Nine pills was the absolute limit one could refine from a single furnace of ingredients.
Proposing to change the Spirit Pill to one of Dao Source Grade was not because Ji Ying couldn’t win, but because he didn’t want to fight a one-sided battle! He had become an Emperor Alchemist many years ago and refined countless Emperor Yuan Pills. Even if Yang Kai was also an Emperor Alchemist, it was impossible to have the same rich experience he had. If Ji Ying chose to compete in refining the Emperor Yuan Pill, then he would have a great invisible advantage.
If they were to switch to a Dao Source Grade Spirit Pill, he would still have a great advantage, but at least the difference wouldn’t be so big.
Yang Kai shook his head, “No need. Many thanks to Grandmaster Ji for his kind intentions. Let’s just refine the Emperor Yuan Pill!”
He naturally knew the reason why Ji Ying made this suggestion, and his impression of him also improved a little bit as a result.
Not just anyone could become the Chief Alchemist of High Heaven Palace, even if it was a Legacy Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor like Ji Ying. If his character was not honourable, then Yang Kai would not have his eyes set on him.
Thanks to how readily he was able to admit his mistake regarding Li Xuan’s incident, even apologizing and openly expelling Li Xuan from Medicine Pill Valley, Yang Kai surmised from this that Ji Ying must have a righteous character. This latest suggestion only furthered that impression.
To put it another way, Ji Ying was a disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor and one of Medicine Pill Valley’s people, so even if he did not apologize to Yang Kai just now, there was nothing Yang Kai could do about it. That was unless he really wanted to take the risk of offending Medicine Pill Valley and making things difficult for him.
Just a single one of those deeds would have been enough. Even though Ji Ying had a noble status, he did not have the typical arrogance that most Alchemists had. And, with his identity as an Emperor Alchemist, then there would be no need for Yang Kai to worry about Spirit Pills in the future if he were to become High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist.
Ji Ying could even nurture a new generation of Alchemists for High Heaven Palace!
The development of a Sect could not be achieved by Yang Kai’s efforts alone. Only when many came together and contributed would High Heaven Palace truly thrive.
“Since Palace Master Yang insists, then this Ji naturally has no problem with it,” Ji Ying said in a sullen voice, seemingly feeling vexed that his kind intentions had been ignored.
As he said that, he turned his hands over to reveal a pile of herbs that were separated into two portions, “These are two sets of herbs used to refine the Emperor Yuan Pill. Whether it be in quality or age, there is no difference. Please inspect them, Palace Master Yang.”
Yang Kai smiled, “I trust Grandmaster Ji’s integrity.”
“Then choose one!” Ji Ying said.
Yang Kai casually chose one set of herbs. Ji Ying’s reputation and status was the guarantee here. Even if he wanted to win against Yang Kai, he would defeat him in an up front competition of Alchemy skills. It was impossible for him to play any sort of trickery with him.
When he saw how relaxed and at ease Yang Kai was, Ji Ying felt angry for some reason and coldly snorted, “In that case, let us begin. Palace Master Yang, as an Emperor Alchemist, you naturally have your own Alchemy Furnace, correct? Do you need me to lend you one?”
“No need,” Yang Kai smiled and shook his head.
If they were competing as Alchemists, then they should naturally compete in public where it’s impossible to hide anything. As such, the two of them sat down directly in the hall.
With a casual flick of Ji Ying’s hand, a tripod-style Alchemy Furnace appeared and landed steadily on the ground. With the appearance of this Alchemy Furnace, a clear and peculiar aroma spread out in the hall that shook one’s spirit. The Alchemy Furnace clearly had a long history, with two dragon heads on each side that appeared vivid and lifelike. These dragon heads weren’t just decorations though and seemed to be essential instruments for controlling the flames inside the furnace. As for the interior of the furnace, there was a dense runic pattern that would make one dizzy just by staring at it.
A burst of Emperor Intent permeated the air!
“Good furnace!” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up full of praise.
As he was also an Alchemist, he naturally had a special love for good Alchemy Furnaces. As soon as Ji Ying brought out this furnace, Yang Kai knew that it was no ordinary treasure, and from the fragrance it was releasing, Yang Kai could infer that Ji Ying had definitely refined countless Spirit Pills with this Alchemy Furnace. He should have reached a level of one-ness with this Alchemy Furnace.
Ji Ying said proudly, “This is the lowest quality Alchemy Furnace that this Ji has on hand.”
He took out his worst Alchemy Furnace not solely because he did not want to take advantage of Yang Kai, but also because he was confident of his own skill.
Yang Kai nodded lightly before waving his hand and summoning out his own Alchemy Furnace.
The body of the entire Alchemy Furnace had a black lustre to it and a faint Emperor Intent also spread out the moment it appeared. It was clearly an existence of the same level as the Alchemy Furnace Ji Ying took out. Seeing Yang Kai possess an Emperor Grade Alchemy Furnace, Ji Ying couldn’t help but feel stunned, as if he did not expect Yang Kai to have such heritage as well.
But on second thought, it would be normal for Yang Kai to have an Emperor Grade Alchemy Furnace if he really was an Emperor Alchemist.
With the showdown imminent, Ji Ying did not think about it anymore and quickly focused his mind. Even if his opponent was a young man who did not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth, Ji Ying would not take anything lightly. Even a lion will use its full strength to hunt down a rabbit.
Only by showing his true skills and defeating him in all aspects would Ji Ying be able to show respect to the Alchemic Dao and live up to the many years of teaching he received from his Honoured master.
“Shall we begin?” Ji Ying looked at Yang Kai with a solemn expression.
Yang Kai was just about to nod when he suddenly looked to the side and smiled, “Sect Master Mi, Palace Master Li, are you going to place bets?”
“We can bet as well?” Mi Qi and Li Jiao looked at each other, both a little surprised.
“Since you’ve already come, you shouldn’t go home empty-handed, should you?” Yang Kai looked at them with a smile.
“Very well!” Mi Qi exclaimed, “Let’s bet. Only, I don’t know how big of a bet Palace Master Yang is able to afford!”
“As big as you want. We can even bet our Sect’s foundations,” Yang Kai answered casually.
“Wha…” Mi Qi and Li Jiao’s faces changed when they heard this, shocked by Yang Kai’s words. Such stakes were simply too big. Even though Mi Qi and Li Jiao had the intention to add insult to injury here, slicing a few pieces of meat off Yang Kai’s arrogant face, they did not even dare to think about gambling using their Sects’ foundations.
Even if they had absolute confidence in Ji Ying, they wouldn’t dare to gamble so much.
“You don’t dare?” Yang Kai looked at them tauntingly.
“It’s not that I don’t dare to, but rather that it is excessive. We have no enmity with each other, so why raise the stakes so high?” Mi Qi acted obstinately, but he was actually just worried.
“That’s right. Let’s just add some casual interest.”
