Yan'er, Grandfather Has a Marriage Proposal for You

The door clicked shut, and Tuoba Yan's gaze fell on the long jade box on the table.

The box was about a meter long and over half a foot wide. The moment he picked it up, he felt its considerable weight—at least a hundred jin—and a chill seeped into his palm.

This cold jade came from the distant Arctic Circle and had always been renowned for its remarkable preservation properties. In the eyes of Soul Masters, it was the ideal vessel for storing precious items, and its value was extraordinary.

The box was not locked. The gap along its edge had been tightly sealed by ice crystals naturally emitted by the cold jade, forming a natural preservation barrier.

Tuoba Yan gathered power at his fingertips and gave a light push. With a crisp crack, the ice shattered, and the lid slowly opened.

In an instant, a faint, elegant fragrance drifted through the air and entered his nose, refreshing his mind.

Looking closely, he saw a strange immortal herb lying quietly inside the box.

Its leaves were a mysterious deep purple, with faint light flowing across them as though countless dazzling gemstones had been embedded within. They shimmered brilliantly, carrying an otherworldly, unfathomable aura.

This was Saint Soul Grass.

Ethereal immortal energy lingered around it, while its Soul Power fluctuations were vast yet restrained. Countless Soul Masters yearned for it in their dreams. Even a light sniff made one feel clear-headed and spiritually refreshed.

This item was extremely beneficial for improving spiritual power.

As an immortal herb, it was nearly impossible to find and worth a fortune.

Because it could repair damaged spiritual power—that was, the soul—even Soul Master families with deep foundations would not lightly use it merely to improve spiritual power.

Over the next half month, the clan members who had gone out to gather Whale Rubber returned one after another, all fully laden.

Tuoba Xi presented the secret of Whale Rubber to Spirit Hall. Though he did not obtain the cultivation resources he had long desired, he secured several highly influential positions for the clan and placed four clan members in key posts within Spirit Hall.

The other families were dissatisfied, but they dared not voice their anger.

Qian Dao Liu publicly declared that the Tuoba Clan had selflessly contributed the secret of Whale Rubber and deserved generous rewards.

Anyone with discernment knew that was nothing more than a high-sounding excuse.

By seniority, Qian Dao Liu was Tuoba Yan's great-uncle. Tuoba Yan's late maternal grandfather had been Qian Dao Liu's younger brother. Having members of the Tuoba Clan in important Spirit Hall positions would undoubtedly help the Qian Clan consolidate its rule.

Within Spirit Hall, the person who hated this matter most was undoubtedly Bibi Dong.

She had always wanted to uproot the Qian Clan's foundations completely. This development was like a massive boulder blocking her path, sharply increasing the difficulty of realizing her ambitions.

That same day, the Tuoba Clan announced a contribution system, a reform of far-reaching significance.

Clan members would no longer be judged by the closeness of their bloodline. As long as they rendered merit to the clan, they could accumulate contribution points and use them to obtain corresponding cultivation resources.

The clan treasury was also fully opened. As long as one had enough contribution points and met the requirements, everything from rare Soul Skill Manuals to Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures could be exchanged freely.

There were many ways to earn contribution points.

One could go to the Task Hall to accept missions and earn them by completing those missions;

Outer Sect Disciples of poor birth could choose to become someone's maidservant, receiving fixed contribution points every month. If they rendered meritorious service by saving their master, they would receive additional rewards;

Workers in the clan's businesses, from managers to attendants and even sweeping servants, could receive contribution points every month as long as they were registered with the clan;

Anyone who offered a constructive suggestion or handed over a valuable treasure would also receive generous additional rewards.

Since the system was implemented, the atmosphere in the Tuoba residence had undergone a complete transformation.

As Tuoba Yan strolled through the corridors, the servants who had once treated him indifferently now greeted him respectfully and proactively. Their sincere reverence was plain to see.

Servants even often brought delicacies from home and invited him to taste them.

"Young Master, try these Osmanthus Cakes my mother made using our family recipe."

"Young Master, this is the first batch of grape wine my father just brewed. Please try it!"

As soon as Tuoba Yan returned to his room, Tuoba Xi entered with a beaming smile. Seeing his grandson sipping grape wine with Osmanthus Cakes, Tuoba Xi's gaze settled on the food on the table.

Tuoba Yan smiled. "These Osmanthus Cakes are still warm, fresh out of the oven. Grandfather, would you like some?"

"You're drinking grape wine?"

