"You say out of goodwill and concern, but you still request three conditions…"

Fifth though was worried about what these three conditions might be, but he also wanted to find out what they were and witness how shrewd Min Hong could be in person…

"I simply said I was going to return it, but I never said it would be for free; after all, we earned it all with our personal blood and sweat…"

Min Hong replied neither sounding respectful nor disrespectful…

He obviously needed nothing the sect could offer from their treasure vault since he had an OP Treasure Vault in his system 'Daisy', and as long as he had enough cowries, he was sure that he could pull out a treasure that could buy an entire empire…

After all, the elven body he gave to Min Rou alone could buy an entire clan…

But since he couldn't give his group anything from there to prevent exposing Daisy's existence, he had to make sure that they had every available resource possible if they are ever going to match the level of an ordinary clan…

"Let him speak…"

The Sect Leader ordered as Fifth retreated two steps backwards with a slight bow…

"Firstly, all our established operations shall continue and supported by the sect, except when it comes to financial aspect… We can handle that aspect ourselves…"

"But the recruiting of the talents, governance of the outer and inner sects, as well as the ownership of District 21 must be unchallenged by anyone…"

"Secondly, we will return every single cultivation techniques, martial arts would also be returned, but every single member of the Hong Dynasty must have unlimited access to the sect's library at will…"

"The number of disciples in the Hong Dynasty will never reach ten percent of the sect's total disciple population, so you can just take it as giving ten percent of the entire sect unlimited access to the sect's library…"

Min Hong spoke as the sect leader and Fifth nodded their heads as all he has asked is just basic unlimited access to everything that actually belonged to them, so in some ways, that might as well be returning the resources for free, and as for the rest of his conditions, as long as the disciples still retain ties with the sect…

"So what is your third condition?" The sect leader asked whilst looking straight into Min Hong's eyes…

Since Min Hong's first two conditions might as well not be any conditions at all, he had a strong feeling that his final condition was going to be very troubling…

"It is one only you and I must discuss…"

The way Min Hong's body language changed told everyone that this final condition was going to be too valuable to place a value on it…

The sect leader simply waved his sleeves as a spatial barrier covered both of them;

"You may speak…"

"I have sensed the presence of a specific type of flame within the central district area of the sect and I would like to have it…"

Min Hong spoke with a tone and expression which signified that he was really desperate;

"No way!" The sect leader refused instantly, outrightly and with a flat face;

"What do you mean!?" Min Hong was stunned and already panicking…

"Asides from the fact that, that is the only thing that had ensured the rise of this sect, and the fact that its value far outstrips that of all the treasures in the sect combined, it is also impossible to obtain…" The sect leader explained;

"Don't worry, I will worry about obtaining it… Just let me have it…" Min Hong spoke with an almost pleading tone;

"I won't even ask how you are able to possess something that could help you obtain that flame, but this is what everyone within the sect including I and all the grand elders cultivate with…" The sect leader stood firm to his resolve;

"But it doesn't even add to anyone's cultivation and only speeds up the rate of one's cultivation…" Min Hong complained…

"Do you think the resources allocated to us by the Imperials is enough to keep this sect running on this level?" The sect leader revealed;

"Without that flame, our sect would never have gotten to half of the current stage we are in…"

"Choose something else; that flame is off the table…" The sect leader took his stance on the matter…

But Min Hong who was not ready to lose his only chance at leveling up, thus, he went deep in thought looking for a way to come up with something he could trade for the Nihility Essence Flame;

"Look, don't let me deceive you, no one had been able to locate the flame, nor pinpoint its exact route, so even if you ended up trading everything you have, you might not be able to obtain it…"

"Route?" Min Hong was stunned;

"Though the flame is situated within the main district, it usually seems to move from one place to another, albeit still within the confines of the main district…"

The sect leader came clean, and though this might pose a problem to everyone else, it obviously wasn't enough to mislead or deter Min Hong who could already sense its trail…

"Gong Yi has spoken to me about the Imperial Seeding Competition…"

"What if I come first in the competition?" Min Hong offered;

"Hnmm…"

"Though, the amount of resources we will be receiving then would be almost as good as that of the Imperial Academy itself, but there are no guarantees that you will be able to achieve that…" The sect leader was stunned by Min Hong's offer…

Was he so confident in himself to get the first position within a competition where the Imperial Descendants themselves were participating in?

