Gao Wu: Oh no! Young Master Zhen is a cultivator!

Lin Ran's heart tightened, but he forced himself to remain calm, reached out and took the token, then put it into his storage pouch.

The opponent was a true Nascent Soul cultivator who could suppress him with a single thought; he absolutely could not reveal the slightest flaw.

After regaining his composure, he feigned arrogance: "Stop trying to get close to me. You should be thinking about how to apologize!"

Lu Wangchuan frowned slightly: "My Qingxuan Sect does bear some responsibility for this matter, but you also broke into our sect's gates without cause and allowed your spirit beast to clash with our elders, so you are not entirely without fault..."

"So, you're not going to admit it?" Lin Ran's expression turned slightly cold, his tone rising slightly, carrying a hint of dominance.

A hint of displeasure flashed in Lu Wangchuan's eyes: "Absurd! No matter what, I am your senior. How can you speak to me like that?"

"Hmph!" Lin Ran met his gaze calmly, without backing down in the slightest.

"Don't try to act all high and mighty with me, I'm not buying it."

Lu Wangchuan remained silent for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, "What do you intend to do?"

Lin Ran stood with his hands behind his back, his tone relaxed and casual.

"I don't need you to come to my door to apologize. Just give me a hundred thousand or twenty thousand high-grade spirit stones, and I'll let this matter go."

Lu Wangchuan's pupils contracted slightly, and his tone suddenly rose: "How much?"

"What? No?" Lin Ran sneered.

Lu Wangchuan felt a surge of energy in his chest, suppressing the anger in his heart, and his voice was slightly deep.

"Out of respect for the Heavenly Sword Sect, I won't bother with a junior like you. If you had asked for three or five hundred high-grade spirit stones, I would have given them to you. But asking for one hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones? I think you're just deliberately making a fool of me!"

One high-grade spirit stone is equivalent to ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. One hundred thousand high-grade spirit stones may not sound like much, but when converted to low-grade spirit stones, it amounts to a full one billion.

Such a huge number would infuriate anyone who heard it.

Lin Ran waved his hand, his expression indifferent: "Look at you, what's the rush?"

He was not intimidated by the other party's imposing manner at all, and said to himself, "You're asking for an exorbitant price, but you'll bargain with me when things get tough. Why don't you try negotiating a price with me?"

Lu Wangchuan's temples throbbed with barely suppressed rage, his lifelong cultivation and self-control almost failing him.

He had been in charge of the Qingxuan Sect for hundreds of years and held a high position as a Nascent Soul cultivator. When had he ever been so easily manipulated by a mere Golden Core junior?

However, given the current situation, he couldn't simply turn hostile, so he could only say in a deep voice, "At most five hundred high-grade spirit stones."

"If you agree, I will give you the spirit stones. Otherwise, you can go and ask your elders to come!"

"Deal!" Lin Ran agreed readily. "But I have one more condition."

Lu Wangchuan suppressed his emotions and patiently asked, "What other conditions do you have?"

Lin Ran raised his hand and pointed to Ao Zheng, who was badly injured, Chong Lie and Xiao Cangshan, who were lying on the ground, and Xuan Jiao, who was seriously injured and lurking in the deep pit.

"My spirit beast and demon servant are both seriously injured. Shouldn't you also reimburse them for their medical expenses?"

Lu Wangchuan suppressed his anger and took a deep breath.

"I'll give you ten more Grade 7 Healing Pills to ensure your spirit pets and demon servants recover completely."

"That's more like it. Here you go." Lin Ran nodded in satisfaction, a smile on his face.

Lu Wangchuan didn't hesitate any longer and casually waved his hand at the void.

A storage bag and a pure white porcelain bottle appeared out of thin air and slowly floated to Lin Ran's front.

"Here are five hundred high-grade spirit stones and ten seventh-grade healing pills. Take them and leave immediately!"

Lin Ran raised his hand to catch the two items, and with a quick scan of his fingertips confirmed that they were correct, he put them all into the Nine Heavens Pendant.

Instead of leaving, he stood still and slowly began to speak.

"What's the rush? I've already come all the way to your Qingxuan Sect, and you won't even invite me in for a cup of tea? Is this how you treat your guests?"

The Nascent Soul cultivator beside him finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up, his pent-up anger completely erupting as he shouted a stern rebuke.

"Arrogant brat, don't push your luck!"

Lin Ran glanced at him sideways, her expression disdainful: "A defeated opponent has no right to speak to me!"

