At this point, Pang Hai would never admit what Yang Kai said was true, otherwise, it would be equivalent to slapping his own face. In front of so many people, how could he just back down, so he instead doubled down and viciously shouted, “Boy, there should be a limit to how much nonsense you spew! This Pang is an Origin King Grade Alchemist, so if I say it is the Profound Frost Sacred Lotus, it is the Profound Frost Sacred Lotus!”
As soon as this statement came out, everyone else regained some confidence in Pang Hai; after all, they didn’t know Yang Kai so how could they judge whether his words were trustworthy or not.
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully, “I’m a Dao Source Grade Alchemist…”
He was telling the truth, but obviously, no one believed it.
“You see, this boy is just making up stories, you can’t believe him!” Pang Hai added insult to injury promptly.
Everyone nodded lightly.
“It’s fine!” Yang Kai suddenly stood up and patted his butt off, cracking his neck as he stretched his arms…
Everyone stared at him dumbfoundedly, wondering why it looked like he was suddenly preparing to fight.
“Enough idle chatter!” Yang Kai said while sweeping his eyes across the crowd, causing everyone he stared at to involuntarily shiver, as if they were being stared at by some terrifying beast. “Since you’re all here, do me a favour…” He grinned and quickly said, “Hand over your Space Rings!”
“What?”
Everyone was startled, as if they couldn’t believe what they had just heard.
But soon, a few people became furious.
“Bastard, what did you just say!?”
“You think you are above the Heavens? A trivial First-Order Dao Source Realm trash dares try to rob us? Haha, too laughable…”
“This kid is definitely crazy!”
“Since you’ve made such a good joke, you hand over your Space Ring and we’ll spare your life!”
Everyone in the group was angered and hurled ridicule or threats… In any case, none of them cared about Yang Kai’s words as none of them believed he had the ability to back them up. All of them felt this boy had simply lost his mind and was acting far beyond his station.
Yang Kai smiled and turned to Zhou Huai indifferently before saying, “Just now, this friend was wondering why after so long no one else came to investigate this Heavenly Manifestation, right? I’ll answer your question now… it’s not that no one came here to investigate, but that I drove all of them off!”
“You?” Zhou Huai couldn’t help but sneer, “Isn’t that too much even for a joke?”
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, “There were a few people who were overconfident in their abilities and tried to expel me, but they all ended up like that…”
Saying so, he lightly pointed towards a certain nearby spot. When Jing Li’s group turned their eyes in the direction Yang Kai pointed, they saw a headless corpse lying amidst the mountain rocks, fresh blood still wetting the group. Nearby, there was also a corpse of a woman that seemed to have fallen from a high altitude and broken to pieces.
“Those two… they’re from Flowing Shadow Sword Sect!” Jing Li observed for a moment before exclaiming suddenly.
“Yeah, they said they belonged to the Flowing Shadow Sword Sect,” Yang Kai nodded.
“You actually killed them?” Jing Li looked at Yang Kai in shock, “You were able to kill them?”
“No wonder there was a faint smell of blood in the air…” Zhou Huai frowned, “The smell was simply covered by this strange fragrance. Damn it, I almost didn’t notice!”
“Even if you killed these two people, so what?” Pang Hai suddenly pointed at Yang Kai coldly and declared solemnly, “Those two from Flowing Shadow Sword Sect weren’t very strong, and there were only two of them. Do you think you can do to us five what you did to them?”
When this statement came out, everyone came back to their senses and nodded, thinking that their opponent was a lone First-Order Dao Source Realm boy. Even if he had some strange methods, in the end, two fists could not block four palms.
“Haa…” Yang Kai sighed, “If possible, I didn’t want to get rough, I just wanted to find a few herbs! But if you don’t want to cooperate, then…”
As he spoke, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly flickered and he vanished from where he stood.
In that instant, the expressions of the five people changed drastically as they hurriedly released their Divine Senses trying to locate Yang Kai.
But despite spreading out their Divine Senses, none of them were able to discover any trace of Yang Kai, as if he had simply disappeared from existence.
This strange situation made all five of them pale as anxiety surged up deep in their hearts.
Suddenly, a hand lightly landed on Jing Li’s shoulder while at the same time, Yang Kai’s figure appeared strangely behind him and spoke calmly, “I should warn you now, don’t try to resist, otherwise I may accidentally kill you…”
Jing Li felt like he was struck by lightning and cold sweat instantly began to drip down his back as he stood stiffly on the spot, not daring to move.
He could feel that the hand resting on his shoulders contained an imposing and overbearing power that was constantly threatening to swallow him whole like a vast, raging ocean. It was a force he felt utterly powerless to resist.
*Xiu xiu xiu…*
The other four people instantly scattered as they took distance from Jing Li, pushing their Source Qi madly as they stared at Yang Kai vigilantly and solemnly.
Before Yang Kai spoke, none of them even realized he had arrived behind Jing Li, so they couldn’t help asking themselves if it had been them in Jing Li’s place, could they have avoided being caught?
The answer was obviously no!
Thinking so, everyone broke out into a cold sweat…
“This friend…” Jing Li gulped as big drops of sweat slipped from his forehead and he spoke with difficulty, “There is no grievance or enmity between you and I, and this Jing has not treated you…”
“Relax,” Yang Kai interrupted him before he was finished and said, “I’m not going to take your life. Although it would be easy for me to do so, since there are no grievances between us as you say, I have no reason to kill!”
“Yes, yes!” Jing Li nodded repeatedly, squeezing out an ugly smile as he said, “What friend says is absolutely right.”
“En, like I said a moment ago, I’m simply searching for a few herbs!” Yang Kai reached out to grab Jing Li’s Space Ring as he spoke.
Effortlessly taking down his frozen opponent’s Space Ring, Yang Kai swept it with his Divine Sense quickly before frowning and handing it back to Jing Li.
“You can go now!” Yang Kai patted Jing Li’s shoulder with a smile and said.
Jing Li almost collapsed when he felt the hand leave his shoulder, but somehow, he managed to maintain his composure and stay on his feet. Holding down his fear, he swept his Space Ring with his Divine Sense and in the next moment let out a slight cry of surprise as he turned a strange look towards Yang Kai.
Yang Kai frowned and said, “You don’t have what I want in your ring…”
“So that’s how it is!” Jing Li suddenly realized, cupped his fists ecstatically, and shouted, “Many thanks!”
Saying so, he hurriedly used his Movement Skill to escape into the distance.
Although he had received a fright, he was unharmed and had not lost anything, which was a result he could only have dreamed of a moment ago, so how could Jing Li dare be dissatisfied? Naturally, it was better to let bygones be bygones than try to seek revenge.
“Next!” Yang Kai looked at the remaining four people and grinned, “Don’t force me to act myself! You can all rest assured that if you don’t have what I need, I won’t take anything from you. If you do… well, you can only blame your bad luck.”
The other four looked at each other, their faces turning different shades of blue and red, but they didn’t dare to leave without permission.
Judging from the strange Movement Skill that Yang Kai just displayed, none of them had confidence they could escape. Likely, they would instantly be caught and subdued if they tried to run.
“This friend, what are you looking for? Please just speak and if this Zhou has it, he will certainly offer it to you!” Zhou Huai thought for a while before speaking.
The others also nodded fiercely and said, “Yes, if we have what this friend wants, we will hand it over willingly!”
Although from Jing Li’s reaction just now, Yang Kai really didn’t seem to have taken anything from his Space Ring, everyone had their own secrets which they kept in their Space Rings…
No one wanted to hang over their Space Ring for others to inspect!
“Don’t trouble yourselves, I’ll check for myself!” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “I’ll count to three. Those who don’t hand over their Space Ring will face the consequences!”
With clear murderous intent appearing on his face, Yang Kai really didn’t seem to be joking as he began counting.
“Haa…” Seeing this, Zhou Huai could only sigh as he gave up trying to avoid the inevitable. Reluctantly taking down his Space Ring from his hand, he tossed it over to Yang Kai with a wry smile and said, “I hope you keep your word!”
Yang Kai didn’t say a word, caught the Space Ring and checked it, a moment later tossing it back without taking anything.
Zhou Huai happily caught it and didn’t even bother to say anything before flying off.
Among the five people, the two strongest had already given in, so how could the remaining three have the courage to resist? After exchanging a few glances, they took down their Space Rings and handed them over to Yang Kai.
After some inspection, Yang Kai frowned.
Because he didn’t see anything he needed.
Whether it was the three remaining herbs he needed to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, or the Tribulation Fruit…
If he couldn’t obtain the necessary ingredients, he wouldn’t even be able to attempt to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill! If that was the case, he could only swallow the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus when it matured.
Doing this would greatly waste its medicinal efficacies, so Yang Kai was naturally unwilling and only thought of doing so as a last resort.
After expelling the remaining three people, Yang Kai continued to sit cross-legged and wait for his next victim.
He had secretly decided that before any real Masters arrived he would collect as much as possible. Otherwise, once those Masters arrived, a fierce battle would be inevitable!
For the next two days, Yang Kai guarded the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus.
Many cultivators were attracted by the Heavenly Manifestation, but through some stroke of luck, no one Yang Kai needed to fear had appeared.
The fate of those who did appear was naturally the same as that of Jing Li and his group. All of them came in high spirits and were expelled with great embarrassment!
Those who knew their limits handed over their Space Rings obediently and Yang Kai let them leave safely after a quick inspection. As for those who refused to be persuaded peacefully, Yang Kai naturally suppressed them before snatching their Space Rings and inspecting them himself.
Although Yang Kai’s actions would obviously offend many people, he didn’t take any extreme measures like rashly killing and robbing, so his situation wasn’t too serious.
If he really snatched everything from everyone he met, his end would be unavoidable. Once he left the Four Seasons Realm, he would become the target of every major Sect…
At that time, unless he joined Azure Sun Temple or Gao Xue Ting was willing to protect him, he would inevitably be hunted down by the powerhouses of the Sects he had offended.
His current approach, however, guaranteed that people wouldn’t be too offended and also guaranteed him a good harvest.
Two days later, Yang Kai had already collected two of the three missing herbs, leaving just one left to find.
According to his observations though, the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus would fully mature within a day, so if the last auxiliary ingredient couldn’t be found by then, he could only swallow it.
Now, there were only two days before the exit to the Four Seasons Realm closed!
Yang Kai was growing anxious!
Because if he guessed right, the true Masters should soon be arriving.
As he was thinking so, Yang Kai’s expression suddenly changed as he turned to stare in a certain direction, a moment later a wry grin appeared on his lips as he muttered, “Seems they’ve come… a bit early!”
In the direction he was staring, dazzling light was rushing towards Yang Kai’s position. This light had several auras emanating from it, indicating that there was more than one individual approaching; however, one aura, in particular, gave Yang Kai an extraordinary feeling, as it was clearly far stronger than the others.
This aura obviously belonged to a Dao Source Master who was strong enough to give Yang Kai real trouble.
But since they were too far away still, Yang Kai didn’t know who it was.
The stream of light soon arrived at the top of the mountain and came to a stop some distance away from Yang Kai. When the glow faded, a number of figures appeared.
As soon as these people showed up, one of the men who looked roughly thirty years old pointed at Yang Kai and shouted, “Senior Brother Zhuang, it was that bastard who robbed me and Junior Sister Xu of our Space Rings!”
As he spoke, a beautiful, fair-skinned woman in the group nodded her head as she glared at Yang Kai with a deep and bitter look, as if she had some unforgivable hatred towards him.
Yang Kai narrowed his eyes as he observed this man and woman, feeling they were a bit familiar and soon recognizing them as two of the ‘guests’ he had entertained yesterday…
However, the fate of these two people was the same as all the others who came here. They were both quickly subdued by Yang Kai before having their Space Rings snatched and inspected.
“Oh? It turns out these two friends were from Orthodoxy Temple… It seems I’ve been disrespectful!” Yang Kai smiled as he looked at the talking man and cupped his fists.
He hadn’t inquired about the origins of these two people before, but seeing them with Zhuang Bu Fan, Yang Kai naturally understood their background.
Orthodoxy Temple was one of the top Sects in the Southern Territory, so as elite disciples, so this man and woman naturally had high pride; as such, how could they possibly stomach being suppressed and then robbed? Most likely, after they were victimized yesterday, they had used some means to contact Zhuang Bu Fan, their Eldest Senior Brother, hoping he would seek recompense for them.
Of course, the most important factor in all of this was the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus! By calling Zhuang Bu Fan over, not only was there a chance this man and woman could get their revenge on Yang Kai, but they may also be able to obtain this strange spirit flower.
