King of Creation Chapter 1697 - 1682: Dao Heart Demon Talisman

"Commander Ye, the conditions you put forth have been reviewed by our Heavenly Temple and, with some adjustments, we have agreed. However, this agreement hinges on you accepting two of our own conditions; otherwise..."

Mu Xu left his sentence hanging, but the implication was clear: refusal meant a fight to the death.

With this statement, Mu Xu sought to underscore the Heavenly Temple's unwavering resolve on this matter.

Ye Zhen, however, harbored a strong suspicion that the Heavenly Temple's two conditions would inevitably revolve around the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow.

Only an issue of such paramount importance to the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow could elicit such firm insistence from the Heavenly Temple.

After all, the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow was absolutely vital for the Heavenly Temple's expansive recruitment of new followers!

Acting on these deductions, Ye Zhen did not press immediately for the two conditions. Instead, he first turned his attention to the Jade Scroll brought by Mu Xu, which detailed his own proposed terms.

Ye Zhen was keen to gauge the extent of the adjustments the Heavenly Temple had made to his original proposals.

The first item Ye Zhen had originally requested—an Innate Spiritual Object capable of replenishing origin power—was, as anticipated, unattainable.

Nevertheless, this scarcity indirectly highlighted the extreme rarity of such Innate Spiritual Objects; within the Heavenly Temple itself, only individuals of the highest echelons, such as God Kings and God Monarchs, possessed such items.

"Among my requests, I listed five Acquired Spiritual Treasures, yet you offer only one. Isn't this bargaining rather too harsh?" After a cursory examination, Ye Zhen returned the Jade Scroll to Mu Xu with evident dissatisfaction.

"Acquired Spiritual Treasures are exceedingly rare within our Heavenly Temple as well. Over eighty percent of our Grand Divine Masters currently depend on High Grade or Supreme Suppression Artifacts, and even obtaining a single Acquired Spiritual Treasure is a monumental task. To manage to present one is already quite generous. Five is simply not feasible!" Mu Xu explained.

"So, you're saying there's nothing more to discuss?" Ye Zhen turned away, his tone hardening.

Ye Zhen had previously acknowledged that securing five Acquired Spiritual Treasures was a long shot, but he had held out hope for at least three. The reality, however, was that the Heavenly Temple's negotiating stance was proving even more unyielding than he had anticipated.

Upon hearing this, Mu Xu offered a wry smile. "It's not a matter of unwillingness, but rather a lack of availability! Acquired Spiritual Treasures significantly enhance a user's combat prowess. Had any been available, they would have been allocated already. Why, even I only wield a mid-grade Acquired Spiritual Treasure, and that was a gift from Qingyuan God Monarch of Green Dawn Peak when I assumed the role of Hall Master. However, if you look further down the scroll, the subsequent conditions remain largely unaltered by our Heavenly Temple."

Mu Xu spoke with evident strain, but Ye Zhen remained unconvinced. "I simply find it hard to believe that a prominent organization like your Heavenly Temple cannot procure a few more Acquired Spiritual Treasures."

"Acquiring them might be possible, but they are invariably already claimed. Within the Heavenly Temple's structure, the Three Great Holy Lands each maintain their own distinct factions, and every God Monarch and God King commands their own halls, creating a complexity that rivals that of the Great Zhou Dynasty. To be perfectly candid, the Acquired Spiritual Treasure being offered at this time originates from Sun and Moon Heaven. It is being provided precisely because the circumstances leading to this negotiation stem from individuals associated with their Sun and Moon Heaven branch," Mu Xu stated, gesturing with the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow he held.

Throughout several rounds of dialogue, Mu Xu remained steadfast in his refusal to concede on the matter of Acquired Spiritual Treasures.

"In fact, Commander Ye, regarding conditions such as Spirit Stones and Psychic Spirit Pills further down the list, you could certainly request additional compensation. However, concerning these Acquired Spiritual Treasures, there are genuinely none to spare."

At this juncture, Mu Xu let out a soft chuckle. "I presume Commander Ye would not seriously consider handing this Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow over to the Great Zhou or the Ancestor God Temple?"