“In that case, what sort of wager do you think is acceptable?” Yang Kai asked.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao looked at each other, their Divine Senses surging as they seemingly discussed something.
Yang Kai was in no hurry either and just sat to the side and waited, smiling at Ji Ying as he commented, “The weather is good today.”
Ji Ying frowned, thinking to himself, [Is he just spouting nonsense now? The skies are clear for tens of thousands of kilometres outside. Even a fool can see that.]
But why was he saying this to him? To mess with his mind? How wicked!
He couldn’t help but glare at Yang Kai before turning back to the front, ignoring him.
“Palace Master Yang. Brother Li and I have decided,” Mi Qi suddenly said.
Yang Kai gestured for him to continue.
Mi Qi said, “Brother Li and I will bet ten years of our respective Sect’s revenues. I wonder if Sect Master Yang dares to accept this wager or not!”
Even Ji Ying was slightly moved when he heard the stakes.
Ten years of a Sect’s revenue may be simple enough to say, but it could amount to a terrifying figure if converted into Source Crystals. For top Sects such as the Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace with countless industries under their jurisdiction and numerous Source Crystal Lodes they mined, one year’s revenue would amount to at least fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals.
Ten years, that would mean five hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals!
With two major Sects together, that would equal one billion High-Rank Source Crystals!
That was simply a terrifying number.
From the looks of it, Mi Qi and Li Jiao had ruthlessly decided to shave some benefits from High heaven Palace. Ji Ying glanced at Yang Kai, wondering what sort of expression he had right now.
He probably… wasn’t looking too good, right?
But when he turned to look, Ji Ying was stunned as Yang Kai sneered with disdain, “You two are leading figures in the Northern Territory, but that’s all you can afford? How stingy.”
“Stingy?” Mi Qi’s face darkened, “You dare call us stingy?!”
Li Jiao narrowed his eyes, “Is Palace Master Yang not just trying to play tricks? You actually don’t dare to take our bets, do you?”
He thought he was able to see through Yang Kai’s thoughts, and his voice was filled with insinuations.
“Fifty years!” Yang Kai exclaimed, holding up his hand, “I’ll bet fifty years with each of you, fifty years of each Sect’s revenue!”
Mi Qi and Li Jiao both sucked in a breath of cold air.
Ji Ying also stared at Yang Kai with wide eyes as if he were a madman.
“You, you…” Mi Qi began to stutter, revealing the violent fluctuation of his emotions, “Do you know how much Full Sky Sect can earn in 50 years? And you dare run your mouth off!”
Yang Kai replied calmly, “If you count 50 million High-Rank Source Crystals a year, ten years makes five hundred million, so fifty years will be two and a half billion! That’s only five billion in total for your two Sects, right?”
“Only… five billion!” Li Jiao almost choked to death when he heard Yang Kai’s words. He really wanted to ask Yang Kai whether he truly knew how much five billion High-Rank Source Crystals actually was.
Yang Kai snorted and looked at them disdainfully, “What, are you two too afraid to bet? Or do you have no confidence in Grandmaster Ji?”
The first sentence was fine, but the second sentence made things difficult. If they really backed out now, wouldn’t that mean they had no faith in Ji Ying as Yang Kai said? This could become a big deal as it may end up offending Ji Ying.
How sinister and cunning! Li Jiao and Mi Qi were both grinding their teeth in anger.
Naturally, they couldn’t back down now that things have already come to this, so Li Jiao coldly snorted, “Naturally, Brother Mi Qi and I do not have a problem with this. If you want to bet fifty years worth of revenue, then so be it! But I don’t know whether Palace Master Yang can take out that much to bet with!”
“Exactly!” Mi Qi nodded approvingly, “Five billion High-Rank Source Crystals is no small amount. If Palace Master Yang goes back on his word, what can Brother Li and I do to you?”
“Ridiculous!” Yang Kai pointed to his own nose, “Do I look like the type of man who doesn’t keep his word?”
Mi Qi and Li Jiao both observed him seriously for a moment before the latter said, “It’s not like we know each other well! How should we know what sort of person you are?”
“Good, good, good,” Yang Kai looked utterly exasperated, making Mi Qi and Li Jiao feel as if he was just pretending.
Mi Qi laughed, “If Palace Master Yang can come up with the bet, what’s the harm for Brother Li and me to place our bets?”
“That’s what you said, so don’t regret it!” Yang Kai jumped to his feet.
“Take it out, then!” Li Jiao urged him as if he could see through Yang Kai.
“I’ll do it now!” Yang Kai shouted.
“Do it, then!”
“Here!” Yang Kai turned his hand over and a Space Ring appeared on his palm which immediately attracted everyone’s attention.
[He really brought it out?]
Mi Qi and Li Jiao exchanged glances, both slightly shocked but at the same time, very disbelieving.
Yang Kai may have destroyed Seeking Passion Sect and occupied their foundation, gaining all the wealth accumulated by them over the years, but they still did not think that Yang Kai really had five billion High-Rank Source Crystals in that ring.
Seeking Passion Sect was similar to Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect. Even though their annual revenue was astonishing, their expenditure was equally shocking. Most of the revenue they gained would end up being spent each year while only a fraction would be saved.
Even Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace only had about a billion High-Rank Source Crystals in reserve, so Seeking Passion Sect probably had a similar amount.
In other words, even if Yang Kai had taken all of Seeking Passion Sect’s wealth for himself, it would only amount to around a billion High-Rank Source Crystals. Adding the other treasures Seeking Passion Sect possessed, it would probably only total around two or three billion Source Crystals. How could he possibly just take out five billion?
“It’s not that we don’t trust Palace Master Yang, but Brother Li and I will have to inspect Palace Master Yang’s ring,” Mi Qi quickly said.
“Naturally, it has to be confirmed,” Yang Kai nodded, “However… I will have to trouble Grandmaster Ji to perform this inspection. The two of you can trust Grandmaster Ji, can’t you?”
“Naturally,” Mi Qi quickly nodded.
Li Jiao also had no problem with that.
“Then I shall trouble you, Grandmaster Ji,” Yang Kai smiled and tossed the ring to Ji Ying.
Ji Ying took it and carelessly swept the contents with his Divine Sense, but in the next instant, his eyes bulged as he gasped in shock, “This…”
He was an Emperor Alchemist and had no shortage of wealth. The number of people clamouring to seek Alchemy services from him in the Northern Territory was simply uncountable, and each time he took action, he would gain much in terms of remuneration. Don’t even mention five billion High-Rank Source Crystals, even ten billion would not be enough to shock Ji Ying so much.
But at this moment, he was so astonished that he couldn’t utter a word. His expression clearly showed that he had seen something incredible.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao were also shocked at this reaction and wondered just what sort of good things were kept inside that ring for Grandmaster Ji to lose himself like this. They were extremely curious, but they couldn’t just snatch it to see for themselves.