“Bah!” The man who was speaking heard Yang Kai’s words and let out a cold snort, “Brat, don’t think you can talk your way out of this! Quickly admit your mistakes, kneel down, kowtow a few times, and slap your face, then maybe Senior Brother Zhuang will forgive you! Senior Brother has always been kind and righteous, never killing the innocent or oppressing the weak, but if you insist on being unreasonable… hmph!”
The meaning behind his words was self-evident, far different from the timid words he left after being deterred by Yang Kai yesterday. Now that he had someone to support him, this man made no attempt to hide his arrogance.
“What friend means… I don’t understand,” Yang Kai casually responded.
“Don’t play dumb!” The man shouted angrily, “You know exactly what you’ve done!”
“Hehe…” Yang Kai chuckled as he turned his eyes to Zhuang Bu Fan and asked, “Brother Zhuang, what do you say?”
Since coming here, Zhuang Bu Fan had yet to speak as his eyes drifted back and forth between the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus and Yang Kai, the look of doubt on his face getting thicker and thicker.
He had two doubts…
One was about what this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus was. He was the strongest Dao Source Realm disciple in Orthodoxy Temple and had extraordinary knowledge and experience, so he had a vague idea about what this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus was, but he couldn’t be certain, leaving him somewhat suspicious.
The second doubt he had was about Yang Kai, because no matter how he looked, the opposite party was nothing but a First-Order Dao Source cultivator, yet with just this kind of cultivation, Yang Kai had somehow easily subdued his Junior Brother and Junior Sister. If his Junior Brother and Junior Sister hadn’t come to him and explained this matter personally, Zhuang Bu Fan would not have believed it.
At this moment, upon hearing Yang Kai’s question, Zhuang Bu Fan frowned, cupped his fists and said, “Dare I ask how to address this friend?”
Although he came here to avenge his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, he still showed a polite appearance and did not immediately act against Yang Kai, showing a great breadth of character.
“Yang Kai!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and replied.
“This Zhuang will remember your name… Brother Yang came together with Azure Sun Temple, correct?” Zhuang Bu Fan’s face became more confused, “But… Why have I never heard of anyone like Brother Yang belonging to Azure Sun Temple?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai raised his brow and praised, “Brother Zhuang’s powers of observation and memory are outstanding! I did indeed arrive together with Azure Sun Temple’s group.”
Zhuang Bu Fan was the first person Yang Kai had encountered who actually recalled him coming together with Azure Sun Temple. At that time, hundreds of people had gathered in the unnamed mountain valley so remembering Yang Kai’s face from amongst the crowd with just a brief glance was truly an impressive feat.
“The reason why Brother Zhuang has never heard of me is that this Yang is not an Azure Sun Temple disciple. It is only for certain reasons that I was able to accompany Elder Gao here!”
“So, that’s how it is!” Zhuang Bu Fan nodded lightly, not asking anymore. In his opinion, Yang Kai probably had some kind of relationship with a high-level Azure Sun Temple Elder, which was why Gao Xue Ting would bring him to the unnamed mountain valley and why he could enter the Four Seasons Realm.
After pondering for a moment, Zhuang Bu Fan continued, “Originally… this Zhuang’s Junior Brother and Junior Sisters suffering a small loss at Brother Yang’s hand could only be blamed on their inadequate skill and they should not have any grounds to complain, nor should this Zhuang have come seeking redress for them. Regarding this, I hope Brother Yang will be understanding!”
He didn’t show any disdain or disrespect towards Yang Kai just because the latter had a lower cultivation. Instead, he deliberately explained his position and even expressed embarrassment at his current conduct and the conduct of his Juniors, causing the man and the woman Yang Kai had expelled yesterday to turn red with shame.
“I understand!” Yang Kai chuckled, feeling in his heart that this Zhuang Bu Fan was an honourable character…
“However, since I am their Senior Brother, I must act like one!” Zhuang Bu Fan declared as he calmly but solemnly spoke, “Since my Junior Brother and Junior Sister have requested my aid, this Zhuang cannot feign ignorance. It is, after all, a Senior Brother’s duty to shelter his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters…”
As soon as he said this, the few people gathered around him showed a touch of emotion on their faces as they stared towards his back, like they were gazing up at a tall mountain that could withstand any violent storm, keeping them safe and secure.
“Brother Yang, how do you suggest we solve this matter?” Zhuang Bu Fan looked at Yang Kai faintly and asked.
He seemed unwilling to bully the weak, so he handed the initiative directly to Yang Kai, his words demonstrating both magnanimity and incomparable self-confidence, as if no matter what Yang Kai decided, he would be able to handle it perfectly.
Yang Kai grinned hearing this and said, “Has Brother Zhuang… heard the whole story of what happened?”
Zhuang Bu Fan nodded, “Yes! They said very clearly that Brother Yang attacked and subdued them before robbing them!”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow and said, “I don’t deny subduing them, but regarding this talk of robbery… hehe, I’m afraid I must disagree!”
“What’s wrong?” Zhuang Bu Fan frowned, seemingly a little displeased, “Is Brother Yang willing to act but unwilling to admit?”
“Nothing of the sort, it’s just that if I haven’t done something, how could I admit to it? Wouldn’t that just be disgracing myself?” Yang Kai looked at the man and woman with an innocent expression and asked, “You two say I robbed you, yes? Then tell me, what exactly did you lose?”
“Uh…” The man heard this and went speechless.
He really hadn’t lost anything. Yang Kai had snatched their Space Rings, but he had returned them after simply checking, a fact he did not clearly explain to Zhuang Bu Fan…
Seeing his expression, Yang Kai immediately understood and laughed, “Brother Zhuang, it seems you really haven’t heard the whole story.”
Zhuang Bu Fan’s face went dark as he turned around and asked the now blushing man, “What happened?”
The man was unable to respond as his eyes darted about, not certain how he should explain.
Zhuang Bu Fan turned to the young woman and asked again, “Junior Sister Xu, were you robbed of anything?”
The woman surnamed Xu bit her red lip and shook her head reluctantly, “No, I was not…”
“And that’s that!” Yang Kai cut in quickly as he turned to Zhuang Bu Fan and said, “They didn’t lose anything, so how could they say I robbed them? As for attacking them… En, how can a cultivator go through life without conflict? Could it be that just because these two are disciples of Orthodoxy Temple, I am unable to make a move against them?” At this point, Yang Kai’s voice sank as his expression became stern as he said, “Furthermore, there is a reason why I had to subdue them.”
“Because of the spirit flower behind you?” Zhuang Bu Fan was a sharp individual so he immediately understood the situation.
“Indeed!” Yang Kai said in a serious tone, “With Brother Zhuang’s eyesight, he can probably see that this spirit flower has yet to mature. Picking it prematurely will greatly damage its medicinal properties, so I have been guarding this place to avoid some people who are unable to judge its value properly destroying it. Over the last few days, I have expelled several such individuals, and when your Junior Brother and Junior Sister came here yesterday…”
“En, you don’t need to say anything more, I can surmise what happened next,” Zhuang Bu Fan nodded lightly.
His Junior Brother and Junior Sister, depending on their identity as Orthodoxy Temple disciples, probably arrived here, saw how precious this spirit flower was and how low Yang Kai’s cultivation was, then immediately tried to drive him away, but had the tables turned on them. After being embarrassed, they had become angry out of shame and contacted Zhuang Bu Fan to avenge their grievance.
“It’s good that Brother Zhuang understands!” Yang Kai laughed when he saw Zhuang Bu Fan being so amenable.
“En, there’s no need to say anything more, Brother Yang, let us fight!” Zhuang Bu Fan suddenly turned and declared.
“Huh?” Yang Kai froze for a moment before shouting, “I just painstakingly explained everything… did Brother Zhuang still not understand?”
Zhuang Bu Fan shook his head, “I’ve understood the whole story, from beginning to end. This fight will not be for my Junior Brother and Junior Sister, nor for any kind of grievances, only for the spirit flower behind you!”
As he spoke, he pushed his Source Qi, causing his robes and black hair to flutter despite there being no wind, his momentum rising steadily.
He continued, “Although Brother Yang discovered this spirit flower first, and has been guarding it all this time, since it has not yet been picked, it does not belong to anyone! This treasure, this Zhuang does not want to miss it, so… there is only one option left!”
Yang Kai stared at him in a daze for quite some time before smiling bitterly, “Although I don’t want to admit it, Brother Zhuang is really a forthright man of great integrity, far better than those who casually speak flowered lies to hide their sinister intent. This Yang appreciates Brother Zhuang’s character, so he will ask once more. Is there no other option but for us to fight?”
“If Brother Yang feels he cannot win, he can leave now! This Zhuang actually does not want to bully the weak,” Zhuang Bu Fan frowned and replied.
“Alright then!” Yang Kai sighed helplessly, “If that is the case, there truly is nothing more to say!”
At this point, Yang Kai’s body shook as his Source Qi surged, causing a violent storm to swirl around him as he shot up into the sky.
Zhuang Bu Fan narrowed his eyes and shouted in a low voice, “Brother Yang is truly extraordinary, my Junior Brother and Junior Sister’s loss at your hands was not undeserved!”
“Haha, Brother Zhuang, please be careful not to wind up in a similarly embarrassing position!” Yang Kai laughed as he swung his fist, creating a great pressure that seemed capable of smashing the world as he swooped down towards Zhuang Bu Fan’s head from above like a great falling mountain
“All of you stand back and do not interfere!” Zhuang Bu Fan gave a command while at the same time sending out a palm that caused the surrounding wind to churn crazily, counterattacking Yang Kai while shouting, “Soaring Clouds Palm, Four Imperial Realms!”
An energy visible to the naked eye burst from his palm and transformed into a kind of Flood Dragon, shaking its head and wagging its tail as it rushed towards Yang Kai and devoured him whole.
“Hm?” Zhuang Bu Fan didn’t have the slightest joy after his apparent success, his brow simply furrowing as he stared forward.
Because he found that in the face of his attack, Yang Kai had not made any attempt to dodge and instead charged forward at an even faster speed.
“Brother Zhuang!” Yang Kai’s voice rang out, cracking somewhat from the rampaging energy he was emitting, “This Yang must force a quick end to this battle; after all, while you may only have one enemy, I have many! This Yang has no time or energy to spare on a drawn-out conflict with you!”
As his words fell, he rushed right up to Zhuang Bu Fan, turned his fist into a palm, and thrust it directly onto Zhuang Bu Fan’s palm.
*Hong…*
The moment the two palms touched, a huge burst of energy suddenly appeared, creating a halo of light that rapidly expanded in all directions.
Zhuang Bu Fan felt as if he had been struck by lightning as his body sank suddenly into the ground, creating a huge pit right below his feet as countless cracks began to spread out around him.
“A competition of Source Qi?” Zhuang Bu Fan’s face changed drastically as he instantly understood Yang Kai’s intentions.
This opponent, who was only a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, actually gave up all opportunities to fight using Secret Techniques and artifacts and instead chose the fiercest and most direct method of battle.
This was no doubt the fastest way to decide a victor because no one could dodge or retreat. Only the one who had stronger, more vigorous Source Qi would emerge the winner in such a head-on competition!
[But where is this boy getting such confidence from? With just a trivial First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, does he really believe he can win in a competition of Source Qi against me?]
As these distracting thoughts flashed across Zhuang Bu Fan’s mind, a trace of anger appeared on his face as he felt he was being underestimated. While keeping his palm in contact with Yang Kai’s palms, Zhuang Bu Fan turned his body and threw out his other palm, “Inverting Sun and Moon!”
Although Zhuang Bu Fan was the strongest Dao Source Realm cultivator in Orthodoxy Temple, he was different from Xia Sheng and Wu Chang.
Although it had not been publicly confirmed, the disciples and Elders of all the big Sects were ninety-nine percent certain that Xia Sheng had some type of Special Constitution, but what exactly it was, none but the Elders of Azure Sun Temple knew.
Needless to say, Wu Chang possessed the Yin-Yang Dual Body, giving him a distinct advantage over other cultivators in the same realm since he was born.
However, Zhuang Bu Fan had no such advantage but still remained the pillar of his Sect’s Dao Source Realm cultivators!
His physique was ordinary, but his talent was good, good enough that he was able to achieve an equal standing with Xia Sheng and Wu Chang, and had even fought against Wu Chang several times without losing.
This was all thanks to his extremely solid foundation and vigorous Source Qi!
He was the type of person who simply worked harder than anyone else, cultivating extremely diligently all the time, putting in enough effort to make up for the innate differences between him and Wu Chang and Xia Sheng!
Orthodoxy Temple’s Master, Lei Gu, once said that if Zhuang Bu Fan possessed a Special Constitution like Wu Chang or Xia Sheng, his achievements would be even greater than those two now.
The words of a Third-Order Emperor Realm master had extremely high credibility and were also reflected in Zhuang Bu Fan’s hard work.
