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*****
The fluctuations of Shangguan Tianyue's Heavenly Energy were intense, carrying a sensation that suggested he was on the verge of a breakthrough at any moment. Su Wen estimated that his cultivation was at the peak of the Heavenly King stage. After all, it was highly improbable for him to be at the peak of the Heavenly Emperor stage already.
"Xian'er..." Upon seeing the duo, Shangguan Tianyue's gaze fixed on Tang Xian. His eyes were filled with deep affection, mixed with a profound sense of longing.
Watching this display, Su Wen felt a slight shiver of secondhand embarrassment. However, it was clear that Tang Xian's heart had softened for a fleeting moment. Of course, while her heart wavered, her outward demeanor remained unchanged. She maintained her icy, aloof expression—a mask she had donned the very moment she sensed his energy signature approaching.
"Let's discuss business first," Tang Xian said in a flat, indifferent tone.
Shangguan Tianyue wanted to step forward to explain further and smooth over the "misunderstanding" between them, but after a quick glance at Su Wen's presence, he suppressed the urge.
"Senior, I am already aware of your request." Shangguan Tianyue turned his gaze toward Su Wen. Observing him closely now, he felt more than ever that Su Wen was unfathomable.
Heavenly Energy fluctuations can be faked or masked, and the intensity of one's aura can be forged, but that unique "artistic conception" or realm of intent cannot be simulated. Su Wen's realm was, at the very least, at the Heavenly Emperor level!
Shangguan Tianyue paused for a moment, seemingly organizing his words. "Senior, you wish to browse all the cultivation techniques of my Hallowed Vast Palace. This... is quite difficult."
He didn't issue an outright refusal, which meant there was clearly room for negotiation. Su Wen waited quietly, wanting to hear Shangguan Tianyue's conditions.
"Senior, while some of the techniques within the Hallowed Vast Palace can be opened to the outside world, we cannot open them completely, let alone allow all techniques to be read at will."
The Hallowed Vast Palace possessed core techniques—such as those practiced by the direct descendants of the Shangguan clan—that could never be shared with outsiders.
"If Senior were to join our Hallowed Vast Palace and become a Guest Elder, you would naturally have the authority to view the numerous other techniques we have collected, excluding certain core ones. Of course, the Palace would also assign Senior certain tasks, through which you could earn the right to view those core techniques as well."
Su Wen shook his head immediately. Joining the Hallowed Vast Palace was out of the question. To establish his Academy on the Hallowed Vast Mainland and transform it into a new Holy Land, it was impossible for him to join an existing Holy Land only to "jump ship" shortly after.
Establishing an Academy here was entirely different from the process on the Douluo Continent. Back then, Su Wen was still weak; he lacked the power to settle matters with a single word or the decisive authority to lead. Furthermore, the forces on that continent were largely unified—there were only two great empires and a single true Holy Land in Spirit Hall. This forced the Academy to take a "grassroots" approach.
By building influence and making significant concessions to various interests, he had carved out a space for the Academy to exist. Only after the "Scholastic Realm" was opened did it become an indispensable pillar of the continent's Spirit Master world.
However, the Hallowed Vast Mainland was a different story.
Su Wen was now powerful enough to forcibly establish a Holy Land. What he lacked was a core foundation, a pivotal opportunity to solidify that status, and allies among the existing five Great Holy Lands. After all, while he was strong, fighting a five-on-one battle against established powers would be incredibly difficult. Strategic alliances—the "Vertical and Horizontal" approach—were the correct path to founding the Academy here.
Of course, he would no longer start from the common people. Eventually, the Academy would spread across the continent to harvest the power of faith from all Jewel Masters and civilians alike, but it would not begin by seeking the support of individual Jewel Masters. Most Jewel Masters simply weren't interested in theory. Trying to attract their attention through theoretical advancements was a losing game; there was no precedent for such value on this continent.
"The only way to attract Jewel Masters is through the Scholastic Realm itself."
Su Wen gave a direct refusal. Shangguan Tianyue did not show any anger; in fact, he had expected this. If a sudden, unaffiliated Heavenly Emperor-level powerhouse agreed to join the Hallowed Vast Palace without hesitation, they would actually be more worried. A true rogue expert of that caliber wouldn't just join a Holy Land on a whim. The Holy Lands simply didn't hold that much allure for them. Even if Su Wen had a current need, the Hallowed Vast Palace wasn't his only choice; he could approach other large organizations. While they might lack the deep heritage of a Holy Land, they wouldn't dare refuse a Heavenly Emperor. By visiting a few such powers, he could still amass a vast collection of techniques.
"Senior, since that is the case, if you wish to read our techniques, you must provide a price of equal value."
Equal value!
Even for the three Shangguan brothers, the idea of finding something equal to the entire collection of the Hallowed Vast Palace was a point of great curiosity. Before setting out, Shangguan Tianyue had discussed this at length with his eldest and third brothers, and they couldn't think of anything Su Wen could possibly offer that would be valuable enough.
"An attribute-expansion method. How does that sound?" Su Wen spoke calmly, revealing his bargaining chip. He had come prepared and had no intention of wasting time with psychological games or testing boundaries.
Hearing this, Shangguan Tianyue's expression went blank. He searched through his mental lexicon of terms but found nothing that matched. In the world of Jewel Masters, there was no such thing as an "attribute-expansion method."
However, the literal meaning was obvious: Attribute. Expansion. Method. A technique to expand the attributes of an Elemental Jewel!
The implication was so incredible that Shangguan Tianyue's mind initially rejected the answer, leading to his dazed expression. Soon, his face shifted into a look of sheer shock as he asked tentatively, "Senior... do you mean a method to actually add attributes to an Elemental Jewel?"
Su Wen saw the look on Shangguan Tianyue's face and knew the deal was essentially sealed.
"Correct."
Expanding the attributes of an Elemental Jewel was something no one on the entire Hallowed Vast Mainland had ever achieved. Even the Holy Lands, with their Heavenly Emperor-level experts and myriad secret arts—even the Hallowed Vast Palace, which could "wash away" Consolidating Equipment and Stored Skills—could not do this.
Shangguan Tianyue himself possessed the Alexandrite Cat's Eye, and he took great pride in it. His eldest daughter shared this trait, possessing four attributes, yet his second daughter was a simple wind-attribute user. If such a method truly existed, why wouldn't he have used it to help his younger daughters? If this technique was real, the Alexandrite Cat's Eye, his greatest source of pride, would suddenly become far less unique.
"Senior, please... explain further!" Shangguan Tianyue's expression turned dead serious as he stared at Su Wen.
He needed a detailed explanation of this so-called attribute-expansion method. At this point, Shangguan Tianyue no longer cared that the initiative had shifted entirely to Su Wen. If this was truly the method he imagined, it was worth every single manual in the Hallowed Vast Palace's library. In fact, he wouldn't mind letting Su Wen view the core techniques as well.
(End of Chapter)