114: Master, I'm thirsty!

Not long after.

Su Yang brought An Ran back to the Tiangong Pavilion.

“Senior Sister, you should return to your residence to rest. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

Su Yang said to An Ran and walked straight towards the Immortal Shadow Sect’s residence.

An Ran watched Su Yang leave, biting her red lip for a long time, her eyes gradually firming up, as if she had made a significant decision before turning around to return to the Profound Heaven Dao Sect’s residence to rest.

Su Yang arrived at the Immortal Shadow Sect’s residence with ease.

After the great battle with the Hehuan Sect, the Disciples were all still shaken.

Especially since the Immortal Shadow Sect was composed entirely of female Disciples, they were psychologically more fragile, and many were frightened by the attacks of those Corpse Puppets.

Upon seeing Su Yang arrive, they no longer had the enthusiasm and impulsiveness they showed when they first met him; they even forgot to greet him.

However, the Steward of the Sect, seeing Su Yang approach, immediately stepped forward to salute him.

“Greetings, Lingxiao Sword Ancestor. May I know why you have come?”

Su Yang was quite surprised to hear the title Lingxiao Sword Ancestor from her mouth.

What he didn’t know was that on the way back from the battlefield, Su Yang’s esteemed title of Lingxiao Sword Ancestor had already spread among the various Sects.

Coupled with Su Yang’s performance on the Hehuan Sect battlefield today, many people held great respect for the title Lingxiao Sword Ancestor.

But Su Yang didn’t ask about these other matters.

He said directly, “I have something to discuss with your Sect Master. Is she here?”

The Steward respectfully replied, “Just now, the four Sect Masters from the Ten Thousand Souls Hall battlefield also returned with their people, having suffered heavy casualties. The Eight Sects’ Sect Masters are currently discussing matters elsewhere and are expected to return a bit later. If Lingxiao Sword Ancestor has no other urgent matters, you may wait in the study for a moment. I will bring the Sect Master to see you as soon as she returns.”

Su Yang nodded.

The Steward led Su Yang to the study where he had previously spoken with Su Yulan.

After brewing a pot of tea, she withdrew.

Gu Yue, lying on Su Yang’s shoulder, casually remarked, “On the Hehuan Sect battlefield, they still caused immense losses by relying on the Ten Thousand Souls Hall’s evil techniques. The Five Elements Sect, Yu Ling Sect, Medicine King Valley, and Heavenly Mystery Pavilion, directly facing the Ten Thousand Souls Hall, will likely suffer even heavier losses.”

Su Yang nodded, “Presumably, it was the intervention of several Sect Masters that ended the battle.”

Gu Yue said, “I just saw in Lin Huanhuan’s memory that the Hehuan Sect and the Ten Thousand Souls Hall have already started cooperating. I wonder if other Demonic Path Sects also have similar collaborations. If so, dealing with them in the future might be even more troublesome.”

Su Yang took a sip of tea and said, “Let those Sect Masters worry about that. My primary concern now is how to Breakthrough. Do you want some? Shall I pour you a cup?”

Gu Yue shook her head, her tail sweeping across Su Yang’s face, and she purred, “What’s so good about leaf water? I want to drink my master’s essence!”

Su Yang: ... “What kind of place is this? Stop fooling around!”

Saying that, he reached out and tapped her on the head.

Gu Yue, however, became more playful. She leaped from Su Yang’s shoulder, transformed into a beautiful young woman, and immediately knelt before Su Yang.

“Master, you have tea to drink when you’re thirsty, but I don’t like this leaf water. I don’t care, I’m thirsty, and I want to drink something too~~~”

“Hey, hey, hey... Gu Yue, you... Oh, damn it...”

“I guess the current battle situation is special, and the Sect Masters of the Eight Great Sects have many things to discuss, so they won’t be back so soon. Master, you can slowly savor your tea, and I, well, I’ll slowly savor my master~~~”

Gu Yue smiled enchantingly, eating and drinking without holding back... Approximately half an hour later.

A familiar aura emanated from outside the study.

At this moment, Gu Yue had just finished drinking two rounds of essence.

When Su Yulan pushed the door open and entered the room, Gu Yue had just transformed back into her original form and jumped onto Su Yang’s shoulder, licking the corners of her mouth, completely satisfied.

Master’s essence is truly good; it quenches both thirst and craving.

“Sect Master Su.”

Su Yang calmly rose and saluted Su Yulan.

“Lingxiao Sword Ancestor, you are too polite.”

Su Yulan also saluted and invited Su Yang to sit. She said, “The battle has just ended. May I know why Lingxiao Sword Ancestor is looking for me?”

Su Yang didn’t beat around the bush with her. He didn’t believe this woman didn’t know why he had come to see her.

“Sect Master, Su Yang has come this time for the previous matter.”

“Su Yang still hopes that the Sect Master can help Su Yang Breakthrough the current Bottleneck and successfully enter the Nascent Soul Stage.”

