Yang Wudi carefully cradled the Youxiang Qiluo Immortal Herb.
His eyes darted around—
Looking for a safe place to store it.
Within ten meters of this flower, all poisons were neutralized.
That meant—he couldn't poison Tang Lan here.
But…
This precious immortal herb—he couldn't bear to take his eyes off it either!
Giving it to his three old friends?
Even less reliable!
What if they stole it?!
While he was still hesitating—
Tang Lan handed him a storage ring.
"A specialized version for storing medicinal herbs—consider it a bonus gift."
Yang Wudi's eyes gleamed!
But he hesitated to accept it.
Storage soul tools were already rare—
A version that could preserve herbs was even rarer!
If he took too much from Tang Lan, wouldn't it be harder to go all out against him later?!
"Clan Leader Yang, don't overthink it," Tang Lan said casually. "I made this myself. It's worthless."
Then, from Blue King, he pulled out a handful of storage rings.
He tossed one to Niu Gao, Bai He, and Titan.
Though they weren't herb-specialized, they each had over 100 cubic meters of space.
Compared to the single-digit storage spaces of common rings—
The difference was night and day.
"Young Master, you can forge storage soul tools?!" Titan exclaimed. "I've studied them before, but their core formations are too complex, so—"
"You want to learn?" Tang Lan interrupted. "I'll teach you."
With a flick of his hand—
A mental sphere of light flew out, containing the complete knowledge of storage soul tool crafting.
This was Titan's reward for his loyalty.
Titan absorbed it instantly—
And his eyes lit up in realization!
"The core formation… should be inscribed like this?!"
"I was using the wrong materials all along!"
"So that's the secret!"
As one of the Three Great Divine Blacksmiths of the Continent—
The knowledge of soul tool creation was like a martial artist stepping into the world of cultivation.
A paradigm shift—completely irresistible.
Seeing Tang Lan's generosity,
Niu Gao and Bai He exchanged glances—
And accepted their storage rings as well.
"Many thanks, Sect Master Tang," Niu Gao said politely.
Bai He, however, hesitated, as if deep in thought.
Before he could speak—
"No need for formalities, Granduncle," Tang Lan said with a smile.
Bai He's older sister was Tang Hao's mother.
They were family.
Hearing this—
Bai He smiled in relief.
He understood.
With this one acknowledgment—
The Speed Clan's struggles were instantly resolved.
He waved his hand—a glow of light—
And took out a rectangular wooden box, handing it to Tang Lan.
"Old White Bird!" Yang Wudi's eyes turned red. "I begged you for that so many times, and now you just GIVE IT AWAY?!"
Bai He didn't even glance at him.
Instead, he smiled kindly at Tang Lan—
"As your elder, I don't have much to offer. Take this 5,000-year Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng as a gift."
Oh?
Tang Lan accepted the box with mild surprise and opened it.
Inside—
A brilliantly red ginseng root lay quietly.
Its entire body was translucent like a crystal, with a raised pattern on its surface, forming the shape of a five-clawed dragon soaring through the sky.
"Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng—an immortal-grade herb, naturally born at Grade Eight, evolving every ten thousand years."
Tang Lan recited with ease—
"Despite its age being 5,000 years, its medicinal potency has actually reached 95,000 years."
"Granduncle, you're too generous."
Bai He's eyes showed reluctance—
But he was also relieved.
A herb he had no use for—
In exchange for the Speed Clan's future.
A worthwhile trade.
Yet, he had no idea…
[Host has received a 5,000-year Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng, preventing Tang San from obtaining an immortal herb. A minor fragment of Tang San's fate has been seized!]
[Reward: Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone +5,000 Years!]
This was a fantastic welcome gift.
Tang Lan wasn't one to be stingy, either.
"Then, Granduncle—"
"The Speed Clan will be incorporated into Tang Sect's 'Min Hall,' which will still be led by you."
"Your primary roles will be intelligence gathering, reconnaissance, and information collection."
"Tang Li Newspaper's affairs will also be handled by Min Hall."
"All Min Hall members will be equipped with every firearm except for the Barrett, as well as select hidden weapons."
"Main cultivation method: Ghostly Steps. Supplementary cultivation: Dragon Capture Hand, Purple Demon Eye."
