CHAPTER 1159: CHAPTER 1144: LIFESAVING TREASURE

Under the sunlight shining from the sky, the face of the former Tower Chief Gai Jun was somewhat gloomy, and then he squeezed out a sentence from between his teeth, "How much is missing?"

"There are still five million High Grade Spirit Crystals left in the tower’s public assets, including my personal three million High Grade Spirit Crystals, we’re still short by two million Spirit Crystals!" Huang Tan said with a bitter smile.

Upon hearing that Huang Tan had already counted his personal assets, the corners of the mouths of Gai Jun, Ou Tu, Yan Wudi, and Ning Shiyi twitched involuntarily.

Within the Stars Tower, the capital and various revenues usually operated by the tower belong to the public assets. The public assets are shared among the five families, with a small portion distributed annually to the tower’s high-level members according to their grades, and the rest retained within the public assets.

However, individuals with positions such as the five Young Tower Chiefs or even candidates for the next Tower Chief are granted large amounts of cultivation resources on an annual basis once confirmed.

In the Stars Tower, the public assets are managed with extremely strict accounting, shared among the five surnames, and private appropriation is strictly prohibited.

Previously, the three million High Grade Spirit Crystals knocked off while inquiring about Ye Zhen’s whereabouts, and the thirteen million High Grade Spirit Crystals spent on redeeming the next Tower Chief candidate, were all taken from the public assets.

But no one expected that a Young Tower Chief of the Gai Family would spend twenty million High Grade Spirit Crystals, several times their budget.

This led to the current scene of lacking Spirit Crystals.

And, it was still falling short even after Huang Tan counted in his personal assets!

"I have 2.4 million High Grade Spirit Crystals here, let’s redeem them first!" Gai Jun, with a gloomy face, handed over a storage ring, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

Quickly, Ou Tu gathered ten million High Grade Spirit Crystals, placed them in a storage ring, and set them aside.

While Ye Zhen casually tossed Huang Guhao to the Great Saint of Jinghai, his gaze fell on Ou Tu, the third Tower Chief, whose expression immediately became tense.

"Tower Chief Ou, according to reason, your family’s Young Tower Chief also needs to put up ten million High Grade Spirit Crystals, but I really dislike your way of doing things.

The matter of abducting parents was all orchestrated by you alone.

Therefore, for your Ou Family’s Young Tower Chief Ou Yu, the redemption crystal is twelve million High Grade Spirit Crystals. Are you going to redeem or not?" Ye Zhen asked.

"Redeem, I will redeem!"

Even though Ye Zhen had exposed his secrets in front of so many people, and it was at a high price, Ou Tu still agreed repeatedly.

No choice, among the four Young Tower Chiefs, only the Young Tower Chiefs of the Ou and Gai families were indispensable.

The reason why Gai’s family must redeem is simple, without the Young Tower Chief, Gai Jun can’t cultivate a pillar at the Dao Entrance Realm before his end.

Despite the seemingly close relationship among the five surnames of Stars Tower, if the Gai Family doesn’t have a Dao Realm expert to hold the fort and Gai Jun sits due to exhaustion of life span, within ten years, the Gai Family would be devoured by the other four surnames openly or secretly.

In less than thirty years, the five-surnamed Tower Chiefs of Stars Tower would become four.

This is the fundamental reason why Gai Jun is willing to spend such a high price of twenty million High Grade Spirit Crystals on redemption.

Speaking of which, never mind twenty million High Grade Spirit Crystals, even if it were thirty million High Grade Spirit Crystals, Gai Jun would desperately redeem Gai Shidong!

No choice, it concerns the survival of the family!

Though they do not have such concerns, the Ou family cannot withstand half measures; thus, he must redeem.

But returning, despite unfairness amidst, isn’t about accounting now; first bring the person back, then calculate behind closed doors.

Turning his gaze, Ou Tu looked at his fourth uncle Ning Shiyi, once again reluctantly seeking help from Ning Shiyi.

Ning Shiyi naturally knew what Ou Tu was going to do, sighed lightly, and handed over a storage ring, "As an old man always in retreat, little income has been made, but I can barely cobble together 2 million High Grade Spirit Crystals for you to use!"

