Ye Tian took his time, leisurely walking to the rattan chair before sitting down with a light chuckle.
"Grand Worship, you're not very calm right now."
"The origin of Sea Jiao Pearl … do you really need to ask?"
"I'm sure you know better than I do."
"Of course, this pearl is merely a token. As for the real deal, I can only give it to you after the trade."
Qian Daoliu, standing not far away, locked his gaze onto the pearl, his tone growing impatient.
"Speak. What do you want?"
"It's not about what I want, but rather about seeing your sincerity, Grand Worship."
Ye Tian responded with a smile.
To be honest, he only knew that Qian Daoliu possessed the divine weapon Angel's Sword and the Six Angel Soul Bones.
As for other treasures, he had no clue.
"Don't be too greedy," Qian Daoliu warned, his presence exuding authority without anger.
"Think whatever you like."
Ye Tian replied casually.
Qian Daoliu shot him a glance, then, after a moment of thought, took out a soul bone from his storage space and tossed it to Ye Tian.
"This is the ancestral soul bone of the once greatest Tool Spirit Clan on the continent—the Chen Clan. It has a history of 500,000 years."
"That should be enough for this trade, right?"
His expression remained unreadable, but his mind was calculating.
Ye Tian was, after all, part of the Spirit Hall.
Even if he obtained this soul bone, it wouldn't leave the organization.
As long as it remained within the Spirit Hall, it wasn't really a loss.
It was an appropriate item for this trade.
Receiving the soul bone, Ye Tian raised an eyebrow in surprise.
The ancestral soul bone of the greatest Tool Spirit Clan?
This immediately reminded him of someone—Sword Douluo, Chen Xin, of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
He hadn't expected Chen Xin's clan to have such a prestigious history.
If this soul bone had belonged to the top Tool Spirit Clan, then it must be extraordinary.
Moreover, aside from the Sea Jiao Pearl as a "token," Ye Tian actually had nothing else.
To exchange it for such a rare soul bone?
That was practically getting it for free.
He couldn't ask for more.
Ye Tian composed himself, stood up, and said,
"Her Excellency Bo Saixi asked me to relay a message to you."
Hearing Bo Saixi's name, Qian Daoliu's eyes immediately sharpened.
He had no idea when Ye Tian had come into contact with Bo Saixi.
But the fact that he even knew of her existence meant it wasn't a lie.
After all, Sea God Island was not a place just anyone could reach.
This put Qian Daoliu's mind at ease.
To hear news about the woman he had once admired, even at the cost of a soul bone, was worth it.
"Speak quickly," Qian Daoliu urged, eager.
Seeing Qian Daoliu's reaction, Ye Tian tried to keep a straight face.
"Her Excellency Bo Saixi wanted me to tell you—she always liked you."
"That bet was merely a way to make Tang Chen give up."
"She never expected you to take it seriously."
Hearing this, Ye Tian couldn't help but find it amusing.
He knew full well that Bo Saixi had set that divine ascension wager to prevent affecting the cultivation of both her suitors.
The agreement stated that whoever became a god first would win her affection.
But in reality, it was just a ploy to make Qian Daoliu back down.
Bo Saixi had always liked Tang Chen.
To further convince Qian Daoliu, Ye Tian feigned curiosity and asked,
"Grand Worship, what was that wager Bo Saixi mentioned? I didn't dare ask at the time, but I'm quite curious."
At that moment, Qian Daoliu was already fully convinced.
After all, the bet between him, Bo Saixi, and Tang Chen had never been disclosed to anyone.
If Ye Tian knew about it, it had to be because Bo Saixi had told him.
Faced with Ye Tian's inquiry, Qian Daoliu coldly refused,
"Some secrets are better left unknown."
With that, he turned to leave.
He could no longer wait—he had to go to Sea God Island.
To see the woman who had been on his mind for so many years.
Right now, his heart was overwhelmed with emotions.
Yet, at the same time, he was overjoyed.
He hadn't expected that Bo Saixi had always liked him!
It was just that, back then, he had been too arrogant.
He truly believed he had the potential to become a god.
And because of that, he had failed to see the hidden meaning behind Bo Saixi's bet.
But fortunately, it wasn't too late.
As an Ultimate Douluo, he could still live two lifetimes longer than ordinary people.
That was already a blessing from the heavens.
"Grand Worship, don't be in such a rush."
Ye Tian rubbed his hands together and called out to Qian Daoliu.
"What else do you have to say?"
Perhaps due to Ye Tian's previous words, Qian Daoliu's tone was now much softer toward him.
Ye Tian pointed to the Sea Jiao Pearl in Qian Daoliu's hand.
"This thing is of no use to you, Grand Worship. You might as well return it to me."
Qian Daoliu glanced at the pearl in his hand, rubbing it between his fingers.
It was something that had belonged to Bo Saixi.
Truth be told, he didn't want to part with it.
But then, he remembered—he would be seeing Bo Saixi in person soon.
Compared to the real thing, this pearl was worthless.
Understanding this, Qian Daoliu personally handed the pearl back to Ye Tian.
"Take it."
With that, his figure vanished on the spot.
"Many thanks, Grand Worship."
Watching Qian Daoliu depart, Ye Tian smiled and bowed slightly.
Playing with the soul bone and Flood Dragon Pearl in his hands,
His smile widened.
"This was a huge win."
Not only had he lost nothing,
But he had successfully sent Qian Daoliu away and even scored a free soul bone.