They didn’t think that Yang Kai would let them see it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked Ji Ying to check the ring.
“Where… Where did you get so many?” Ji Ying turned his head around and directed a shocked look at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai chuckled, taking back the Space Ring from Ji Ying’s hand and shaking his head, “I can’t tell you!”
Ji Ying gulped, looking in reluctance as Yang Kai put away the ring, but he also knew that it was probably one of Yang Kai’s greatest secrets, so he didn’t pursue the question.
After a moment of hesitation, he said, “Palace Master Yang. If you were to lose this competition, then I don’t want your head. Instead, how about giving me half of what you have in that ring?”
He had no intention to take Yang Kai’s life to begin with, he just wanted to scare him, so now that a better option had appeared, Ji Ying had no qualms about changing the gambling stakes.
The contents of the ring were none other than the million Monster Cores that Yang Kai brought back from the Ancient Wild Land.
Ten billion Source Crystals was indeed not enough to move Ji Ying, but a million Monster Cores was an entirely different story. There were so many Monster Cores piled up in that ring, not to mention the amount of Twelfth-Order Monster Cores among them. Don’t even mention the fact that Ji Ying had never seen such a sight, not even the Ten Great Emperors had seen such wealth.
Moreover, there was no end to the uses for Monster Cores. Monster Cores were a key component in Alchemy and a good Monster Core was the best ingredient to refine the highest grade of Spirit Pills.
These things were a much greater attraction to Ji Ying compared to Source Crystals, so it was no wonder he became so eager.
“You want them, Grandmaster Ji?” Yang Kai looked at him with a smirk.
Ji Ying’s face reddened and with a dry cough, he said, “What Alchemist would not want such a good thing?”
“If you want it, I can give it all to you,” Yang Kai’s smile did not diminish.
“Truly!?” Ji Ying was shocked, but he quickly realized what he meant and his face darkened, “You’re not trying to get this Ji to become your High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist as a condition, are you?”
Yang Kai laughed, “Grandmaster Ji is wise!”
Ji Ying grunted, “It’s a fine idea you have, Palace Master Yang, but unfortunately, this Ji will not agree to it.”
Yang Kai had expected this answer, so he naturally wasn’t disappointed and just nodded, “In that case, then Grandmaster Ji can have half if he wins.”
“Good good good. I hope Palace Master Yang is truly a man of his word!” Ji Ying was overjoyed. To him, this agreement was no different than Yang Kai gifting him with the Monster Cores already.
He did not think he would lose to Yang Kai in Alchemy at all.
“Grandmaster Ji, is what’s contained inside that ring really worth five billion?” Li Jiao and Mi Qi still did not know what the ring was worth even after listening at the side for a while, so they couldn’t help but ask.
“Five billion?” Ji Ying looked at them with disdain, “The contents of that ring is enough to outright buy both of your Sects!”
“What!?” Mi Qi and Li Jiao were both stunned.
Enough to buy their Sects? What sort of treasures were kept inside that ring for Grandmaster Ji to say something so shocking with such certainty?
They were even more curious now and wanted nothing more than to knock Yang Kai unconscious and snatch that ring to see for themselves.
“This Palace Master’s capital has been confirmed. Do you two still want to bet?” Yang Kai turned his gaze to Mi Qi and Li Jiao.
Mi Qi frowned and said firmly, “Of course! Why not? Who would deny a free gift?”
“That’s right.” Li Jiao also chimed in, “This King believes in Grandmaster Ji.”
Ji Ying frowned, “If you two are going to bet, then that’s your own business, winning or losing is none of my business.”
Alchemy was not for gambling in Ji Ying’s mind. He only agreed to gamble with Yang Kai this time because he had been provoked. Naturally, he did not want Li Jiao and Mi Qi to tie their fortunes to his victory, making it seem as if their victory or defeat were his responsibility.
“Yes, yes. Grandmaster Ji is right,” Li Jiao quickly changed his tone, “This bet is purely between us and Palace Master Yang.”
In that case, let’s begin.” Yang Kai smiled.
Ji Ying turned his head to look at him, “You start first.”
Yang Kai quickly said, “Grandmaster Ji, are you sure you should be looking down on your opponent like this?”
Even though he said this, his hands did not remain idle. Brushing his hair back out of the way, as if he was preparing to go all out. Snapping his fingers, he had the lid of his Black Jade Furnace fly off as he tossed one of the prepared sets of spirit herbs inside.
A whirring could be heard, seemingly from the burning flames, as the temperature of the air rose instantly, but strangely enough, there was no sign of Yang Kai using his Emperor Qi.
“Conflagrated Knowledge Sea!” Ji Ying’s face changed as he muttered in surprise.
He did not expect Yang Kai to have the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea. This alone was enough for him to take things seriously.
The Conflagrated Knowledge Sea was a type of Mutated Knowledge Sea, and when it came to Alchemy and Artifact Refining, those with the Conflagrated Knowledge Seas had a unique advantage. This was because one’s Divine Sense played a big role in refinement professions. Whether it be controlling the flames or timing, both of them required the use of one’s Divine Sense.
For those with the Conflagrated Knowledge Sea, they were able to directly adjust the heat of the flames and grasp the timing of when to add ingredients rather than needing to use their Qi to make adjustments while monitoring with their Divine Sense.
Even when it came to portraying Spirit Arrays, no additional carrier was required as they could use their Spiritual Energy to act directly.
This was something other Alchemists were unable to match.
“So, that’s how it is. No wonder he’s so confident. He actually possesses a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea.” Ji Ying finally understood what gave Yang Kai such confidence. His expression instantly turned serious and he did not delay any longer, both hands turning over as he pushed out his Emperor Qi, causing a fire to rise up immediately inside of the tripod dual dragon furnace.
An equal set of spirit herbs was tossed into the Alchemy Furnace by Ji Ying, and a sizzle could be heard. Ji Ying quickly formed seals with both hands, drawing a Spirit Array inside the Alchemy Furnace that assisted in the condensation of medicinal liquid.
For a time, the hall was silent. Only Yang Kai and Ji Ying’s power surged as both Alchemy Furnaces emitted a burning energy.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao were both extremely curious now, but they were stopped by the three great Monster Kings from approaching too closely.
An Alchemist was not to be disturbed while they were performing Alchemy, that was a basic rule all had to follow. The three Monster Kings were naturally extremely guarded against the two of them, fearing that they may try to disturb Yang Kai, so Mi Qi and Li Jiao could only grumble and stare, not being able to do anything.
“Can Palace Master win?” Hua Qing Si and Zhu Qing were standing a short distance away, watching them silently.
Yang Kai and Ji Ying were duelling against each other in an Alchemy competition, which made Hua Qing Si very nervous, so she quietly transmitted that question to Zhu Qing.
“I don’t know anything about Alchemy,” Zhu Qing answered bluntly.