What Zhuang Bu Fan was most proud of was the purity and density of his Source Qi! His Source Qi, like his character and personality, was as calm and steady as an immovable mountain.
He felt that this was his greatest strength and it was the foundation which he used to stand shoulder to shoulder with Xia Sheng Wu Chang and other geniuses in his generation!
But now, there was someone who wanted to compete with him in this exact field, his speciality, and that person was just a First-Order Dao Source Realm.
Even if Zhuang Bu Fan had a calm temperament, he couldn’t help feeling a bit angry, and without even hesitating, he directly used his most powerful Secret Art, Inverting Sun and Moon!
[Since you want to fight this way, I will grant your wish, and with the strongest force I can muster!]
When the second palm was thrust towards him, Yang Kai’s eyes shrank.
Because what he saw approaching him was not a palm, but a vast ocean… a bottomless abyss which threatened to engulf him and tear him apart!
With a great roar, Yang Kai’s whole figure swelled up as a series of popping sounds echoed from his body…
Accompanied by these popping sounds, a dozen drops of pure Golden Blood were exploded by Yang Kai in his dantian, all transforming into pure Source Qi that filled his entire body with a dazzling golden radiance.
*Huhu…*
An explosion of wind erupted.
The Orthodoxy Temple disciples who had followed Zhuang Bu Fan here were all dumbfounded…
Under their stunned gazes, Yang Kai and Zhuang Bu Fan met palms with one another as they stood staring into each other’s eyes and literal sparks exploded between them.
The place where the two stood had become a mass of chaotic Source Qi, with one half filled with golden light while the other a white radiance, the two colours battering against one another, each one trying to overwhelm the other.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment…
“He can compete with Senior Brother Zhuang’s raw Source Qi?”
“Is he really a First-Order Dao Source Realm? Could he be some Third-Order Dao Source Realm playing the pig to eat a tiger?”
“Whatever the truth, it doesn’t matter. Senior Brother Zhuang will tidy him up soon enough!”
While the disciples from Orthodoxy Temple were dazzled, they did not forget to comment on the strange situation before them.
But things did not develop as any of them expected. Zhuang Bu Fan did not knock Yang Kai back in short order, and instead, the two remained anchored in place as they continued to madly push their Source Qi in an attempt to suppress one another.
As time passed, Zhuang Bu Fan’s expression became more and more serious while Yang Kai’s look became more and more ferocious.
Only now did Zhuang Bu Fan realize that the reason Yang Kai had bothered trying hard to explain. It was not because he was afraid of him, but rather, because he really didn’t want to fight if it could be avoided.
Just as Yang Kai had said, while Zhuang Bu Fan only had one enemy, he had many. As long as Yang Kai wanted to protect this immature spirit flower, he would need to face every master that came here coveting it, including the likes of Wu Chang, Xiao Chen, and Lan Xun…
It was for this reason Yang Kai had chosen a Source Qi competition to force the battle to quickly end!
By doing this, the outcome would quickly and definitively be decided. No Secret Techniques or artifacts could be used in this kind of confrontation, the only thing one could rely on was their own endurance and cultivation!
Looking into the eyes right in front of him that seemed to be filled with a kind of madness, Zhuang Bu Fan knew that, in a certain sense, he had already lost!
Because the one standing before him, competing with him in terms of raw Source Qi, was two Minor Realms lower than him in cultivation!
If Zhuang Bu Fan had suppressed his cultivation to the same level as this crazy kid, there wouldn’t even have been a point in fighting!
[To think… that there’s such a monster in this world…] Zhuang Bu Fan was thoroughly shocked.
At a certain moment, the delicate balance was suddenly broken and under the shocked gazes of the Orthodoxy Temple disciples, the golden glow began to advance and slowly overtake the white light!
“How can this be?”
“Senior Brother Zhuang is being suppressed?”
“Where did this boy come from!?”
“No, it must be that Senior Brother Zhuang is showing mercy. Senior Brother has always been benevolent and righteous, yes, that must be it!”
Even if they saw it with their own eyes, none of them could believe that Zhuang Bu Fan had fallen into a disadvantage in a battle of Source Qi. The impact of this scene caused great storms to set off in all of their hearts, making it impossible for them to recover their composure in short order.
But even so, none of them tried to step forward to help, all of them standing back and watching solemnly from afar.
Firstly, outsiders really could not interfere in this kind of competition as any outside disruption now would only result in both sides suffering serious losses. Secondly, Zhuang Bu Fan had already declared that none of them were to intervene.
The words of their Eldest Senior Brother carried immense weight and none of them dared to disobey them.
“Brother Zhuang, surrender!” Yang Kai’s voice suddenly called out, and accompanied by his words, the dazzling golden light bursting from his body grew stronger again, further suppressing the white light of Zhuang Bu Fan, “If you do not withdraw, you’ll only injure yourself!”
In the face of Yang Kai’s persuasion, Zhuang Bu Fan turned a deaf ear and his perpetually calm face took on a hint of madness as he roared, “In this Zhuang’s world, the word ‘surrender’ does not exist!”
“Fine then!” Yang Kai shouted as his golden light shone even brighter and at the same time, his figure shook and Source Qi erupted even more fiercely from his body, “Since that’s the case, I will respond in kind!”
*Hong…*
With a thunderous eruption, the golden light completely suppressed the white aura and swallowed it up, causing the already deep pit where Zhuang Bu Fan stood to enlarge rapidly, sending rock and earth flying along with an explosion of wind and light.
From this dazzling light, a figure suddenly shot out and stood steadily in the void, panting heavily, covered in blood.
The several Orthodoxy Temple disciples stared forward, their hearts filled with shock.
Although they couldn’t see who was standing mid-air, they were able to infer from this person’s posture and the residual Source Qi around them that it was Yang Kai.
Turning their gazes back to the giant crater, they next saw Zhuang Bu Fan kneeling on one knee, his clothes shredded and his hair a mess as blood dripped from all over his body, an extremely miserable sight to behold.
“Senior Brother Zhuang!” All of them shouted.
Zhuang Bu Fan seemed to not even have the strength to respond to them and simply held his stance, his body trembling unceasingly. Only after a long pause did he manage to stagger to his feet and lift his head towards Yang Kai, his gaze filled with many complicated emotions.
“It was an honour!” Yang Kai cupped his fists and quickly said.
Zhuang Bu Fan did not reply and instead sat down cross-legged directly before wiping his Space Ring and taking out a number of pills, stuffing them into his mouth, and entering a state of meditation to adjust his breathing.
Seeing this, the disciples of Orthodoxy Temple immediately shot flame-filled gazes towards Yang Kai, but in addition to anger, there was also a strong shock and even fear in their eyes!
Because just now, Yang Kai, a First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivator, had defeated their Senior Brother Zhuang Bu Fan in a competition of Source Qi right in front of them. Even though the final outcome seemed to be a loss for both sides, victory was still victory!
Had this unknown young man really just done this? Had their Senior Brother Zhuang actually lost to him in the domain he was most proud of?
If it had been Xia Sheng or Wu Chang here instead, would they have been able to achieve such a result?
All kinds of thoughts flashed across the minds of these disciples but one thing remained consistent. None of them dared to underestimate Yang Kai now. In their eyes, Yang Kai was already an existence that could stand on par with Zhuang Bu Fan! In fact, this young man was even more terrifying than their Eldest Senior Brother, because right now… he was just in the First-Order Dao Source Realm. If this young man reached the Third-Order, in this world, would there be any Dao Source Realm cultivator who could be his opponent?
Perhaps this young man… would be a bright new star in the Star Boundary, one that would one day rise and become the most dazzling nova in the Star Boundary!
On the other side, Yang Kai also slowly landed and sat down cross-legged, taking a number of pills out of his Space Ring and stuffing them into his mouth.
Although his situation seemed to be much better than Zhuang Bu Fan’s in that he only needed to restore himself somewhat, after such an intense battle, he needed to quickly recover in order to cope with whatever troubles may arise next.
As for Zhuang Bu Fan, Yang Kai figured he would not try to fight with him anymore. This man was honest and upright, so since he had been defeated in a fair battle, he would definitely not covet the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus anymore. Regarding this point, Yang Kai was quite confident.
“Oh…” Suddenly, a cry sounded from nearby and a figure appeared. This newcomer swept their gaze around and laughed casually, “I was wondering who was raising so much ruckus, but it turns out to be you two!”
“Hm?” Hearing this voice, Yang Kai immediately opened his eyes and flashed a faint smile as he slowly called out, “So, the second one to arrive was you… Brother Xia!”
He didn’t need to look over to know that the one who had arrived was Xia Sheng.
At that moment, Yang Kai couldn’t help but relax slightly.
He was really afraid that Wu Chang would suddenly appear at this time because he still needed some time to recover. If Wu Chang really had come, things would have become a bit troublesome, but Xia Sheng was different. No matter the case, he at least knew Yang Kai so the situation wouldn’t become too messy.
“If it’s not me, who else could it be?” Xia Sheng smiled slightly and said, “Seeing that the exit is about to close, this Xia wanted to arrive first to wait for his Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters in order to go back together, but I didn’t expect to suddenly see a Heavenly Manifestation here as well as a big fight. I flew over to join the fun but…”
As he spoke, his eyes narrowed slightly as he quickly said, “It seems that the battle between the two is already over and was quite fierce…”
His tone was filled with undisguisable shock.
Because he hadn’t expected that Yang Kai’s strength was actually on par with Zhuang Bu Fan. Before, although he had thought highly of Yang Kai, Xia Sheng had still felt there was a big gap between Yang Kai and characters like himself. Only a few people could stand on par with him, but among those few, Zhuang Bu Fan was definitely one.
Yet now, it seemed Yang Kai had the ability to fight Zhuang Bu Fan on even terms, a shocking reality.
Although he didn’t know who had the upper hand in the battle just now, the aftermath he was observing was enough for him to infer Yang Kai’s strength, and it made him realize he had greatly underestimated him before.
As Xia Sheng spoke, his gaze turned to the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus and his eyes lit up as he thought aloud, “Huo… this must be something good. Xiao Bai, do you know what it is?”
His last words were obviously addressed to Xiao Bai Yi, who had followed behind immediately.
It was unclear when the two of them had met up, but clearly, they had at some point and now they appeared together with Murong Xiao Xiao.
“I don’t know, I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Xiao Bai Yi stood nearby and spoke concisely.
“I don’t know either!” Before Xia Sheng asked her, Murong Xiao Xiao took the initiative to answer.
Xia Sheng shrugged helplessly before his eyes glanced between Yang Kai and Zhuang Bu Fan, a sly grin appearing on his face as he said, “If nobody knows, then we can just swallow it and find out. En, which one of you discovered this thing first?”
Before Yang Kai could even speak, Zhuang Bu Fan, who had apparently recovered a bit of strength, said, “When this Zhuang came here, Brother Yang was already defending this place and it seems he expelled a number of others already.”
“Brother Yang found it first?” Xia Sheng raised his brow and muttered softly, “Then this is somewhat difficult. If Brother Zhuang found it first, it wouldn’t be a big deal to just snatch it… but since Brother Yang found it first… Ha… although Brother Yang is not the disciple of my Azure Sun Temple, we did come here together, if I just snatch it now, it would be a bit awkward…”
Yang Kai’s face went black as he snapped, “Brother Xia, I can hear everything you’re saying.”
Xia Sheng came back to himself at that moment and laughed, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I wasn’t trying to hide anything anyways. Brother Yang, how about we discuss this. Whatever this thing is, would asking to split it half and half be excessive?”
“It would!” Yang Kai replied solemnly.
“Then I’ll just have to snatch it,” Xia Sheng replied solemnly.
Yang Kai glanced at him before saying blankly, “Brother Xia is free to act!”
“Why you…!” Xia Sheng looked at him helplessly and smiled bitterly, “Why are you so sure I won’t just do that?”
Yang Kai grinned meaningfully and was about to answer when suddenly he frowned and turned his eyes towards the horizon as he muttered, “Why have so many people appeared already?”
At the edge of his perception, in all directions, many cultivators were approaching, obviously all attracted by the Heavenly Manifestation here.
With an awkward expression on his face, Yang Kai asked blankly, “Aren’t there two days before the entrance appears… With so much time left, why has everyone suddenly come back?”
“Right, you wouldn’t know about this,” Xia Sheng shook his head and explained, “There is an unwritten rule that every time the Four Seasons Realm opens, all the disciples from the various Sects will return to the exit two days before it closes in order to exchange information and treasures. Counting the days, it’s just about time for everyone to return.”
“There’s such a tradition?” Yang Kai looked surprised.