“At that time, both I and the Profound Heaven Dao Sect will be eternally grateful to the Sect Master and the Immortal Shadow Sect.”

Su Yulan smiled faintly, her expression composed, “Lingxiao Sword Ancestor truly has a short memory. Didn’t I give you a clear answer three days ago? This matter will be discussed with the Elder Pavilion and the Consecration Pavilion after I return to the Sect, and then I will give you a reply. This matter is beneficial to both me and the Sect, and I will do everything possible to persuade the Elder Pavilion and the Consecration Pavilion to agree. Lingxiao Sword Ancestor, please don’t rush.”

How could Su Yang not see through her superficial act?

Since he already had another option, he no longer wanted to play along with her here.

He had to make her understand the stakes.

Su Yang said, “Although the Sect Master says so, I suspect that the Sect Master actually prefers that I never enter the Nascent Soul Stage. This way, my threat to your Seven Sects will not be so great, and your Seven Sects will not be forever suppressed by the Profound Heaven Dao Sect, never to rise. Am I wrong?”

Su Yulan’s lips twitched unnaturally, but she still calmly said, “Lingxiao Sword Ancestor is joking. This Sect Master absolutely has no such intention.”

Su Yang was also not polite and said, “If the Sect Master has no such intention, then that is naturally for the best. The Sect Master and I, the Profound Heaven Dao Sect and the Immortal Shadow Sect, still have one more opportunity for cooperation in the future, supporting each other and jointly proving the Great Dao.”

“If the Sect Master is truly unwilling, Su Yang will not force the issue, as this matter concerns the Sect Master’s cultivation, and I can understand. Coincidentally, I have also found another female cultivator with an Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root, and it would be no problem for her to help me Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Stage.”

“It’s just that at that time, the beneficial relationship between the Sect Master and I, and between the Profound Heaven Dao Sect and the Immortal Shadow Sect, will be completely severed. It will probably be very difficult for us to find such a good opportunity as now to solidify our relationship.”

Su Yang made it very clear.

Help, and you profit!

Don’t help, and there will be no further connection between us! Don’t even think about the benefits I promised you!

Su Yulan naturally understood.

But what surprised her at this moment was Su Yang’s so-called “another Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root.”

An Innate First Grade Aptitude is one in ten thousand.

And to be precise, an Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root is even rarer.

From her experience, among the Eight Great Sects and countless small Sects, besides herself, she had never heard of any other female cultivator with an Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root.

A female cultivator with an Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root in the Tiangong Pavilion?

Su Yulan was certain there was absolutely none!

Otherwise, the Profound Heaven Dao Sect’s Grand Elder would not have accompanied Su Yang to seek her out; they would have immediately negotiated with the Tiangong Pavilion.

This would obviously be much easier than coming to her.

But Su Yang’s two visits proved that the truth was not as he claimed—he had not found another Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root!

The reason he said this was probably to use this trick to shake her resolve!

After Su Yulan understood this point, a hint of admiration appeared on her face, but at the same time, a more resolute determination emerged.

The more eager Su Yang was to Breakthrough, the more it proved that blocking his path to advancement was the correct choice.

Su Yulan said, “I didn’t expect Lingxiao Sword Ancestor to find another female cultivator with an Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root so quickly. Having another option is undoubtedly better for you. After all, this Sect Master cannot be 100% certain that the Elder Pavilion and the Consecration Pavilion will agree to me using my cultivation to help you Breakthrough.”

“If the Sect does not agree to this matter, Lingxiao Sword Ancestor can still successfully Breakthrough through others, and this Sect Master will not have to feel deeply guilty for being unable to help Lingxiao Sword Ancestor, causing your cultivation to stagnate!”

Su Yulan’s mind was made up, firmly resolved not to fall for the trick.

Su Yang smiled.

After smiling, he seriously said, “Sect Master, do you think I am trying to deceive you?”

Su Yulan said with a composed expression, “Lingxiao Sword Ancestor, what are you saying? This Sect Master is happy for you.”

Su Yang said, “Sect Master Su, I am very clearly telling you that I am not deceiving you. I have truly found another female cultivator with an Innate First-Grade Water Spirit Root. The reason I came to you this time is because I have already sought you out once, and if possible, I still hope that we can deepen our connection through this matter, maximizing our mutual benefits.”

The more Su Yulan heard Su Yang say this, the more she became convinced that he was trying to shake her resolve through this method.

Su Yulan feigned seriousness and said, “But I truly cannot give you a definitive answer immediately, and even if I go back, I cannot guarantee that the Elder Pavilion and the Consecration Pavilion will agree 100%.”

A clear look of disappointment appeared on Su Yang’s face.

He stood up and said, “Since the Sect Master has said so, Su Yang will not force the issue. I only hope that the Sect Master will not regret wasting this excellent opportunity in the future. Farewell.”