"Ye, Ye Ling..."
Ye Qingyan stared blankly at Ye Ling, who had suddenly appeared before her, her words faltering. She didn't know how to describe her feelings.
She had never imagined that Ye Ling would show up at this critical moment to save her!
This was truly... too surreal!
Ye Ling looked at Ye Qingyan's shocked expression and chuckled, "I happened to have some matters to attend to in Miao Jiang, and I thought you might be active in this area, so I came to check on you."
After speaking, Ye Ling glanced at the Corpse King youth at his feet and asked Ye Qingyan, "Did I ruin your business?"
Ye Qingyan, seeing the Corpse King completely crushed by Ye Ling, breathed a sigh of relief. After habitually marveling at Ye Ling's consistent power, she replied, "No, you didn't ruin anything. In fact, I should thank you. If you hadn't intervened, I would have likely perished here today."
"It's just that I didn't expect this Corpse King to be so strong. It hasn't even reached adulthood, yet its strength already surpasses mine. I was careless."
Ye Ling said, "You can't blame yourself for this. There's a Creation Legacy nearby, and this Corpse King was tainted by a trace of its aura, causing it to mutate. Its strength is no longer something mortals can contend with. The fact that you could hold your own against it for a few moves is already quite remarkable."
"I don't know if you're praising me or mocking me," Ye Qingyan shook her head and chuckled. She waved her hand, recalling her sword, and cleanly severed the Corpse King's head, placing it in a bag. "Speaking of which, there are rumors in the circle that your cultivation has been lost, and there seems to be unrest targeting you in the capital. Are you alright?"
"Do I look like I'm not alright?" Ye Ling asked curiously as he watched Ye Qingyan handle the Corpse King's remains, "I'm more curious, when did you start being a bounty hunter?"
Ye Qingyan replied, "Cultivation requires resources. Nowadays, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is scarce, and even a slightly intact spirit stone costs a fortune. If I don't spend money on cultivation resources, and only rely on absorbing the spiritual energy from the world, it will take me ages to break through to the Mortal Immortal realm. I don't want to die of old age due to insufficient cultivation."
Watching Ye Qingyan work diligently, Ye Ling couldn't help but laugh out loud, "I didn't expect you to be thinking about such things. Why don't you join my Demonic Palace? With the resources of the Demonic Palace, breaking through to the Mortal Immortal realm would be a matter of minutes for you."
Ye Qingyan waved her hand, refusing, "I'd rather not. I don't want to be indebted to anyone. Earning a living through my own labor makes me feel more at ease. Besides, your Demonic Palace has many powerful individuals; I wouldn't be of much help if I joined."
Ye Ling teased, "I'm thinking of the Dragon Department too. If you work here for a few more years, the Dragon Department in this region might go bankrupt because of you. Moreover, my Demonic Palace needs people, and we need talents like you."
He had witnessed Ye Qingyan haggling with the head of the Dragon Department branch earlier. Ye Qingyan had been operating in this area for less than a year and had already pushed the Dragon Department to the point of needing loans. If Ye Qingyan continued for a few more years, the entire Dragon Department might be bought out by her.
Ye Qingyan gave Ye Ling a sidelong glance, "You mind your own business. I'm very transparent with my pricing, and it's fair. The Dragon Department agreed voluntarily. Don't keep talking about me; tell me in detail what you're doing here. How can I help?"
Hearing Ye Qingyan's words, Ye Ling simply shook his head and smiled, returning to the main topic, "I'm here to search for the Creation Legacy, and also to invite you to join the Demonic Palace and work for me."
"Creation Legacy? What is that?" Ye Qingyan asked curiously.
"You can think of it as the most precious treasure in the world, something even celestial gods would covet. Once one inherits the legacy, their power can surpass all immortals and reign supreme across the universe."
Ye Qingyan's mouth fell open. She didn't quite understand what Ye Ling was talking about, but she realized that what Ye Ling was looking for was a supreme treasure, and her interest was immediately piqued. She quickly asked, "So, what you're looking for is very precious, right?"
Ye Ling smiled, "You could say that."
Ye Qingyan asked again, "Then take me with you. Let me get some benefits too. Resources are scarce in this world, and I've been worrying about not finding any heavenly treasures for cultivation!"
Seeing Ye Qingyan's excited and eager expression, Ye Ling found it both amusing and exasperating. However, he had intended to bring Ye Qingyan along on this trip, so he went along with her words, "Of course, I'll think of you when there are benefits. That legacy is in a secret realm. After we enter, the legacy will be mine, and other secret treasures will be yours. But the prerequisite is that I need to use your Corpse King head."
"This head?"
Ye Qingyan picked up the bag containing the Corpse King's head and asked doubtfully, "What do you need this thing for?"
The reason she had severed the Corpse King's head was twofold: first, to take it back to the Dragon Department for research to understand the cause of the Corpse King's mutation, and second, the Corpse King's head was proof of her completed mission. She was counting on using it to exchange for remuneration from the Dragon Department.
Ye Ling replied, "Didn't I tell you? This Corpse King was tainted by the aura of the Creation Legacy, which caused it to mutate. The secret realm where the Creation Legacy is located hasn't fully opened yet. I need this Corpse King's head as a catalyst to open the entrance to that secret realm."
Ye Qingyan asked again, "Will this head be returned after it's used?"
Ye Ling shook his head, "It will probably be destroyed. Its head likely won't be able to withstand the pressure generated when the secret realm opens."
"Is that so..."
Ye Qingyan looked at the bag containing her head, hesitated for a moment, and finally, despite her heartache, handed the bag with the head to Ye Ling, "Fine... Since you subdued this Corpse King anyway, how you use it is your prerogative. Here!"
As she said this, Ye Qingyan's heart was bleeding.
This Corpse King head was worth hundreds of millions. Now that hundreds of millions of yuan had gone down the drain, it was no wonder she felt pained.
Ye Ling took the bag and, seeing Ye Qingyan's pained expression, asked with a smile, "When did you become such a miser?"
Ye Qingyan sighed, "You are powerful enough that you don't need to cultivate. You have no idea how much money cultivators like me have to spend to buy spirit stones. Of the money I've earned these past few months, after deducting essential living expenses, everything else has been spent on buying spirit stones for cultivation."
"Truly, one doesn't know the cost of firewood and rice until they manage a household..."
Ye Ling weighed the bag containing the Corpse King's head and said with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll compensate you for all of this."
Ye Qingyan's eyes immediately lit up, "Are you serious?"
"Of course. Do I look like someone who lacks money?"
"Great! Then let's quickly use this head to open the secret realm and find this so-called Creation Legacy! Where is that secret realm?"
Ye Ling smiled slightly and pointed to the mountain of corpses in the center of the plaza, "It's right there."