“Otherwise why do you think we came here so early?” Xiao Bai Yi glanced at Yang Kai faintly, “Seems your troubles just got bigger.”
Yang Kai had a bitter face as he nodded in agreement, “Indeed!”
He had thought that there were still two days before the exit closed, so even if the Heavenly Manifestation was quite eye-catching, it wouldn’t attract too many people, and when the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus matured tomorrow, the phenomena would naturally disappear. But it seemed like Yang Kai’s plans would not come to fruition…
Now that so many people were approaching, once a fight broke out, the situation would grow beyond his ability to control. Even though Yang Kai was confident in his strength, in the end, two fists can’t block four strikes…
In just a few breaths, accompanied by the sound of rushing wind, one cultivator after another appeared in the surroundings, and all of them stared towards the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus with surprise and greed.
But at this moment, Zhuang Bu Fan and Xia Sheng were standing closest to this treasure so no one dared to run up and try to snatch it. However, many were exchanging glances with their neighbours and allies, clearly forming their own plans.
Seeing this, Xiao Bai Yi snickered.
Suddenly, Xia Sheng’s brow furrowed as his expression turned serious and he quickly said, “Brother Yang, you’d best prepare yourself, a troublesome one is approaching…”
As soon as he spoke those words, from the horizon, a familiar roar reached Yang Kai’s ears.
“Don’t let me catch you, or I’ll make you taste the worlds most terrible torture!”
There was endless anger and murderous intent in this voice and when it sounded, all who heard it couldn’t help feeling a terrifying chill.
“Wu Chang!” Someone muttered as they recognized the owner of this voice. With just this one shout, many cultivators began to show fear and anxiety.
It could be seen that even amongst the Southern Territory’s countless young rising stars, Wu Chang’s presence had a particularly strong deterrent.
However, Wu Chang’s words were also quite puzzling and many wondered just who he was chasing. From the words he spoke and the anger with which he spoke them, it seemed Wu Chang had been pursuing whoever it was for some time now.
“Hahaha, idiot, you should just follow behind Father’s butt and eat his dust forever! With your rubbish ability, you won’t catch Father here even if you chase me for the rest of your life!” Another voice sounded, one that was extremely arrogant, not only calling himself ‘Father’ in front of Wu Chang, but even going so far as to mock the latter as well.
The group gathered atop the mountain were all shocked and turned their heads to stare in the direction the two were approaching from, watching as this pair rapidly drew closer.
“Gong Wen Shan!” Yang Kai saw at a glance who the escaping party was; it turned out to be the Array Master Gong Wen Shan.
In an instant, Yang Kai understood what the situation was.
In front of the Flowing Time Temple, Gong Wen Shan and Wu Chang had formed a slight grudge…
Because after Gong Wen Shan cracked the barrier around the Flowing Time Temple’s entrance, he had actually rigged it to prevent Wu Chang’s entry, denying him this opportunity.
Wu Chang had also acted extremely decisively at the time, immediately deciding to depart after he realized he could not enter the Flowing Time Temple.
Afterwards… Whether he had been waiting in the Two Seasons Mountain Range for Gong Wen Shan to come out, or had coincidentally come across him at some point, Wu Chang naturally was not planning to let Gong Wen Shan off and had obviously chased after him to settle their grievances.
However, it seemed that even with his great strength, Wu Chang was unable to take down Gong Wen Shan easily and had instead been chasing him all this time.
Just as Yang Kai’s thoughts churned, Gong Wen Shan passed over everyone’s heads and with a solemn expression took out a few slips of jade from his Space Ring, muttered something, and poured out his Source Qi, causing the pieces of jade to fly out and swiftly disappear.
At the same time, where Gong Wen Shan stood, a strange and threatening aura suddenly appeared, one that was invisible but could still clearly be felt.
“Array Plates!” Someone from the crowd shouted.
Although no one knew what kind of Array Plates Gong Wen Shan had set up just now, just seeing him deploy four of them at once without even batting an eye showed how rich his background was. This was only to be expected from the disciples of a family famed for its Spirit Arrays though; Gong Wen Shan clearly had access to treasures like Array Plates which ordinary cultivators could never get their hands on.
After arranging the Array Plates, Gong Wen Shan stood in place and gasped, taking out a few pills from his Space Ring and swallowing them.
Seeing him like this, it was clear that he had been pursued by Wu Chang for quite a few days and had consumed a lot of his strength. After arriving here though, he had taken out his Array Plates for protection and began restoring himself…
*Hong…*
Wu Chang followed close behind and landed a couple dozen metres in front of Gong Wen Shan, his eyes nearly spitting fire as his Source Qi pulsed madly from his body along with unparalleled violence and murderous intent, ensuring no one got close.
When the cultivators with lower cultivation felt this violent aura, they couldn’t help turning somewhat pale with fright.
“Come out!” Wu Chang was furious, but he was not a fool. With Gong Wen Shan summoning so many Array Plates in front of him and then just standing in place, it was obvious the latter had full confidence in his safety so Wu Chang didn’t dare to rush over and could only shout from close by.
“You come in!” Gong Wen Shan taunted mockingly as he gestured lightly towards Wu Chang, like someone inviting an old friend into their home.
“If you have any guts, come out and face me!” Wu Chang yelled.
“If you have any, come in!” Gong Wen Shan responded.
“You come out!”
“You come in!”
…..
“Waaarh!” Wu Chang let out a mad roar.
His enemy was right in front of him, but despite his great strength, he had no way to take him. What’s worse, this scene was actually taking place in front of so many people, so how could Wu Chang not feel humiliated?
As he roared, two beams of light, one red, one white, suddenly rose into the sky from his body and like two Flood Dragons, they entwined with one another as they broke through the clouds before spinning rapidly and falling down like a meteor towards where Gong Wen Shan stood.
He had obviously lost the patience to verbally spar with Gong Wen Shan and attacked in anger.
Seeing this, Gong Wen Shan’s expression remained unchanged as a light grin appeared on his face. With the wave of his hand, a thick and solid looking light curtain appeared ten metres in front of him.
*Hong long long…*
The red and white energy blast impacted the centre of the light curtain, causing it to bend slightly, but it quickly bounced back. Not only that, when it restored itself, the light curtain randomly scattered Wu Chang’s violent attack in all directions.
“Gong Wen Shan, you waste!”
“Bite me then!”
“You bastard!”
The group of onlookers who had been watching this strange confrontation saw the fierce energy attack fly towards them and cursed under their breaths as they scattered and dodged. None of them dared to scold Wu Chang, but Gong Wen Shan received plenty of hatred.
At the same time, Yang Kai also wore a cold expression as he could no longer afford to focus on healing himself, stood up, and stretched out his hand.
In that instant, in the space in front of him, a dark black hole appeared, one filled with chaotic nothingness, like the mouth of a great beast, swallowing up all the wandering energy blasts.
“Brother Gong, please have some discretion!” Yang Kai glared at Gong Wen Shan coldly.
If he hadn’t made a move just now, the scattered red and white energy blasts would definitely have struck the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, causing this precious treasure to instantly be destroyed.
He didn’t know whether Gong Wen Shan had done this intentionally or unintentionally, but his approach obviously made Yang Kai very unhappy.
“You dare interfere?!” Suddenly, Wu Chang shouted, turning his head coldly towards Yang Kai, a thick murderous intent flashing from his eyes.
Yang Kai frowned and snapped back, “Has Brother Wu Chang lost his mind? Did you not just see what happened?”
He didn’t know what Wu Chang was on about now. Perhaps because he had no way to take Gong Wen Shan he was planning to attack someone else to gain back some face, or perhaps he was just looking for someone to vent his frustration on…
Whatever the case, after everyone resisted the reflected energy attacks, they could tell there was something wrong with Wu Chang.
“I don’t care, whoever dares to interfere, I want them dead!” Wu Chang replied domineeringly, “If you don’t want to die, scram!”
As soon as this remark came out, some people actually began to distance themselves.
“Ha… Wu Chang!” Xia Sheng grinned suddenly as he shot him a sarcastic look, “If you want this spirit flower, just say it directly, why put on such an act? Do you think by making such threats you can scare off everyone else and give yourself an easier time when you try to snatch it later?”
Hearing this, Yang Kai’s face darkened, and when he looked at Wu Chang carefully, he suddenly found that although this guy’s face seemed full of rage, his eyes were actually extremely calm…
Perhaps, as Xia Sheng said, the reason why he was acting so unreasonable all of a sudden was because he had his eyes on the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus from the start!
This guy was quite the schemer!
Most likely, he had already turned his attention to the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus after arriving here; after all, revenge could be obtained at any point, but such a precious spirit flower was not something that could be missed.
Wu Chang’s angry expression became calm in an instant and he glanced at Xia Sheng lightly, “Do you think you’re so smart?”
Xia Sheng sneered, “Smarter than someone pretending to be crazy at least!”
“Hmph, since I was exposed by you, I don’t need to waste any more effort. I can just seize this spirit flower!” Saying so, Wu Chang’s body flickered as he tried to rush towards the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus.
But at that moment, a clear and sweet voice suddenly sounded, “Brother Wu Chang, please wait, you must not touch that spirit flower!”
After hearing this voice, Wu Chang stopped in place, and Yang Kai, who had been pushing his Source Qi, also relaxed slightly. He was prepared to fight Wu Chang, but if there was someone who could stop him from acting instead, Yang Kai wouldn’t have any objections.
Wu Chang was unruly and rebellious, so basically no one could make him obey their words. In fact, in the entire Four Seasons Realm, there was only one person he needed to give face to: the jewel of the Bright Moon Great Emperor, Princess Lan Xun!
So as soon as Lan Xun spoke, Wu Chang halted, turned his head, and stared in the direction her voice came from before he asked, “Your Highness, you’d best have a reasonable explanation!”
His implication was obviously that if her explanation couldn’t satisfy him, he wouldn’t give her any face.
“Hmph, you dare use that kind of tone with the Princess? You must court death!”
Where Lan Xun appeared, Xiao Chen would naturally follow, so this time was naturally no exception.
Along with this low shout, a man and a woman descended from the sky. The woman had bright eyes and a dazzling smile that adorned her enchanting face. The man had a majestic and noble appearance. Who else could they be besides the pair from Star Soul Palace?
Lan Xun was as beautiful as a bright moon, so even without mentioning her status, her appearance alone was enough to drive men to madness. Wherever she went, she would become the sole focus of the crowd.
It was the same even now, as the countless cultivators gathered all cast their eyes towards her in awe and wonder.
Lan Xun seemed to have become accustomed to such scenes and did not pay it any mind. On the other hand, Xiao Chen glared around at everyone while unleashing an oppressive aura to make the surrounding men withdraw their gazes…
“Brother Wu Chang wanting an explanation is only natural,” Lan Xun first glanced at the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus before turning to address Wu Chang.
“Speak!” Wu Chang said with a cold face.
Lan Xun didn’t mind his rudeness and simply smiled as she explained, “Is there an expert present who recognizes this spirit flower?”
Xia Sheng shrugged and said, “I don’t recognize it.”
Most people also shook their heads, giving complete deference to Lan Xun.
Zhuang Bu Fan, who was still adjusting his breathing, spoke lightly, “This Zhuang has a guess, but he is not certain. However, since the Princess has spoken so, she must know something about this spirit flower, so this Zhuang will not show off meagre skills before an expert and hopes her Highness can dispel our doubts!”
“Yes, yes, if your Highness knows something, please inform us.”
“That vastness of her Highness’ knowledge is truly admirable!”
“Her Highness is not only as beautiful as a flower, but is also extremely intelligent, possesses a gentle heart, and is not the slightest bit arrogant, it is truly a blessing for my Southern Territory!”
Lan Xun hadn’t even revealed the answer yet, but the flattery poured out from all around…
“All of you flatter me too much, I just happen to know a little something about this spirit flower, that is all,” Lan Xun responded modestly, without any arrogance or complacency after being showered with praise, her tone calm and steady. At this point, her beautiful eyes turned to the budding lotus flower and with a solemn expression, she quickly said, “If I am not mistaken, this spirit flower is… the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus!”
Hearing this, Yang Kai raised his brow and couldn’t help silently praising Lan Xun for her extraordinary breadth of knowledge.
If he hadn’t obtained Gong Sun Mu’s jade slip, it would have been impossible for him to recognize the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus. In this world, there weren’t many who could recognize this kind of spirit flower or know its effects.
“As I thought!” Zhuang Bu Fan gently nodded to the side. It seemed that he too had guessed this before, but was uncertain until after he heard confirmation from Lan Xun.
Among the crowd of onlookers, most still had blank expressions while only a few had drastic changes on their faces after hearing the words ‘Extraordinary Treasure Lotus’, apparently having at least some knowledge about it.
