Jia Xingtian, Yaoye

Lin Hai and Yao Chen returned from the Magical Beast Mountain Range and had barely set foot in the Xiao Clan's courtyard to catch their breath when a significant commotion erupted in the front yard, faintly accompanied by the tense and respectful reports of the guards.

Soon, footsteps approached from afar, and Clan Head Xiao Zhan personally led an old man toward them at a brisk pace.

The old man was dressed in a golden dragon-patterned robe. Although he tried his best to restrain his aura, the authority of one who had long held a high position, combined with the faint, peak Dou Emperor pressure radiating from him, revealed his extraordinary identity—the guardian of the Jia Ma Empire royal family, Jia Xingtian!

Jia Xingtian's expression was grave at this moment, and deep within his eyes lay a trace of anxiety that he could not hide.

As he stepped into the courtyard, his gaze immediately locked onto the young man in green robes who stood with his hands behind his back, his aura appearing completely unremarkable.

Rumors of this mysterious powerhouse crushing Elder Ge Ye of the Yunlan Sect in the Xiao Clan's great hall, and the suspicion that he possessed the strength of a Dou Emperor or even higher, had already reached his ears through certain secret channels.

With the empire now facing internal strife and external threats, and the Yunlan Sect pressing forward step by step while the royal family waned, he had no choice but to lower his status and come in person to seek potential assistance.

"Jia Xingtian of the Jia Ma Empire, please forgive this one for the presumptuous visit." Jia Xingtian took the initiative to cup his hands in a salute toward Lin Hai, keeping his posture very low.

He did not even dare to carefully examine the soul form of Yao Chen standing to the side, feeling only that the soul was unfathomable, which added a few more layers of awe.

Xiao Zhan stood to the side, his palms sweating with nervousness, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Lin Hai's expression remained indifferent, as if the person who had arrived was not the guardian of the empire, but merely an ordinary passerby. "What is it?"

Jia Xingtian took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Surely you are aware that the Yunlan Sect is now powerful and ambitious, constantly eroding the foundations of the empire and treating imperial authority as nothing."

"If this continues, the Jia Ma Empire will surely fall into chaos, and the people will suffer."

"Jia has come this time to implore you, for the sake of the empire's billions of citizens, to... lend the royal family a hand and join us in resisting the Yunlan Sect? The royal family will exhaust all its resources to repay your kindness!"

He kept his posture extremely low, even invoking the banner of righteousness.

However, after listening, Lin Hai's face showed no sign of being moved, and he merely asked indifferently, "What benefit is it to me to help you?"

Jia Xingtian faltered slightly; the rhetoric he had prepared seemed pale and powerless in the face of the other party's absolute strength and directness. He gritted his teeth and said, "The royal treasury is open to you! The imperial territory is yours to govern alongside us! As long as you..."

Before he could finish, he was interrupted by Lin Hai: "Worldly power is like floating clouds to me."

Jia Xingtian's heart sank instantly, and a look of despair appeared on his face.

Indeed, at the other party's level of cultivation, the power and wealth of an empire were likely truly unable to move him.

Just as Jia Xingtian was losing heart, Lin Hai changed the subject: "However, giving you a chance to break through to the Spirit Sect realm in exchange for the Jia Ma royal family pulling itself together and cleaning up its own house—that is not entirely impossible."

"Break through to the Spirit Sect?!" Jia Xingtian looked up abruptly, his eyes erupting with a light of unbelievable ecstasy, his voice even changing pitch from the excitement!

He had been stuck at the peak of the Spirit Emperor realm for too long, so long that he had almost despaired!

Breaking through to the Spirit Sect was the thing he dreamed of most!

If he could truly attain the Spirit Sect realm, what was there to fear from Yun Shan? The royal family's crisis would resolve itself!

"Is what you say true?! What price does Jia need to pay? As long as it is within my power, I will not hesitate!" Jia Xingtian trembled all over with excitement, hurriedly asking, fearing the other party might go back on his word.

Lin Hai's gaze fell calmly upon him, his tone remaining indifferent: "The price is simple. I want one person."

