Chapter 257: Submission

Seeing Luo Tian still hesitating.

Ye Qingxuan pretended to suggest:

"How about you tell me the location of the Dongxu Secret Realm first? I'll send someone to investigate and appraise it, then you can decide."

"This..."

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's suggestion, Luo Tian was clearly tempted.

Seeing Luo Tian tempted, Ye Qingxuan decisively spoke again:

"However, doing so will take time and effort, and the interest will keep accumulating."

Feeling Ye Qingxuan's faint gaze.

Luo Tian subconsciously swallowed, stammering:

"N-no need. One hundred million high-grade spirit stones is one hundred million high-grade spirit stones."

Saying this, Luo Tian took out a purple rhombus stone from his storage ring and said bitterly:

After speaking, Luo Tian tactfully drew a detailed map on the spot and handed it to Ye Qingxuan along with the purple rhombus stone.

"If the City Lord does not believe the information about the Dongxu Secret Realm, I can swear a Dao Oath."

This purple rhombus stone is actually a key scattered around the Secret Realm when it formed.

At that time, his cultivation base was too low; he only explored a small part of the Secret Realm's outer area and gained little.

"Every year on the ninth day of the ninth month, holding this rhombus stone allows entry into the Secret Realm."

Luo Tian had entered through this purple rhombus stone.

The purple rhombus stone was obtained by Luo Tian unintentionally in a certain mountain range in Xingzhou before he came to the Xuanmu Realm.

"I will send someone to investigate. Once the authenticity of the Secret Realm is confirmed."

Seeing Luo Tian's bitter expression, Ye Qingxuan tossed the purple rhombus stone and the map in his hand, smiled slightly, and said:

"The one hundred million high-grade spirit stones worth of the Dongxu Secret Realm, City Lord, give them to me directly now!"

"No need. Serving for sixty-one thousand years is the same as serving for sixty-one thousand years."

Serving for sixty-one thousand years versus fifty-one thousand years made little difference to Luo Tian at present.

He had originally planned to return to the Secret Realm for exploration after his cultivation base improved.

Outsiders can only enter the Secret Realm through the key, at a specific time and place.

"From the spirit stones you owe, I will deduct one hundred million high-grade spirit stones. For the remaining spirit stones, according to the contract, you will serve me."

Before Ye Qingxuan finished speaking, Luo Tian decisively refused:

"The Secret Realm is located in a mountain range in Xingzhou."

By chance, he entered the Secret Realm and obtained a batch of elixirs that improved his cultivation base.

He never expected to have to reveal the Secret Realm's information early as a bargaining chip to exchange for spirit stones.

With no master of the Secret Realm, the Secret Realm passage cannot be actively opened.

Too many debts bring no worry; too many lice bring no itch.

As for the Dao Oath? It doesn't matter anymore since things are already like this.

Luo Tian indicated he didn't care; after all, he had spoken the truth.

Rather than using the one hundred million high-grade spirit stones obtained from the Secret Realm to offset the debt and cancel ten thousand years of service.

It would be better to use those one hundred million high-grade spirit stones to purchase elixirs and improve his cultivation base.

Without advancing his realm, whether serving for sixty-one thousand years or fifty-one thousand years is a joke; there is no difference at all.

Luo Tian finally let go of his thoughts; he was just one person.

Even if he developed the Secret Realm himself, he could not guarantee significant profits.

Rather than developing it slowly in the future, it would be better to trade it early to the City Lord of the Mysterious Shop, obtain sufficient spirit stones, and improve his cultivation base.

Additionally, he could do the Mysterious City Lord a favor.

After all, he would still need to purchase elixirs from the Mysterious City Lord in the future.

If the relationship became too strained, what if the Mysterious City Lord refused to sell him elixirs?

In the short term, he did not know where to find a stable source of elixirs.

Hearing Luo Tian's words, Ye Qingxuan understood clearly.

He did not refuse Luo Tian's choice; after all, his original goal was to bring Luo Tian under his command.

So Ye Qingxuan nodded slightly and said:

"In that case, let it be as you wish!"

He took out a storage ring from his robe, moved his spiritual sense, transferred most of the spirit stones he carried into the storage ring, and handed it to Luo Tian.

