Chapter 257: A Deal

After listening to Su Che’s explanation, the Qianli Sword Sect said in a grave tone, “Young disciple Tianyu, after all, Tianyuan Sea falls under our sect’s jurisdiction. You brought people here to receive the inheritance of a major sect—shouldn’t you have informed our sect first?”
Su Che knew they were finding faults with him just to gain an advantage. He explained, “In fact, before coming here, we were unaware of any sect inheritance. We merely came for a few treasures.”
At this point, Su Che turned his gaze toward explorers like Yan Ming. “Uncle Qianli, these people have been stationed in Tianyuan Sea for years without even bothering to inform the Hunyuan Sword Sect. Similarly, I saw this exploration as a personal matter. I didn’t know in advance that I had to receive the sect inheritance before I could open the treasure vault and obtain those items.”
If it was just for treasure hunting, it indeed could be considered a personal act, requiring no approval from the Hunyuan Sword Sect. But establishing a sect or inheriting the legacy of a major sect on their territory without prior approval was tantamount to open provocation. In severe cases, it could be seen as a display of contempt toward the Hunyuan Sword Sect.
Thus, the Qianli Sword Sect’s criticism wasn’t excessive.
Su Che, of course, understood these principles. He continued in a more gentle tone, “Uncle Qianli, the Tianyaha Pavilion was destroyed seventy thousand years ago. The few treasures left in its vault are decent for individuals, but they’re nothing compared to our top-tier sects.”
The Qianli Sword Sect replied promptly, nodding, “Since you, the young disciple, discovered those treasures first, as elders, we certainly won’t compete with you. However, there must be a reasonable explanation for the Tianyaha Pavilion’s sect inheritance.”
The perspective of a sect was certainly different from that of an individual. Considering Su Che’s special status, the Qianli Sword Sect was willing to give up the competition over treasures but had to handle the matter from a sectarian standpoint.
Su Che didn’t care about the Tianyaha Pavilion’s sect inheritance at all. For him, as long as he could get the level-10 spiritual fire, it would be enough. He replied with a smile, “The Tianyaha Pavilion is located within your sect’s territory. No matter how it develops, it must remain under your sect’s control. There’s no doubt about that.”

Su Che could easily understand this: the island where Tianya Haige was located could never be separated from Tianyuan Sea. That meant that if one wanted to make a living in the territory of Hunyuan Sword Sect, there were only two options—either to become a subordinate sect of Hunyuan Sword Sect or to offer it as a gift entirely to them. The idea of establishing an independent sect free from Hunyuan Sword Sect’s control was nothing but delusional and a path to self-destruction. Even Tianxuan Sect would not step in to help with such a thing. Moreover, as Tianxuan Sect’s top direct disciple, Su Che had a good chance of becoming its supreme leader someday if he wished. Why would he come to a barren place like Tianyuan Sea and recklessly confront Hunyuan Sword Sect? Even a fool wouldn’t make such a choice. Hearing Su Che’s answer, Qianli Sword Sect had nothing left to say. He could see that Su Che didn’t care at all about Tianya Haige’s sect heritage; even giving it up completely wouldn’t be difficult for him. Qianli Sword Sect thought to itself, “After all, Tianya Haige was once a large sect from seventy thousand years ago. Even if its secret realm is now just an empty shell, it can still be transformed into a branch of our sect. If we can offer it to our sect, that would be a great achievement…” So, he transmitted a message to Su Che, “Young disciple Tianyu, I’ll help you drive away all competitors and obtain the treasures you need. In return, you transfer this secret realm to me… What do you think of this deal?” After thinking for a moment, Su Che replied, “Okay, let’s do it!” He made the decision immediately, without considering what Shuiyue would think after inheriting the heritage. After all, their agreement to explore for treasures was based on mutual benefit, but that didn’t mean Su Che had to help her establish a new sect and then fight to the death against Hunyuan Sword Sect. There was no way they could win—not even a one-in-a-billion chance. Su Che was already Tianxuan Sect’s top direct disciple, and he knew better than anyone just how powerful a super sect could be. “Young disciple Tianyu is truly generous!” Once the deal was settled, Qianli Sword Sect was overjoyed. If they could resolve this before Hunyuan Sword Sect’s army arrived, they would surely claim credit for it. So, he turned to Yanming and the others and said, “Gentlemen, this secret realm was first discovered and opened by Tianxuan Sect. It has now become a matter between our two sects. I hope you’ll leave voluntarily to avoid damaging our relations.”