"Thank you, Fourth Uncle." Then, Ou Tu’s brows furrowed deeply.

He managed to gather 4 million High Grade Spirit Crystals, along with Ning Shiyi’s assistance, only 6 million High Grade Spirit Crystals were available, still half short.

Casting a glance at Yan Wudi, his eyes shifted away.

No redemption had been done for Yan’s family’s Young Tower Chief, borrowing from him was impossible.

After that, Ou Tu helplessly looked at his eldest uncle, Gai Jun.

"I, like your fourth uncle, had little leftovers; the Spirit Crystals given just now, were all I had," he said verbally, but Gai Jun still groped around and handed over a storage ring.

"There are over five thousand Supreme Spirit Crystals here, 29 Supreme Attribute Spirit Crystals; calculated proportionally, they can at least offset 800,000 High Grade Spirit Crystals, go ahead and use them!"

Then Huang Tan also handed over a storage ring, "Third Brother, here are the remaining seventy thousand High Grade Spirit Crystals just now, in addition, there are over six thousand Supreme Spirit Crystals treasured by me, over twenty Supreme Attribute Spirit Crystals; they are worth at least 1.6 million High Grade Spirit Crystals, this is all I can gather!"

Upon hearing this, Ou Tu showed a look of gratitude, but the problem was, it was still not enough, even with almost a million worth of Supreme Spirit Crystals and Supreme Attribute Spirit Crystals in his storage ring, there were still about 2.6 million High Grade Spirit Crystals short.

Clenching his teeth, Ou Tu addressed Ye Zhen, "Not enough Spirit Crystals, could I use other items as credit?"

As soon as he said this, Phoenix Tail Island fell into an uproar.

Not only could they force the five major Tower Chiefs of the Stars Tower to obediently redeem with Spirit Crystals, but they could also force them to such an extent, which was simply unheard of.

Even Gai Jun was so angry that his teeth itched.

No choice, the most brilliant part of Ye Zhen’s negotiation was despite agreeing on the ransom seat, he still clutched onto Gai Family’s Young Tower Chief Gai Shidong’s Innate Divine Soul without releasing.

The original plan for Ye Zhen was to hold onto the Young Tower Chiefs of Gai and Ning families to negotiate the ransom.

Because the Tower Chiefs of these two families have fallen, leaving only the ancestors.

Re-cultivating a Dao Realm expert, there’s simply not enough time.

Even if it means him coughing up blood and selling his flesh, he must redeem them.

But unexpectedly, Ning Shiyi turned out to be the elder from years ago who taught him the Thunder Secret Technique of Fright.

Out of gratitude, he could only first release the members of the Ning Family.

Then, Ye Zhen’s plans changed, and he directly started negotiating for the redemption crystal of the Gai Family’s Young Tower Chief. After extorting a high price, he did not release the person.

No other reason, if he releases Gai Shidong, the Young Tower Chief of the Gai Family who must be redeemed, he cannot extort a high price for the redemption crystals that come after.

It’s simple, if the demanded price is too high, the remaining families might join forces to abandon the redemption, forcing Ye Zhen to lower the price.

No choice, if those Young Tower Chiefs are left in Ye Zhen’s hands, they’re practically worthless.

But holding the Gai Family’s Young Tower Chief Gai Shidong makes things different.

Whether willing or not, out of various considerations, Gai Jun will have to continue the negotiation.

Especially for the Gai Family, Spirit Crystals lost can be earned again, but losing a person might truly end the Gai Family.

This was also the reason for Gai Jun’s helpless expression earlier.

From the moment Ye Zhen set the redemption crystal but didn’t release the person, Gai Jun understood that he would definitely be thoroughly exploited by Ye Zhen today.

Helplessness upon helplessness.

"Tower Chief Ou, I’m generally a reasonable person, since your Spirit Crystals are not enough, of course you can use other things as compensation.

However, I must speak frankly upfront, my three brothers have seen all sorts of things. Those ordinary materials like Spiritual Medicine, Pills, or Spiritual Artifacts and Cultivation Techniques, we don’t lack them, so don’t embarrass yourself by bringing them out.

