Gongsun Wenjin frowned. "Kid, you’re actually this selfish? You don’t plan to hand over anything you obtained in the Gongsun family’s Forbidden Area? Also, besides that powerful Body Technique, is there anything else?"
Ye Xuan remained silent for a short while before replying, "Since you’ve asked so directly, I won’t hide it anymore. Inside the Forbidden Area, I obtained the inheritance of the Array Fool."
"The Array Fool?"
"Yes."
Ye Xuan recounted his experience in his own family’s Secret Realm. Of course, he altered the details a bit. The Array Fool’s inheritance actually only consisted of Arrays, but he simply added the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body into the mix.
Seeing how vividly and convincingly Ye Xuan described it, Gongsun Wenjin didn’t think he was lying.
"I truly didn’t expect your Body Technique to be a Divine Secret Technique! No wonder it possesses such immense power. I should have realized it back then. However, apart from this Secret Technique called the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body, the only other thing you received is knowledge regarding Arrays?"
"That’s right. Oh, and this Storage Ring. Grandfather, you wouldn’t confiscate my Storage Ring, would you?" Ye Xuan subconsciously touched his hand.
"Why would I want your Storage Ring?" Gongsun Wenjin’s face twitched. He was almost amused by Ye Xuan.
Although a Storage Ring was precious, as the City Lord of a city, how could he not have one? Did the boy think the Gemstone Ring he wore on his finger was just for decoration?
"Ye Xuan, let’s do it this way. Write down the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body Secret Technique for me. Whatever resources you want, just name them." Gongsun Wenjin’s words carried a commanding tone! A Divine Secret Technique! His Gongsun family was determined to get it.
Ye Xuan took note of Gongsun Wenjin’s expression, but he didn’t find it unusual. Any normal person would have this kind of reaction. Although Ye Xuan didn’t want to hand the Divine Secret Technique over to the Gongsun family, he also knew that he had to part with things when necessary.
He would just consider it as giving the Gongsun family a Secret Technique for the sake of his mother. Strictly speaking, they were family too. However, even if he were to give it to them, he had to secure some benefits for himself.
He smiled and asked, "Any resource at all?"
"Of course!"
"Then I want a Night Moon Tree sapling. Can I have that?" A sharp gleam flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes.
He had seen the Night Moon Tree in his Second Uncle Gongsun Qingyue’s courtyard. Just one glance, and he couldn’t forget it. This precious tree would be of immense help to the Ye family.
"You’ve been to Qingyue’s courtyard and actually recognized the Night Moon Tree at a single glance? You have quite the discerning eye! But my Gongsun family only has one Night Moon Tree. Where am I supposed to find a sapling for you? Moreover, even if I had a sapling, do you think you could keep it alive anywhere else? Do you have any idea how many exotic treasures my Gongsun family has buried in that soil just to sustain this Night Moon Tree? Ask for something else." Gongsun Wenjin flat-out rejected Ye Xuan’s request.
Speechless, Ye Xuan remarked, "So much for a City Lord being a man of his word. I knew it—that kind of talk is only good for tricking little kids."
"You!" Gongsun Wenjin chuckled out of anger. "I already told you, it’s not that I don’t want to give it to you, but that I don’t have one. I can’t possibly dig up this already-living tree for you, can I? Or should I dig up that entire plot of soil for you too?"
Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up. "Grandfather, that’s a brilliant idea!"
"You little brat!" Gongsun Wenjin stared at Ye Xuan in astonishment. This kid really knew how to take a mile when given an inch. So he had been waiting for this all along!
But then, he chuckled. "Since you want it, then I’ll dig up the fruit tree along with that entire plot of land for you. Anyway, it’s not some supreme treasure."
"Grandfather is so generous!" Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected Gongsun Wenjin to actually be willing to give him the Night Moon Tree.
"No need to praise me. This is what you’re exchanging your good stuff for. The rule in my Gongsun family is that if you want good resources, you must have the strength to back it up. As they say, no reward without merit. You are trading a Secret Technique for this tree, so there’s no need to thank me. Exchanging a single Night Moon Tree for a Secret Technique is worth it a thousand, no, ten thousand times over!" Gongsun Wenjin agreed very readily.
The Night Moon Tree didn’t seem as important to him as one might imagine. His previous words were merely to deliberately inflate the tree’s value. In reality, the Gongsun family didn’t care about it.
Although the Night Moon Tree was good, it only bore fruit once every ten years, and its fruits weren’t of much use to Cultivators in the Demon Spirit Realm. They were only highly beneficial to Cultivators below the Demon Spirit Realm. In other words, the fruits of a single Night Moon Tree could rapidly elevate one or even several people’s cultivation bases step by step to the 9th Layer of the Super Spirit Realm, provided they had the corresponding Soul Crystals.
But what did such cultivation levels mean to the Gongsun family?
Of course, while Gongsun Wenjin didn’t care, Ye Xuan did. He had observed the Night Moon Tree that night and saw clearly that it was already blooming. Judging from the number of flowers, there would be quite a lot of fruits when the time came. That meant his Ye family could produce quite a few experts at the 9th Layer of the Super Spirit Realm.
"Ye Xuan, since you know about the Night Moon Tree, you must know what its fruits are used for, right?"
"I know. To elevate one’s cultivation base."
"Good that you know. Therefore, once the fruits mature, you must pluck them in time. If they rot on the branches, it would be quite a waste. Resources are exceedingly precious."
"Thank you for the reminder, Grandfather. I’ll pay attention to it," Ye Xuan nodded, not saying anything more. He knew that Gongsun Wenjin definitely had a way to procure another one. Otherwise, this old fox wouldn’t be so calm.
"Alright, write down the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body for me now."
"Sure."
Ten minutes later, Ye Xuan handed Gongsun Wenjin a booklet. The booklet recorded the cultivation method of the Divine-Demonic Overlord Body.
Holding the booklet, Gongsun Wenjin looked exceptionally thrilled. "Good, good. My Gongsun family finally has a Secret Technique as well."
A Secret Technique wasn’t something you could get just because you wanted it. Gongsun Wenjin knew better than anyone just how powerful this Secret Technique was. Once learned, this Secret Technique allowed one to kill opponents two cultivation layers higher. This was far more potent than cultivating Martial Techniques that crossed realms.
After his excitement subsided, he glanced at Gongsun Xin and said in a solemn voice, "Xin, starting from today, this Secret Technique will be our Gongsun family’s ultimate guarding technique. Only the current City Lord, the heir to the City Lord, or the geniuses of the family are qualified to learn it."
"I understand, Father."
"Good that you understand. Take a look at it too. Memorize it in your mind, and you are not allowed to pass it on to anyone privately!" Gongsun Wenjin said before turning to look at Ye Xuan. "Ye Xuan, don’t execute such a Secret Technique in front of so many people in the future. Especially when you’re alone! It’s fine this time at the Liu family. Even though the Liu family knows that your Body Technique is extraordinarily strong, they will only assume it’s my Gongsun family’s ultimate hidden trump card. But if you use this Martial Technique somewhere else, the consequences might be very severe."
Ye Xuan nodded. "Thank you for the reminder, Grandfather. There won’t be a next time. By the way, Grandfather, since I am now considered a member of the Gongsun family, I want to ask: when will the Gongsun family’s Secret Realm open?"
"You want to enter the Secret Realm?"