Chapter 155: Another One of These

"Lao Bai Niao, why are you here? And Young Sect Master Yu, what is this…?"

Yang Wudi stared at the strange grouping before him and couldn't help furrowing his brows.

Earlier, the gate‑guarding hulking man had reported to him, mentioning only that Bai He had come with two youngsters to find him; he had thought they were here to borrow money again.

But now that he sees Yu Tianyun, he feels the matter is far from simple, suspecting something fishy. A hint of doubt flashes on his face—when did these two come together? Then, his expression turns odd as he looks at Bai He.

Bai He wanted to showcase his usefulness, but also knew Yang Wudi's sour temper and feared a blunt refusal that would embarrass him, so he seized the moment before Yu Tianyun could speak, pressing his voice into a line: "Lao Shan Yang, my grandson‑in‑law and I have come this time to have him learn your Yang Clan spear technique from you."

"Learn the spear technique?"

Yang Wudi was startled by the words, his gaze scrutinizing, and responded in the same forced tone.

"That's right; my grandson‑in‑law's sixth soul skill condenses into a long spear, and to unleash its full power, he naturally must learn the spear technique."

"Wait, sixth soul skill? In less than three years he rose from Soul Elder to Soul Emperor? And when did he become your grandson‑in‑law?"

Yang Wudi's face showed puzzlement as he quickly turned to look at Yu Tianyun and at Bai Chenxiang, who had been arm‑in‑arm with Yu Tianyun, unusually shy rather than her typical aloofness.

"What? Lao Shan Yang, haven't you seen a prodigy? He's just a Soul Emperor under sixteen, nothing to make a fuss over. Tianyun fell in love at first sight with my dear Xiangxiang; as grandfather, how could I break them apart? So I arranged this marriage."

Bai He spoke grandly, pretending not to care about Yu Tianyun's talent, yet the upward curve of his mouth wouldn't subside.

Yang Wudi's face darkened, his angry eyes staring at Bai He: "You old Lao Bai Niao, listen—are you even speaking human words? A Soul Emperor under sixteen, what does that even mean? Don't think I don't know—you've set your eyes on his talent; are you planning to join the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect?"

Yang Wudi, truly the person most close to Bai He, guessed correctly almost to a tee.

Bai He was unbothered, spreading his hands and shrugging:

"How about you join as well? Old brothers can still meet. You know the state of my Bai family; after joining the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect, life will surely be better than now. I know you, because of the Clear Sky Sect affair, are wary of the top three sects, but the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect has helped us a lot over the years, and your business in the Tian Dou Empire has certainly benefited from their patronage, hasn't it?"

"How the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect treats us, ask your own conscience; besides, we never contributed a single effort. To be ashamed, I'm the Clear Sky Sect leader's maternal uncle, yet they never cared about my life these years."

"Tianyun's talent is destined to become a Title Douluo, and even reaching level 99 is highly likely; Tang Chen at his age didn't cultivate this fast. If we join now, our status will rise, and we won't have to fear the Spirit Hall's oppression any longer."

Bai He's words truly stirred Yang Wudi. On one hand, the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect, though as proud as the Clear Sky Sect, has genuinely helped him for years—far better than the Clear Sky Sect. On the other hand, Yu Tianyun's talent, as Bai He said, surpasses Tang Chen's.

However, his pride and the Clear Sky Sect's past mistakes still gave him some reservations.

After a moment of hesitation, Yang Wudi inhaled deeply, pressing his voice into a line to Bai He:

"I'll consider joining the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect. However, I cannot agree to learning the spear technique; that's the foundation of my Breaking Clan's livelihood!"

Every long‑standing sect or clan possesses its own exclusive skill, never easily passing it on; they even refuse to share Soul Beast data or Soul Master knowledge, which is one reason why commoner Soul Masters choose to join the Spirit Hall.

Commoner Soul Masters lack ancestral accumulation, so they easily stray and waste their talent. Big families and major sects are protective of their own, and joining them brings many constraints and oppression from direct disciples. Only the Spirit Hall and the Qi Bao Liu Li Sect lack such discrimination; with talent one can join, learn relevant knowledge, and obtain cultivation resources.

Yet the Qi Bao Liu Li Sect clearly lacks the Spirit Hall's deep foundation and is less inclusive, so the Spirit Hall has become the continent's holy ground for Soul Masters, attracting the most, making it the top choice for commoner Soul Masters—period.

Bai He gave him a glance and said:

"Lao Shan Yang, stop putting on that sour attitude. Tianyun's talent is outstanding and certainly won't be wasted on you; stop hiding it."

Yang Wudi snorted and said:

"My Yang Clan spear technique is an ancestral supreme skill, no worse than the Clear Sky Sect's Nine Clear Sky Absolutes; it cannot be easily passed on."