"I was able to defeat four grand elders simultaneously, how hard can it be…"

"Fifth alone can defeat all the other four simultaneously without breaking a sweat, but the Dao Child of the Imperial Academy, can battle Fifth to a draw…"

"Can you battle Fifth to a draw?"

The sect leader asked as Min Hong who was stunned to his core began to wonder what kind of monster that Dao Child must be to be able to battle someone with a Nirvana Stage battle power to a standstill;

"If you give me that flame, I will do it!" Min Hong spoke with utmost confidence…

"Fine, getting the first place in the Imperial Seeding Competition might be tempting, but it is still not convincing enough for me to give you access to that flame…"

The sect leader had to think of the wellbeing of the sect over any other thing…

"What if I told you I can gain entrance into the Divine Sage Sect?"

Min Hong looked up and found a serious and solemn expression on the sect leader's face;

"Boy, do you think the Divine Sage Sect is a market place anyone can just walk into?"

"The easiest requirements needed to be considered for their entrance selection exam is to have Nirvana Stage battle power at the maximum age of 18…"

The sect leader explained whilst looking into Min Hong's eyes to see if he was confident of doing so, but what Min Hong said next, gave him the shock of his life;

"See, after I am done using the flame, how about we have an unrestrained spar, and see for yourself if I am capable or not?" Min Hong simply smiled as he responded…

"But if you lose, you will leave the sect and everything you have started would be disbanded…" The sect leader added;

"That is the end of this battering, and it is a non-negotiable one…" The sect leader added;

"Pick a date for the duel and let me know when you have decided…" Min Hong said nonchalantly…

"Don't bother… We shall have it in three months' time…"

"You and the rest of the disciples representing us will be allowed to cultivate for three months straight, before taking on some missions that would sharpen your teamwork and battle experience…"

"All these will take another two months whilst the rest of the period would be for few preparations and the journey to the Imperial Clan…"

"Alright… so when will you be taking me to the main district?"

Min Hong gave a sigh of relief; he had finally gotten what he wanted;

"The moment Tong Tian wakes up…"

The sect leader said before waving his sleeves and putting down the spatial barrier as they all appeared in front of Min Hong, but the expression Min Hong had on his face when everyone else saw him put a smile on Fifth and Gong Yi's face who thought the sect leader had gotten the upper hand in the negotiations…

"We are leaving…" The sect leader said to no one in particular, but Gong Yi replied;

"Father, I would like to stay behind a bit…"

"Fei Hong had suggested two candidates for our last two empty slots, and I will like to access them first…"

The sect leader looked at Gong Yi, then at Min Hong and then thought to himself;

'If this duo can reach the peak of their potential, then the sect might have produced two top experts within a single generation…'

'That alone would make my reign the greatest in the history of the sect…'

"Do what you must, and return at once; we have some unfinished business to resolve…" The sect leader replied as he left with Fifth…

"Gather everyone here tomorrow for an important meeting…" Min Hong told Mu Li who simply nodded his head and left speedily…

"You have met my first suggestion-:

"-and yet you almost killed him…" Gong Yi interrupted Min Hong with a straight face;

"Well, I helped him breakthrough didn't I…"

Min Hong also responded with a straight face as his eyes caught the figure of Si Ling passing by…

"If you want to stay over for the meeting tomorrow, I will send someone to come show you your room…" Min Hong offered as he stood up to leave;

"There's no need for that, I will be here first thing tomorrow morning."

Gong Yi calmly refused as his Hawk descended and flew him away, as Min Hong went to find Si Ling to relieve some stress and exhaustion…