279: cooperate

"This... hasn't it only just begun? And Xuejian is also a Spiritual Power Seed..." Tong Fenglai said somewhat unwillingly.

"Senior, you need to face reality! The transformation of heaven and earth began hundreds of years ago. The strength of some Genius Spiritual Power Seeds might have already reached an inconceivable level. Setting others aside, this woman alone has strength comparable to a Late Stage Martial Commander. If it weren't for the Green Lotus protecting itself, she could have likely wiped out the entire Tong Family single-handedly and then casually plucked the lotus and left!" Long Yuan snorted.

"What? Her? Comparable to a Late Stage Martial Commander?!" Everyone was stunned, looking at this young woman in disbelief. No one knew her, yet such a young person who appeared out of nowhere actually possessed strength that could reach the top tier of the Great Ming Empire!

Long Yuan smiled and said, "Don't doubt it. I just checked all her information. This person comes from the Kunlun Sect and is the direct granddaughter of Kunlun Sect Sect Master Liu Xihe, Sect Leader of Kunlun Sect. Her name is Liu Rushi, and her Aptitude is peak. At a young age, she has already Cultivated to the Early Stage of the Martial Commander Realm, and her actual combat power is even comparable to Liu Xihe, Sect Leader of Kunlun Sect. As for Liu Xihe, Sect Leader of Kunlun Sect's strength, I believe I don't need to say more?"

"What? She can actually rival Sect Master Liu?!" Qi Huaiyi said in shock.

He naturally knew who Liu Xihe, Sect Leader of Kunlun Sect was. He was one of the eighteen Martial Commanders on the surface of the Great Ming Empire, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a pillar of the nation. Yet, he hadn't expected his descendant, Liu Rushi, to have already reached his level.

Of course, what surprised him even more was that Liu Rushi, with the strength of a Martial Commander, would actually lose to a single Green Lotus. This showed that the value of this Green Lotus was definitely no less than any national treasure!

No wonder Tong Fenglai's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the Green Lotus, his expression gloomily terrifying... "The information does say so. This Liu Rushi is definitely not simple. If she really obtains this Green Lotus, I'm afraid her Cultivation Realm will rise even further, and her future will be limitless!" Long Yuan said indifferently.

"This..." Hearing this, a different thought suddenly surfaced in Qi Huaiyi's mind. He felt that if everything Long Yuan said was true, it might actually be better to let Liu Rushi have the Green Lotus to help her raise her Realm, so she could grow into one of the guardian deities of the Great Ming Empire in the future... Long Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Actually, it's not like there's no way for the Tong Family to keep this Green Lotus..."

"What way? Please tell us quickly, Elder Long!!!" Tong Fenglai's eyes lit up as he asked urgently.

Long Yuan looked at Liu Rushi, who still had her eyes squinted, and said, "Senior, this Green Lotus is quite important both to your Tong Family and to this brilliant Genius Liu Rushi. However, the growth of the Green Lotus depends on the special environment it's in. If it leaves this place, there's no telling if it can continue to grow smoothly; no one can be certain of that. Furthermore, harvesting and taking the Green Lotus away directly would be a reckless waste of a heavenly gift. Not only would poor preservation lead to the loss of Spiritual Qi, but there is currently no Alchemist who can fully utilize it. Even if one managed to force a refinement, the spiritual power contained within would likely be less than one-tenth of the original. Therefore, I think it would be better for the Tong Family to have a proper negotiation with the Kunlun Sect. If the two sides cooperate, with the Kunlun Sect joining in, keeping this Green Lotus shouldn't be much of a problem. This way, both sides can benefit. For example, outstanding disciples could gather around the Green Lotus to Cultivate and absorb the Spiritual Qi it attracts. Over time, perhaps a few more Spiritual Power Seeds could emerge. Of course, this information must not be leaked further, or else even stronger individuals will surely try to seize it!"

"Reasonable! I will do as Elder Long says! With experts from the Kunlun Sect protecting it, I believe no one will dare to come and snatch it anymore, right?" Tong Fenglai said with great joy. He highly approved of Long Yuan's plan; it was truly safe and beneficial.

Long Yuan said calmly, "Senior, just look at Liu Rushi's strength to know how powerful those Spiritual Power Seeds are. I am certain that even Liu Xihe, Sect Leader of Kunlun Sect wouldn't dare to make any guarantees about this. I believe he already understands the existence of Spiritual Power Seeds."

"This... Elder Long is right! I can only do my best. After all, this Green Lotus is too important to our Tong Family. The longer we keep it, the greater the harvest will be. In any case, the Tong Family can only go all out this time!" Tong Fenglai said through gritted teeth. Although there were still risks, in his view, the benefits the Tong Family would gain definitely outweighed the risks, so he decided to take the gamble.

At this moment, an elegant female voice suddenly said calmly, "My Liu Family agrees to the cooperation!"

Everyone was startled and turned their gaze toward the source of the voice, only to find it was the Martial Commander Liu Rushi. She had "actually" woken up. She had already flipped up and stood, her robes quickly replaced with a new set, and her hairstyle instantly neat as new. With dark eyebrows and pearly teeth, fair skin and beautiful features, she stood tall and graceful, exuding an unbelievable, peerless elegance. Everyone's eyes went wide, and even Tong Xueqin felt inferior... After Liu Rushi finished speaking, her gaze turned to Long Yuan, and she said in a delicate voice, "This little brother looks a bit familiar. Could you be the Long Yuan who has recently dominated the top ten of the great ming golden melody chart? Truly a successful youth, a rising star... However, even though you are handsome, sing well, and can fly and jump, taking someone's phone without their consent and even checking their private information seems a bit inappropriate, doesn't it?"

Hearing this, everyone looked at Long Yuan. Many only now realized that this Elder Long of the Jianxuan Envoy Department was actually that Long Yuan who had been dominating the great ming golden melody chart recently. For a moment, countless people became excited... Long Yuan, of course, had known she was awake for a long time, and more than half of what he had just said was intended for her ears, with the natural goal of brokering the cooperation between the Tong Family and the Liu Family. Hearing her reveal his identity, he couldn't help but smile and say, "Sister Liu, although I went a bit far, your previous identity was that of a female thief who sneaked into the Falling Flower Valley to steal the Green Lotus. To solve the case, checking the information was entirely within the rules of the Jianxuan Envoy Department!"

"You?! You peeked at my private information! Don't you know how important a girl's right to privacy is..." Liu Rushi's delicate body trembled with anger, but what Long Yuan said was perfectly logical, leaving her unable to refute... There was naturally a reason why she had been feigning death. If her identity hadn't been exposed yet, she could have simply left, or even knocked out everyone present and then carefully taken the Green Lotus. Indeed, she absolutely refused to admit she would lose to a tiny Green Lotus; she believed her being knocked unconscious by the Green Lotus was entirely due to her own carelessness and underestimating the enemy. As long as she was more careful, there would be no problem at all...