"One person?" Jia Xingtian was stunned, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. Who in the royal family could be worth the demand of a powerhouse suspected to be above the Spirit Sect? He asked cautiously, "May I ask who you desire?"

"Yaoye." Lin Hai spat out the two words.

"Ye'er?" Jia Xingtian was completely dumbfounded, his face filled with astonishment and confusion.

He had calculated every possibility, but he never expected that the person the other party wanted was his own great-granddaughter, the eldest princess of the royal family, Yaoye!

Yaoye's talent was indeed good; she was already a Dou Master at a young age, and she had a knack for handling government affairs, making her one of the successors the royal family was cultivating.

But... this seemed completely mismatched with the other party's level of strength, didn't it? What did he want with Yaoye?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Jia Xingtian's mind like lightning!

He looked sharply at Lin Hai, seeing the young and handsome face of the other party, as well as those deep, calm eyes that seemed capable of seeing through the human heart.

That was it! He must have taken a fancy to Yaoye's beauty and potential!

He wanted to keep her by his side, cultivate her slowly, and perhaps in the future... take her as a concubine or something similar?

A battle raged within Jia Xingtian's heart.

On one side was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break through to the Spirit Sect and save the royal family; on the other was the future and happiness of his most valued great-granddaughter, in whom he had placed such high hopes.

Was it a blessing or a curse to hand Yaoye over to such an unfathomable and mysterious powerhouse?

But the other party's strength was so terrifying that if he really wanted to use force, the royal family would be powerless to resist. Yet, he was willing to use a trade to obtain her, which seemed... to count as a form of "respect."

Moreover, if Yaoye could truly follow such a powerhouse, it might be a tremendous stroke of fortune for her?

It would certainly be better than staying in the empire and potentially being crushed by the Yunlan Sect in the future...

Various thoughts flashed through Jia Xingtian's mind, his expression shifting constantly.

In the end, the desire to break through to the Spirit Sect and the responsibility to save the royal family outweighed everything else.

He closed his eyes with difficulty, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with resolve.

He cupped his hands heavily toward Lin Hai, his voice dry but firm: "...Very well! Jia agrees to your terms. I will go back and talk to Yaoye; she will soon be by your side to follow your orders! I only ask that you... keep your word!"

He said these words through gritted teeth, his heart filled with guilt toward Yaoye, but he had no other choice.

Lin Hai watched Jia Xingtian's conflicted yet resolute expression, naturally understanding what he had imagined, but he could not be bothered to explain.

He wanted Yaoye, and it was indeed partly because he valued her ability and potential; perhaps in the future, she could be cultivated to help handle some trivial matters. As for the rest... he would let nature take its course.

"Mm." Lin Hai nodded indifferently. "Go back and prepare. When the timing is right, I will personally assist you in your breakthrough."

Upon hearing this, a heavy stone in Jia Xingtian's heart finally fell to the ground. Although the price was immense, at least there was hope now.

He bowed once more, saluting deeply: "Many thanks, Excellency! This Jia will return at once to make arrangements and await your word!"

Having said that, he dared not linger any longer. With a heart full of complex emotions, he turned and walked away quickly, his retreating figure appearing somewhat desolate.

Xiao Zhan stood to the side, listening with his heart racing, cold sweat streaming down his back.

In just a few short sentences, the fate of the Empire's eldest princess and the future of a peak Spirit Emperor powerhouse had been decided?

The methods of this uncle were truly... turning clouds with a flip of his hand and rain with a turn of his palm!

Yao Chen floated nearby, stroking his beard, a knowing smile flashing in his eyes.

Having lived for so many years, he was an old fox who could vaguely guess that Lin Hai wanting Yaoye was likely not as simple as "that" purpose; most likely, he truly needed manpower for something.

However, it was clear that Jia Xingtian had misunderstood the intention, and in quite an amusing way at that.

Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Lin Hai looked into the distance, as if he could already see the shifting landscape of the Empire's future.

Resources, influence, talent... everything was quietly converging according to his will.