“Princess, what exactly is this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus good for? Can we eat it?” Xia Sheng suddenly asked with a smile on his face.
“You moron!” To the side, Xiao Bai Yi face-palmed as he shook his head, ashamed of Xia Sheng outburst as he muttered, “If you don’t know anything, don’t speak. The Temple’s face is always being completely lost by your shamelessness.”
Murong Xiao Xiao also blushed and nodded vigorously, seemingly trying to distance herself from Xia Sheng.
The performance of their Eldest Senior Brother really embarrassed the two of them.
“Xiao Bai, do you know something?” Xia Sheng immediately turned his head towards Xiao Bai Yi before clapping his hands, “Right, in the Temple, you would always read a lot of old books, so maybe you do know something! Quickly tell me about this… what was it… Extraordinary Treasure Lotus! Right, what kind of mythical effects does it have?”
Xiao Bai Yi stared at him fixedly before taking a deep breath to calm his mood and slowly speaking, “The Extraordinary Treasure Lotus is born from the pure essence of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, a supreme treasure that appears only randomly throughout history in all different kinds of environments. There are no specific conditions for its appearance or growth and it can appear anywhere, whether there is rich World Energy or none at all. However… in this world there will only ever be a single Extraordinary Treasure Lotus in existence at any one time. If one appears, another will not appear until the first disappears…”
Upon hearing this, Xia Sheng couldn’t help blowing a whistle as he said in surprise, “It’s really precious then…”
Xiao Bai Yi ignored him and continued, “As for its function, it has an astonishing benefit for cultivators like us. It can permanently increase the chances of one breaking through to the Emperor Realm without any side effects or drawbacks! In other words, if you, Wu Chang, or Brother Zhuang were to refine this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, you would be able to break through to the Emperor Realm in less than five years! As for someone like me… ten years would suffice!”
“I am here as well!” Xiao Chen was ignored by Xiao Bai Yi and clearly felt unpleasant.
Xia Sheng, however, just grinned and said, “Even without this thing, I can still break through to the Emperor Realm. It doesn’t seem that precious to me!”
“What do you know?” Xiao Bai Yi glanced at him coldly, “Throughout the ages, countless geniuses like you have tried to break through to the Emperor Realm, only to fail at the last moment or become stuck at the final hurdle, unable to cross it for the rest of their lives. Furthermore! In this world, no one dares to claim that they can absolutely break through to the Emperor Realm, and those who do often end up failing. Of course, there are others out there who have lesser aptitude and talent, but through pure hard work and effort manage to reach the Emperor Realm… But to all cultivators like us, the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus is akin to a guarantee of breaking through to the Emperor Realm!”
When Xia Sheng heard Xiao Bai Yi’s explanation, he couldn’t find anything to object about and immediately sank into contemplation.
All around, the cultivators who were watching and waiting heard Xiao Bai Yi’s explanation and showed fiery looks on their faces. They now looked at this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus not as some special spirit flower, but as a broad and clear path to the Emperor Realm!
The cultivators that entered the Four Seasons Realm were all in the Dao Source Realm, and many of them had reached the Third-Order. These cultivators were just a few steps away from the Emperor Realm, so with such a huge opportunity appearing before them, how could they not be tempted?
If it weren’t for the top Sect’s Masters all standing by acting as a deterrent, someone by now would not have been able to hold back and run up to snatch this lotus, leading to this mountain top turning into a chaotic battlefield filled with blood!
In front of such a precious spirit flower, no one would be able to keep their calm. Once greed took over, even fellow brothers from the same force would trample each other to obtain this prize!
“I understand the preciousness and purpose of this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus now, but… Princess has yet to explain why she prevented me from obtaining it just now,” Wu Chang suddenly said coldly, seemingly still hung up on the fact that Lan Xun had stopped him from touching it a moment ago and demanding a satisfactory explanation.
Lan Xun smiled slightly and said, “Brother Xiao Bai has already explained much, so Junior Sister will be succinct.”
On the other side, Xiao Bai Yi’s mouth twitched as he felt a deep sadness in his heart, thinking that the name ‘Xiao Bai’ could not be erased for a lifetime. Even someone as famous and respected as Princess Lan Xun was now calling him by that name, so it was basically set in stone. With tears forming at the corners of his eyes, Xiao Bai Yi lifted his head towards the Heavens and silently asked just what he had done to deserve such a cruel fate…
Meanwhile, Lan Xun continued to speak, “Although the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus is extremely precious, it is fundamentally still just a spirit flower, so it is quite delicate and fragile. Right now, this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus has yet to mature, so its medicinal efficacies have not yet fermented. If Brother Wu Chang had rashly picked it just now, its medicinal properties would definitely be greatly damaged and it would lose all of its Heaven-defying effects. I believe Brother Wu Chang would not want to see that happen, right?”
With her last sentence, she turned to Wu Chang with a smile and asked.
Wu Chang heard this and responded in a cold, flat tone, “Since your Highness has said so, I will wait… but I must ask, how long will it be until this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus fully matures?”
Lan Xun went silent for a while as she observed the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus before saying, “It should be a day or so!”
“Just before the exit closes…” Wu Chang muttered to himself before immediately shouting, “Fine, then I will wait until then. Before the time comes, if anyone dares have ideas about this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus idea, don’t blame this Wu for not showing mercy!”
As he spoke, he turned his gaze around, a strange red and white light flashing from his eyes, causing those who met them to shudder.
Hearing this, Yang Kai couldn’t help breathing a sigh of relief…
Although Wu Chang wanted to take the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus for himself, his declaration just now had also calmed all the waves and guaranteed that before this spirit flower matured, no one would act recklessly. As for afterwards, everyone would need to rely on their own methods in the scramble for the prize.
“Junior Sister would also like to request everyone wait until after this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus matures before asking,” Lan Xun said sternly, “I should also inform everyone that… after this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus does mature, if it is not consumed within three hours, or refined into a pill, its medicinal efficacies will pass completely!”
“Is that true?” Wu Chang frowned.
“The Extraordinary Treasure Lotus is a Heaven defying treasure after all, so with such effects, the Heavenly Way puts appropriate constraints on its birth and life!” Lan Xun smiled slightly.
“Then it’s simple. When it matures, I just need to eat it!” Xia Sheng grinned.
Xiao Bai Yi turned his head, glanced at him coldly, and snapped, “Why is it all you can talk about today is eating!”
Xia Sheng scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Lan Xun suddenly sighed again and said, “If possible, it would be best to refine it into an Extraordinary Treasure Pill. There’s only one spirit flower, and in the scramble to follow, swords and fists have no eyes…”
She was the daughter of Bright Moon Great Emperor, so in many situations, she needed to consider things not just from her own perspective, but from the perspective of the entire Southern Territory, similar to when she took away the Pseudo Emperor Artifact from the Flowing Time Temple despite it being the least valuable treasure for her. At this moment, although she was delighted that an Extraordinary Treasure Lotus had appeared in the Four Seasons Realm, she was also wracked with worry about the battle which it would surely set off.
Everyone present here was an elite among the Southern Territory’s Dao Source Realm cultivators, and heavy casualties due to the fight for this spirit flower would definitely be a major loss for the Southern Territory…
“Princess must be joking. If you want to refine such a Heaven defying spirit flower into pills, surely it would require an Emperor Grade Alchemist! According to the Princess, this spirit flower must either be swallowed or used in Alchemy within three hours after it matures; how could that be enough time to find an appropriate Emperor Grade Alchemist?” Wu Chang coldly snorted.
Lan Xun shook her head though and said, “An Emperor Grade Alchemist is unnecessary, a Dao Source Grade one would be sufficient… But, we are all cultivators who have focused on the Martial Dao, so how could we have had time to delve into the Alchemic Dao? A Dao Source Grade Alchemist is still not easy to find… “
She shook her head and smiled bitterly, secretly feeling a little headache. She felt that the current crisis could not be resolved, and that a great opportunity was about to be missed. There was only one spirit flower, so only one person could take it, but if it could be refined into pills, it would be a completely different story.
At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded, “If your Highness is willing to trust me, how about letting me give it a try!”
As soon as these words came out, everyone looked startled and turned towards their source.
Lan Xun also hurriedly turned her eyes, but after seeing who the speaker was, she couldn’t help showing a surprised expression as she murmured, “Brother Yang…”
“You?” Xiao Chen also looked at Yang Kai with a shocked expression, one that soon turned into a sneer, “Do you know what you’re talking about? What the Princess said just now… did you not hear it clearly?”
“Naturally, I heard her clearly,” Yang Kai smiled slightly, still calm and relaxed under the attention of the crowd.
The cross-legged Zhuang Bu Fan also looked over at Yang Kai at this moment with a thoughtful look on his face.
Xia Sheng suddenly stretched out his hand to pull at the corner of Yang Kai’s clothes as he whispered in a low voice, “Brother Yang, I don’t think this is a good idea… If you really want to monopolize the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, you might as well think of another way. Pretending to be a Dao Source Grade Alchemist won’t help you in any way…”
He obviously thought that Yang Kai was lying in order to gain some kind of initiative in the coming battle, so he hurriedly whispered to persuade him, otherwise, he would not just lose face but would also become the target of public criticism. Once that happened, no one would be able to save him.
There is also Xiao Bai Lan… (in Chinese) Which means boy toy. But the main thing here is that the poor sap is being called an idiot…
On another note. Xiao Bai is probably the character everyone wrote in essays when they were children. Haha.
Not because it meant idiot to the children but because the name is so easy to write that teachers use it as their example, and kids just follow.
Although Xia Sheng’s words were light, everyone present was a Master so they could clearly hear what was said. For a time, everyone glared at Yang Kai, thinking that he was both despicable and shameful, even daring to use such open intrigue.
“I’m not simply bluffing!” Yang Kai smiled confidently and said proudly, “I am a Dao Source Grade Alchemist!”
As soon as these words came out, everyone stopped talking and stared at Yang Kai with even stranger expressions, the scene so quiet that even the light breeze could be heard.
“Hahaha…” After a long time, a burst of loud laughter rang out as Xiao Chen pointed to Yang Kai and said contemptuously, “You, a Dao Source Grade Alchemist? What do you think Alchemists are? Random people you can just grab off the street? Boy, you’d best think carefully before spewing such nonsense, or misfortune will befall you!”
Saying so, he did not even try to hide the contempt in his eyes, despising Yang Kai ferociously.
“Oh? It seems that Brother Xiao is quite familiar with me?” Yang Kai tilted his head and looked at Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen coldly snorted and said, “If it weren’t for our little meeting in this Four Seasons Realm, how could this Xiao possibly recognize some unknown person like you?”
He didn’t put Yang Kai in his eyes at all.
“Indeed,” Yang Kai smiled slightly and said, “Since Brother Xiao doesn’t know anything about me, why are you so confident that I am not a Dao Source Grade Alchemist? Your logic is so strange.”
“This…” Xiao Chen frowned as he didn’t have a good retort, but soon insisted, “In any case, someone like you can’t be a Dao Source Grade Alchemist. If you just want to fish in troubled waters, this Xiao advises you to dismiss such frivolous thoughts as soon as possible, otherwise… hmph!”
As soon as he finished speaking though, Zhuang Bu Fan suddenly opened his mouth and said, “Brother Yang, you have been guarding this place since the beginning, ensuring that no one approached this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus… Was that because you already knew what it was and what it was used for?”
Although he had just fought against Yang Kai, and even suffered a small loss at his hands, that did not lessen his good impression of Yang Kai.
Just as Yang Kai thought Zhuang Bu Fan was an upright character, Zhuang Bu Fan also thought highly of Yang Kai, so at this time he deliberately tried to assist him by saying a few words.
“Oh?” Hearing what Zhuang Bu Fan said, Lan Xun raised her delicate brow in surprise, “Brother Zhuang means that, Brother Yang had been guarding this place since before?”
“En, when I arrived, only Brother Yang was here. It seems that when this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus first appeared, he was the first to arrive,” Zhuang Bu Fan nodded lightly.
“Brother Yang, is what Brother Zhuang said…” Lan Xun looked at Yang Kai.
“Yes!” Yang Kai gently nodded, “When the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus first appeared, I was nearby and the first to arrive. I also knew what it was and what its purpose was, so I stood guard by it to ensure those who were unable to judge its true value would not ruin it. Originally, I had wanted to guard it and then pick it when it matured before anything was the wiser, but I had not anticipated so many would return early… And that’s what led to this situation.”
Having said so, Yang Kai gave a wry smile.
“Are you really an Alchemist?” Lan Xun’s eyes flashed lightly.
If he was not an Alchemist, how could Yang Kai have accurately identified such a rare spirit flower like the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus when even characters like Zhuang Bu Fan could only speculate about its identity? Only an extremely skilled and knowledgeable Alchemist would be able to quickly identify the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus.
