Chapter 40: The Defense Clan Joins the Nine Star Palace
The Defense Clan was located in a small town within the Star Luo Empire. The medicines they produced were quite popular among soul masters. While ordinary soul masters might not know the headquarters of the Defense Clan, the renowned Dugu Bo certainly did.
This time, Xiao Yu didn't beat around the bush. He directly sent an invitation to the Defense Clan in the name of Dugu Bo. Since Dugu Bo wasn't affiliated with the Clear Sky Sect or the Spirit Hall and had no enmity with the Defense Clan, a visit from a Title Douluo was enough to bring them to the table.
Sure enough, the morning after Xiao Yu presented the invitation, the Defense Clan came, led by their clan leader, Yang Wudi.
"Yang Wudi greets Poison Douluo. May I ask why you've specifically invited our Defense Clan?"
The tall and slender Yang Wudi spoke to Dugu Bo with neither humility nor arrogance.
For a Soul Douluo to address a Title Douluo this way was considered extremely disrespectful, but Yang Wudi was naturally proud.
His Broken Soul Spear martial soul was all about imposing presence, and he never lowered his head to anyone. Besides, he wasn't afraid of Dugu Bo.
Dugu Bo's main strength was poison, and Yang Wudi had been refining antidotes and suppressing poisons for years.
Seeing Yang Wudi's lack of courtesy, Dugu Bo's face darkened. He wasn't in the mood for pleasantries and was only acting as a guide for this meeting.
He waved his hand, saying, "It's not me who's looking for you. It's my young friend, Xiao Yu. Let him talk to you."
"Young one greets Senior Yang Wudi!"
Xiao Yu stepped forward, cupping his hands in respect towards Yang Wudi.
"What do you want from me?" Yang Wudi asked impatiently. With his Soul Douluo strength, he could easily see Xiao Yu's levelโa mere forty-ranked soul master. If not for Dugu Bo's presence, he would have left immediately.
Xiao Yu smiled slightly and got straight to the point. "I'm here to invite Senior Yang Wudi and the Defense Clan to join my sect."
"Hahahahaha!"
Yang Wudi was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
After laughing for a while, he finally stopped, catching his breath. He sized up Xiao Yu again. "Kid, it's broad daylight. Are you daydreaming? My Defense Clan has been independent since leaving the Clear Sky Sect for many years. Many sects and powers have tried to recruit us. Even the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Star Luo Empire's royal family have failed. What makes you think..."
Yang Wudi's voice suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening in disbelief. He even wiped them a few times because he saw in Xiao Yu's hand a large flower, the very Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Herb he had dreamed of so many times.
"This... is this?"
His voice trembled as he spoke.
"The Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Herb!"
Xiao Yu's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Senior Yang Wudi, are you pleased with my gift?"
Yang Wudi clutched his chest, his heart pounding wildly. "You... you're giving this to me?"
"Of course!"
Xiao Yu nodded. "A precious sword for a hero. This Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Herb is just a poison repellent in my hands, but in the hands of a master alchemist like you, it can truly shine."
"That's right!"
Xiao Yu said as he took out a sketchbook from his soul guide device, a book he had drawn before his departure. "Senior Yang should also be very interested in this!"
"Qirong Tongtian Chrysanthemum!"
"Autumn Water Dew!"
"Narcissus Jade Skin Bone!"
Yang Wudi took the sketchbook, flipping through it with constant exclamations of surprise. His gaze towards Xiao Yu turned fervent and greedy. "These... these are all immortal herbs?"
"Indeed."
Xiao Yu nodded and said, "These immortal herbs all grow in a treasured land. This land originally belonged to Senior Dugu Bo, but he has now transferred it to me. In other words, this treasured land and all the immortal herbs within it now belong to my Nine Star Palace. Senior Yang Wudi, are you interested in trying to refine some elixirs using these supreme immortal herbs?"
Xiao Yu's words were incredibly tempting to Yang Wudi. His expression changed continuously, as if he was undergoing an intense internal struggle.
Unlike the original story, when Tang San recruited Yang Wudi, Titan, Niu Gao, and Bai He, his three loyal friends had already joined the Tang Sect.
Out of respect for them, and having been conquered by Tang San's strength, Yang Wudi also joined, especially with the allure of the immortal herb "Youxiang Qiluo". It was a natural progression for the Defense Clan to join the Tang Sect.
However, Nine Star Palace had no prior connection with Yang Wudi. Xiao Yu was only at level 40 and hadn't obtained his fourth soul ring yet, so he couldn't compete with Yang Wudi, a Soul Douluo. Naturally, Yang Wudi had more concerns.
In the end, his obsession with the immortal herbs overcame everything. Yang Wudi took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth,
"Alright, I agree to join your sect. But I have conditions. Given that you have a land capable of producing such supreme immortal herbs, you must be seeking our clan's expertise in medicine and elixir refinement. I can help the sect refine elixirs, and the profits from selling them or using them within the sect can be decided by the sect. However, the elixir refining techniques are a secret of our clan and must not be leaked. You cannot force us to reveal them. Otherwise, even if my Defense Clan fights to the last person, you will not succeed!"
"Of course, rest assured, Senior Yang Wudi. The Nine Star Palace would never resort to such treacherous means."
Xiao Yu nodded. He remembered that the Defense Clan's elixir refining techniques were indeed their greatest secret.
The Clear Sky Sect had once tried to obtain these techniques from the Defense Clan but was refused.
This led to a significant conflict between the Defense Clan and the Clear Sky Sect, especially between the then-sect master, who was Tang Xiao and Tang Hao's father and the grandfather of the Tang God King, which strained their relationship.
Pausing, Xiao Yu looked solemnly at Yang Wudi and added, "Moreover, I promise you, Senior Yang, that if the sect faces an enemy, I will die before you, not run ahead of you!"
Yang Wudi's slender body trembled upon hearing this. Having been abandoned by the Clear Sky Sect and suffering the massacre of hundreds of clan members by the Spirit Hall had always been a sore spot in his heart. Now, looking at the impassioned Xiao Yu in front of him, his eyes suddenly became moist, and he nodded heavily.
"Ding, congratulations to the host for successfully recruiting the Defense Clan. One-fourth of the task of recruiting the Four Great Clans is complete. The host is awarded one Black Level Summon Card and 500 diamonds."
(End of this chapter)
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