"If you were to do so, the Great Zhou and the Ancestor God Temple would be the sole beneficiaries. But Commander Ye, surely you wouldn't wish to face relentless pursuit from our Heavenly Temple, from the God Monarchs themselves down to our most junior disciples?"

"If your Heavenly Temple is prepared to bear the cost of such a loss, then what value does my life hold?" Ye Zhen countered defiantly.

Yet, Mu Xu's assertion held a significant degree of truth.

The transfer of the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow to either the Great Zhou or the Ancestor God Temple would yield Ye Zhen no discernible benefits and would, conversely, invite endless complications and dangers.

It was precisely this calculation that had led Ye Zhen to retain possession of the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow until this moment, opting instead to engage in high-stakes negotiations with the Heavenly Temple directly, despite the inherent risks, rather than surrender it.

"Since Master Mu has indicated that compensation can be provided in the form of Psychic Spirit Pills and Spirit Stones, I shall not hesitate to accept your offer."

To lose four Acquired Spiritual Treasures represents an immeasurable loss. Therefore, the quantities of Psychic Spirit Pills, Spirit Stones, and those other Pills and Spiritual Liquids I previously enumerated must both be doubled." Ye Zhen declared.

Mu Xu’s brows knitted slightly. "Doubling the amount would mean the High Grade Thought Spirit Pills alone would number two thousand, and then there are the Xuanxin Soul Refining Pills... This... Allow me to confer with them."

Subsequently, Mu Xu dispatched several Talisman Communications and, before long, received a reply.

"With the exception of the Xuanxin Soul Refining Pills, whose quantity cannot be altered, the others present no issue. To be frank, Commander Ye, the Xuanxin Soul Refining Pill is exceptionally precious, also refined by our Green Dawn Peak Master. The procurement of its Alchemy Materials alone incurs costs in the tens of millions of High Grade Spirit Stones, with many sourced by our own people who expended countless efforts extracting them from perilous locales. Only one batch can be produced every few decades, yielding merely a few dozen bottles per batch. Furthermore, both Sun and Moon Heaven and Thunder Prison Mountain are allocated a quota of just one bottle every three years," Mu Xu elucidated.

Ye Zhen’s eyebrows lifted slightly, contemplating seizing a greater advantage, but after deliberation, he chose to be satisfied.

The Xuanxin Soul Refining Pill was incidentally mentioned by Mountain God Yi Xun during casual discourse when Ye Zhen sojourned at Five Immortals Island. This pill is an Alchemy Dao sacred item that stabilizes the soul, bolsters Divine Soul Power, and mends Divine Soul Injuries. Even Mountain God Yi Xun had only encountered its name and never its presence. According to intelligence gleaned from Five Immortals Island, it is exclusively circulated amongst high-ranking members within the Heavenly Temple.

Owing to this fragment of information, Ye Zhen had incorporated it into his demands as the seventh item, requesting one bottle of the Xuanxin Soul Refining Pill. Initially harboring slim hope, it was rather unexpected that while the Heavenly Temple reduced the Acquired Spiritual Treasures, this Xuanxin Soul Refining Pill requisition was favorably received. Sadly, it could not be doubled.

"As Commander Ye is content with this level of compensation from our Heavenly Temple, you must accept our conditions to facilitate full cooperation between both parties," Mu Xu stated.

In truth, the two conditions put forth by the Heavenly Temple were entirely anticipated by Ye Zhen.

The first condition stipulated by the Heavenly Temple was the unconditional surrender of the original Spirit Shadow of the Jade Scroll, alongside all Spirit Shadows documented within the Divine Record, and a comprehensive roster of all individuals who directly interacted with or perused the Spirit Shadow, to the Heavenly Temple.

The second condition served as a supplement to the first. After all, one’s true intentions are veiled, and even the Heavenly Temple could not ascertain Ye Zhen’s veracity or deceit, nor how many duplicates of the Jade Scroll Spirit Shadow had been divinely recorded using the original Spirit Shadow.

Given the extreme seriousness of the matter,

the Heavenly Temple’s second condition mandated that Ye Zhen refine and detonate a Dao Heart Demon Talisman in their presence, predicated on the stipulations of the first condition.

Naturally, that exceedingly valuable Dao Heart Demon Talisman would be furnished by the Heavenly Temple themselves!