If Lan Xun had the same thoughts as Xiao Chen, that Yang Kai was faking being an alchemist, she would have said so. However, she was confident that what Yang Kai said was true.
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded sincerely.
“Are you really a Dao Source Grade Alchemist?” Lan Xun asked.
“I am, unfortunately, some people don’t believe me,” Yang Kai spread his hands while his gaze swept across Xiao Chen intentionally.
The latter couldn’t help feeling sullen as he spat, “Anyone can make outlandish claims. If this Xiao said he was an Emperor Grade Alchemist… would you believe it?”
Yang Kai shrugged his shoulders, looking helpless.
Lan Xun smiled and said, “In that case, we can simply verify the truth with our own eyes! As long as Brother Yang can refine a furnace of Dao Source Grade Spirit Pills here, all doubts can be resolved. There’s still enough time for Brother Yang to refine a furnace of pills now, but I don’t know what Brother Yang thinks…”
Before Yang Kai could respond, Xiao Chen cut in, “How could he have the courage? If he really agreed, wouldn’t his lies immediately be exposed?”
Lan Xun couldn’t help glaring at Xiao Chen, causing his mouth to snap shut.
Yang Kai frowned and said with a look of embarrassment, “Must we do this?”
Lan Xun smiled and said, “Is Brother Yang not confident in himself? Although I also believe Brother Yang is not one to speak such malicious lies, but… this matter is too important to leave to chance. If Brother Yang doesn’t have the ability to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, it will be best to not even try, otherwise, it would simply be wasting Heaven’s precious gifts.”
“What her Highness says makes sense!” Zhuang Bu Fan agreed, “Although refining it into pills can increase the number of people who will benefit, if the spirit flower is ruined in the process, then the gains will not be worth the loss. In that case, it would be best to just wait until the spirit flower matures and then everyone will compete with their own means. Brother Yang, think carefully before you decide.”
He wanted to give Yang Kai an opportunity to back down, which was why he spoke up.
But to his surprise, after Yang Kai pondered for a moment, he nodded, “It’s not a problem to prove myself, after all, everyone here does not trust me…”
“You’re really a Dao Source Grade Alchemist!?” Xia Sheng was shocked as he stared at Yang Kai like he was some kind of monster.
As for Xiao Bai Yi and Zhuang Bu Fan, they wore completely dumbfounded expressions, like they had just been smacked on the head.
Only the two of them knew just how strong Yang Kai was. One of them had fought an all-out battle against Yang Kai, while the other had a Source Qi competition with him!
Yang Kai had defeated both of them with just his First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation.
With such cultivation, achieving such a feat was already incredibly astonishing. It was conceivable that Yang Kai had put in an enormous amount of effort into his cultivation, so how could he also have time to dabble in Alchemy? What’s more, becoming a Dao Source Grade Alchemist was not on the level of mere dabbling. Even if a person began cultivating in their mother’s womb, reaching such heights in both the Martial and Alchemic Dao at such an age should be impossible.
But from Yang Kai’s tone and demeanour, it was quite clear he was indeed a Dao Source Grade Alchemist! This shocked Xiao Bai Yi and Zhuang Bu Fan enormously.
“But… even if I prove that I am a Dao Source Grade Alchemist, I can’t refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill!” Yang Kai frowned.
“What do you mean?” Lan Xun asked in surprise.
“Alchemy requires materials, does it not?” Yang Kai looked at her and said, “The Extraordinary Treasure Pill requires a total of nineteen kinds of herbs. I have been collecting the necessary materials for the past few days, but unfortunately, I have only managed to gather eighteen of them, one is still missing!”
“So, you were checking other people’s Space Rings for the materials to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill!?” A light went off in Zhuang Bu Fan’s mind as he suddenly understood why Yang Kai had been snatching other people’s Space Rings and searching for them.
Rather than robbing them, Yang Kai had simply checked the Space Rings of his Junior Brother and Junior Sister, but returned them afterwards without taking anything. If robbing them wasn’t his goal, then why bother acting this way in the first place?
Only now did Zhuang Bu Fan understand!
Realizing this, Zhuang Bu Fan no longer doubted Yang Kai’s claims of being a Dao Source Grade Alchemist.
If he wasn’t searching for the materials for the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, why would Yang Kai use such a detrimental method? He was probably forced to do this as he was trapped in the Four Seasons Realm and the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus was about to mature. This left him with no way to summon help and no way to leave its side. As such, he could only hope those who were attracted to the Heavenly Manifestation would have what he needed.
[This guy…] Zhuang Bu Fan was shocked, but through incredible self-control managed to not show anything on his face.
“In that case… what ingredient is Brother Yang still lacking? If you don’t mind, please inform us. With so many people present, perhaps someone will have what is necessary,” Lan Xun smiled and asked, but after speaking, she seemed to suddenly realize something and immediately added, “Wait a moment, this Alchemy material must be extremely precious, so even if someone has it, they may not be willing to contribute it.”
“Yeah, what Princess said is the crux of the matter.” Yang Kai nodded lightly.
“If anyone dares to refuse, we can just snatch it,” Xiao Chen snorted coldly.
Wu Chang sneered hearing this and snapped, “Idiot, if others don’t say they have it, how are you planning on snatching it? Do you want to snatch everyone’s Space Ring and search them?”
“Why not?” Xiao Chen replied.
“Oh? So, if I want to check your Space Ring, would you hand it over to me?”
“If I have that material, I will definitely contribute, there’s no need to check!” Xiao Chen replied solemnly.
“That’s enough,” Lan Xun frowned, waving her hand to interrupt him before taking a moment to think and then saying in a serious tone, “I have a proposal, one that I believe will be able to resolve this matter… How about if someone has what Brother Yang needs, as long as they willingly contribute it, they will be entitled to take one of the Extraordinary Treasure Pills after they are refined!”
“Your Highness… is that really acceptable?” Yang Kai was shocked.
Everyone’s expressions also changed dramatically, not having expected Lan Xun’s suggestion to be so shocking!
After all, even if Yang Kai was really a Dao Source Grade Alchemist and the refining was successful, how many Spirit Pills could be refined from one furnace of pills? Setting aside one in advance would no doubt make everyone quite reluctant.
Lan Xun, however, just smiled lightly and said, “In front of great opportunities, everyone is equal. Don’t you men all like to gamble? Why are you shrinking back at this moment?” As she spoke, she swept her beautiful eyes over everyone one by one. “Brother Yang hasn’t even said what herb he still needs, so what are you all afraid of? Perhaps the necessary spirit medicine is in your Space Ring and all you need to do is contribute it to obtain an Extraordinary Treasure Pill! It’s nothing less than an incredible bargain!”
“There’s a chance you won’t get anything as well!” Xiao Bai Yi muttered.
If Yang Kai failed his refinement, then there really would be nothing to gain.
“But… this Zhuang still has a question!” Zhuang Bu Fan said.
“Brother Zhuang, please,” Lan Xun looked at him with a smile.
“If two or more people have the final material Brother Yang needs, how should we resolve this issue?”
“En, I had not thought about such a possibility, I was negligent,” Lan Xun heard this and was startled for a moment, but soon she smiled again and said, “It’s simple then, if that happens, the one with the higher medicinal age will be used!”
“Good idea!” Zhuang Bu Fan nodded, “The higher the medicinal age, the stronger the medicinal efficacies and the higher the chance for a successful refinement.”
“If everyone is alright with this suggestion, then…” Lan Xun smiled and looked around, waiting for a reply.
“I don’t have any objections. Since it’s a matter of luck, everyone has an equal chance!” Finally, someone expressed their opinion, and to everyone’s surprise, it was actually Wu Chang. He seemed to be quite interested in this proposal.
“Good, I like this proposal and don’t have any objections!” Xia Sheng shrugged.
“I agree with the Princess’s suggestion,” Zhuang Bu Fan also said.
With these three taking a stand, no one else would dare raise any objections. What’s more, Lan Xun was the one who made this proposal in the first place, so at this time, refusing to cooperate would be equivalent to slapping Lan Xun’s face… Her Highness was gentle and understanding, but Xiao Chen standing beside her was not so friendly.
Suddenly, everyone’s opinion was unified, and all of them clamoured on about how Lan Xun’s proposal was perfect.
“Many thanks!” Lan Xun saw that a consensus had been reached and turned a smile to Yang Kai, “Brother Yang, please tell us what the last herb you need is.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone fell silent and looked towards Yang Kai, many people showing expression of expectation and nervousness; after all, this was all a matter of luck. Once Yang Kai reported the herb he required, as long as everything went right, there was a chance they could obtain an Extraordinary Treasure Pill.
This was a Spirit Pill that basically guaranteed one could reach the Emperor Realm, who wouldn’t be anxious?
Many people even felt their heartbeats pound in their chests.
In front of everyone’s eyes, Yang Kai slowly and clearly announced, “I need a Jade Blood Mushroom that has a medicinal age of at least five thousand years!”
“A Jade Blood Mushroom… a rare herb,” Lan Xun heard this and smiled as she looked around, “Does anyone have what Brother Yang needs? If you can provide it, it will be equivalent to obtaining an Extraordinary Treasure Pill, a rare opportunity one cannot hope to come across!”
From her words, it seemed like she had great confidence in Yang Kai, as if all one needed to do was present the required herb and Yang Kai would surely be able to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill successfully.
It was unknown where her confidence came from.
As soon as her voice fell, many people immediately showed disappointed looks. Obviously, most knew they did not have anything like a Jade Blood Mushroom; however, a few cultivators quickly immersed their minds in their Space Rings…
“Hahahaha…” Suddenly, a loud laugh rang out.
Everyone turned to look and saw a man with a Second-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation excitedly laughing. Noticing everyone now staring at him though, this man quickly composed himself and simply smiled widely, still unable to hide his joy but at least not coming off as obnoxious.
“Does this friend possess what was requested?” Lan Xun looked at the man with a smile.
The man quickly jumped out from where he stood and forcefully suppressing the joy and excitement in his heart, he replied with a serious face, “Many thanks to her Highness, this one truly possesses a Jade Blood Mushroom!”
“Oh?” Lan Xun raised her brow and said happily, “Please take it out so we may have a look.”
The man hesitated at this moment, but Lan Xun quickly realized what he was worried about and immediately said, “You may rest assured, the words I spoke just now will not be taken back. If you really have the herb Brother Yang needs, one of the Extraordinary Treasure Pills will be yours!”
“Many thanks, Princess!” The man was waiting for this guarantee from Lan Xun, so after hearing what he needed to, he didn’t hesitate any more and immediately took out a large green and red mushroom from his Space Ring.
“It’s a Jade Blood Mushroom!” Yang Kai glanced over and knowing that the other party hadn’t produced a fake, he quickly said, “Please let me see it.”
The man held the Jade Blood Mushroom in both hands and couldn’t help trembling slightly. What he was holding was not just a simple spirit medicine, but rather his own good future, so he was extremely nervous about even slightly damaging it.
When he came to Yang Kai, he carefully handed over the Jade Blood Mushroom before standing back with an anxious look on his face.
“What dog shit luck!”
“Why couldn’t this opportunity have fallen into my hands?”
“The Heavens must be jealous! I am not convinced!”
…
Numerous voices filled with jealousy, anger, envy, and so on echoed about.
As for the man who had produced the Jade Blood Mushroom, these voices only sounded like sweet music to his ears and he could not stop a smug expression from filling his face.
“This is indeed a Jade Blood Mushroom…” Suddenly, Yang Kai frowned and said, “But its medicinal age is too low, only about three thousand years, far from sufficient.”
“What?” The man heard this and his complexion changed drastically, his eyes widening as he stared at Yang Kai incoherently before haltingly stuttering, “You… what did you… no… please take a clear look…”
“There’s no need to doubt,” Yang Kai gave the Jade Blood Mushroom back to the other party as he spoke confidently, “Every thousand years, the colour of the Jade Blood Mushroom will change slightly, becoming deeper and more pronounced. This friend, although your Jade Blood Mushroom can still be considered mature, and can be used to refine most Spirit Pills, it cannot be used in the Extraordinary Treasure Pill. I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“Impossible!” The man cried out in grief.
The greater one’s hopes were, the more disappointed they were when they fell through. This man had thought that an Extraordinary Treasure Pill was within his grasp, but the plans of Heavens are beyond what men can control. How could this man stand seeing this opportunity just slip through his fingers?
“Take another look!” He stared at Yang Kai reluctantly.
Yang Kai simply shook his head, “If you can’t believe me, you might as well ask someone else for confirmation. I believe there should be others here who can distinguish this herb’s medicinal age.”