Hua Qing Si thought the same. Though she had seen people refine pills before, she herself wasn’t too knowledgeable on the subject. She couldn’t see who had the upper hand in this situation at all.
“But looking at him, he seems very confident,” Zhu Qing added.
Hearing that answer, Hua Qing Si quickly observed Yang Kai and sure enough, his expression was filled with confidence and fighting spirit just as Zhu Qing commented. If he had no hopes of winning, then he would never have such an expression.
This discovery helped Hua Qing Si calm down as she secretly cheered Yang Kai on.
*Chi chi chi chi…*
The sounds of the flames burning inside the furnaces were incessant and the hands of the two men competing with each other constantly formed new and complex seals. Fine and delicate Spirit Arrays formed and dissolved inside the Alchemy Furnaces as spirit herbs were thrown in one by one. The medicinal liquid condensed inside soon filled the air with its fragrance.
Ji Ying had been quietly observing Yang Kai’s movements the whole time, as even though Yang Kai had a Conflagrated Knowledge Sea and should not be taken lightly, Ji Ying still felt that Yang Kai couldn’t beat him.
But Ji Ying’s observations made him sure of one thing, and that was the fact that Yang Kai was really an Emperor Alchemist. His foundation was extremely solid, and his actions when it came to condensing medicinal liquid were also meticulous without the slightest flaw. The medicinal liquid that he condensed was extremely pure.
If he were not an Emperor Alchemist, then it would be impossible for him to achieve this level of perfection.
Ji Ying suddenly felt somewhat jubilant that another Emperor Alchemist had appeared in the world. If this news were told to his Honoured Master, then his Honoured Master would certainly be happy. The Alchemic Dao had a long and profound history, and was much harder to traverse than the Martial Dao, leading to the scarcity of Alchemists in the world.
Other people could only see the endless grandeur of Alchemists, but how many understood the monumental effort each Grandmaster needed to make in order to reach such a height?
Medicine Pill Valley was committed to carrying forward the Alchemic Dao, and the disciples under Wondrous Pill Great Emperor also took that as their responsibility. Naturally, they hoped that there could be more Alchemists in the Star Boundary, as only with the introduction of more Alchemists would there be enough Spirit Pills to match the needs of the cultivators of this world, allowing the Martial Dao to grow and prosper.
As he observed, Ji Ying was slightly stunned. That was because he suddenly discovered that the medicinal liquid condensed by Yang Kai was no worse than his own in terms of purity…
Even more shockingly, the order and timing which Yang Kai used to add spirit herbs was identical to his own.
Spirit Pills did not have unique recipes.
Every Alchemist perceived the Alchemic Dao differently, and their comprehensions and skills were also different, leading to subtle differences between how different Alchemists refine each type of Spirit Pill. For example, the timing and order in which one added spirit herbs to their Alchemy Furnace.
Some Alchemists feel that it was better to put in one type of spirit herb first, while another Alchemist may choose another to start with, creating a scenario where many pill recipes existed for each type of Spirit Pill. Perhaps the differences may even go as far as the types of herbs used.
A pill recipe contained not only the ingredients needed to refine a pill, but also a complete refinement process. Rather than a pill recipe, it would be more accurate to describe it as a pill refinement manual.
This was the true preciousness of a pill recipe, as it was the crystallization of an Alchemist’s efforts.
Right now, Ji Ying was surprised to find that Yang Kai’s techniques and process when it came to refining this Emperor Yuan Pill were strikingly similar to his own, almost as if they were carved from the same mould.
In other words, the Emperor Yuan Pill recipe that Yang Kai mastered was the same as his own.
But how could that be?
The Emperor Yuan Pill was used by Emperor Realm cultivators to restore Emperor Qi, and was also the most common type of Emperor Grade Spirit Pill. As far as Yi Jing knew, there were at least eight different versions of this Spirit Pill’s recipe. Though they were similar, there were still differences between them.
And, the best Emperor Yuan Pill recipe was naturally the one that he mastered, because this recipe was personally created by Wondrous Pill Great Emperor many years ago. It was not an exaggeration to say that there was no better pill recipe for the Emperor Yuan Pill in the Star Boundary.
This pill recipe was only taught by Wondrous Pill Great Emperor to his few disciples, so no outsider could possibly know it.
Seeing traces of this pill recipe from Yang Kai naturally came as a surprise to Ji Ying.
But Ji Ying wasn’t the only one surprised. Everyone watching them also had strange expressions on their faces.
That was because they discovered that Yang Kai and Ji Ying’s Alchemy process was almost exactly the same, the only difference being Yang Kai moving slightly ahead of Ji Ying. This was not because Ji Ying’s skills were any worse than Yang Kai’s, but because he started after him.
Even though they understood that, it still looked off, as if Ji Ying was imitating Yang Kai’s Alchemy process. He would take whatever herb Yang Kai took, and also follow whatever timing Yang Kai used to add herbs into the Alchemy Furnace…
The suspicions in Ji Ying’s heart grew heavier and heavier. He originally thought that this situation was mere coincidence, but halfway through, he became certain that the two of them had mastered the exact same pill recipe.
“Where did you obtain this pill recipe from?” Ji Ying could not help but ask.
This was the pill recipe passed down to him and his brothers and sister by his Honoured Master. How could it have fallen into the hands of an outsider?
“Grandmaster Ji, you’re distracted.” Yang Kai’s expression remained unchanged, “If you remain so, you’ll lose this competition.”
Ji Ying’s body shook as he broke out into a cold sweat. He had focused on his doubts about Yang Kai’s pill recipe and actually became distracted from his own Alchemy, leading to him not being able to give his all while in the process of condensing the medicinal liquids. Now, looking back to his work, his medicinal liquid seemed to be just slightly worse than Yang Kai’s.
Condensing medicinal liquid was the first step of Alchemy, and also the most foundational. If something went wrong in this step, it would definitely affect the quality of the Spirit Pills refined.
Alchemy was just like chess, one mistake will lead to many others. Failure to do one’s best at any step could lead one down a losing battle.
He couldn’t lose! This match concerned Medicine Pill Valley’s reputation and his Honoured Master’s name. Ji Ying definitely couldn’t afford to lose.
Abruptly, it was as if Ji Ying had changed into a whole other person. An indescribable aura radiated from his body, and he instantly immersed his mind into Alchemy with nothing else being able to distract him anymore.
Yang Kai’s expression was equally serious. Even though he was an Emperor Alchemist, it was his first time competing against another Emperor Alchemist. What’s more, this person was one of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor’s Legacy Disciples.
If he didn’t give it his all, then he definitely wouldn’t be able to win.
The Conflagrated Knowledge Sea that Ji Ying had seen was not the only thing Yang Kai had at his disposal. It was merely a small advantage for him. His real advantage came from the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone!
