Seeing the game was settled and his own goal achieved, Ye Liuyun slipped out of the venue and went outside to lie in wait for Heming. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The Ninth Prince had spent a bit more resources than planned, but at least he’d salvaged some face. When he finally remembered Ye Liuyun and the first clone, both had already left early

He could only curse inwardly: *“Fast runners, the lot of you!”*

He didn’t actually intend to make their lives miserable—yet if an opportunity to teach them a lesson presented itself, he wouldn’t hesitate.

The prince himself paid Ye Liuyun no further heed, but several martial cultivators quietly tailed him. Everyone knew the gilded armor was still in his hands, and both Ye Liuyun and his guard were low in cultivation—easy pickings, or so they thought.

Ye Liuyun sensed them the moment he stepped outside. He sprinted at full speed, luring them beyond the city walls, then released Leng Yuan, the metal puppet, and the snow wolf. Every pursuer was branded with a slave seal; even two Xuanwu experts were swept into his spatial world.

Two of the tailing cultivators turned out to be artifact refiners, drawn by the gilded materials. Ye Liuyun handed them straight to Tongxin and Qiong Qi for processing, then altered his appearance and returned to stake out the Chen residence.

The second clone had already informed him that Heming had arranged to meet at an outside tavern.

Before departing, the Ninth Prince had tried to bargain with the second clone, demanding a price for the Vital Waters—only to be flatly refused

He left in a huff, clearly planning further trouble.

So Ye Liuyun shifted targets: the prince, just leaving the Chen estate. Heming would be handled by the second clone.

Meanwhile, the first clone had followed Yao Feng out of the city. The instant they cleared the gates, he struck with a soul attack and planted a slave seal.

As an elder of the Myriad Transformation Sect, Yao Feng surely carried formation discs or could inscribe arrays himself; the clone had to strike first, giving him no chance to retaliate.

But elders of major powers all bore sect or clan contracts within their seas of consciousness. By forcibly erasing that contract, the clone had exposed the operation; the Myriad Transformation Sect must already know. This pawn was now useless—good only for intelligence.

Ye Liuyun hauled Yao Feng back, soul-searched him, and prepared to deliver him to Qiong Qi to study any infiltration possibilities.

The first clone changed his face again, tracking mental imprints to seize several artifact masters who had attended the exhibition. None belonged to the Chen family; abducting them would cause little uproar.

The second clone was negotiating terms with the Chen clan’s inner-court elder. Both sides knew exactly what they wanted: Vital Waters for artifact refinement. They signed an equal covenant on the spot.

The Chens would upgrade the Great Desolation Bow, the Demon Thunder Bombard, and the Nine-Dragon River Tripod to true-tier ninth-grade, supplying all materials while preserving original functions. In one month, when the artifacts were ready, Ye Liuyun would hand over thirty drops of Vital Waters.

After leaving the three artifacts with the Chens, the second clone set off to meet Heming. Yet the moment he exited the estate, he spotted the prince’s guards tailing him.

He used Crimson Pupil illusion on the nearest guard, learned the order was merely to track his lodgings, and let the man keep following. The guard’s mind held a loyalty contract; illusion was safer than a slave seal and undetectable by the royal house.

It reminded Ye Liuyun: for anyone bound by such contracts, Crimson Pupil was the better tool. The second clone’s soul force was now strong enough to handle elders effortlessly, and illusions were subtler than seals.

The Ninth Prince had booked a private courtyard in an upscale inn. After outlining his artifact requirements to Chen Xing and Liu Yuanyang, he would treat the two refiners to dinner, finalize materials, and deepen their rapport.

Ye Liuyun took a neighboring courtyard, close enough to watch every move. The prince’s golden-armored guards were formidable; Ye Liuyun would need the right moment to strike.

At the same time, the second clone arrived at the reserved tavern room. Heming’s two disciples stood behind him in attendance. The moment the clone entered, Heming greeted him warmly and asked his name.

“This old man is Jin Chengshan. Elder Heming needn’t stand on ceremony. You seek the Vital Waters, do you not?”

The clone cut straight to the point. The name was one he’d invented while bargaining with the Wan family elder earlier.

“Jin Chengshan? Haha, no wonder you have the look of wealth—your name alone brings fortune!”

Heming laughed aloud, but wasted no time confirming that the Vital Waters was indeed his goal.

The second clone kept the red pupils in his soul locked on Heming while continuing the conversation. “I’ve already promised quite a bit back at the Wan estate—there isn’t much left. What resources does Elder Heming intend to trade?”

The illusion power of those crimson eyes was terrifying; Heming was under its sway almost instantly. On the surface they were merely bargaining, yet Heming had already used a thread of divine sense to transmit everything about Void Pill Sect to Ye Liuyun.

Void Pill Sect had many alchemy elders, all rather advanced in years, and their thirst for life-spring water was enormous. Heming’s bottom line was a single Void-grade pill in exchange for three drops of life-spring water.

In truth, only three elders in the entire sect could barely refine Void-grade pills. Years spent over cauldrons had left them with little combat tempering; their true essence lacked density, and their cultivation advanced at a crawl.

Thus they placed great importance on marrow-cleansing pills that condensed and purified various energies—pills sought not only by outside martial cultivators but also by their own disciples.

The second clone told Heming that life-spring water could be provided, but only if he met those three alchemists in person for an on-the-spot trade. At the same time, he had Void Pill Sect refine a long list of pills needed by himself and others, asking Heming to annotate the highest grade each formula could reach.

Next, the clone asked detailed questions about several alchemists and singled out a few exceptional ones to take along. In the end he locked onto seven elder alchemists and three promising disciples, instructing Heming to arrange a meeting with all of them when the time came.