As he said so, Zhuang Bu Fan stepped forward, “This friend, this one is Orthodoxy Temple’s Zhuang Bu Fan, and although his knowledge of pharmacology is not on par with Brother Yang’s, he still has some experience in this field. If you trust this Zhuang, you might as well let him perform an examination.”
“Of course I trust you!” The man heard this and immediately rushed over to Zhuang Bu Fan and handed over his Jade Blood Mushroom.
Compared with Yang Kai, an unknown person, Zhuang Bu Fan’s name resounded like thunder across the Southern Territory, so his words carried great authority. As such, this man did not hesitate to place his hopes on Zhuang Bu Fan, hoping Zhuang Bu Fan would be able to overturn Yang Kai’s previous assessment.
As this man stood back, Zhuang Bu Fan began examining the Jade Blood Mushroom carefully. Not only did he perform a visual inspection, but he also sniffed it deeply and even took a fine scrape of it and tasted it.
His movements were methodical and extremely skilful, making it apparent he had performed such actions many times before.
After a while, Zhuang Bu Fan slowly shook his head and while returning the Jade Blood Mushroom to the other party, he said, “Brother Yang’s knowledge of herbs is indeed much deeper than this Zhuang, needing only a single look to tell its medicinal age, this Zhuang is most impressed… Friend, your Jade Blood Mushroom is really only three thousand years old.”
“How can… that be?” The man muttered to himself with a despondent look on his face.
He could somewhat dismiss Yang Kai saying his Jade Blood Mushroom only had a medicinal age of three thousand years, but if Zhuang Bu Fan was the one saying this, he had no choice but to accept.
The cultivators who had previously been feeling extreme envy towards this man now couldn’t help taking pleasure in his misfortune…
“There are so many people gathered here, is there no other friend who possesses a Jade Blood Mushroom?” Yang Kai turned his head to look around while shouting loudly.
No one responded!
Yang Kai sighed.
“Brother Yang, if you use this three-thousand-year-old Jade Blood Mushroom to refine…” Lan Xun frowned at him.
“That is not possible!” Yang Kai replied, “Princess, you must know that when refining extremely precious Spirit Pills, the demand on the adjuvant herbs is incredibly strict. Not to mention a difference of two thousand years, even if this Jade Blood Mushroom was only a hundred years too young it would not be usable.”
“Haa…” Lan Xun sighed slightly. It wasn’t that she didn’t know what Yang Kai was saying was true, it was just that she was hoping it wasn’t.
“That’s fate!” Xia Sheng suddenly shook his head and said, “The Jade Blood Mushroom is not a common spirit medicine, so it was already quite impressive that someone here possessed one. Since no one else has one, then it seems we can only fight it out for this lotus when the time comes!”
“Actually…” Lan Xun wore a slightly apologetic and helpless look, “I too have a Jade Blood Mushroom, and it should meet Brother Yang’s requirements.”
“Huh?” Xiao Chen was startled when he heard these words and said, “Why didn’t you take it out just now then, Your Highness?”
Yang Kai also looked towards Lan Xun in amazement, but quickly a thoughtful expression flashed across his face and he smiled before cupping his fists, “This Yang deeply admires the Princess’s magnanimity!”
At that moment, he understood why Lan Xun hadn’t taken out her own Jade Blood Mushroom until now.
It wasn’t that she was reluctant to share it…
She was the daughter of Bright Moon Great Emperor, so no matter how precious a spirit medicine was, could she really not bear to part with it? Her not stepping forward was all because she wanted to give this opportunity to someone else and had repeatedly asked if there was no other way just now.
In the end, though, she was forced to come forward.
She was also probably a bit embarrassed about the proposal she had made since she had the herb Yang Kai happened to need.
No one present was a fool, so after listening to Yang Kai’s words and a little thought, they realized what had happened and for a moment, all of them couldn’t help casting awe-filled and admiring gazes at Lan Xun.
Lan Xun’s cheeks went slightly red, making her look even more stunning.
“En, I can contribute the Jade Blood Mushroom, but as for the Extraordinary Treasure Pill… I don’t want it,” Lan Xun pursed his red lips and said.
“How can we accept that!?” Xiao Chen was the first to jump out and object.
“Silence!” Lan Xun frowned and snapped at him, “I have the right to deal with my own possessions!”
Xiao Chen opened his mouth but didn’t dare to speak anymore, feeling quite suffocated as his face turned blue from mixed emotions.
“Your Highness’s words are inappropriate here,” Xia Sheng smiled slightly and said, “Since everyone here reached an agreement before, Your Highness is more than entitled to this prize. If you were to reject this proposal now, it would be equivalent to everyone here owing Your Highness a heavy favour. Later, no one will know if the precious pill they received should have rightfully belonged to Your Highness. This kind of losing trade, this Xia does not want to participate in it!”
“Hmph, Xia Sheng, although your words sound cheap, I at least agree with your sentiment. This Wu Chang owes nothing to anyone, not even to Heaven!” Wu Chang also expressed his agreement.
Zhuang Bu Fan smiled, “Your Highness, you should boldly claim what is yours, there is no need to refuse!”
Lan Xun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry for a while.
Yang Kai wiped the cold sweat from his brow as he commented, “Listening to all of you, it’s as if the furnace of Extraordinary Treasure Pills will certainly succeed. If it does not, wouldn’t that disappoint all the Princess’ pains?”
“Why are you not confident?” Lan Xun raised her brow and asked.
“It’s not a matter of confidence,” Yang Kai smiled lightly, “It’s just… no Alchemist can guarantee that he will succeed a hundred percent of the time. Just in case, I should ask… if the refinement fails, what will happen?”
“We’ll kill you!” Wu Chang looked at him coldly.
“The pressure is big,” Yang Kai wiped his forehead again.
Lan Xun smiled and said, “Put your best into it.”
As she spoke, she flew over and handed over her own Jade Blood Mushroom to Yang Kai. Yang Kai accepted it and nodded after a brief inspection, “Princess is right, this Jade Blood Mushroom has a medicinal age of at least eight thousand years, plenty for this purpose. What’s more… from the slight traces on it, it appears it was not picked here in the Four Seasons Realm.”
“En, I found this a few years ago and it has been sitting in my Space Ring ever since,” Lan Xun replied.
“Alright then, now all the materials have been gathered,” Yang Kai quickly stored the Jade Blood Mushroom into his Space Ring before glancing around and asking, “Do you still want me to refine a furnace of Dao Source Grade Spirit Pills to prove my abilities?” Pausing here, he soon said, “I shall say this first, I have no problem proving myself, but as all of you know, Alchemy consumes a lot of energy. If I were to not be at my peak when the time comes to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, and the refining fails as a result, I won’t take responsibility!”
After saying this, everyone frowned.
Because what Yang Kai said was indeed correct.
If everyone insisted on him proving himself, he would need to refine a furnace of Dao Source Grade Spirit Pills right now! But doing so would undoubtedly consume a lot of his Source Qi and Spiritual Energy. There was less than a day until the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus matured, at that point Yang Kai would need to refine another furnace of Dao Source Grade Spirit Pills. In other words, he would need to perform two very difficult refinements within a single day. This kind of high-intensity Alchemy would be quite taxing on any Dao Source Grade Alchemist.
If Yang Kai was already exhausted when the time came, it would definitely have an impact on refining the Extraordinary Treasure Pill.
“In my opinion, there’s no need for that anymore…” Lan Xun smiled lightly, “The reason for the prior proposal was simply because we could not be certain Brother Yang was really an Alchemist; but now, I believe that is no longer in doubt. If Brother Yang was not an Alchemist, how could you have known the pill recipe for the Extraordinary Treasure Pill or be able to distinguish the medicinal age of Jade Blood Mushrooms so quickly and accurately?”
“What her Highness says makes sense!” Zhuang Bu Fan nodded, “Just from the fact that Brother Yang had already begun preparing the appropriate Alchemy materials before we arrived, there should be no doubt he is a Dao Source Grade Alchemist. Brother Yang, take a good rest. When the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus matures tomorrow, act with a free hand!”
“Since you’ve said so, I will focus on adjusting my condition!” Yang Kai immediately took advantage of the situation and sat down, shutting his eyes tight!
Although there were still some suspicious people, with Lan Xun and Zhuang Bu Fan speaking up for Yang Kai, even if they had doubts in their hearts, they dared not speak them. Everyone could only wait for tomorrow to come, at which point everything would become clear.
The scene suddenly quieted down.
The cultivators who had gathered around looked for good spots before sitting down cross-legged to meditate while trying to restore their states to their peak.
Because everyone understood clearly that if Yang Kai failed in his Alchemy, he would be the only one to suffer everyone’s anger and disappointment, but if he succeeded, aside from the one which would be reserved for Lan Xun, the remaining Extraordinary Treasure Pills would need to be fought over!
In front of such a huge opportunity, even if characters like Wu Chang, Xia Sheng, Zhuang Bu Fan, and Xiao Chen were present, no one would shrink back!
If they missed this chance, many of them would never have an opportunity to break through to the Emperor Realm for the rest of their lives! However, if they could just snatch one of the Spirit Pills, their chances of breaking through would increase dramatically.
Therefore, everyone was resting and building up their strength. This caused the whole place to become oddly quiet. At the same time, a kind of blockade was set up all around Yang Kai and the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, preventing him from escaping.
Wu Chang was particularly vigilant as he didn’t even seem to rest, instead just sat cross-legged and staring straight at Yang Kai, making sure he could react immediately should Yang Kai try anything!
The invisible stalemate was the most important reason that everyone agreed to let Yang Kai refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill instead of just trying to snatch the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus!
There was only one Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, and no one, not even Wu Chang, was confident they could obtain it.
Rather than fight a battle they weren’t certain they could win, it was better to let Yang Kai try to refine this lotus into pills, which if successful, would multiply the number of opportunities they had to gain something. As for Yang Kai with his pitiful First-Order Dao Source Realm cultivation, under the gaze of so many people, he couldn’t run away after he finished his refinement.
In this regard, everyone was confident, so they settled in and waited for the arrival of tomorrow, when Yang Kai would refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill!
“Senior Brother, this situation is not good,” after a break, Xiao Bai Yi suddenly sent a Divine Sense message to Xia Sheng.
“I know!” Xia Sheng responded calmly, “Don’t worry, I’ve made arrangements. When Brother Yang succeeds in his refinement tomorrow, we’ll cooperate with him to cut open an escape route. The rest of our Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters will assist us from the outside.”
“No wonder I didn’t see anyone else coming, are they all waiting at the exit?” Xiao Bai Yi asked without changing his expression.
Xia Sheng grinned and replied, “How can we allow a treasure like the Extraordinary Treasure Pills fall into the hands of other Sects? All we need to do now is get Brother Yang to cooperate.”
“And what if he doesn’t cooperate?” Xiao Bai Yi asked.
“Then knock him out and carry him off,” Xia Sheng replied.
Xiao Bai Yi’s face twitched as he lowered his head in shame, “I’m not his opponent!”
“Huh?” Xia Sheng turned his head and stared at Xiao Bai Yi in amazement, asking in surprise, “Xiao Bai, since when did you become so unconfident? Brother Yang has indeed beat Xue Yi, which is already quite amazing. Even if it was you or I, I doubt we would have been able to achieve the same with just his current cultivation, but right now, there should still be a big difference between us.”
“If I didn’t have a good reason, I wouldn’t have made such an embarrassing statement!” Xiao Bai Yi suddenly turned serious.
“Huh?”
“In the Flowing Time Temple, I fought him,” Xiao Bai Yi said, “And the result was… my defeat.”
“Are you cracking a joke with me?” Xia Sheng’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“How can I make such a shameful joke now?” Xiao Bai Yi said with a solemn face, “Moreover, if I’m not mistaken, it’s not just me who is not his opponent, Zhuang Bu Fan also isn’t.”
“Huh… you mean!” After Xia Sheng asked, he immediately sent a thoughtful glance towards where Zhuang Bu Fan was and asked in amazement, “You mean… before we arrived here, when those two fought… Zhuang Bu Fan was the one who lost?”
“Exactly!”
“How could that be?”
Xiao Bai Yi sneered, “Nothing is impossible. Why else do you think Zhuang Bu Fan spoke up for Yang Kai so fervently?”
Xia Sheng frowned and said, “You mean, Yang Kai showed mercy in their battle, so Zhuang Bu Fan…”
“Could there be any other reason?” Xiao Bai Yi asked with a faint glance.
*Si…*
Xia Sheng finally couldn’t help drawing a sharp breath as he muttered, “I knew those two fought, but I thought it was Yang Kai who was defeated… He’s only a First-Order Dao Source Realm, how could he possibly be that strong?”
