Douluo: The Ultimate Self

Yang Xiong looked at Yang Wudi with a faint smile and spoke: "Patriarch Yang Wudi, in your estimation, what is the value of an Aromatic Silk Beauty? How much money could possibly buy it? Moreover, you should know that I come from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. Is there any force in this world wealthier than the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Wudi fell silent. He had spent his entire life searching for the Aromatic Silk Beauty, and the Breaking Clan had been seeking it for countless generations. Naturally, he understood its immense value.

A herb like this was priceless. Even the entire Breaking Clan might not be worth as much as this single immortal herb. After all, such herbs required ten thousand, or even one hundred thousand years to grow, making their value comparable to a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. It was simply that the concept of immortal herbs did not exist in the world of Douluo Continent. Among those who truly understood immortal herbs, only Yang Wudi and Ju Douluo were knowledgeable.

At this moment, neither side spoke—a silent negotiation was underway. Whoever spoke first would be at a disadvantage.

However, Yang Wudi clearly couldn't hold back any longer, given his deep obsession with the Aromatic Silk Beauty.

"You win, kid. What do you want? As long as my Breaking Clan can accomplish it, I'll agree—provided it doesn't violate our principles."

Yang Xiong smiled: "Patriarch, you're quite amusing. What I'm asking for is naturally something the Breaking Clan can achieve. If it were beyond your capabilities, why would I have come here in the first place?"

"But if I wanted the entire Breaking Clan, would you be willing, Patriarch?"

Yang Wudi's face darkened with anger: "How dare you! Are you trying to make us submit with just a single immortal herb? Even if your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is powerful, that's impossible!"

Yang Xiong laughed: "Patriarch, you've misunderstood. I'm not asking for your submission. I've already said that I represent myself, not the entire Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."

Yang Wudi frowned: "What do you really want? Does Ning Fengzhi know about your visit to the Breaking Clan?"

Yang Xiong chuckled: "Not everything I do needs to be known by the sect leader. As long as he knows of my loyalty to the sect and my contributions to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, that's enough. The rest doesn't matter to me, and I believe it won't matter to him either."

Yang Wudi replied: "Ning Fengzhi is a businessman, but he would never allow anyone he's nurtured to betray the sect."

Yang Xiong remained silent for a moment before speaking: "I've never betrayed the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, but I don't plan to remain a Guardian Elder forever. I intend to establish a new sect in the future—one that can support the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, allowing both sides to benefit."

"And my visit to the Breaking Clan today is to seek your support, Patriarch Yang."

This was the first time Yang Xiong had revealed his thoughts to an outsider, even Lin Gong had never heard them before. But Yang Xiong knew that when dealing with someone as straightforward and stubborn as Yang Wudi, it was better to be direct rather than beat around the bush.

Of course, with Lin Gong's sharp mind and experience, he likely already guessed Yang Xiong's intentions—neither had simply chosen to address it directly.

Yang Wudi sneered: "You're just a mere Soul Ancestor, yet you harbor such grand ambitions. I fear your strength doesn't match your ambition."

Yang Xiong merely smiled: "I have the strength. Though I'm only at level 45 now, I'm confident that no one within the Soul Emperor rank can match me. That level of combat ability should suffice, wouldn't you say?"

"Besides, if given twenty years, I'm even confident I could challenge someone of your caliber, Patriarch."

Yang Wudi burst into wild laughter: "Kid, you're still too naive. Do you know what a true sect requires? What good are numerous experts?"

Yang Xiong shook his head: "Patriarch, you mock me, but I understand well what a sect truly needs. As you said, a sect requires heritage, not just strong individuals."

"In this vast world, the great powers that have endured for countless years are only the upper three sects and the Spirit Hall."

"The Spirit Hall relies on the inheritance of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul. The Six-Winged Angel is the highest-quality spirit in existence. The Hao Tian Sect relies on the inheritance of the Hao Tian Hammer, including the so-called Nine Absolute Techniques of Hao Tian and the Chaotic Wind Splitting Hammer Technique. Most importantly, they possess their divine technique—the Great Sumeru Hammer Art."

"The Blue Lightning Dragon Clan relies on their unique dragon transformation secrets, while the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect depends on the ultimate supportive power of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda."

"If I didn't have confidence in creating a heritage equal to theirs, there would be no point in establishing a new sect. I'd rather stay in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect for life."

Yang Wudi snorted coldly: "I don't care what ultimate techniques or heritage you've mastered. After the Breaking Clan left the Hao Tian Sect, we never intended to join another sect—not even the mighty Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, let alone someone like you without a foundation."

Yang Xiong smiled: "I'm well aware of what the Hao Tian Sect did to the Breaking Clan back then, and I understand your concerns, Patriarch. If you ever feel treated unfairly in the future, you can always lead your clan away. After all, I'm no match for you right now."

Yang Wudi's gaze sharpened: "Are you not afraid that after obtaining your Aromatic Silk Beauty, I'll discard you?"