"What do you think?"
Bai He nodded enthusiastically!
No need to say more—
Tang Li Newspaper had already taken over the continent by capitalizing on the Tang Sect vs. Heaven Dou Empire dispute.
With Tang Lan's guidance—
Ning Fengzhi had turned many "sect secrets" and "noble scandals" into serialized stories, breaking them into multiple cliffhanger-filled chapters.
Each installment left people craving more.
Even illiterate farmers would gather at the village entrance, eagerly waiting for someone to read aloud the latest episode—
Experiencing the joy of gossip firsthand.
With just one little newspaper, they had seized control of the entire continent's information network.
This held limitless potential for the future.
If Bai He weren't Tang Lan's "granduncle," there was no way Min Hall would have been assigned this lucrative and powerful role.
Not to mention—
Their weapons and cultivation techniques were fully equipped.
Was there even a need to hesitate?
"Old Goat, Old Rhino, sorry about this!"
"I'll be the first to support my grandson's endeavors—I'm officially joining the Tang Sect!"
"You two better hurry up, too!"
Yang Wudi snorted.
But he held his tongue.
Niu Gao, however, hesitated.
Compared to the original novel, where Tang San tricked them into joining with empty promises—
Tang Lan's Tang Sect was already renowned across the continent.
Its prestige was second only to Spirit Hall.
Becoming one of the Three Upper Sects was only a matter of time.
And Tang Lan, as Sect Master, seemed generous with both money and power.
How could anyone not be tempted?!
——It wasn't about forgetting past grudges… it was just that Tang Lan was offering too much!
"Alright then!" Yang Wudi said quickly. "Tang Sect Master, be careful—I'm starting now!"
Tang Lan motioned for him to proceed freely.
Yang Wudi took out a tiny, red bean-like pill and held it up.
"This is Xiangsi Poison."
"It causes nausea, dizziness, and eventually, respiratory failure."
"Its toxicity isn't strong, but it's incredibly persistent—it will make you wish you were dead."
"Are you sure you want to take—"
Before he could finish—
Tang Lan opened his mouth.
With a flick of Dragon Capture Hand, the pill flew directly into his mouth.
It looked as though he had simply inhaled it from midair.
A truly miraculous sight.
Tang Lan chewed it slowly before swallowing—
Then opened his mouth wide, showing he hadn't faked it.
The four old men stared at him intently, not missing a single detail.
Tang Lan remained completely relaxed.
The poison hadn't even reached his stomach before it was dissolved by his Nine Yang Divine Power.
How could anything happen?
Thirty seconds…
One minute…
Ten minutes…
Half an hour later…
Tang Lan was still perfectly fine.
Yang Wudi wasn't surprised—
If Tang Lan didn't have real skill, he wouldn't have set this wager.
He was just about to step it up when—
"Clan Leader Yang," Tang Lan suddenly spoke. "Can you use something stronger?"
"Preferably an instant-kill poison—let's not waste everyone's time."
Yang Wudi: "…!!!"
So arrogant?!
Alright, alright!
He pulled out a yellow pill.
"Jinbo Xunhua.
Causes muscle weakness, full-body paralysis, and eventual death."
Tang Lan once again opened his mouth, swallowed the pill, and chewed it.
But then—
His expression changed!
Titan and Bai He stepped forward in alarm.
That fast?!
They watched as Tang Lan staggered toward the wine table—
Then grabbed a jug of liquor and chugged it straight down!
Yang Wudi's face turned pale!
"NO!
"Alcohol will accelerate the poison's effects!"
"Quick!"
"Hold his mouth open—I have the antidote!"
——If Tang Lan died here, the Heaven Dou Empire, Haotian Sect, and even all the soul masters of the continent would surely annihilate the Strength Clan!
Yang Wudi snatched a green pill and rushed toward him.
Bai He, the fastest, instantly teleported to Tang Lan's side.
He reached out to grab him—
But caught nothing.
Tang Lan shifted with a Ghostly Steps turn, appearing behind Bai He in a flash.
Then—
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his entire face scrunched up in disgust.
And what he said next—
Left all four old men completely dumbfounded.
He scoffed—
"This poison isn't bad… but damn, it tastes awful!"
(End of Chapter)