After returning to Ghost Ridge Palace, Su Jie continued to recruit, gathering disciples from within the palace who wished to board the magic boat.

This time, the desire to join the magic boat was like a school of fish swimming downstream, as everyone wanted to follow the Saint Heir to prosperity.

However, before Su Jie could set off, an unexpected interruption occurred.

A man leisurely walked into Su Jie’s residence.

He wore a long blue robe with a dark green silk belt around his waist, the hem fluttering gently in the breeze. His black hair was loosely tied with a bamboo pin, exuding a calm and composed aura.

He was Elder Xu Gu from the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance in Qing Province, appearing to be in his forties, yet he was a powerful cultivator at the Fifth Level of the Secret Realm.

This time, he came to Ghost Ridge Palace to visit Su Jie for the sake of his sect’s captured Immortal Seed, Zhang Xinming.

Along the way, every Ghost Ridge Palace disciple who looked at Xu Gu had a hint of hostility and malice in their eyes, but Xu Gu was unfazed, maintaining his elegance.

In a courtyard, Su Jie leisurely sipped tea while watching Xu Gu, who was led in by Chen Yun.

“Xu Gu of the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance, pays respects to Elder Su of Ghost Ridge Palace!”

Xu Gu cupped his hands towards Su Jie, maintaining a stance of neither arrogance nor inferiority even in the heart of this demonic lair, Ghost Ridge Palace.

“Have some tea first.”

Su Jie gestured to the seat opposite him, unlike typical demon cultivators who would outright display undisguised malice, he instead smiled invitingly like meeting an old friend.

“Since Elder Su invites, I shall humbly accept.”

Without hesitation, Xu Gu sat opposite Su Jie and engaged in conversation over tea.

Chen Yun stood obediently to the side, serving tea to Su Jie and Xu Gu.

“I am aware of the purpose of your Ten Thousand Sword Alliance’s visit. If you want to ransom someone, 30 million Spirit Stones. Are you prepared?”

Su Jie spoke blandly. Since Xu Gu came to visit Ghost Ridge Palace, he naturally mentioned the purpose of his visit; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to enter the mountain gate.

Xu Gu took a sip of tea, then put down the cup and shook his head, “Elder Su, you and I both know that 30 million Spirit Stones is impossible; business is not conducted this way.”

Su Jie raised an eyebrow, “Zhang Xinming is your sect’s Immortal Seed, with a solid chance of advancing to the Taoist Platform Realm in the future, and once he advances, he would dominate among his peers. For such an Immortal Seed, I think even 30 million Spirit Stones is a small asking price.”

“Breaking through to the Taoist Platform Realm is not easy; too many unforeseen factors exist. You can’t use an unfulfilled future for pricing. We can only pay the ransom based on Zhang Xinming’s current situation, 7 million Spirit Stones; we can offer this amount.”

Of course, Xu Gu was unwilling to give 30 million Spirit Stones. A low-grade magical treasure is worth a million Spirit Stones, a mid-grade magical treasure is worth three to four million, while a top-grade magic treasure is valued at over ten million.

Su Jie’s asking price of 30 million Spirit Stones is enough to buy 3 top-grade magic treasures, 10 mid-grade magical treasures, or 30 low-grade magical treasures.

“7 million Spirit Stones, is that how cheap your sect’s Immortal Seed is?”

Even Su Jie knew that 30 million Spirit Stones was impossible, but 7 million Spirit Stones was also a price he could never accept.

After all the effort to catch five genius disciples, it wasn’t to sell cheaply. These were Su Jie’s trophies, and unless he could get a good price, he’d rather keep them and make them his servants.

The conversation between Su Jie and Xu Gu, where they casually mentioned prices in the millions and tens of millions, made Chen Yun’s heart flutter. Even though she had seen the world, the sheer scale of the price left her feeling parched.

“Ten million, Elder Su, this price is already very sincere, equal to the value of a top-grade magic treasure.”

Xu Gu hesitated for a moment before offering the figure of ten million.

Ten million Spirit Stones is certainly not a low amount; most Secret Realm Elders possess only tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. One can imagine how significant a sum ten million is.

“Elder Xu, although ten million Spirit Stones is not a small sum, if it were before I breached the Purple Mist Sect, I might indeed have been tempted to accept, but now, I haven’t even spent the Spirit Stones I gained from the Purple Mist Sect.”

Su Jie’s voice was indifferent as he continued, “Elder Xu, how about leaving Zhang Xinming here for a while longer? I ensure that his life will be secure.”

Xu Gu’s face slightly changed. He was aware that Su Jie had gained a windfall from the Purple Mist Sect, plundering their millennia-old reserves, making Su Jie wealthy beyond measure. So, ten million Spirit Stones might not really move this affluent person.

“Twelve million, Elder Su, our Ten Thousand Sword Alliance is very sincere. Furthermore, we are willing to offer a promise: if Elder Su releases our sect’s Immortal Seed, our Ten Thousand Sword Alliance vows not to participate in the war against the Heavenly Soul Sect.”

Xu Gu revealed his best offer, mentioning another matter.

The Ten Thousand Sword Alliance is a Righteous Sect in Qing Province, where the largest Righteous Sect is the Fire Cloud Palace, followed by the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance.

It’s well known that when it comes to the first and second largest, their relationship is never good, which is the case for the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance and the Fire Cloud Palace.

Coincidentally, the Fire Cloud Palace is a nemesis of Qingzhou’s Guan Chao Pavilion. An enemy’s enemy is a friend, so the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance and Guan Chao Pavilion have always had a good relationship.

This time, the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance crossed over to support Guan Chao Pavilion in the war against the Heavenly Soul Sect; besides Zhang Xinming wanting to gain experience, it was also a sign of the good relationship between the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance and Guan Chao Pavilion.

Now that the Ten Thousand Sword Alliance is willing to withdraw from the Heavenly Soul Sect war, it shows their significant regard for Zhang Xinming, the Immortal Seed.