"A little drink lifts the spirits and benefits one's health. Grandfather, have you come with more good news?"

Tuoba Yan skillfully changed the subject.

This reform of the clan had produced remarkable results and greatly strengthened the clan members' sense of unity.

In order to rise above others and obtain cultivation resources, clan members eagerly took on missions and served the clan. In the process, their sense of belonging gradually deepened without them even realizing it.

A sense of belonging and cohesion.

These were indispensable elements for the healthy growth of any power.

Tuoba Xi knew that his grandson had good judgment, so he did not stop him from enjoying himself. Instead, he went straight to the point. "As expected of my grandson. You guessed it right away. Come, see what treasure Grandfather brought you."

As he spoke, Tuoba Xi tapped the Storage Soul Guide Device on his thumb with a fingertip. With a turn of his palm, a crimson soul bone floated into view.

Seven rings of energy ripples spread around the soul bone, while a black whirlwind beneath it supported it steadily in midair.

Anyone well versed in soul bones could tell at a glance that the black whirlwind indicated it was a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, while the seven rings of ripples showed that it had reached an age of seventy thousand years.

As the soul bone appeared, the surrounding temperature rose sharply, and waves of heat rolled outward.

Tuoba Yan had not forgotten the thirty-thousand-year soul bone Qian Dao Liu had given him several months ago—the Exploding Blazing Flame Right Arm Bone. He did not want to become too entangled with the Qian Clan or Bibi Dong, so he immediately asked warily, "Where did this soul bone come from?"

"The Wind Sword Sect bought it at the Tian Dou Auction some days ago. They came to us on their own initiative and proposed exchanging it for a forty-thousand-year wind-attributed soul bone from our clan. They were also willing to add three pieces of Ten-Thousand Year Whale Glue and ten pieces of thousand-year Whale Rubber."

"Whale Rubber?"

"Exactly!"

At the mention of Whale Rubber, Tuoba Xi immediately beamed with pride. "I don't know where the Wind Sword Sect learned of its wondrous effects, but they secretly came looking for me. The Fire Leopard Clan has also been probing us frequently lately, wanting to exchange things for Whale Rubber."

Tuoba Xi had only told Qian Dao Liu of Spirit Hall about the secret of Whale Rubber.

Spirit Hall had already dispatched people to buy Whale Rubber in markets everywhere.

Perhaps the Wind Sword Sect and the Fire Leopard Clan learned the secret of Whale Rubber from Qian Dao Liu. Perhaps they learned it from clan members serving in Spirit Hall. Or perhaps they discovered it by monitoring the Tuoba Clan.

No matter which route they had used, it no longer mattered to the Tuoba Clan.

Because of Whale Rubber, Tuoba Xi had now become one of Spirit Hall's most sought-after figures. Numerous families competed to approach him, all in hopes of exchanging for Whale Rubber.

Unfortunately, nearly all Whale Rubber on the market, whether it was ten years old or ten thousand years old, had already been acquired by the Tuoba Clan.

Who could have imagined that Whale Rubber, once regarded as something used to enhance bedroom pleasure, would play such a crucial role in Soul Master cultivation?

Whale Rubber was piled like mountains in the Tuoba Clan's warehouses. Combined with Tuoba Xi's strength as a Soul Douluo, his status as a Platinum Bishop of the hunting soul squad, and his position as Spirit Hall's "imperial relative," even those who coveted it could only look on helplessly.

"Don't rush to make the exchange. Let this matter ferment a little longer. Once everyone knows Whale Rubber's true value, we'll be able to trade it for even more precious things."

"Alright, we'll do as you say!"

Seeing the clan's foundations flourish because of his grandson's suggestion, Tuoba Xi accepted Tuoba Yan's advice without hesitation.

Tuoba Yan noticed that Tuoba Xi was not leaving his room and asked, "Is there something else?"

Pointing at the soul bone in his grandson's hand, Tuoba Xi said, "Find a suitable time to absorb this soul bone. It will greatly benefit you when you obtain your second soul ring."

Like treasures such as Whale Rubber, soul bones could greatly strengthen a Soul Master's physique and provide no small amount of help in absorbing high-year soul rings.

Tuoba Xi abruptly changed the subject. Staring intently at Tuoba Yan, he asked in a probing tone, "Yan'er, Grandfather has a marriage proposal for you."

Tuoba Yan refused decisively. "No need!"

Tuoba Xi did not give up and continued, "Don't be so quick to refuse. The wife I'm proposing for you is... Hu Liena!"