Hmm, Soul Artifacts, those extremely rare and unique Pills, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, or special Cultivation Techniques, these are acceptable.

Hmm, whatever you bring out, Tower Chief Ou, you can quote your own price; we are not interested in bargaining with you!"

A few words from Ye Zhen left Ou Tu in a difficult position, so frustrated he nearly spat blood.

Originally, according to Ou Tu’s thinking, he had no Spirit Crystals but he had an abundance of items, various kinds of Pills and Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, piled like small mountains inside his storage ring.

Inside the storage ring, there were at least eighty if not fifty Spiritual Artifacts, and scores of Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques.

Initially, he thought if those items were taken out, even with some discount, they would be enough to compensate for over two million pieces of High Grade Spirit Crystals.

But with Ye Zhen’s limitations, even those items that are regarded as treasures by ordinary Vein Forging Realm or Martial Mansion Realm Kings are strictly restricted, leaving Ou Tu in a difficult position.

His Divine Sense kept flickering through the storage ring, greatly troubled.

According to Ye Zhen’s restrictions, the treasures he could take out were those that caused him intense pain.

For example, there’s a Pill that can stabilize the Divine Soul at critical moments, and a Substitute Soul Puppet Talisman obtained from the Ancient Relic Mansion, the former lacking in value, the latter needed for life-saving, especially after witnessing Ye Zhen’s Divine Soul Attack.

Although he has two Soul Artifacts, he is unwilling to give them up.

Like a Dao Talisman handed down from the Ou Family, it’s absolutely invaluable, but even if forced, he wouldn’t give it away.

As his Divine Sense turned and circled, there were only a few treasures left that could be given away.

Taking a deep breath, Ou Tu suddenly took out three Jade Talismans, saying, "Obtained from the Ancient Relic Mansion, the Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman, each worth ninety hundred thousand pieces of High Grade Spirit Crystals, do you want them?"

Upon hearing this, Gai Jun, Huang Tan, Ning Shiqi all glanced at Ou Tu, their gazes filled with reproach.

The Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman is a life-saving Divine Talisman at critical moments, and Ou Tu just gave it away.

It’s definitely providing aid to the enemy!

Ye Zhen’s skills are already elusive, making him extremely difficult to kill; now with the Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman, it’s even harder.

Seeing the reproving gazes of the four, Ou Tu could only smile bitterly, but if he had a choice, how could he give away the Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman.

With Ye Zhen’s limitations, he had no choice.

Among the treasures, the Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman posed the least threat; he couldn’t possibly give away a Soul Artifact or Dao Talisman?

The word ’Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman’ reminded Ye Zhen of the time when Fengh Qingyue left the Ten Thousand Beast Hall of the Beast Taming Sect.

A life-saving supreme treasure capable of directly bypassing formations to escape for thousands of miles.

Upon hearing this term, Ye Zhen couldn’t help but have the urge to laugh.

Even the Sky Wing Three Saints showed surprise.

"Let me check its authenticity!"

In broad daylight, Ye Zhen wouldn’t dare to tamper with it, Ou Tu promptly handed over the Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talisman.

"Deal!"

After confirming its authenticity, Ye Zhen sealed the deal.

Moreover, Ye Zhen, afraid of Ou Tu regretting, directly kept the three Ten Thousand Miles Cloud Smoke Talismans, making Ou Tu, Gai Jun, Huang Tan, and Ning Shiqi smile wryly.

After settling the redemption crystal for the Young Tower Chief of the Ou Family, Ye Zhen turned his gaze towards Yan Wudi from the Yan Family of Stars Tower.

Previously, in Stars Tower, Ye Zhen had the greatest vendetta with the Yan Family.

After a brief thought, Ye Zhen spoke, "Tower Chief Yan, now we can discuss your Yan Family....."

Before Ye Zhen could finish his sentence, a Divine Soul Telecommunication suddenly echoed in Ye Zhen’s mind, interrupting his speech and causing Ye Zhen’s face to reveal an expression of surprise.