"Inside here are the spirit stones you want. If you want any elixirs, go to the shop and purchase them yourself."

"Take this batch of spirit stones and go down to improve your cultivation base first."

"Remember, from now on, you must serve me for sixty-one thousand years."

Some of these spirit stones were earned by the Mysterious Shop over the years.

Some were transported from the Qingxuan Grotto-Heaven as reserve funds and energy for the Mysterious Shop.

After all, although the Mysterious Shop generated considerable revenue, the previous acquisition of Qing Demon Clan corpses also consumed a large amount of spirit stones.

Moreover, in recent decades, due to shifting circumstances in the Xuanmu Realm, the Mysterious Shop's revenue has plummeted.

The significance of the Mysterious Shop's existence in the Xuanmu Realm has been diminishing.

Luo Tian reached out one hand to accept the storage ring given by Ye Qingxuan.

Hearing Ye Qingxuan's instructions and feeling his gaze.

He gave an awkward smile, tactfully bent slightly, and clasped his hands in a bow:

"Subordinate Luo Tian, obeying your command!"

Having spoken, Luo Tian hurriedly left the Shangxuan Pavilion.

Clearly, he had been terrified by Ye Qingxuan's schemes.

In fact, even if Luo Tian had not chosen to exchange the Cave Void Secret Realm for one hundred million high-grade spirit stones,

Ye Qingxuan would still have spent certain resources to raise Luo Tian's cultivation base.

After all, Luo Tian was to serve him for sixty-one thousand years.

Given such a long duration, Ye Qingxuan naturally did not mind wasting some resources in the early stages to elevate Luo Tian's cultivation realm.

Otherwise, if Luo Tian's realm were too low, then subduing him and having him serve for tens of thousands of years would have been meaningless.

Watching Luo Tian's departing figure, Ye Qingxuan murmured with deep meaning:

"In merely a hundred years, your cultivation rose from the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm to the late-stage of the Golden Core realm, and your spiritual power is extremely refined."

"It seems your opportunities are considerable!"

The speed at which Luo Tian consumed elixirs to directly boost his cultivation.

Was not only far faster than Ye Qingxuan's two attendants, Ye Zhaoheng and Ye Zhaoyu, but also seemed to have no side effects whatsoever.

It must be remembered that Luo Tian himself possessed only a single-element spiritual root.

Yet the two brothers, Ye Zhaoheng and Ye Zhaoyu, had three-element spiritual root talents.

Although the resources consumed to raise Luo Tian's cultivation far exceeded those for Ye Zhaoheng and Ye Zhaoyu,

it took nearly ten million high-grade spirit stones to elevate his cultivation to the late-stage of the Golden Core.

This, however, does not deny the immense power of Luo Tian's opportunities.

After all, Luo Tian's own spiritual power was indeed extremely pure, as if it had been transformed directly from his own spiritual roots.

Nevertheless, Ye Qingxuan harbored no thoughts of coveting it.

Ye Qingxuan possessed such magnanimity.

It was merely a method to eliminate the aftereffects of elixirs.

Such methods serve only as powerful aids during the early stages of cultivation.

In the later stages of cultivation, this effect becomes insignificant.

Ye Qingxuan himself possessed great opportunities; his path ahead was already clear. He only needed to advance steadily step by step to reach the peak of this world.

Under such circumstances, Ye Qingxuan did not wish to violate his own state of mind or incur unnecessary karmic entanglements.

Having Luo Tian submit to his banner and serve him for tens of thousands of years.

That was already sufficient for Ye Qingxuan.

Tens of thousands of years later.

Ye Qingxuan believed he would be firmly established at the peak, fearing no challenge.

By then, even if Luo Tian harbored complaints, Ye Qingxuan would not fear him.

Moreover, becoming a subordinate of him, Ye Qingxuan, might itself be Luo Tian's opportunity.

As long as Luo Tian sincerely submitted, as a subordinate under his command, Ye Qingxuan would not treat him unfairly.

Luo Tian's growth relied on a continuous supply of elixirs.

And he, coincidentally, could provide these to Luo Tian.

With thoughts swirling in his mind, Ye Qingxuan's gaze remained calm as he waited quietly within the Shangxuan Pavilion for the arrival of the clone explorers.

(End of this chapter)