Yang Xiong replied: "Between people and between sects, there may be some sense of connection, but I've always believed that mutual interests form the foundation of cooperation. Without harming anyone's interests, growth can happen. Since I've dared to say this, I naturally believe that what I offer the Breaking Clan far outweighs their contribution."

"Besides, the new sect I plan to establish will not involve submission. Instead, it will bring together those with shared interests."

"Sect Leader Yang, you're an old hand in the world of soul masters. In recent years, the soul master world has been too peaceful. After the Spirit Hall's war with the Hao Tian Sect, the latter retreated. Now, the Spirit Hall has accumulated over a decade of strength and will likely soon move against other sects. I imagine the Breaking Clan, which has always opposed the Spirit Hall, wouldn't stand idly by while the Spirit Hall unifies the soul master world, would they?"

After hearing Yang Xiong's words, both Yang Wudi and Lin Gong were shocked. They hadn't expected Yang Xiong to think so far ahead.

Yang Wudi, who had initially underestimated Yang Xiong, now grew serious: "Yang Xiong, what exactly do you want to use the Breaking Clan for? We won't easily entrust ourselves to others."

Yang Xiong's face lit up with a faint smile. Having seized the initiative, he wasn't worried about Yang Wudi refusing.

"I believe I mentioned earlier—I plan to establish a completely new sect in ten years. This sect will have a new cultivation method and will ultimately rival the Spirit Hall."

Yang Wudi replied: "Kid, do you understand the true strength of the Spirit Hall? Not even the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect stands a chance against them."

Yang Xiong smirked disdainfully: "The Spirit Hall is indeed powerful—with over a dozen Title Douluo and thirty to forty thousand ordinary soul masters. This far exceeds the upper three sects. But if I weren't confident, I wouldn't have come to the Breaking Clan."

"Though I'm young, I've mastered some unique cultivation methods over the years. While I may not match the upper three sects in numbers, I can certainly cultivate enough top-tier experts."

Yang Wudi frowned: "Do you realize how extraordinary every Title Douluo is? Only the upper three sects have Title Douluo—even the lower four sects lack them. Meanwhile, the Spirit Hall has over a dozen."

Yang Xiong didn't address Yang Wudi's question but instead spoke about the Breaking Clan's situation: "Patriarch, I know your Soul Breaking Spear is a top-tier weapon spirit. However, your family has never produced a Title Douluo. On one hand, the inheritance of the Soul Breaking Spear falls short compared to the Hao Tian Hammer, and you've never had a genius like Tang Chen appear."

"On the other hand, your clan's love for alchemy comes at a cost. As the saying goes, 'Medicine carries poison.' Over time, toxins have likely accumulated in your bloodlines, restricting your growth. This is also one of the reasons your clan has been searching for the Aromatic Silk Beauty."

"For you, Patriarch, the toxins in your body have likely seeped into your bones. Even the Aromatic Silk Beauty may not help you now, but with other immortal herbs, you might still break through to become a Title Douluo in this lifetime."

Yang Wudi said: "Yang Xiong, you seem to know quite a bit about the Breaking Clan. Could it be you've been plotting against us all along?"

Yang Xiong smiled: "There's no plot here. I've already said it—we each take what we need. I need time to grow, and you need a new path forward."

Yang Wudi remained silent for a long time before speaking: "So, what's your plan now? You can't expect me to hand over the entire Breaking Clan based on just your words and an immortal herb."

Yang Xiong replied: "Of course not. The Breaking Clan and I will mutually benefit. First, you'll relocate near the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, and later, we'll confirm the location of the new sect."

"I'll provide you with the Aromatic Silk Beauty, and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will supply all necessary resources. For the medicinal herbs you refine, the sect will purchase them at a price 20% higher than the market rate."

"Additionally, the Breaking Clan will form a defensive alliance with the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. In times of conflict, we'll face enemies together. However, if trouble arises due to provocation, it won't fall under the alliance's protection—you can ignore it."

"Neither I nor the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect will have a subordinate relationship with the Breaking Clan. Everyone will be treated equally. If the Breaking Clan feels wronged in the future, you can leave independently. The alliance will naturally dissolve, but you must return the immortal herb. Other benefits will remain unaffected."

"However, if the Breaking Clan wishes to join another sect, you must not only return the immortal herb but also compensate for any imbalance in benefits. Of course, I doubt this will happen. At least, the Breaking Clan shouldn't casually join another sect again, considering how the Hao Tian Sect betrayed you back then."

These proposals were carefully considered by Yang Xiong. At this stage, apart from the immortal herb, there wasn't much else he could offer Yang Wudi. What he truly sought was time and knowledge of immortal herbs—or, in the short term, the hundreds of skilled fighters from the Breaking Clan.

Yang Wudi appeared unusually hesitant. After all, the Aromatic Silk Beauty was exceedingly rare, and based on Yang Xiong's terms, it seemed the Breaking Clan wouldn't lose out.

Yang Xiong continued: "By the way, Patriarch Yang, I have another small transaction to propose. This can be handled separately and will absolutely ensure you won't be at a disadvantage."

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