Back then, on Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s main star, Water Moon Star, he was able to invoke the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone one time during Alchemy, and was granted Alchemy techniques directly by the Heavenly Way. Since then, Yang Kai had been advancing through the Alchemic Dao in leaps and bounds.
Had it not been for that opportunity, how could Yang Kai’s skill in Alchemy have grown so rapidly? He hardly spent much time on Alchemy over the years, so generally speaking, it would have to be pure luck for him to even become a Dao Source Grade Alchemist by now while it should have been an impossibility for him to become an Emperor Alchemist.
But with the heritage granted to him by the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, Yang Kai was able to easily climb to the level of Emperor Alchemist.
Even so, he could not compare himself to a veteran Emperor Alchemist like Ji Ying, so he had to go all out in this competition.
His mind suddenly became ethereal, as if he had merged with the world. A wonderful feeling rose from his heart.
Yang Kai’s hand movements changed and suddenly his actions became erratic, his arms flailing about, as if he were having a seizure.
*Chi…*
Li Jiao and Mi Qi almost broke out in laughter at the sight of that; however, under the watchful eyes of the three Monster Kings, they could only endure it.
Looking back at Ji Ying, they could see that his movements were as smooth as flowing water. It was a pleasure just to watch him. Compared to Yang Kai’s almost possessed performance, it was simply Heaven and Hell.
[He’s still trying to win against Grandmaster Ji with such shoddy technique? He simply doesn’t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.]
Hua Qing Si had also noticed this, and an anxious look appeared on her face. She had no idea what Yang Kai was doing at all. He seemed fine just a moment ago, so why did he suddenly change so abruptly?
“Huh?”
Out of everyone present, only a single person suddenly began staring at Yang Kai with full attention. An extremely shocked expression was revealed on his face and his eyes did not even move the slightest bit.
This person was Ji Ying’s First Disciple.
This disciple did not have a good impression of Yang Kai, not because of Li Xuan’s slanderous remarks about him, but because he was the reason that Li Xuan was expelled from the Sect by their Honoured Master. Even though he did not approve of what Li Xuan did, they had been fellow brothers for many years and more or less shared some comradery between them.
He originally thought of waiting for their Master’s anger to pass before persuading him to take Li Xuan back under his tutelage; after all, his Junior Brother was still young and mistakes were inevitable. It should be fine as long as he knew his faults and was willing to change, but Yang Kai didn’t even give him that chance.
He looked down on Yang Kai in his heart, and didn’t believe for one moment that Yang Kai would win this competition with Ji Ying, so he kept on watching him with a hateful gaze, wanting to see how he would look when he was defeated by his Honoured Master.
But unexpectedly, he ended up seeing something astonishing.
In other people’s eyes, Yang Kai was twitching about like a madman, his hands waving randomly without any sense of aesthetics, but in this young disciple’s eyes, things were very different. He was vaguely able to catch sight of something as he observed, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to grasp its essence, causing sweat to form on his forehead. He watched Yang Kai carefully with his eyes wide, refusing to miss even a single moment.
Inside the hall, the medicinal fragrance had grown even more intense. All of the spirit medicines had already been added to the Alchemy Furnaces by the two Alchemists and condensed into pure medicinal liquid. The lids were now closed, and the refinement stage had begun.
As threads of power were being released, nobody could see inside the Alchemy Furnace, to see how each of the Spirit Arrays was drawn and extinguished or how the medicinal liquids were mixed and integrated together.
All of a sudden, Ji Ying’s First Disciple fell to his knees.
This movement startled everyone except for Yang Kai and Ji Ying.
Hua Qing Si looked over at him and could see that this young man was now sweating buckets, as if he had just been through a life or death struggle. His face was pale and his eyes were bloodshot, but still, he kept on staring at Yang Kai.
“What happened?” Hua Qing Si quickly went over to him and tried to help him up.
If something were to happen to Ji Ying’s First Disciple here, then it would be hard to give Ji Ying a confession.
“Don’t touch me!” The First Disciple shouted, veins bulging on his face, giving him a terrifying look.
Hua Qing Si’s outstretched hand froze in place as she felt irritated inside, having no idea what this boy was so mad about.
“Oh?” Yang Kai spared a glance at that moment at this disciple and grinned at him, “So, you managed to see something useful? Good, look properly, it will be up to you whether you can learn anything from this.”
To the side, both Mi Qi and Li Jiao glared when they heard what Yang Kai said, their lips curling with disdain. Where did this little bastard get the guts to talk so big? The young man next to them was Ji Ying’s First Disciple. Even if he were going to learn anything, it wouldn’t be from Yang Kai, so what was he so riled up about? What’s more, with Yang Kai’s lacklustre skills, he probably couldn’t even surpass this First Disciple, yet he still dared to boast so shamelessly? Wasn’t he afraid of biting his own tongue?
But as soon as they finished that thought, they saw that disciple clench his teeth with his eyes widening even more as he loudly exclaimed, “Many thanks, Grandmaster Yang!”
“What?” Li Jiao and Mi Qi were both stunned and couldn’t help swapping glances, both of them able to see the shock in each other’s eyes.
What on earth happened to this First Disciple? Why did he thank Yang Kai? He even called him Grandmaster Yang…
This was impossible, right? His Honoured Master was right there in front of him. Wasn’t he worried about angering his Honoured Master?
What on earth is going on!
Even though Ji Ying was fully concentrated, he was still shocked at what his disciple just said. Hearing him give such deference to Yang Kai, he could not help but frown, thinking to himself that this brat was actually siding with an outsider. What had he been raising him all those years for?
Curious, he glanced over at Yang Kai’s side.
As soon as he looked over though, Ji Ying’s movements froze and his eyes bulged, even forgetting about the Spirit Pills inside his Alchemy Furnace.
His attainments in Alchemy were countless times higher than that of his own disciple, so it was naturally impossible for him not to catch what his disciple was able to see.
In Ji Ying’s eyes, what he saw was not Yang Kai’s erratic movements, but rather the pinnacle of the Alchemic Dao! Yang Kai’s movements, while outwardly random, actually contained within them a kind of resonance and harmony with the Alchemic Dao, and even seemed to contain a kind of higher truth that Ji Ying was unable to understand.
A situation like this was something he had only seen from his own Honoured Master, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. He never thought that he would actually have the opportunity to find the same traces in another person.
[Impossible!]
A storm suddenly exploded in Ji Ying’s heart. How could there be such a Heaven defying existence in this world? To think Yang Kai had comprehended the essence of the Alchemic Dao just like his Honoured Master!
[No. Even Honoured Master wouldn’t have possibly achieved such a feat at such a young age.]
Ji Ying was completely dumbfounded, and he had the indescribable feeling that the one competing with him in an Alchemy match right now was not a youth called Yang Kai, but rather the embodiment of the Grand Dao that he had been searching for his whole life but had never caught hold of.
How could he win?
