Returning to the hotel, Ye Tian found someone waiting for him at the door. It was a woman in her early twenties, accompanied by two attendants. Though her appearance was ordinary, her attire was exquisite and her demeanor refined.
"Mr. Ye?" the woman inquired.
Ye Tian lingered not to leave immediately, but to resolve the matter of the Three-Legged Golden Toad. He knew that such a treasure would attract many covetous eyes, and failing to deter them would inevitably lead to trouble.
"You're here for the Golden Toad, aren't you?" he asked directly.
The woman nodded. "Mr. Ye is a straightforward man. Yes, I am here for the Golden Toad. Would you be willing to part with it and sell it to us?"
Ye Tian replied, "Of course. While the Golden Toad is precious, it's not priceless. Prepare one hundred billion US dollars, and we'll exchange money for goods."
In China, few possessed a hundred billion dollars. Ye Tian's price was undoubtedly exorbitant.
The woman frowned slightly. "Mr. Ye, are you disrespecting Master Long?"
Ye Tian asked curiously, "Which Master Long?"
The woman stated, "There is only one person who dares to be called Master Long."
A thought struck Ye Tian. He recalled a conversation with some martial arts friends that day, where they had mentioned a Master Long. This individual was shrouded in mystery, rumored to be the patriarch of a martial cultivation family, possessing a high realm, possibly even an Earth Immortal.
"Even if it is Master Long, one cannot simply seize another's property," he said coldly.
The woman countered, "Master Long has no intention of seizing anything. However, your price cannot be so excessive."
Ye Tian retorted, "Nonsense. The item is mine, and I can name any price I please."
The woman's brow furrowed. "Mr. Ye, I hope you will not bring about your own downfall. Offending Master Long will not end well."
Ye Tian challenged, "Are you threatening me?"
The woman calmly replied, "You may interpret it that way."
As she finished speaking, the woman suddenly cried out in pain, clutching her head and crouching on the ground. After a moment, she managed to stand again, but her face was now contorted, her mouth askew, and saliva dribbled from her lips.
"What did you do to me?" the woman exclaimed, filled with both shock and anger as she felt her altered state.
Ye Tian said coldly, "I want to see what you can do to me, Ye Tian! Your current state is a punishment for daring to disrespect a Martial King. Be gone! Otherwise, you will all die here!"
The three were stunned and dared not utter another word. They fled the hotel as if escaping a nightmare.
Ye Tian remained. He intended to resolve this matter here. He harbored no fear of this so-called Master Long, and the rumors of an Earth Immortal were just that—rumors, which he did not believe. Moreover, he himself was on the verge of achieving Earth Immortal status.
After the trio departed, he continued practicing his movement techniques. As night fell, he took out the golden elixir and resumed absorbing the energy from its threads.
Toward dawn, when he felt he could absorb no more energy, he took out his phone and began studying the Zhu You techniques recorded on the cowhide.
Today, he had also learned the method for collecting Sun Essence.
In the latter half of the night, he gathered Moon Essence. Bathed in its glow, he felt a profound sense of comfort throughout his body.
As Ye Tian absorbed the Moon Essence, he suddenly felt the inner core within him vibrate slightly.
His heart stirred, and he took out the inner core. He then observed that as the moonlight shone upon it, the inner core emitted a faint luminescence, seemingly absorbing the Moon Essence.
Ye Tian's eyes widened. "This inner core can actually absorb Sun Essence and Moon Essence?"
He attempted to channel his divine sense into the inner core, and it slowly levitated. The moonlight in the sky converged into a bright beam, striking the inner core.
The inner core began to transform, shifting from an irregular shape to a spherical form, shrinking to the size of a dragon's eye.
After approximately two hours, bright patterns appeared on the surface of the inner core. Ye Tian also sensed that the inner core had gained a semblance of sentience, merging with his divine sense. He even felt as though the inner core had become a part of his own body.
After a brief rest, as dawn broke and the sun rose, he began collecting Sun Essence. The period from the sun's initial ascent until it lost its reddish hue was the optimal time for collecting Sun Essence.
For this purpose, he specifically ascended to the highest floor of the hotel, facing the morning sun, and inhaled the Sun Essence.
Sun Essence differed entirely from Moon Essence. As he absorbed the Sun Essence, his entire body felt warm and his spirit invigorated. Moon Essence refined the form, while Sun Essence refined the spirit. Their combination, known as Sun-Moon Dual Refinement, was a primary cultivation method for witches.
At this point, he again produced the inner core. It flew into the air, and sunlight converged into a fiery red beam, landing upon it. The runes on the inner core became even more intricate, with silvery Moon Essence and fiery sunlight flowing within them.