Profound Is Profound, Earth Is Earth!

"Let me inspect the goods first. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Buy first, inspect later."

"..."

Xue Qinghe's refusal to loose an arrow before he saw the rabbit left Lu Chuan speechless. He cursed the profiteer again in his heart.

Once they had signed a new contract,

Xue Qinghe pushed the Three-Thousand-Year Right Arm Bone across the table.

Ding! Congratulations, host, on completing client Qian Renxue's commission.

Obtained Three-Thousand-Year Right Arm Bone: permanently increases right arm strength by 15%.

Lu Chuan froze for a second.

He hadn't expected the completed transaction to do more than let him master Cultivation Methods and skills instantly. Obtaining a Spirit Bone could permanently boost his attributes too!

Seeing him suddenly lose focus, Xue Qinghe asked, "Brother Lu Chuan, what's wrong? Is there a problem with the Spirit Bone?"

"It's nothing. Something just occurred to me."

Lu Chuan came back to himself and swept a hand out, storing the Three-Thousand-Year Right Arm Bone in the System Space.

Xue Qinghe asked no more. He gently rubbed the Porcelain Bottle containing the Self-Created Soul Skill scroll between his fingers, unable to hide the delight on his face.

Just then, a voice from the Royal Imperial Guards rang out beyond the hall.

"Your Highness, we caught an intruder sneaking into the Crown Prince's Residence!"

Xue Qinghe's brows drew together.

Someone's trying to assassinate me? Who?

Could Xue Beng and Xue Xing be staking everything on one throw?!

At the thought, his expression darkened.

"Bring the intruder in!"

At his command, several Royal Imperial Guards marched a captive into the hall, their blades pressed hard against a young woman's neck.

The moment Lu Chuan saw her face, he shot to his feet, shock ringing in his voice.

"Zhu Qing?!"

Zhu Zhuqing's eyes had been filled with despair, but the instant she saw Lu Chuan, they lit up.

"Brother Lu! I finally found you!"

Xue Qinghe waved the guards away.

The moment the blades lifted, Zhu Zhuqing hurried forward and threw herself into Lu Chuan's arms, wrapping both hands tightly around his waist.

Lu Chuan raised a hand and patted her back gently. "How did you end up here? Sneaking into the Crown Prince's Residence was dangerous."

With her face buried against his shoulder, Zhu Zhuqing explained softly:

"I heard people outside say someone had clashed with the Imperial Family and been taken into the Crown Prince's Residence.

From the description, I knew it was you. So I slipped in to get you out."

Lu Chuan stroked Zhu Zhuqing's hair, his voice gentle.

"You know what I'm capable of. No one in this world can hurt me. You didn't have to take such a risk."

"But I was worried..."

Xue Qinghe stood to one side, watching them embrace. He cleared his throat helplessly. The sight had caught him completely off guard and shoved a mouthful of their sweet affection down his throat.

"Brother Lu Chuan, sister-in-law, I'm still here. Should I give you two some space?"

Only then did Zhu Zhuqing realize someone else was present. Her cheeks reddened, and she hurried out of Lu Chuan's arms.

Lu Chuan remained entirely unruffled. He took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and led her to sit beside him.

Xue Qinghe's gaze settled on Zhu Zhuqing as he quietly sized her up.

She was still young, and the Soul Power she gave off was only at the Soul Grandmaster level.

Yet she had slipped past layer after layer of palace guards and into the Crown Prince's Residence without a sound. She was far from simple. That profiteer must have given her something good.

He tested the waters.

"Brother Lu Chuan, would you sell me the Self-Created Soul Skill you gave my sister-in-law to conceal herself?"

"What Zhu Qing practices isn't a Self-Created Soul Skill. It's a Cultivation Method."

Lu Chuan was secretly glad Zhu Qing had come. If she hadn't, he would almost have forgotten about Cultivation Methods.

After all, he had been so focused on Dou Techniques and Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid that Cultivation Methods had faded into the background.

"A Cultivation Method?"

Xue Qinghe paused, surprise on his face. Another new term?

Just how many good things does this man have?!

Lu Chuan held Zhu Zhuqing's small hand as he explained.

"That's right. Cultivation Methods speed up cultivation and refine compatible Soul Power attributes. Fighting above your level becomes no problem.

Zhu Qing practices a darkness-attribute Cultivation Method. She used her darkness-attribute Soul Power to conceal herself, which let her slip inside without a sound.

Cultivation Methods are also divided into four ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. But they're even more precious than Self-Created Soul Skills."

Xue Qinghe had been shocked so many times he was numb.

He was beginning to wonder whether the man before him had descended from the Divine Realm.

With so many miraculous things and the confidence to fear nothing, there was an eighty percent chance he had a god backing him.

"Do you have a fire- or light-attribute Cultivation Method? I have a close friend I'd like to buy one for."

Lu Chuan raised an eyebrow.

A close friend? Wouldn't that "friend" be your true self, Qian Renxue?

As it happened, he had a Low Earth Rank Cultivation Method and a High Black Rank Cultivation Method that Xun'er had traded him. Both were fire-attribute.

"The Flame Scripture is a High Black Rank fire-attribute Cultivation Method. It makes your fire-attribute Soul Power purer and greatly strengthens all your fire-attribute Spirit Skills."

As he spoke, he spread his fingers.

A blazing ball of fire rose out of thin air, then twisted into a fire dragon that circled before Xue Qinghe.

Feeling the heat rolling off it, Xue Qinghe's eyes lit up.

Lu Chuan went on:

"This one costs a Soul Bone Over Fifty Thousand Years."

"A fifty-thousand-year Spirit Bone?!"

Xue Qinghe rubbed the corner of his eye, his head aching.

He could afford the price. But he had no idea whether the Cultivation Method was truly that miraculous, and he didn't dare gamble.

Lu Chuan shrugged.

"That's only natural. A good Cultivation Method lets you cultivate faster and pull far ahead of others. The higher its rank, the greater the boost.

I also have a Low Earth Rank method. That one costs a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone."

"It's only one step higher. How did the price jump from a fifty-thousand-year Spirit Bone to a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone?!"

Disbelief filled Xue Qinghe's face, and his voice rose despite himself.

Lu Chuan remained calm. "Profound Rank is Profound Rank, and Earth Rank is Earth Rank. They're worlds apart. There's no comparing them."

Xue Qinghe's mouth twitched. That profiteer really does dare to open his lion's jaws.

A Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone was unimaginably precious. Any Soul Master who got one would keep it to absorb, terrified someone might steal it. Who would ever save one for a trade?

He waved a hand weakly, resignation written across his brow.

"Forget it. Let's set the Cultivation Method aside for now. I'll test the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid first."

He glanced at the darkening sky and offered an invitation.

"It's getting late. Why don't you two stay in a guest room tonight? We can continue discussing the trade tomorrow."

"Fine," Lu Chuan replied.

Xue Qinghe then had a maid lead Lu Chuan and Zhu Zhuqing to a guest room, while he went to a secret chamber.

A figure emerged from the shadows and stood respectfully before him.

"Young Master, should I take that woman hostage and force him to hand over the Cultivation Method?"

"No. No one is to touch him! We must win him over, not make an enemy of him."