His mind was instantly thrown into a slight disarray, causing his tripod furnace to suddenly hiss and tremble.
“Grandmaster Ji, you…” Li Jiao and Mi Qi both exclaimed in unison.
Even though they did not know anything about Alchemy, nor could they glean anything from what they were seeing, Ji Ying was clearly a little out of it at the moment. How could they not realize the problem with his state of mind from the change in his complexion?
[How could this happen?] If Ji Ying were to lose here, then he wouldn’t have much to lose, but the both of them would have to turn over fifty years of their respective Sect’s revenue! If they lost here, then the disciples of their two Sects would have to tighten their belts and live a frugal life for the next half a century.
Ji Ying had a start and suddenly came back to his senses, remembering that he was still in the middle of a match. Instantly, he felt both upset and ashamed of himself.
This was already his second lapse in concentration, and this was bound to affect the results of his Alchemy as a whole. However, he was an experienced veteran so he quickly suppressed the instability inside his furnace and rescued his work.
He forced himself to calm down and tossed away all distracting thoughts. All of a sudden, Ji Ying’s movements became much more fluid under an immense amount of concentration and pressure.
He seemed to have gained some vague insight at this moment.
As Ji Ying’s First Disciple continued staring wide-eyed at Yang Kai’s movements, his eyes became more and more bloodshot, and his body shivered and shook. It looked like he was being tormented greatly, but his expression was one of immense joy.
As time passed, wisps of pill fragrance began to emerge. This was not only the aroma of spirit herbs, but also the fragrance of the Spirit Pill itself.
The release of this fragrance meant that the refinement had reached the final stage. As long as no mistakes were made, the Spirit Pills would be finished soon.
The closer it came to the end, the more uneasy Mi Qi and Li Jiao began to feel. They had no idea if Ji Ying could beat Yang Kai or not, despite the fact that they were fully confident in Ji Ying’s abilities before. But Ji Ying’s unstable state of mind earlier made them a little apprehensive. They had no idea if that momentary distraction would affect the quality of the Spirit Pills refined in the end.
Another hour passed, and now the medicinal fragrance in the hall was so dense that it was almost material. Yang Kai’s ever-moving hands finally came to a stop, and he had a solemn look on his face. Patting the Black Jade Furnace, he let out a great shout.
“Pill Condensing!”
The faces of the crowd froze as they knew that Yang Kai’s refinement had truly reached the final stage now.
This process was an extremely important step in Alchemy as a good Pill Condensing Technique could allow an Alchemist to refine a higher amount of Spirit Pills, and in greater quality.
On the other side, Ji Ying also tapped on his own Alchemy Furnace, and the lid of the furnace flew off. He too had entered the Pill Condensing stage.
Watching this scene, Mi Qi and Li Jiao could not help but sigh with relief.
They knew that Yang Kai definitely won’t be able to win against Ji Ying at this stage. The reason for that was because the Pill Condensing Technique that Ji Ying mastered was taught to him by the Great Emperor himself. Even if Yang Kai managed to become an Emperor Alchemist, he couldn’t have a better Pill Condensing Technique than Ji Ying.
The two of them didn’t dare to pretend they understood anything either and quickly looked towards the First Disciple, trying to get some clues from his expression.
But as soon as they looked, both their hearts sank.
The reason for that was because the First Disciple was actually still staring at Yang Kai’s movements with a look of amazement in his bloodshot eyes, completely ignoring his own Honoured Master.
[No way, this Yang Kai couldn’t have a superior Pill Condensing Technique, could he? But if not, why would Ji Ying’s Disciple not take this chance to learn from his Honoured Master and instead study Yang Kai?]
[It must be because this Disciple lacks in skills and vision!]
Mi Qi and Li Jiao tried to reassure themselves. Even if Ji Ying was distracted twice during their match, they still had high hopes that Ji Ying would win.
With the Nine Heavens Profound Pill Art, seal after seal was struck into the Black Jade Furnace, perfecting the very last step of this pill refinement.
This was the Pill Condensing Technique that Yang Kai learned from the Grand Alchemic Dao Tone, which was slightly better even against the technique created by the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor himself.
*Ding ling ling…*
A pleasant noise suddenly sounded in the pill furnace.
The pills were complete!
Yang Kai quickly moved over and tapped the Black Jade Furnace, causing a series of round Spirit Pills to fly out. Mi Qi and Li Jiao were all watching with their eyes wide. They wanted to see how many pills Yang Kai had refined and what quality they were, but before they could get a good look, Yang Kai had popped them into a jade bottle he had prepared beforehand.
This inevitably caused the two to grit their teeth in anger.
On the other side, Ji Ying also finished his Pill Condensing. After laying down the last seal, several Emperor Yuan Pills flew out from his Alchemy Furnace which he swiftly grabbed and stored into a jade bottle in his left hand.
“Refinement complete!” Yang Kai pressed down both hands and relaxed his breathing.
Ji Ying stood there motionless with a frown pressed between his brows, seemingly thinking about something. Meanwhile, the moment Yang Kai finished refining, the First Disciple closed his eyes and kneeled there like a statue, mind seemingly wandering elsewhere.
Both Mi Qi and Li Jiao were extremely anxious. They couldn’t wait to know the result of this competition. Even though they felt that the chances of Ji Ying losing were quite low, they still felt a little nervous when it came time to announce a verdict.
After all, this concerned fifty years of revenue from each of their Sects, five billion High-Rank Source Crystals were on the line.
Ji Ying did not move, and Yang Kai couldn’t just disturb him either. He knew that he was currently pondering on the success or failure of this Alchemy session, which was an extremely important moment for an Alchemist. Looking around, he caught Zhu Qing who was looking towards him and winked at her.
Zhu Qing’s face was as cold as ice, so how could she pay him any attention? Leaving him to make a fool out of himself.
Only after a long time did Ji Ying exhale lightly and turn around, cupping his fists at Yang Kai, “This Ji admires Brother Yang for his great skill.”
After competing with Yang Kai, Ji Ying immediately realized that he had truly underestimated him before. Not only was he an Emperor Alchemist, but his skills were also no less than his own.
He had only caught a glimpse of the amazing Alchemy techniques Yang Kai employed, but that was still enough to amaze him. If it weren’t for how important this match was, Ji Ying would have even halted his own Alchemy so he could properly observe and emulate him.
“Whether this Ji wins or loses this time, this Ji wishes to thank Brother Yang,” Ji Ying said to him with a sincere expression before glancing at his First Disciple.
After knowing that Yang Kai was an Emperor Alchemist no less than himself, even Ji Ying’s way of referring to him had changed, and from a glance, he could tell that his First Disciple had gained great benefits during this match, so he had no qualms about thanking Yang Kai.
Ji Ying had been calling him Palace Master Yang before, but now the way he referred to him was far more collegial.