Upon hearing this, the Nascent Soul cultivator's face flushed red, his aura surged violently, and he retorted coldly.

"If you don't send the Xuanjiao and the merfolk soldiers into battle, how can you possibly be a match for me?"

Lin Ran's smile remained unchanged: "Why can't I use my own spirit pets and demon servants? If I can't use them in battle, what's the point of raising them?"

"That's just sophistry!" The Nascent Soul cultivator was furious.

Lu Wangchuan raised his hand and pressed it down slightly, stopping the Nascent Soul cultivator from continuing his angry rant.

He stared straight at Lin Ran, his eyes revealing a hint of wariness.

"If you wished to be a guest of my Qingxuan Sect, why didn't you visit our sect directly before? Now that you've received benefits, you're talking about being a guest? Do you think my Qingxuan Sect has no one to rely on?"

"That's not how you put it." Lin Ran spread his hands, his expression calm.

"Your people started it first, and I was forced to retaliate. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up and you have already paid the compensation you were owed, I naturally won't hold it against you."

The Nascent Soul cultivator's forehead veins bulged: "What do you mean you won't argue with us? What right do you have to argue?"

"Because I am a true disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect!" Lin Ran said with his head held high and chest out, full of confidence.

The Nascent Soul cultivator was speechless, his chest tight, unable to find the words to refute.

"you……"

Lin Ran chuckled softly and spoke again.

"Actually, I'm not a bad guest. It's just that since I'm already here, wouldn't it be impolite not to pay a visit?"

Lu Wangchuan remained indifferent and directly refused, "No need! My Qingxuan Sect will be closing its doors to guests for the next few days!"

"That's really unfortunate, what a pity." Lin Ran shook his head slightly: "But I still can't leave."

Lu Wangchuan frowned: "What is the reason?"

Lin Ran pointed to the stone house not far away: "My spirit pet is breaking through, so I can't leave easily for the time being."

Judging from the fluctuations in the formation, Zhu Wanwan should be at a critical juncture.

At this point, Lin Ran certainly wouldn't wake her up and try to break through to a new place.

Lu Wangchuan looked at the stone house on the mountaintop and frowned slightly.

Although there was an array to shield him, it couldn't completely block the detection of this Nascent Soul cultivator.

He had sensed the faint aura of an eighth-tier beast inside the stone house earlier, and thought it was an ambush set up by the kid in front of him. He didn't expect it to be a breakthrough.

The Nascent Soul cultivator couldn't help but speak up: "This place is under the jurisdiction of my Qingxuan Sect, how can we allow this to continue...!"

"Stop talking nonsense. Anyway, I can't just leave now. You guys figure it out!" Lin Ran said calmly, neither humble nor arrogant.

Lu Wangchuan remained silent for a long time, weighing the pros and cons, before finally speaking slowly.

"Since that's the case, I'll allow you to stay for a few more days until your spirit beast breaks through. I hope you'll leave my Qingxuan Sect immediately!"

"Look at you, in such a hurry again." Lin Ran's eyebrows relaxed, his tone softened, and he spoke with a hint of familiarity.

"We've already made peace and the matter has reached a satisfactory conclusion for both sides. Now it's time to shake hands and make peace."

Lu Wangchuan stared at the silver-tongued Golden Core cultivator before him, his expression displeased: "What a silver tongue you have!"

"You flatter me, you flatter me." Lin Ran cupped his hands slightly, feigning humility.

Lu Wangchuan's tone was somber, carrying a warning under his breath.

"I have no intention of being enemies with the Heavenly Sword Sect, but if you continue to act recklessly, don't blame me for disciplining your disciples on behalf of Xie Linxu."

Lin Ran quickly composed himself, coughed twice, and softened his tone.

"Cough cough cough... No, no. I will leave this place immediately after the spirit beast breaks through."

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and said, "Please do as you please, senior."

Lu Wangchuan gave Lin Ran a deep look and said nothing more.

He knew that continuing the stalemate was pointless, and if things really came to a head, the Qingxuan Sect would suffer more losses than gains.

Rather than confronting the person on the spot and escalating the conflict, it is better to temporarily back down, keep a close watch on them, and wait for them to leave on their own.

Having made up his mind, Lu Wangchuan waved his sleeve and spoke softly.

"Come back with me."

The Nascent Soul Elder, though filled with resentment, dared not disobey the Supreme Lord's order and could only suppress his anger.

The two did not linger. Their figures flashed in mid-air, transforming into two streaks of blue and white light, and quickly swept off the mountain peak, disappearing among the layered mountains.