"Right now, Dragon Phoenix Hall's business is doing very well, but it only has shops in Mingdu. And because of a shortage of manpower, the number of pills that can be refined daily is limited.
"Regional restrictions, lack of staff—these will all limit Dragon Phoenix Hall's development. If you want your business to reach the next level, you must expand.
"But if you rely solely on yourselves for location scouting, shop opening, and recruitment, the efficiency will be extremely low. In a few years, you might not even be able to open a handful of shops.
"At such a time, what you need is a partner. And the Spirit Transmission Tower would undoubtedly be the best possible partner for Dragon Phoenix Hall."
Leng Yaozhu paused, giving Yun Tian time to absorb and digest her words.
The phone was on speaker, so Yun Ze and Gu Yuena heard everything. They exchanged a glance, shook their heads in tacit understanding, and realized her true purpose—she was here for the pill formulas.
"Deputy Tower Master Leng, go on," Di Tian said. He didn't reject her outright, but chose to hear her out.
Leng Yaozhu thought Yun Tian was showing interest. Her spirits rose; it looked like this had a chance. She continued:
"You should know that our Spirit Pagoda has branches in almost every city. To say our influence spans the entire continent is no exaggeration.
"If you could sell your pills through every Spirit Pagoda branch, you wouldn't need to worry about site selection, shop setup, or recruitment.
"You'd also be able to leverage the Tower's influence to boost your pill reputation. At that point, your sales would increase dozens, even hundreds of times over.
"Just imagine—if sales multiplied by hundreds or thousands, how much profit would you be earning daily?
"I estimate at least several hundred billion at the very least. Even breaking a trillion in daily revenue wouldn't be impossible."
As she spoke, Leng Yaozhu's own heartbeat quickened. Even as a super powerhouse, she was shocked by such staggering figures as hundreds of billions in daily revenue.
Her words might sound like exaggeration, but it wasn't entirely impossible. It wasn't a lie.
She herself supported the idea of working with Dragon Phoenix Hall. Once cooperation was achieved, it would truly be a win-win, mutually beneficial situation.
Di Tian deliberately remained silent for a moment before speaking:
"Deputy Tower Master Leng, what you've said is quite tempting."
But before she could celebrate, he continued:
"However, the possibility of this cooperation actually happening between us is very slim."
"Why?" Leng Yaozhu asked in confusion.
"If you're worried the Spirit Pagoda will take too large a share of the profits, there's no need.
"The Tower is willing to make concessions—only taking one-fifth of the total profits. The bulk would still go to you."
"It's not about profit distribution," Di Tian explained, "but because when I last returned to my clan, I discussed expansion with the Patriarch. He said expansion is necessary, yes, but it cannot be rushed.
"Dragon Phoenix Hall was only recently established. It hasn't even fully secured its footing in Mingdu, yet you suggest expanding already? That would be unwise.
"At the very least, we should wait two or three years, until Dragon Phoenix Hall is running smoothly, before considering expansion.
"That's why I say the possibility of cooperation now is slim. If there truly is to be cooperation, it would have to wait two or three years. Not now."
Di Tian spoke with a trace of regret.
Hearing this, the smile on Leng Yaozhu's face stiffened. After some thought, she said:
"Patriarch Yun's concerns are reasonable, but I don't think they prevent us from working together.
"What he fears is the risk of Dragon Phoenix Hall expanding alone. But if it partners with the Spirit Pagoda, then there's no need to worry.
"The Tower has stood tall on the continent for tens of thousands of years. With our deep foundation, we would be Dragon Phoenix Hall's most solid support.
"We would do everything possible to prevent accidents, and if anything did happen, we would step in immediately to resolve it, ensuring both sides' interests are safeguarded.
"Also, even if Patriarch Yun insists on waiting two or three years before expanding, we could still establish the cooperation now.
"After all, training alchemists takes time. If we spend the next two or three years training many them, then when the expansion begins, they can immediately refine and sell pills. Wouldn't that be perfect?"
Di Tian glanced at Yun Ze and Gu Yuena, seeking their opinion. Both shook their heads.
"This matter is of great importance. I can't give you a definite answer right now. I can only say that we'll consider it," Di Tian replied vaguely.
"As for the matter of the Indomitable Spirit Soul, we won't let you suffer a loss. We'll offer 20 billion federal coins as compensation."
It was clear—they were trying to use the Indomitable Spirit Soul to make them feel indebted to the Spirit Pagoda, thus pushing toward cooperation.
But giving 20 billion in compensation was enough to erase such a debt, leaving nothing to hold against them.
Leng Yaozhu understood this was a polite rejection. She didn't push further. This wasn't something that could be rushed.
Smiling, she said:
"No need. Let's consider the Indomitable Spirit Soul as a gift from us to Dragon Phoenix Hall. Compensation isn't necessary.
"As long as it finds a good home, we're satisfied. If Yun Ze ever needs another, the Tower still has one or two that suit him very well. When he's ready to absorb another, you can let him try."
"I will," Di Tian replied perfunctorily. After a few more words, the call ended.
"This time, sell them the pills at half price. The discount can count as payment for the Indomitable Spirit Soul," Yun Ze said.
"Alright," Di Tian nodded. Compared to owing favors, Dragon Phoenix Hall preferred paying money. They certainly weren't short on money now.
Even at half price, they'd still earn over ten billion in profit. Definitely not a loss.
"They mentioned the Spirit Transmission Tower has more Indomitable Spirit Souls suited for you. Do you want them?" Gu Yuena asked.
"We'll see when the time comes. It's not a necessity. There's no need to owe the Spirit Pagoda over something like this," Yun Ze said.
Glancing at the little food left on the table, he asked:
"Are you full?"
Gu Yuena subconsciously touched her stomach, embarrassed."Half full…"
"Then we'll eat again when we get back," Yun Ze said with a smile, shaking his head. He stood and walked out first. Gu Yuena quickly rose to follow, with Di Tian close behind.
With the Spirit Soul matter settled, Wei Yang did not stop them, letting Yun Ze and the others leave the Tower.
At the Spirit Pagoda headquarters, after ending the call with Yun Tian, Leng Yaozhu phoned Qian Gu Dongfeng and reported the outcome.
Learning that they had failed to secure cooperation with Dragon Phoenix Hall, Qian Gu Dongfeng felt disappointed. This Dragon Phoenix Hall was really cautious.
"Let's wait a while before approaching Dragon Phoenix Hall about cooperation again," Qian Gu Dongfeng said.
After the call ended, he sank into thought. Slowly, a brilliant idea surfaced in his mind, and the corners of his mouth curved upward.
Perhaps they could target Yun Ze directly. Stage an incident where the young master of Dragon Phoenix Hall is attacked by evil soul masters, and the Spirit Pagoda steps in to save him.
They wouldn't even need to have Yun Ze killed—crippling him would suffice. Leaving him alive was also an option.
That way, Dragon Phoenix Hall would owe the Tower a massive favor. When it came time to discuss cooperation again, there'd be no problem.