Of course, the hidden cost of this was enormous as well.
When Qian Daoliu returned and found out the truth,
Ye Tian would likely have to face his wrath.
"So no matter what, in this window of time…"
"The Elder Hall must be destroyed!"
"Otherwise, trouble will come knocking!"
…
Back at the Pope's Palace,
Ye Tian lifted his gaze.
Bibi Dong was seated on the throne, discussing matters with several elders.
Today, Bibi Dong looked very different from usual.
As she spoke, a faint smile remained on her face.
Less imposing,
And more approachable.
Below the throne's steps,
Ye Tian saw several familiar figures.
Elder Ghost, Elder Chrysanthemum—both were present.
As well as Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan—the three prodigies of the Spirit Hall's Golden Generation.
Especially Yan,
His face was swollen like a pig's head.
Clearly, it was the aftermath of Mandala Poison's effects.
This kind of affliction wouldn't fade in less than a month.
Bibi Dong was the first to notice Ye Tian's arrival.
She lifted her breathtakingly beautiful face, her soft, watery eyes locking onto him.
As if reminiscing about last night's beautiful melody.
Hu Liena, who had been glancing around, also noticed him.
With delight, she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around his shoulder, and wrinkled her delicate nose.
"Ye Tian, where were you last night? I was worried for half the night."
"Hm… I went to see the Grand Worship."
Ye Tian replied without changing his expression.
Hu Liena, not the brightest, clearly believed this lie.
Her face filled with surprise. "Wait, you actually convinced the Grand Worship to temporarily leave Spirit City?"
"But of course."
Ye Tian wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked toward the throne.
Ye Tian wrapped his arm around Hu Liena's shoulder and walked to the steps of the throne.
"Ye Tian!"
Yan turned his head, his eyes bloodshot, and growled viciously.
"So it's Captain Yan."
Ye Tian smiled and gave a polite bow.
Then, with a surprised expression, he said,
"Oh my, Captain Yan, what happened to you? How did you end up like this?"
Faced with Ye Tian exposing his wounds, Yan wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
It was Xie Yue who stepped forward to ease the situation, gently patting Ye Tian's shoulder.
"Let's not bring up the past. From now on, we are all family."
At the right moment, Bibi Dong lightly gestured with her hand and spoke calmly,
"The important matter comes first."
Elder Ghost held a document in his hand, turned slightly toward Ye Tian, and asked,
"Has the Grand Worship left Spirit City?"
"That's right." Ye Tian nodded lightly.
"Then we need to act as soon as possible." Elder Ghost said sternly.
At this moment, Bibi Dong handed Ye Tian an envelope.
"This is a letter I personally wrote to the Sect Master of the Elephant Armor Sect, Hu Yanzhen."
"With this letter, you can gain control over the entire sect."
Ye Tian nodded, took the letter, and stored it in his spatial storage.
Bibi Dong continued, "I plan to have Elder Ghost and Elder Porcupinefish assist you in carrying out this mission."
"I am Porcupinefish, titled 'Blood Pufferfish,' Rank 92."
A burly man with fiery red hair and a rugged beard stepped forward and greeted Ye Tian with a slight bow.
"No need for introductions on my part."
Elder Ghost chuckled casually.
"Then I'll be counting on both of you in the coming days."
Ye Tian responded with a light smile and returned the gesture.
After that, Ye Tian, Elder Ghost, and Porcupinefish discussed the departure time in detail.
They finally settled on leaving in the afternoon.
Upon exiting the Pope's Hall, Ye Tian headed straight for the side palace where Sea Witch and the others resided.
While passing by a scenic lake, he noticed a familiar figure.
By the lonely lakeside pavilion, a girl with long golden hair leaned against the railing, lost in sorrow.
She gazed dazedly at the rippling lake, her thoughts unknown.
Even when Ye Tian approached her from behind, she remained oblivious to his presence.
This made Ye Tian very curious.
What could be troubling his sister so much?
He quietly moved to her right side, leaned forward over the railing, and met her gaze.
"Sis, what are you thinking about?"
Hearing the voice, Diya snapped out of her daze and saw Ye Tian, now right in front of her.
Startled, she took half a step back.
"Oh, it's you, Xiao Tian."
Diya's eyes flickered with complicated emotions as she looked at him.
It had been half a month since they returned to Spirit City.
Through subtle probing, she had learned a lot.
She now understood that Ye Tian was no longer the little follower who used to trail behind her.
He had become a core figure by the Pope's side.
Even high-ranking elders had to show him respect.
This made Diya very proud.
It was the status she had once dreamed of.
Yet, after that pride came a deep sense of melancholy.
She could feel the distance between her and Ye Tian growing.
After all, Ye Tian was now a powerful figure, wielding great influence.
While she was at best just a Soul Master.
If not for their familial bond, she might rarely get the chance to see someone of Ye Tian's stature.
Noticing Diya's troubled expression, Ye Tian gently held her wrist and smiled.
"What's wrong? Are you hiding something from your little brother?"
"I really don't have anything on my mind."
"It's written all over your face."
Ye Tian grinned and pointed at their reflections in the lake.
"Come on, tell me! Maybe I can help solve it."
Diya lifted her eyes, gazing at her brother's sharp and defined features.
"I… I just hope… you'll come visit me more often…"
Her voice was soft, almost inaudible.
(End of Chapter)