“How should I know? Would you have believed he was a Dao Source Grade Alchemist before? Do you even believe it now?”
Xia Sheng’s face twitched as he shut his mouth.
After a long silence, he focused his gaze and said, “It’s alright, I’ll negotiate with Brother Yang, and I believe he’ll cooperate. If he wants to survive, he shouldn’t have any other choice.”
“I hope…” Xiao Bai Yi responded, uncertain.
As the pair from Azure Sun Temple secretly communicated, most of the other cultivators gathered were having similar exchanges. People who knew one another here were secretly forming alliances, preparing to confront the many powerful enemies around them. As for how to divvy up the Extraordinary Treasure Pills after they succeeded, they could discuss that later.
For most cultivators, the most important matter to consider was how to obtain the Extraordinary Treasure Pills.
Time passed slowly.
Yang Kai focused on restoring himself.
Refining the Extraordinary Treasure Pill would be a real test for him, so regardless of anything else he wanted to be in peak condition. Even the slightest weakness may cause the refining to fail.
Once the refining failed, he would become the target of everyone’s anger, and even if he had great confidence in his abilities, escaping from such a siege would not be easy.
The movements around him, the Divine Sense messages being passed back and forth, even Wu Chang’s constant glares were unable to affect him though as his mood gradually calmed down and he entered a type of ethereal state.
Under such great pressure, he actually became unprecedentedly tranquil.
A rich medicinal fragrance filled the air as halos of light continued to blossom.
The Heavenly Manifestation became more and more apparent, filling the sky with colourful clouds that appeared and disappeared mysteriously.
As for the white petals of the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, they bloomed gradually…
At a certain moment, the world shook as the World Energy in the surrounding region trembled. The Heavenly Manifestation contracted fiercely, sucking in a vast and terrifying amount of energy before it poured down from the sky like a funnel cloud into the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus.
The seemingly fragile spirit flower not only survived this intense infusion unscathed, but it also became even more radiant and vibrant as it did.
Tiny runes suddenly appeared around the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, seemingly containing untold mysteries.
Between the Heavens and Earth, faint celestial music resounded like morning bells and evening drums, shocking everyone present. Next, under all of the gathered eyes, the petals of the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus finally bloom completely!
A far richer medicinal fragrance filled the air, making all who sniffed it refreshed. This enticing scent caused many people to grow restless as well, and many couldn’t wait to rush up and stuff this Extraordinary Treasure Lotus into their bellies!
As if their instincts were slowly consuming them, many cultivators showed greedy eyes as they stared towards the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, with a few even beginning to inch their way towards it!
“Anyone who dares to move, I will kill personally!” Wu Chang suddenly shouted as he flashed a fierce expression.
Murderous intent so thick it was tangible flared.
The few who were just about to move instantly froze! They could clearly feel that if they dared to act rashly, they would find themselves dead the next moment…
The aura of death was so stifling, it made their lips dry and their bodies turn cold…
At that moment, Yang Kai opened his eyes and waved his hand, “Come!”
As he spoke, the Black Jade Furnace appeared.
The Black Jade Furnace was a Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank Alchemy Furnace which Han Leng, the rogue disciple from Star Soul Palace, had won at an auction in Maplewood City, but in the end, Han Leng had died unexpectedly and this furnace had fallen into Yang Kai’s hands.
Such an Alchemy Furnace was a rare treasure, especially for Alchemist; after all, above it, only Emperor Grade Alchemy Furnaces were superior.
But how could it be so easy to acquire an Emperor Grade Alchemy Furnace? In general, Emperor Grade Alchemy Furnaces were even rarer and more precious than Emperor Artifacts.
When the Black Jade Furnace’s lid opened, a different fragrance from the one the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus gave off instantly spread.
Seeing this Alchemy Furnace and smelling the fragrance that wafted from it, many people’s expressions turned to shock while their confidence in Yang Kai immediately increased by leaps and bounds.
Because no ordinary Alchemist would be worthy of possessing such an Alchemy Furnace, only a Dao Source Grade Alchemist would be qualified to be its owner. What’s more, the strong pill fragrance which came from this Alchemy Furnace was proof it had been used to refine many herbs into pills.
This served as proof that Yang Kai was a Dao Source Grade Alchemist!
As soon as the Alchemy Furnace appeared, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense surged, and hot, invisible Conflagrated Spiritual Energy instantly poured into it, causing the Black Jade Furnace to hum lightly.
“Liu Yan!” Yang Kai whispered again and with a flick of his wrist, a stream of light shot out from his palm.
A loud chirping sound spread across the mountain-top as under everyone’s gaze, a strange-looking Firebird manifested in the sky before it plunged into the Alchemy Furnace.
“An Artifact Spirit!” Lan Xun’s beautiful eyes lit up as she couldn’t help calling out in surprise.
At that moment, although she had only caught a glimpse of Liu Yan, she instinctively sensed that this stream of red light was no small matter, and combined with the scene before her, she immediately deduced that it was a Fire Attribute Artifact Spirit!
A Dao Source Grade Mid-Rank Alchemy Furnace and a Fire Attribute Artifact Spirit…
Such a combination of treasures was something most Alchemists could only dream of. With the help of these two, an Alchemist could achieve twice the result with half the effort when refining any Spirit Pill.
Lan Xun couldn’t help but smile and say, “If there are no accidents, Brother Yang should really be able to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill. Everyone, please be patient and watch.”
Hearing what she said, many people’s expressions lifted as looks of expectation filled their faces.
At the centre of everyone’s attention, Yang Kai had already begun taking out the necessary herbs to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill one by one with a solemn expression.
Next, he methodically threw all kinds of rare herbs into the Alchemy Furnace as he formed different seals with his hands, his Conflagrated Spiritual Energy surging and rolling, portraying various Spirit Arrays inside the furnace.
As he acted, the heat in the Alchemy Furnace changed from time to time unpredictably.
Alchemy required first and foremost a calm mind, and any kind of carelessness could lead to failure. Next, one’s mastery of heat and the timing at which to add herbs was vital…
These were no skills one could acquire overnight. It took years of accumulated experience to master these steps.
Regarding the Alchemic Dao, Yang Kai never had a formal teacher.
However, he seemed to have an extraordinary aptitude and talent for this field. In his early years, he had used the True Alchemic Way left behind by Great Demon God to begin exploring the Alchemic Dao. Later, he obtained the True Alchemy Enlightenment Scripture from Yang Yan’s Emperor Garden, then the jade slip left by Gong Sun Mu after coming to the Star Boundary…
His Alchemy techniques were a combination of these three inheritances as well as his own insights and innovations.
He did not have a Special Constitution like Xia Ning Chang, who could perform Alchemy as easily as if it were eating or breathing, but Yang Kai had his own unique comprehension.
When to put in what kind of herb, what kind of heat to use, all these things had become so familiar to Yang Kai that he could almost perform them instinctually.
If one wanted to name one specific reason for his current level of skill, it would undoubtedly be the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone Yang Kai had triggered years ago!
The Grand Alchemic Dao Tone was a manifestation of the Heavenly Way.
The Heavenly Way had directly imparted its knowledge to him, allowing his Alchemy skills to obtain an unprecedented level of refinement.
But even so, Yang Kai would still put his best whenever performing Alchemy, not daring to show the slightest carelessness.
There was only one Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, and if this refining failed, there would be nothing left. If that happened, he would definitely have to bear the anger of everyone present…
He wasn’t afraid of that though, only that he would ruin this precious spirit flower in vain.
Under such tremendous pressure, his condition actually reached its peak.
*Gululu…*
As time passed, the sound of something boiling emerged from the Alchemy Furnace, which was obviously a sign of the medicinal liquids being condensed. A complex yet sweet fragrance filled the world, one that was both invigorating and refreshing.
Although Yang Kai’s movements weren’t particularly quick, there was a calmness to his gestures which made everyone feel confident in his abilities.
In particular, his ability to smoothly manipulate his Source Qi to control the heat with one hand, while portraying Spirit Arrays inside the furnace with the other, amazed everyone.
Laymen could only see the show, but experts were able to see the method.
Of the cultivators present, almost all had never refined Spirit Pills before, but even if one had never eaten pork, they would still know what a pig was.
Yang Kai’s practice of changing Spirit Arrays repeatedly caused many to be confused, but also elicited admiration.
Just his superb control over the various refinement elements was something no ordinary person could achieve and was obviously the result of a massive amount of talent and practice.
“Senior Brother, do you think Junior Brother Yang can succeed?” Murong Xiao Xiao asked Xiao Bai Yi softly.
“Before the results come out, no one would dare make an assertion,” Xiao Bai Yi replied, but after he said so, he glanced over and asked, “Why? Are you worried about what might happen if he fails?”
Murong Xiao Xiao nodded, “In this situation, if Junior Brother Yang really fails, I’m afraid it will be difficult for him to escape… Although he’s not a disciple of our Temple, he travelled together with us so I hope he does not have an accident.”
“He brought this upon himself,” Xiao Bai Yi snorted coldly, “I still haven’t figured out why he’s bringing so much trouble to himself.”
If Yang Kai had not taken the initiative to stand up and declare he was a Dao Source Grade Alchemist, no one would have guessed he was. However, he stood up and publicly acknowledged he was Dao Source Grade Alchemist and had taken on the task of refining the Extraordinary Treasure Pill.
Even if everything went well though, and the Extraordinary Treasure Pills were successfully refined, Yang Kai didn’t stand to gain any benefits. According to the current situation, once the Extraordinary Treasure Pills were refined, a great battle would surely result, and at that time, who would care about him being the one who refined the Spirit Pills? If he didn’t surrender them, being punched to death was entirely possible…
On the other hand, if things didn’t go well, there would only be one result, Yang Kai being chased to death by everyone!
Doing something so troublesome with no hope of gaining any benefits was the act of a fool.
So Xiao Bai Yi could not figure out why Yang Kai had done this.
Was it just because he was an Alchemist and couldn’t bear seeing a rare spirit flower go to waste? It was true that Alchemists were an eccentric group of people. Sometimes, people would come begging them for Alchemy services but would be ignored; however, if a rare spirit medicine that caught their interest was involved, sometimes they would actually chase after and volunteer their services for free as long as they could be the ones to refine it into a pill.
The Extraordinary Treasure Lotus was undoubtedly one of the most precious spirit flowers in the world due to its extreme rarity! Only one Extraordinary Treasure Lotus would ever appear in the world at any one time.
If Yang Kai wanted to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill for this reason, it would make sense.
But… No matter how Xiao Bai Yi looked at it, he couldn’t imagine Yang Kai being such a pedantic person, nor did he seem to be the type who would put himself into danger just for temporary interests.
[Perhaps… he has the confidence to escape under the eyes of all these Masters?]
After this thought flashed across his mind, Xiao Bai Yi couldn’t help but chuckle, secretly feeling that he was thinking too much.
It was undeniable that Yang Kai was strong, but in the end, he was just one person, so how could he escape under the watchful gazes of so many? Just Wu Chang alone would be enough to hold him down.
As the two talked, Yang Kai continued his efforts.
A total of nineteen auxiliary herbs were thrown into the Black Jade Furnace by him and condensed into medicinal liquids.
Finally, at this moment, he stood up, rushed over to the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus in a few steps, and gently sliced off the blossomed flower.
The mature spirit flower was harvested by Yang Kai in an instant.
All that remained was a delicate stem…
In that instant, everyone’s eyes locked onto this stem as greed filled their eyes.
Although they didn’t know why Yang Kai didn’t harvest the entire Extraordinary Treasure Lotus, this stem was undoubtedly an extremely precious treasure. Even if it was not refined into a pill, swallowing it might have some miraculous effects.
And in front of everyone’s eyes, the top of this stem oozed a milky white liquid, one that was pure and flawless, causing many to gulp.
Not only did the ordinary cultivators have their eyes on this stem, but even Masters like Wu Chang and Xia Sheng were focused on it. However, no one acted rashly and instead turned inquiring eyes towards Yang Kai, not knowing why he had acted this way.
Ignoring everyone, Yang Kai ran back to his Alchemy Furnace and carefully continued to control the fire. When it was time, he threw the freshly picked Extraordinary Treasure Lotus into the furnace.
These few simple actions, however, caused a lot of cold sweat to leak from his forehead, as if he had just faced down a terrifying enemy.
The moment the Extraordinary Treasure Lotus entered the furnace, Yang Kai began forming different seals in order to stabilize the situation inside.
Whistling sounds leaked out as the furnace shook, causing Yang Kai to secretly rejoice he had not hesitated to expose Liu Yan’s existence before beginning this refinement.
The difficulty of refining the Extraordinary Treasure Pill was beyond his expectations, and he knew that if it had not been for Liu Yan’s assistance, he might not have been able to last until the end!