It’s the Tianxuan Sect again, and the Hunyuan Sword Sect as well—with such two mighty forces pressing down, who would dare to resist? No matter how unwilling Yan Ming and the others were, they had to face this reality. Moreover, the sect’s inheritance ceremony inside the grand hall had already been completely completed, making the chances of obtaining treasures extremely slim. In such a case, the only option was to prioritize self-preservation. Yan Ming and the others bowed to Su Che from afar, offering congratulations and clearly indicating their intention to give up on seizing the treasures. As for how to leave this secret realm, they would have to wait and see if the woman in the hall could provide some help; otherwise, they would need to break through the barrier to get out. Only Mu Yu hesitated, wanting to ask about Hua Yu’s whereabouts but lacking the courage to deal with Su Che again. After all, they had only been married for a short time, and their relationship wasn’t strong enough for her to risk everything for him… At this moment, Shui Yue arrived beside Su Che and transmitted a message, “Senior brother, there are three people at the treasure vault, trying to break through the protective restrictions on the vault door.” Su Che asked back, “Can you drive them away?” “No,” Shui Yue replied, “After all, Tianya Hai Ge has been dormant for seventy thousand years, and the sect’s protective forces are incomplete. We can’t forcefully expel Golden Core cultivators.” “I guessed it would be like this,” Su Che nodded inwardly, then loudly said to the Qianli Sword Sect, “Uncle Qianli, there are still three people inside the treasure vault, attempting to break through the vault door…” Since he had reached some kind of deal with the Qianli Sword Sect, a powerful figure like him wouldn’t leave such an opportunity unutilized. “No problem,” the Qianli Sword Sect said with a smile, “Please, junior apprentice Tian Yu, show me the way.” Su Che stepped outside the hall and pointed to the left, “The courtyard a hundred feet away is the treasure vault.” “Good, junior apprentice Tian Yu, wait here.” At the Qianli Sword Sect’s command, one of their Golden Core elders went there, while the other two clearly stayed behind to keep Su Che in check, preventing Yan Ming and the others from becoming greedy again. Taking advantage of this gap, Su Che transmitted a message to Shui Yue, “I’ve decided to give this secret realm to the Hunyuan Sword Sect. Sister Shui Yue, I hope you can view this rationally.” Shui Yue was extremely intelligent; she quickly understood the implications and replied without hesitation, “Senior brother, rest assured. I have enough self-awareness. I neither have the ability to compete with the Hunyuan Sword Sect nor to manage a large sect. I won’t be foolish.” “That’s good,” Su Che nodded in relief.

In today’s cultivation world, even a large sect must have at least one Yuan Ying ancestor and a dozen Jin Dan elders to oversee it; otherwise, it will be destroyed just as quickly as it was established. Shui Yue, who was only at the early Jin Dan stage, trying to take control of this place alone was utterly unrealistic. After waiting for a while, they saw the Qian Li Sword Sect approaching, along with Long Fongzi and two others, looking dejected. Long Fongzi wasn’t truly insane, so he certainly wouldn’t foolishly engage in a direct fight with the Qian Li Sword Sect. With such a huge disparity in strength, resistance wasn’t courage—it was stupidity. When they arrived at the open area in front of the hall, a dozen treasure hunters gathered together, waiting for the “headmaster” of Tian Ya Hai Ge to lead them out of this realm. Shui Yue remained inside the hall and said to them from afar, “Please don’t resist. A force will send you out of the barrier.” Most of them nodded in agreement, but Long Fongzi and the others remained silent, though their gazes toward Shui Yue were full of hostility. Having invested so much effort into this treasure, with all their hopes suddenly shattered, how could they be willing to accept it… But when under someone else’s roof, one has no choice but to bow their head! Whoosh! The dozen people disappeared without a trace. Standing inside the hall, Shui Yue used some privilege as the owner to send them out of the secret realm. Somewhere outside the barrier, Yan Ming and the others were transported there. With a long sigh, they left in sadness. Long Fongzi, Wu Ya, and Li Xue gathered together, whispering among themselves. Instead of leaving immediately, they flew to a height of a thousand feet, transforming into a cloud to conceal their figures and remained suspended there. Inside the secret realm, the Qian Li Sword Sect showed its extraordinary grace and took the initiative to say to Su Che, “Young disciple Tian Yu, there are still some ignorant cultivators trying to break through the barrier together. Please send us four out as well.” “Thank you, Uncle Qian Li,” Su Che and Shui Yue replied with a bow. The Qian Li Sword Sect asked with a smile, “Is one day enough?” “Definitely,” Su Che nodded with a smile as well. What Qian Li meant was that they would help Su Che and Shui Yue drive away the intruders outside the barrier and promised that no one would enter the secret realm to disturb them from obtaining treasures within a day… One day was more than enough. After sending the four from the Qian Li Sword Sect out as well, Shui Yue smiled slightly and said softly, “Senior brother, I never thought that your status as the chief heir would not only allow you to act unchallenged within our sect but also be so useful here in someone else’s territory.” Su Che chuckled and said, “Indeed. Often, a person’s background and status are indeed very useful.”

Without the title of Chief True Heir of Tianxuanzong, even if Su Che hadn’t been killed by the fierce sword energy of Qianli Sword Sect, he would still have surely failed in Water Moon Sect’s inheritance ritual. In any case, it would be impossible to be in such a deserted secret realm, where two people could leisurely and unhurriedly collect treasures. The feeling at this moment is truly extremely relaxed and pleasant!