding it."

"We, a lone man and a lone woman, sharing a room for so long? Aren't you afraid the Spirit Clan companions will suspect something?" Lin Chuan asked.

"Suspect? Heh heh."

Ye Xue sneered, "Would I fear those rumors? Don't say there's nothing between us to begin with."

"Even if there is something, so what?"

"What business is it of theirs?"

If there truly were something, Ye Xue would announce it herself without anyone else.

She has always been bold in action and admission.

If it exists, it exists; if not, it doesn't.

"Alright then."

Lin Chuan took out the Divine Cocoon.

After a long period of nurturing, and the battle on the Black Mist battlefield where he saved Yun Town Mountain, the Divine Cocoon had already evolved to an entirely new level.

Its vitality was so dense it could stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with an Immortal.

"Indeed, it has become different again."

Staring at the Divine Cocoon, Ye Xue's eyes burned with envy and frustration.

Why did she lose that initial battle?

If she had won then, she would now have left Lin Chuan far behind.

"What kind of life does the Divine Cocoon actually nurture?" Ye Xue exclaimed.

"An ordinary life."

Lin Chuan smiled, "Just like us, like all myriad beings."

Ye Xue rolled her eyes, "You cheapen the bargain and still act innocent; do you think I'll just expose the matter directly, making it impossible for you to protect her."

"You wouldn't."

Lin Chuan was unruffled, "If you were going to spill it, it wouldn't have taken until now."

Ye Xue sighed helplessly, "You really do trust me."

She always feels an inexplicable pull between herself and Lin Chuan; otherwise, given her temperament, she shouldn't be so indecisive.

At first, she and Lin Chuan were rivals.

Using certain means is not unreasonable.

Back then, after leaving the secret realm, if she had told the elders of the Spirit Clan directly, there would definitely have been a chance to snatch the Divine Cocoon from Lin Chuan.

But she didn't say it.

She warned herself that Lin Chuan had already been sufficiently benevolent to her within the secret realm, and she could not betray her heart.

"Here you go."

Lin Chuan handed over the Divine Cocoon.

For Lin Chuan, today's transaction neatly completed a stroke of his grand Shared Slumber scheme.

Among the five romantic ties, Ye Xue and Sangyu are the hardest to handle.

Sangyu, after all, is still limited by the flaw of a dual personality; Ye Xue's coldness is hard to penetrate, and the only thing that can suppress her…

…is probably Lü Ya.

The life nurtured within the Divine Cocoon is Lü Ya; today Ye Xue borrows the Cocoon's power, thereby receiving Lü Ya's favor.

How to repay it later?

Naturally, one must be pliant.

This is precisely why Lin Chuan so readily lent the Divine Cocoon to Ye Xue; a chance given for free, how could one refuse?

"Stay in the room; I'll enter the inner secret chamber to cultivate the Dual Bloodline Secret Art."

"It should be until the True Dragon Assembly officially opens before we can exit the seal."

"No problem on your end, right?"

Ye Xue doesn't know what Lin Chuan is thinking, she only wants to quickly advance the Dual Bloodline Secret Art to a higher level and claim the top spot in the True Dragon Assembly.

Only by entering the True Dragon Treasure Vault in the Dragon Clan's Ancestral Land and obtaining what she wants can she fulfill her long‑cherished wish.

Meeting Lin Chuan here is truly her luck; the heavens intend to aid her.

She already had ninety percent confidence; now with the Divine Cocoon in hand, she is absolutely certain she can sweep through the True Dragon Assembly.

"What problem could I have?" Lin Chuan said with a smile.

To her, it makes no difference where she stays.

"Are you really sure there's no problem?"

Ye Xue paused and said, "That Red-Clothed Witch on your flying boat should be your Dao Companion, or perhaps an admirer you pursue?"

Lin Chuan shook his head, "No, just a friend."

"Just a friend again?"

Ye Xue's expression turned strange, "Is your definition of a friend different from others? I don't think you two are ordinary friends."

Lin Chuan smiled and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Ye Xue said, "When I took you away, I sensed obvious hostility in that Red-Clothed Witch's gaze."

"And that ugly‑looking girl also seems not simple."

"I just don't believe it; with your ability, you can't see any different feeling they have toward you."

Ye Xue believes her intuition.

Those two women both have an unusual relationship with Lin Chuan.

"Oh?"

Lin Chuan's smile was broad, "Since you're so perceptive, could you also look at someone for me?"

Ye Xue asked, "Who?"

Lin Chuan stared into Ye Xue's eyes,

Do you think there's some kind of different feeling between us?