“Brother Ji is too polite, this Yang is happy to oblige,” Yang Kai smiled.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi were both dumbfounded. They thought to themselves, [that’s not right… isn’t Ji Ying supposed to be making things hard for Yang Kai right now? Why are they suddenly calling each other brothers?]
Even if the two of them had known Ji Ying for many years, they still didn’t dare, nor did they have the qualifications to address him so informally.
They couldn’t help but feel a little chagrined. If they had known things would turn out like this, they never would have followed along this time.
“Grandmaster Ji, let’s see the results of the match first.” Mi Qi changed the subject to stop Yang Kai and Ji Ying from deepening their friendship. As long as Ji Ying won the match, then it would definitely be worth their trip here.
Fifty years of a Sect’s earnings. Just thinking about it made them excited.
The two of them were still quite curious about the contents of Yang Kai’s ring. They wanted to know what on earth was stored in it that made Ji Ying so covetous.
Ji Ying looked inquiringly at Yang Kai, and the latter smiled, stretching out his hand, “As the guest, Brother Ji should go first!”
Ji Ying nodded, “Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”
As he said that, he uncapped the bottle in his hand and poured out the Emperor Yuan Pills.
Everyone in the hall instantly craned their necks, looking into the centre of his palm.
“Nine pills!” Mi Qi looked over and immediately shouted in excitement.
Ji Ying was able to refine nine pills during this session, which was the ultimate limit for one furnace worth of ingredients. With this, he was basically halfway to victory! Now the rest would depend on the quality of the Spirit Pills, but if it was Ji Ying, then the grade of the Spirit Pills he refined would certainly not be bad. That fact could be proven just by how round and full each Spirit Pill looked, with the colour so vivid and radiant.
“Look, look…” Li Jiao called in excitement as if he had suddenly discovered a new world, pointing at one of the Emperor Yuan Pills as he shouted, his breath growing ragged, “Pill Veins! Pill Veins!”
One of the Spirit Pills was covered with vein-like patterns on its surface, which looked at first glance just like the meridians of a person’s body. It was the legendary Pill Veins!
If Pill Veins were produced during the refining process, then the medicinal efficacies of the pill would be doubled, naturally raising its value as well.
But Pill Veins were not things that the average Alchemist could produce during a refinement. It was a faraway dream even for the most skilled of Alchemists, but now, Pill Veins actually appeared on one of the Spirit Pills Ji Ying refined!
And it was an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill!
That made it even more rare and astounding.
“Hahaha!” Mi Qi also broke out in laughter, his worries finally settling back down. If Ji Ying’s nine pills could be described as winning half the battle, then that one Spirit Pill that formed Pill Veins would be the nail in the coffin for Ji Ying’s victory. There was no chance for Yang Kai to turn the tables.
There wasn’t even the need to look at the quality of Spirit Pills that he refined.
Mi Qi did not believe that Yang Kai could also refine an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill that formed Pill Veins.
If Pill Veins were really that easy to produce, then they wouldn’t be called legendary!
Exchanging glances with Li Jiao, both of them were overflowing with joy.
Five billion High-Rank Source Crystals, fifty years of a Sect’s earnings were going to be theirs soon, how could they not be happy?
They secretly decided to buy the Emperor Yuan Pill that formed Pill Veins from Ji Ying after Yang Kai fulfilled his bet. This was their key to victory and was well worth keeping. With this Spirit Pill, neither High Heaven Palace nor Yang Kai should even think of raising his head in front of them in the future.
They could also curry favour with Ji Ying in the process.
Should they humiliate Yang Kai as well? But looking at the three Monster Kings that were watching them, they thought better of it in case they become angry out of shame. The two of them really weren’t these three’s opponents.
“Sure enough, Brother Ji is a true Grandmaster!” Yang Kai praised, looking at the Spirit Pill with Pill Veins. It truly was amazing to be able to refine an Emperor Grade Spirit Pill with Pill Veins. Even he himself did not often see Pill Veins when he refined Emperor Grade Spirit Pills.
This alone made Ji Ying worthy of his status as an Emperor Alchemist.
“Not at all, it is all thanks to Brother Yang that this Ji was able to form Pill Veins today!”
“This… What does this have to do with him?” Mi Qi retorted at the side, “Being able to achieve Pill Veins is a reflection of Grandmaster Ji’s Alchemy skills. How does it relate to him?”
“That’s right. If he hadn’t interfered, then there would probably be more than one Spirit Pill with Pill Veins right now!” Li Jiao chimed in.
Ji Ying shook his head and did not bother to explain as he believed that Yang Kai did not need his explanation.
Being able to refine an Emperor Yuan Pill that formed Pill Veins this time was all thanks to the pressure Yang Kai gave him. Even though he let his mind wander twice halfway through, Ji Ying was able to obtain a certain kind of enlightenment under that immense pressure, and only then was he able to achieve such a shocking result.
Otherwise, based on his usual abilities, he may not be able to produce even one Emperor Yuan Pill that formed Pill Veins out of a hundred furnaces. For one to appear in just one furnace today was truly a miracle.
But if he were to refine another furnace of Emperor Yuan Pills right now, he might not be as lucky.
Seeing that Ji Ying did not speak, Mi Qi and Li Jiao thought that he was just being polite with Yang Kai. How could they figure out all the intricacies of the situation? At once, Mi Qi said, “Palace Master Yang, we’ve already finished checking the Spirit Pills refined by Grandmaster Ji. I wonder how the Spirit Pills that Palace Master Yang refined are?”
“Heh heh, Palace Master Yang’s Alchemy skills are also quite amazing, I’m sure he managed to refine Pill Veins,” Li Jiao had deliberately put Yang Kai on a pedestal, but his intentions were obviously sinister.
Yang Kai smiled.
“Since we’ve already made our bets, take them out and let’s see the results,” Mi Qi had a smug face as if he’d already won, “Palace Master Yang wouldn’t be holding onto the Spirit Pills because he’s conscious that he can’t win against Grandmaster Ji, would he?”
Ji Ying quickly interjected, “Must the two of you speak in such a way? Brother Yang is also an Emperor Alchemist, and also the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace. We are all going to be living together in the Northern Territory in the future so we are sure to see much of each other. Why not just forget about today’s incident? Let us have a drink and let bygones be bygones while we discuss our various experiences in the outside world.”
He agreed to compete with Yang Kai in Alchemy out of impulse from anger, but now he actually began to feel a little worried for Yang Kai.
He was lucky enough to refine an Emperor Yuan Pill that formed Pill Veins, but Yang Kai couldn’t be that lucky as well, right? If he were to lose, then that would cost him five billion High-Rank Source Crystals. Both he and his First Disciple benefited greatly from Yang Kai today, especially his Disciple who was still in the midst of an epiphany. Clearly, Ji Ying’s Disciple must have gained a lot from the competition just now, so if Yang Kai really lost five billion because of him, then Ji Ying would definitely feel terrible about it.
