Chapter 21: Goal Achieved

Yu Tianyun took out a carefully prepared invitation from the Storage Soul Conduit on his wrist, walked forward with steady steps, handed it to one of the burly men, and politely said, 'Please trouble this big brother to inform Senior Yang Wudi; just say that I, Yu Tianyun, grandson of the Sect Master of the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect, have come to pay a visit.'

The burly man, hearing this, couldn't help but glance at Yu Tianyun, seeing his dignified bearing and extraordinary demeanor in every gesture, especially that rare soul conduit, which further highlighted his noble status. The burly man then felt somewhat convinced of his identity and said in a low voice, 'Please wait a moment.' After saying that, he turned and went inside.

The other burly man remained at his post, guarding the gate meticulously, yet his fierce gaze couldn't help but sneak a glance at Yu Tianyun from the corner of his eye.

At that moment, deep within the grand manor, the gatekeeper holding the invitation hurried to the door of a room filled with strong medicinal scent. After hesitating for a while, he gathered his courage and said, 'Clan Chief, someone has come to visit you!'

'Get lost! Don't see me! Didn't I just say I'm refining pills? Don't disturb me while I'm refining pills!' A furious roar burst from inside, like thunder exploding, shaking the surrounding air as if it froze for an instant.

At that shout, the scene fell into a deathly silence. The gatekeeper broke out in a cold sweat like rain, hastily wiped the large beads of sweat from his forehead, hesitated, but finally steeled himself and said carefully, 'But the other party is the grandson of the Sect Master of the Lan Dian Ba Wang Sect!'

'Bang!' Immediately followed by a heavy door opening sound, an old man walked out from inside—it was the clan chief of the Breaking Clan, Yang Wudi!

Yang Wudi was tall and straight like a vigorous pine, his features stern, his lines as clear as if carved by knife and axe. However, his bare chest bore several ferocious, terrifying scars, adding a touch of ferocity.

Yang Wudi said to the gatekeeper in an icy tone, 'Take him to the council hall; I'll wait for him there.'

'Yes, Clan Chief.' The gatekeeper replied hastily, his feet moving as if fleeing, quickly returning to the gate.

Led by the returning gatekeeper, Yu Tianyun quickly arrived at the council hall. Upon entering, he saw the old man with his back to him. Yu Tianyun quickened his steps, approached, bowed slightly, and said politely, 'Junior Yu Tianyun pays his respects to Clan Chief Yang.'

Yang Wudi also slowly turned. Facing the courteous Yu Tianyun, he returned a slight bow and then said, 'Young Sect Master Yu, there's no need for formalities; over the years our Yang Clan has received much help from your sect. Now that you, Young Sect Master, have come in person, if there's anything you need my help with, just say it straight—I, Yang Wudi, will spare no effort to assist you in accomplishing it.'

Yu Tianyun, hearing Yang Wudi's frank words, felt a secret joy—'Good, that's exactly what I was waiting for.' He then said slowly, 'Clan Chief Yang, you are indeed as generous as the legends say; I won't hide it—I have come this time with an important matter requiring your help.' Yang Wudi's face stiffened slightly, he felt a bit speechless, thinking, 'No, I was just being polite; why are you, kid, really not being polite?' Yet he managed a faint smile on his strained face and said, 'If so, Young Sect Master, please speak plainly.'

Yu Tianyun's smile grew brighter, his eyes shining with anticipation, as he said, 'I have long heard that Senior Yang is passionate about alchemy and must be well versed in various rare medicinal herbs; I have come this time to request a catalog of those rare herbs.'

Upon hearing this, Yang Wudi first let out a slight sigh of relief; he had originally feared that Yu Tianyun would make an extravagant demand, asking his clan to undertake something as difficult as going up knives and down into fire. He then immediately replied, 'This is easy to say; Young Sect Master Yu, you have indeed come to the right place. As for anything else, I wouldn't dare claim, but in the field of alchemy and herb identification, our Yang Clan dares to say we are second to none!'

Hearing Yang Wudi's confident words, Yu Tianyun's anticipation grew. Yang Wudi, who handles affairs swiftly and decisively, did not ask what Yu Tianyun needed the herb catalog for, and promptly produced a small booklet from his Storage Soul Conduit, handing it to Yu Tianyun while thinking to quickly get rid of this nuisance so he could return to his alchemy: 'This is all the data our Breaking Clan has on rare herbs; take a look.'

Yu Tianyun was overjoyed; he hastily took it, eagerly opened it to examine. On the last line of the catalog, the words 'Immortal-grade herbs' appeared prominently. He immediately turned to the corresponding page and began to look.

Indeed, the Breaking Clan truly has some skill. In Yu Tianyun's impression, every immortal herb that has appeared in the Ice and Fire Dual Eyes is recorded in detail in this booklet, and there are even many immortal-grade herbs not found in the original work. After finishing, Yu Tianyun, heart full of joy, carefully placed the herb catalog into his Storage Soul Conduit and then solemnly promised, 'Yu Tianyun thanks you, Clan Chief Yang; if there is ever anything you need from me, please let me know directly—I will spare no effort to assist.'

'Young Sect Master Yu, there's no need for formalities; however, this is a trivial matter compared to the aid your sect has given us—it's hardly worth mentioning!' Yang Wudi said with a laugh.

But just after he finished speaking, he couldn't help but stare blankly, thinking, 'Why does this kid's talk sound so familiar? Isn't it almost the same as what I just said?' As he thought this, his face darkened slightly and his brows furrowed.

His gaze toward Yu Tianyun also grew somewhat dim.

Yu Tianyun was unaware of Yang Wudi's thoughts, but his promise was sincere; in his view, the crucial step to obtain immortal herbs was not at Dugubo, the 'herb garden guard,' but rather obtaining the herb knowledge from Yang Wudi.

Seeing Yang Wudi's strange gaze, Yu Tianyun gave it no further thought and repeatedly expressed his sincere thanks: 'Clan Chief Yang, if there is ever any use for me, I will gladly go through fire and water, sparing no effort.'

'If Young Sect Master Yu has no other business, I will take my leave; I am currently refining medicine and cannot continue to keep you company—otherwise a batch would be ruined!' Though Yang Wudi's words were polite, they clearly revealed a hint of impatience, and he only wanted to see the guest off quickly.

Yu Tianyun, also not wanting to overstay his welcome, bowed and said, 'This intrusion was due to my oversight, Clan Chief Yang; please don't blame me—I will not disturb your alchemy any further. Farewell.'

'Young Sect Master Yu, take your time; someone, see the guest out.' Yang Wudi said with a slight excitement, as if he had finally managed to send the trouble away.

After a month, Yu Tianyun finally completed the most crucial part of his plan. Leaving the Yang residence, he found a comfortable hotel in Azure Cloud City to rest for a night. The next day, he hurried back without stopping. Along the way, Yu Tianyun's thoughts raced, envisioning that with these precious herb insights he could achieve greater breakthroughs and progress on his cultivation path.

(End of Chapter)