I, a prison guard in the Heavenly Prison, secretly became invincible thanks to the system.

Chapter 712 Bargaining, Illusionary Sparrow Branch

With a gentle flick of the heavenly fire, the lingering alcohol fumes emanating from the body were instantly dissolved.

Ye Kang felt a sudden relief from the pressure and remained expressionless.

Merlottin immediately looked surprised, then burst into laughter.

“Interesting, interesting. You’re quite a character. This wine is very expensive. You owe me a lot of spirit crystals now.”

"what!"

Ye Kang was completely stunned, thinking to himself, "This is outrageous! How can you do this? This is entrapment!"

Mei Luoting, however, remained serious as he continued roasting the pheasant, saying, "I heard from Niannian that you found a treasure and discovered a technique for escape from it. You even had the audacity to want to make a deal with Meijian Manor?"

Ye Kang's heart sank; he knew it was time to get down to business.

He was about to speak when Meloding changed the subject: "Actually, I'm more curious about something else. Nian Nian just begged me to save you, saying you were captured by a demon of the Three-Headed Two-Luminous Realm. How did you manage to escape?"

Ye Kang glanced gratefully at Mei Niannian, then cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for your concern, senior. They were just three foolish demons. I have already dealt with them."

"Impressive. With only the cultivation of the third palace, you were able to fight three opponents of a higher level. The academy has truly found a great talent. If you had such talent, how wonderful it would be if you were a member of my Plum Sword Manor."

"Senior is too kind. Meijian Manor is powerful and has its own ability to establish itself. Why would it need someone as insignificant as me?"

"Hehe, you certainly know how to talk. If it were really as simple as you say, Meijian Manor wouldn't need to come here to compete for a chance. Fine, with your talent, you must have a powerful background. I won't say anything about recruiting you. Let's get down to business. What makes you think that Meijian Manor would be interested in your escape technique?"

Melotting's gaze was sharp, as if he would teach Ye Kang a lesson if he lied.

Ye Kang took a deep breath, said nothing, and simply used the Azure Dragon Shadow Strike once. His body instantly merged into the trees in the canyon, and then moved among the tree roots, appearing in various parts of the canyon in an instant.

The technique of escape was so exquisite that it could be described as the work of an immortal, leaving Mei Niannian dumbfounded.

Even someone as powerful as Melotin narrowed his eyes, a hint of heat appearing on his face.

This escape technique is simply astonishing!

I have seen a few Wood Release techniques myself, but most of them are crude and cannot compare to the five true Wood Release techniques that are famous throughout the Nine Provinces.

But the Wood Release technique this kid used actually had the meaning of "escape," and its sophistication was in no way inferior to the legendary Five Gates Wood Release technique.

Of course, the escape technique was secondary. What truly surprised Melotting was that this kid had only obtained the technique for less than a day, yet he had already mastered it and could use it!

What terrifying talent!

A moment later, Ye Kang returned to his original spot and bowed to Meiluoting.

"Senior, I am dull-witted and have only grasped the basics. As for more advanced techniques, I cannot demonstrate them for the time being."

Melodin looked at him strangely.

Is this what you call dull-witted?

There probably wouldn't be any geniuses left in the world then.

He said irritably, "The law is good, and I believe you, but the price you asked for is unacceptable. No other power would accept it."

Having successfully reached the negotiation stage, Ye Kang immediately beamed: "Senior, the escape technique is a life-saving method. Once it is passed down, everyone in Plum Sword Manor can become a master of the escape technique. In the future, as long as there are trees in the mountains and forests, they will be invincible!"

"Well, you continue."

"In the world of martial arts sects, it is inevitable that they will fight each other. In the future, whether it is a life-or-death battle or a grand arena competition, with the ability to escape, Meijian Manor will surely be able to stand out from the crowd. The top martial arts sect in Lingquan County may very well be named after Mei."

"go on."

"For such a wonderful escape technique, I only need ten rare and precious materials and a set of sword techniques, which is incredibly cost-effective."

"Okay, Niannian, let's go."

Melodin was so angry that he stopped roasting the pheasant and got up to leave.

Ye Kang was taken aback, but he didn't say anything to stop them. Instead, he watched the two of them get up.

Bargaining is all about who gives in first; if you lose the initiative, you can forget about making money.

With his own escape techniques, even without Plum Sword Manor, he still had Peony Manor and Chrysanthemum Manor, while his opponent only had him as an option.

Sure enough, after walking less than thirty meters, Melodin suddenly stopped, turned his head and said, "Are you really that confident?"

"Senior, I am simply confident in this escape technique."

"Not negotiable?"

"How would you like to discuss this, senior?"

“Three rare and precious materials plus a top-level sword technique. That sword technique is the most powerful cultivation method in Meijian Manor besides the Mei family's sword control technique, reaching the Nirvana Realm.”

Ye Kang's heart skipped a beat. Good heavens, a sword technique of the Nirvana Realm! This is going to be amazing!

Unfortunately, I don't know how to use a sword, nor do I have the extra comprehension to learn a sword technique.

He smiled wryly and said, "Senior, reducing ten to three is a rather harsh cut."

"Rare and precious materials are all consumables; once they're used, they're gone forever. How can I use them to gamble on a single escape technique?"

"Eight."

"Four."

"Seven."

"Four."

"Six."

"Four."

"..."

Ye Kang couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat. This man was really difficult to deal with. As expected of a senior with profound cultivation, it was indeed not easy to win against him in this kind of matter.

He sighed and said, "One price: five rare and precious herbs, that top-tier sword technique, plus the friendship of Plum Sword Manor, how about it?"

Melotin's lips curled into a smile, finding the kid even more interesting.

He immediately had a thought, and a ray of light appeared in his hand, which he then tossed to Ye Kang.

"Give me the stuff."

Ye Kang took the spiritual light and saw that inside lay five rare and precious materials and a jade slip containing a sword manual!

No way! They just gave it to them like that?! Didn't they even consult with the other people at the resort?

Such casualness makes me feel like I'm losing out big time.

【Ding】

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained 5 Yellow-Rank Heavenly Treasures: Illusionary Sparrow Branches]

【Illusory Sparrow Branch: A piece of wood that may be born from a thousand-year-old plum tree, when the branches are covered with heavy snow on the coldest days of winter and the earth's energy bursts forth. It is ripened by a secret method and resembles a withered branch. It contains hallucinogenic earth energy and can be used for refining weapons and drawing talismans. It is especially suitable as a raw material for spirit brushes.】

What the hell!

Five identical rare and precious materials!

Ye Kang's eyelids were twitching. How many Illusion Sparrow Branches had this guy collected?!

Mei Niannian reminded from the side, "Meijian Manor has a special natural treasure, the Illusion Sparrow Branch. It can produce some every year. The value is average, but the quantity is large. My uncle still has a lot that he hasn't sold."

I've been ripped off! I've definitely been ripped off!

Ye Kang's breathing quickened, but he calmed down after a moment.

It's not exactly a rip-off; no matter what, it's five portions of rare and precious herbs, so that's about the price.

It's just that because it's a mass-produced specialty product, it looks a bit too common.

But the quantity is real; adding to the four rare and precious materials he already had, the total number has reached nine!

Building the Spirit Merchant Platform requires 20 rare and precious materials, and we've almost collected half of them!