Ye Xixi's treatment was swift, but Ye Wen, with his sharp gaze, had already gleaned some understanding of the reason behind her earlier strange demeanor.
"Was it due to a special connection between top-tier plants that allowed her to sense the unrefined potency of the Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid?
Or perhaps she detected the presence of other unrefined spirit herbs. Regardless, that look of shock was genuine.
But was there greed behind it? I didn't detect any." Ye Wen's thoughts darkened momentarily.
However, this shadowy suspicion vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Even if she harbored intentions, what of it? On my side, I have two Title Douluo-level fighters!
Ye Wen then shifted his gaze to Chen Gang, who also gave him a vague sense of familiarity. Yet, a fog seemed to shroud his memory, leaving him feeling both acquainted and distant.
At this moment, Ye Wen recalled the information about Chen Gang.
Chen Gang, the husband of the previous generation's Nine-Heart Begonia wielder, possessed the martial soul Blazing Lion, an 89th-level power-type Battle Soul Douluo. Known as the "Lion King," his martial soul, though slightly inferior to the Spirit Hall's Golden Lion due to a single word difference, was still considered a top-tier martial soul. Ordinary Soul Douluos were no match for him, and even Title Douluos would struggle against him for a time. He ranked among the top ten strongest individuals in the entire Tian Dou Empire.
By now, Ye Xixi's treatment had finally concluded.
"It's done, Baroness Huo. Be careful not to overexert yourself like before. You shouldn't encounter any issues for a long while."
Huo Rui expressed her thanks briefly, then turned to Ye Wen and asked:
"Xiao Wen, do you have anything else to take care of? If not, let's head home."
Ye Wen's eyes narrowed slightly, but he remained silent. The hall fell into a brief, tense silence.
Huo Rui also sensed the abnormal atmosphere. Her soul power began to seep out slowly, ready to strike at a moment's notice.
At this point, Chen Gang spoke up: "Boy, do you have something else to say? Don't think that being Dugu Bo's disciple gives you the right to act recklessly in my territory. If you push me too far, I won't care whose disciple you are."
"Senior Chen Gang, you flatter me. I'm here to resolve matters peacefully, not to cause trouble.
In fact, the reason I stayed behind was to see if Madam Ye had anything to say.
After all, that earlier expression of hers wasn't exactly reassuring." Ye Wen said calmly.
Ye Xixi's heart tightened. She hadn't expected Ye Wen to catch her fleeting change in expression.
Chen Gang, however, observed Ye Wen expressionlessly for a moment before speaking slowly:
"This is indeed a lapse on our part. As an apology, we'll waive the medical fee this time.
The two of you, please leave." With a dismissive wave of his hand, he signaled them to depart.
Ye Wen inwardly admired the gesture. No wonder he was a man in his seventies or eighties—discarding one hundred thousand gold spirit coins so easily demonstrated immense magnanimity.
But Ye Wen didn't rise to leave. After a whirlwind of thought, he had pondered many things.
Although the original storyline depicted the rivalry between the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect and the Nine-Heart Begonia family, any discerning person could see that their paths were fundamentally different. Even though the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda was hailed as the ultimate auxiliary martial soul, there was no real reason to suppress the Nine-Heart Begonia.
After all, who didn't have injuries that couldn't be healed? The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's healing abilities, which boasted an 80% success rate, were laughable compared to the Nine-Heart Begonia's ability to revive the dead and mend shattered bones.
Moreover, if the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect truly wanted to exterminate the Nine-Heart Begonia family, why would they allow them to live under their noses in the Tian Dou Imperial City? It was clearly just another plot device.
A faint smile curved Ye Wen's lips. He intended to poach the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda's auxiliary prowess, and he also wanted to secure the Nine-Heart Begonia's resurrection-like healing capabilities.
After all, even absolute powerhouses feared unforeseen accidents.
After a moment of contemplation, Ye Wen spoke slowly:
"Senior Chen Gang, aside from yourself, the Ye family only has two Soul Douluo-level elders, and their strength pales in comparison to yours. How much longer can you, who hasn't yet broken through to Title Douluo, continue to protect the Ye family?"
The already tense atmosphere in the hall descended into complete silence.
Chen Gang's eyes narrowed, and his fiery soul power surged violently, pressing down on Ye Wen and Huo Rui.
Huo Rui, fully prepared, unleashed her own formidable soul power without hesitation. The two sides began to face off.
At this moment, under the mutual pressure of their soul forces, the air seemed to wail, and the luxurious furniture around them began to crack inch by inch.
"Boy, are you threatening me?" Chen Gang said coldly.
Ye Wen dared not let Huo Rui release her soul power, lest the overwhelming pressure of at least level 80 crush him. Unlike Tang San, who fearlessly faced Title-level soul beasts and powerhouses as a mere Soul Elder, Ye Wen knew better than to provoke such a confrontation.
At this moment, Ye Wen calmly spoke: "Senior, you misunderstand. Rather than a threat, I'd like to discuss a matter with you."
Seeing Ye Wen's composed demeanor, Chen Gang furrowed his brow briefly before relaxing. His soul power gradually dissipated.
"Then speak. But if you dare utter nonsense, don't blame me for losing my temper," Chen Gang said coolly.
Seeing this reaction, Ye Wen thought to himself, 'Looks like it's settled.'
He then turned his gaze to the visibly nervous Ye Xixi and said: "Madam Ye, reaching the Soul Douluo level at the age of 35 is admirable. But you must also realize that your cultivation relied heavily on medicinal aids. This lifetime, breaking through to Title Douluo is unlikely for you."
Unlike the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda, the Nine-Heart Begonia had no restrictions on breakthroughs, despite its inherent martial soul flaw—only two could exist in the same generation.
Given this, why did Ye Xixi resort to consuming vast amounts of medicine to accelerate her breakthrough?
The answer was clear: there were high-level soul masters around her, depending on her martial soul's healing abilities to save their lives.
This raised another question: where had the previous generation's Nine-Heart Begonia wielder gone?
Though Ye Wen hadn't uncovered the exact reason, there was a 99% chance they were dead. Otherwise, Ye Lingling wouldn't have awakened the Nine-Heart Begonia, and Ye Xixi wouldn't have relied on medicines to break through.
Perhaps realizing her own shortcomings had been exposed, Ye Xixi bit her lower lip awkwardly.
Seeing his daughter in such a state, Chen Gang's eyes flashed with a flicker of pity. He spoke up:
"Boy, speak plainly. Don't beat around the bush."
Ye Wen smiled faintly and cut straight to the chase:
"Let's make a deal, Senior Chen Gang. Bring the Ye family under our banner. Not only will I help you break through to Title Douluo, but I'll also address the hidden dangers in your daughter's cultivation. In the future, she'll have a chance to reach Title Douluo as well, and the Ye family will prosper under your leadership."
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