Chapter 648: Refining the Fire Source Crystal!

"Fifty pieces! Fire Source Crystals! Why don't you just rob me!"

Xiong Hui jumped up directly. This was simply extortion. Didn't this guy know how precious Fire Source Crystals were?

But as Ye Yuan spoke, Xiong Hui's eyes also grew wary.

After all this fuss, it turned out Ye Yuan was after the Fire Source Crystals after all!

Ye Yuan shrugged and said, "If I had the strength of the fifth or even sixth rank right now, I naturally wouldn't need Fire Source Crystals. Forget it, since you think I'm scheming for your Fire Source Crystals, pretend I never said anything. I'm leaving."

Xiong Hui was left baffled by Ye Yuan, unable to tell truth from falsehood.

Seeing Ye Yuan about to leave, he quickly called out, "Little brother, don't go! Oh, little brother, don't go! I can't decide this on my own; only our young master has the final say. How about... little brother comes back to the clan with me?"

Ye Yuan waved his hand and said, "No, no. I'm in a hurry to reach the Dark Demon Tiger Clan's territory on important business. Let's part ways here!"

With that, Ye Yuan truly led Yu Xin and Yu Shu away without looking back, ignoring Xiong Hui's calls.

Xiong Hui watched Ye Yuan's retreating figure, gritted his teeth, and said to a subordinate, "You keep an eye on the three of them. Don't lose them! I'll go report to the young master immediately. If that little brother can really cure the poison, he'll be the savior of our Fire Source True Gang Bear Clan!"

...

"Ye Yuan gege, are we really just leaving like this?" Yu Shu asked curiously.

She could sense that Ye Yuan was definitely interested in those Fire Source Crystals, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered with that big dumb bear for so long.

But she hadn't expected Ye Yuan to actually leave. Wouldn't that mean missing out on the Fire Source Crystals?

"You silly girl, Young Master Ye is playing hard to get!" Yu Xin, clearly more perceptive than Yu Shu, had already figured it out.

Ye Yuan didn't mind and laughed, "If I acted too eager, these big dumb bears would think I had ulterior motives. But if I act dismissive, they'll believe I truly have skill. Their clan leader is afflicted with fire poison. If it's not removed, it will cling like a stubborn ailment, making his life worse than death. Then the bear clan will be in danger. So they'll definitely come looking for me."

Yu Shu's mouth fell wide open, her face full of admiration. "Ye Yuan gege is so amazing! You even figured out what those big dumb bears are thinking!"

Ye Yuan broke out in a cold sweat. What was all this?

If he couldn't even outsmart these big dumb bears, wouldn't that be too stupid?

Besides, this wasn't really scheming. These Fire Source Crystals were just the consultation fee for curing the illness—each side getting what they needed.

It was just that those big dumb bears were too dense; if he spoke too bluntly, they'd become suspicious.

Just as they were talking, several figures swooped down and blocked their path.

To Ye Yuan's surprise, this Xiong Tie actually had delicate features, completely at odds with his name.

"Little brother, this is our young master," Xiong Hui introduced from the side.

Xiong Tie cupped his hands and said, "Brother Ye, Xiong Hui was rude earlier. I hope you'll forgive him."

Ye Yuan waved his hand and said, "It was just a misunderstanding, no harm done. The three of us still have to travel, so I'd ask Young Master Xiong Tie to step aside."

Xiong Tie quickly asked, "May I ask, Brother Ye, can you really cure the clan leader's fire poison?"

Ye Yuan laughed, "Heh, whether I can cure it or not, do you have any other choice, Young Master Xiong Tie? I'll say it again: if you want me to act, you must provide fifty Fire Source Crystals. I'm not asking an exorbitant price; to remove the fire poison, Fire Source Crystals are essential. If you can't bear to part with them, then pretend I never spoke."

Xiong Tie quickly said, "As long as you can cure the clan leader's fire poison, even eighty pieces will do!"

Ye Yuan looked at Xiong Tie and nodded. "Good, deal! But... the fifty Fire Source Crystals must be given to me first!"

...

Ye Yuan followed Xiong Tie to the bear clan's stronghold. Before long, Xiong Tie laid out fifty gleaming yellow crystals before Ye Yuan.

Looking at these Fire Source Crystals, Xiong Tie felt a pang of reluctance.

These Fire Source Crystals were difficult to mine. In nearly a year, the bear clan had only extracted two to three hundred pieces.

The clan leader alone had used over a hundred, leaving only about seventy or eighty in the clan.

The eighty he had mentioned to Ye Yuan earlier was already the clan's entire stock.

"Brother Ye, I've given you the fifty Fire Source Crystals. When will you remove the poison for the clan leader?" Xiong Tie asked.

In truth, he still had great doubts about Ye Yuan, after all, Ye Yuan was only at the fourth rank. If Xiong Hui hadn't said that Ye Yuan's combat strength was astonishing, far surpassing ordinary fifth-rank experts, and that he possessed dragon bloodline, Xiong Tie wouldn't have taken this risk.

Even so, Xiong Tie remained wary of Ye Yuan and had set up an inescapable net within the clan. If Ye Yuan was just there to swindle the Fire Source Crystals, he would strike him down with lightning speed!

Xiong Tie was at his wit's end and had no choice but to trust Ye Yuan. The clan's shamans had deliberated for many days and consulted many texts, but none could remove the fire poison.

Ye Yuan picked up a Fire Source Crystal and laughed, "No rush, no rush. Once I've refined all these Fire Source Crystals, I can begin."

Xiong Tie's expression darkened. "Brother Ye, don't joke. How long will it take you to refine all these Fire Source Crystals? By then, the clan leader will have been tortured to death by the fire poison! Besides, the Purple Flood Dragon Clan is watching covetously; they won't give us that much time!"

No wonder Xiong Tie turned hostile. Xiong Zhan refined these Fire Source Crystals at a rate of one every three days. If Ye Yuan took that long to refine all fifty, wouldn't it take months?

Moreover, refining these Fire Source Crystals carried fire poison! Given Ye Yuan's strength, fifty pieces would be enough to kill him!

By then, everything would be too late!

Ye Yuan didn't answer Xiong Tie. He gently held a Fire Source Crystal in his palm, and a lotus flower spread from his palm.

This lotus was none other than the Pure Sandalwood Fire Lotus!

Seeing the Fire Source Crystal, the Pure Sandalwood Fire Lotus immediately perked up, as if injected with stimulant, and coiled around it.

Under Xiong Tie's horrified gaze, the gleaming yellow Fire Source Crystal visibly faded until it became an ordinary stone!

"So Brother Ye wanted the Fire Source Crystals to nurture his primal fire! But absorbing it like this, can you withstand it?" Xiong Tie asked in astonishment.

The fire source energy within the Fire Source Crystal was extremely霸道. Even sixth-rank experts had to refine it carefully. A single misstep could damage the meridians.

But Ye Yuan didn't seem to care. He refined an entire Fire Source Crystal in less than a quarter of an hour. Wasn't that asking for death?

Ye Yuan laughed, "Rest assured, Young Master Xiong Tie. I wouldn't joke with my own life. I need these Fire Source Crystals to advance my primal fire. And to remove the clan leader's fire poison, I'll need the power of a fifth-rank primal fire. Are you reassured now?"