Chen Lianyu was torn. She wanted to wait and see if anything better suited her would appear

The Marrow Washing Pill was useless to her right now; she’d have to keep it for years. By the time she actually needed it, she could simply use her connections to buy another from the Void Pill Sect. A pill of that tier only made sense when she broke through a major realm.

Ye Liuyun had been watching the three weapon-refining master’ faces. Liu Yuanyang’s eyes lit up at the mention of flame power—he already wielded Yang fire, yet he seemed drawn to Yin-fire. Ye guessed Liu wanted to cultivate both.

Chen Xing, meanwhile, was weighing the Poison Soul Flower against the Marrow Washing Pill, clearly deciding which to pursue.

Neither of the two alchemists’ targets were things Ye possessed. The Yin-fire he’d gathered was inferior to the Ninth Prince’s, and his own Nether Ghostfire was absolutely off-limits as bait. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

So he could only set his sights on Chen Lianyu. He already had Chen Huoyang; snagging Chen Lianyu would be a bonus, and failing wouldn’t be a total loss.

“Master Lianyu,” Ye Liuyun spoke to her directly, “I have a true-essence refinement technique called Condensing Origin Art, which I’m willing to share. I’ll also provide a set of Flowing-Gold armor materials. Could you raise the armor’s grade?”

He produced the Flowing-Gold armor and even donned it for her to see

Those who’d never witnessed the armor’s wonders gasped in admiration.

“Condensing Origin Art... Flowing Gold?”

Chen Lianyu was hooked. The Condensing Origin Art was exactly what she needed; without a breakthrough in cultivation, her smithing skills would stagnate

Moreover, many in the Chen clan could use it. Since it was shareable, she could trade it again later for profit.

As for the Flowing-Gold armor, its defensive value didn’t interest her, but its ability to transform did. Women, after all, couldn’t resist clothing that could shift into countless forms

And Flowing Gold itself was exceedingly rare—irresistible to any artificer.

Still, she hesitated. Agreeing outright might force her to throw in some top-tier materials of her own.

The Ninth Prince assumed she looked down on Ye’s offer and sneered, “A mere technique and scrap of material? Dream on.”

Ye Liuyun, thinking he’d misread her needs, was about to bring out the half-morphing Blood Spiritual Demon.

But Chen Lianyu, fearing the prince would sabotage the deal, quickly explained, “Young master, please don’t misunderstand. Your gifts are exactly what I want

However, upgrading Flowing-Gold armor may require more than its base material. I’m simply deciding what to add

I’m not fully familiar with Flowing Gold either. Let’s make an arrangement: I’ll study it first, then recommend additional materials—at your expense. Do you agree

If you trust my craftsmanship and accept this condition, we have a deal.”

Ye Liuyun answered at once, “No problem—I agree! I trust Master Lianyu!”

Chen Lianyu nodded in satisfaction, rose, and produced her token, ready to trade

Ye stepped forward and handed her the armor.

“Master Lianyu, won’t you reconsider my resources? If anything else catches your eye, take as much as you like.”

The Ninth Prince, flushed with embarrassment, upped his own offer on the spot. He’d already lost Chen Huoyang; losing Chen Lianyu would be a public humiliation.

But Chen Lianyu wanted nothing to do with him. She replied at once, “Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. However, everything this young master offers is precisely what I need. Flowing Gold is something I’ve sought for ages!”

She emphasized the last words deliberately—knowing full well Flowing Gold was scarce in the Fire-Seal Galaxy. Even if the royal house had some, the Ninth Prince likely couldn’t produce it.

Sure enough, the prince could only glower helplessly as Chen Lianyu pressed her token into Ye Liuyun’s hand.

“What name shall I address you by, young master?” Chen Lianyu asked Ye Liuyun first.

“I’m Ye Liuyun.” He gave his real name without hesitation.

“Master Ye, I’ll keep this gilded armor for now. I’ll take it back, study it, get familiar with its properties, and pick the matching materials. Give me a little time—bring the armor you want upgraded in seven days, and then we’ll trade it for the Condensing Origin Formula.”

She only heldhed on asking for the formula because she feared Ye Liuyun might worry she couldn’t refine the armor well; the exact materials were still undecided, and the deal could still fall through.

“Very well. Many thanks, Master Lianyu!” Ye Liuyun thanked her and tucked away his token.

Chen Lianyu didn’t linger; after bidding him farewell, she left at once to study the gilded armor.

Mission accomplished. Ye Liuyun finally let out a long, silent breath.

Look at the way the Ninth Prince and the rest are staring at you, his First Clone warned.

If they’re looking to die, let them come. Ye Liuyun didn’t even glance over; he simply didn’t care.

He spoke to his two clones: Once the First Clone leaves, see if you can get a shot at that Yao Feng—try to send Qiong Qi to the Myriad Transformation Sect. I’ll work on Heming and see if I can bring him under control. Second Clone, you stay and handle the trade with the Chen family.

I think Heming and the Ninth Prince are eyeing me too, the Second Clone added.

Even better. If you can strike a deal with them, don’t hold back. Forget the Chen family’s inner-court elder—this is their turf; no need to take unnecessary risks.

After they finished planning, the First Clone left first. He wanted to shake off any trackers the Ninth Prince might have set on him.

But the Ninth Prince had no time for him now; he was busy courting the other two weapon-refining master with everything he had. If he failed to secure even one of them today, he’d lose all face.

Besides, he had just promised Chen Lianyu extra resources; he couldn’t go back on his word with these two. So both Chen Xing and Liu Yuanyang accepted his commissions, each quietly charging an extra item. The Ninth Prince swallowed the bitter pill—he couldn’t show his frustration and had to keep flattering the weapon-refining master—while silently chalking every loss up to Ye Liuyun.