Bai He hurriedly said:

"You old stubborn one, what era is this? Having another inheritor is no harm. Tianyun's talent will surely magnify your Yang Clan spear technique! With such a disciple, you'll have great prestige later…"

Yang Wudi fell silent, his heart already wavering. With Yu Tianyun's talent, he could likely become a level‑99 Title Douluo; if Yu Tianyun truly masters his Yang Clan spear technique, he becomes his disciple, which would indeed spread the technique far and make it renowned across the continent.

Bai He realized he had swayed Yang Wudi again, feeling a bit self‑satisfied, but he dared not show it; after all, Yang Wudi is more concerned with face, so he fell silent, giving him time to contemplate alone.

Yu Tianyun had noticed from the start that the two's lips were subtly moving, guessing they were communicating by pressing their voices into a line. Yet now he sensed something off between them, though he couldn't pinpoint it, so he spoke: "Chief Yang, I have come this time to thank you for the herbal catalogue you gave me last time."

As he spoke, Yu Tianyun pulled a box from the Storage Soul Conduit, but did not hand it to Yang Wudi; instead he opened it, revealing a large flower with a stalk. In an instant, a faint fragrance drifted out, filling every corner of the room. Bai He, Bai Chenxiang, and especially Yang Wudi's body trembled slightly, eyes widened, staring fixedly at the large flower in Yu Tianyun's hand.

It was a pale‑pink large flower, leafless, with a stalk three feet long; the blossom was massive, over a foot in diameter, each petal looking as crystal‑clear as glass.

Yang Wudi's gaze fixed on the flower as he hurried to Yu Tianyun and, voice trembling, said:

"Is this the gift you intend to thank me with?"

His voice was filled with excitement and joy.

Yu Tianyun said sincerely:

"Spirits choose their master; this immortal herb with you will likely yield greater effect, perhaps making your path in medicinal research smoother."

He said, handing over the fragrant, exquisite immortal herb.

However, Yang Wudi did not take it, leaving Yu Tianyun stunned—his earlier reactions were normal! Shouldn't he have carefully accepted it and readily agreed to his upcoming request?

Yang Wudi's gaze swept between Yu Tianyun and Bai Chenxiang a few times, then slowly said:

"Lao Bai Niao has already told me your purpose; I can join the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect and can teach you the spear technique, but you must agree to one condition."

The moment Yu Tianyun produced the fragrant immortal herb, Yang Wudi had already decided. Since the decision was made, to solidify their bond, he chose to emulate Bai He.

Yu Tianyun felt a slight unease, and, speechless, glanced at Bai He, thinking to himself:

"You old… what did you actually say, why another mishap? Had I known, I would have just produced the fragrant immortal herb right away."

Then, somewhat helplessly, he asked: "Chief Yang, may I know what your condition is?"

Bai He didn't notice Yu Tianyun's plaintive gaze, but angrily addressed Yang Wudi:

"You old Lao Shan Yang, once you agree you agree—why still cheekily set a condition? The herb Tianyun gave you is clearly precious, not inferior to my crystal blood‑dragon ginseng."

"Hm? What did you just say?"

Yang Wudi stared at Bai He in astonishment, his face full of disbelief:

"Crystal blood‑dragon ginseng, right! Well, you old Lao Bai Niao, having such a treasure, and you kept it hidden…"

Bai He inadvertently blurted out, an embarrassed look appearing, and said softly: "I already gave the crystal blood‑dragon ginseng to Tianyun; he said that herb only reaches its peak with a Soul Master possessing a dragon martial soul, so giving it to you would be wasteful."

Yang Wudi didn't argue; he understood the immortal herb better than Yu Tianyun, naturally knowing how the crystal blood‑dragon ginseng achieves its maximum effect. Without the fragrant immortal herb before him, he would naturally wish for the crystal blood‑dragon ginseng.

But the fragrant immortal herb was clearly more suitable; with it, he could craft any medicine without fearing self‑poisoning from contamination. Many medicines he once dared not attempt can now be pursued, and its scent even induces beneficial mutations in many medicines, yielding superior results.

To his Breaking Clan, this immortal herb is a priceless treasure, and he would gladly trade his life for it. However, to get Yu Tianyun to agree to his request, he restrained his yearning and maintained his composure.

Yang Wudi stopped paying attention to Bai He, his gaze blazing at Yu Tianyun, and said:

"My condition is simple for you: you become my grandson‑in‑law as well!"

What?

Bai He and Bai Chenxiang, the grandparent‑grandchild pair, instantly shouted in surprise.

Bai He looked at Yang Wudi with a contemptuous expression and said coldly, "Well, you thick‑browed, big‑eyed Yang Wudi, the clan chief of the Breaking Clan, you even try to snatch someone else's grandson‑in‑law? Have you no shame?"

Bai Chenxiang, also angry, crossed her arms and said in a coquettish voice:

"Grandpa Yang, how could you do this? Brother Yu Tianyun and Sister Yang Ruolin have never even met each other."

Yu Tianyun was speechless, and thought to himself, "Here we go again, looks like I'm really smelly! But according to what Xiangxiang said, Yang Wudi's granddaughter is named Yang Ruolin? That name sounds nice; she must be a gentle, charming beauty."

(End of chapter)