That was why he wanted to act as the peacemaker to settle things between these three. Ji Ying had deliberately pointed out Yang Kai’s identity as an Emperor Alchemist so that Mi Qi and Li Jiao would hopefully know when to back down. As long as they could give up on this bet today, then they would definitely be able to befriend Yang Kai, and once they did so, would they have to worry about not getting any benefits in the future? At the very least, Yang Kai definitely would not refuse if they were ever to need help refining any Spirit Pills in the future.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi exchanged glances. Naturally, both of them understood Ji Ying’s intention, and both of them showed a troubled expression on their faces.
If it were any normal matter, they would be able to show Ji Ying some face, but five billion High-Rank Source Crystals were on the table here. Even if it was them, they still felt a little hesitant.
After a while, Mi Qi frowned, “Grandmaster Ji, a man is only as good as his word. Since Palace Master Yang has made a bet with us, then he should keep his promise. If Brother Li and I were to just let this go, then we would also be underestimating Palace Master Yang. I’m sure Palace Master Yang wouldn’t be happy about that.”
Ji Liao nodded, “Brother Mi is right. Please forgive us, Grandmaster Ji. It is not that we are unwilling, but… A bet is a bet, after all.”
Ji Ying’s face couldn’t help but turn a little sour from their answers. He didn’t expect that these two would not give him face even after he personally stepped out to persuade them. It seemed like they were determined to oppose Yang Kai to the end.
Just as Ji Ying was about to say something though, Yang Kai suddenly raised his hand to stop him and said, “Brother Ji doesn’t have to say anything. This Palace Master is willing to accept his losses if he were to lose.”
Li Jiao and Mi Qi were happy to hear this and liberally praised, “Palace Master Yang is truly an honourable man. If there is anything High Heaven Palace needs in the Northern Territory in the future, then just say the word. Our two Sects will surely not refuse.”
Who didn’t know cheap talk like this? If he really needed their help, then they might help depending on the circumstances. What’s more, they didn’t think Yang Kai would seek them out for help. Even if High Heaven Palace would not become enemies of their two Sects after this, they wouldn’t be getting along peacefully.
Yang Kai smiled, “This Palace Master only said he is willing to accept his loss, not that he has already lost. Are you two so confident that you can take five billion Source Crystals back with you today?”
Li Jiao and Mi Qi were both dumbfounded while the latter commented, “Let’s take a look at the Spirit Pills that Palace Master Yang refined then.”
“Yes, that’s right. We have to take a look first.” Li Jiao also nodded repeatedly.
He was definitely going to lose anyway, so the least they could do was show him his loss bright and clear.
Ji Ying sighed. Since things have already come to this point, there was nothing he could do to stop them either. Five billion High-Rank Source Crystals was indeed a high enough number for Li Jiao and Mi Qi to risk offending him.
“Brother Ji, if you could help me with the inspection.” Yang Kai tossed the jade bottle in his hands to Ji Ying.
Ji Ying caught it and nodded, “Alright.”
After saying that, he opened the bottle and poured out the Emperor Yuan Pills inside.
All eyes were on his hand, and the breathing of the crowd seemed to have grown considerably quicker.
As the three Monster Kings exchanged glances, a fierce glint emerged in their eyes. Without needing to say anything, the three of them had already decided that they would immediately take down Mi Qi and Li Jiao if Yang Kai were to lose this match.
They wanted to take away five billion High-Rank Source Crystals today? Only in their dreams!
“Nine… Nine pills?” Li Jiao’s originally expectant eyes suddenly widened in astonishment at the nine Spirit Pills on Ji Ying’s left hand, his expression instantly transforming into one of shock.
Yang Kai actually managed to refine nine Emperor Yuan Pills, which was no worse than Ji Ying at all. Didn’t that mean that Yang Kai’s mastery in the Alchemic Dao was comparable to Ji Ying’s?
It’s not like just any Emperor Alchemist could just refine nine Spirit Pills.
“Pill Veins?” Mi Qi drew a breath of cold air as he stared at one of the pills.
That one Spirit Pill looked exactly the same as the one Spirit Pill Ji Ying refined with Pill Veins. There were dense lines over the surface of the pill, like an exquisite pattern that contained some sort of profound mystery.
“Ah?” Ji Ying was also thoroughly shocked.
It was within his expectations that Yang Kai was able to refine nine Emperor Yuan Pills as it would have been stranger if he failed to do so. However, the surprising thing was the fact that one of them actually formed Pill Veins.
Ji Ying was able to achieve such a feat out of a series of coincidences and good luck, but he didn’t expect Yang Kai’s luck to be so good as well.
“That’s… That’s impossible…” Mi Qi rubbed his eyes hard as if he was afraid they were playing tricks on him, but it seemed true that one of the Spirit Pills did have Pill Veins around its surface.
“You must have cheated!” Li Jiao’s face sank as he glared at Yang Kai.
Yang Kai coldly snorted, “Be careful what you say, Palace Master Li. You can eat whatever you want, but you can’t just say whatever you like! When did this Palace Master cheat?”
Li Jiao grunted, “You were the one who proposed to refine the Emperor Yuan Pill. This Spirit Pill with Pill Veins must have been obtained by you beforehand, and now you’ve brought it out to fill the gap!”
Hearing this, Mi Qi also thought it was logical. Yang Kai very quickly stuffed the Spirit Pills into the jade bottle from his furnace as soon as he was finished refining them, then he also asked Ji Ying to take out his Spirit Pills first. The jade bottle had been in his hands during that whole duration, so it was completely plausible that he could have swapped out the Spirit Pills.
[That’s right, now that makes sense!]
[What a treacherous little brat! Such dark designs are simply abominable!]
“Palace Master Yang, this isn’t appropriate, is it?” Mi Qi was blue-faced from anger. Those five billion High-Rank Source Crystals were right at his grasp, but were now up in the air because of Yang Kai’s cheating, so he wasn’t very happy. The worst part was, neither he nor Li Jiao had any evidence to prove their claims.
“Whether I swapped it in or not, just ask Brother Ji and you’ll know the answer,” Yang Kai curled his lips in disdain, not even bothering to argue with them.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi both turned their heads towards Ji Ying.
Ji Ying nodded, “These nine Spirit Pills all came out of a furnace just now. They were not made beforehand.”
“What!?”
“That’s impossible, Grandmaster Ji. Please take a closer look!”
“Are you doubting even my words now?” Ji Ying’s face turned dark, feeling extremely displeased. Even though he intended to befriend Yang Kai, he would not lie about such matters as it concerned his honour. Mi Qi and Li Jiao were simply questioning his character and credibility by making such a remark.
Both Mi Qi and Li Jiao were shocked, and only then did they come to realize they had angered and offended Ji Ying.
Mi Qi quickly said, “You misunderstand, Grandmaster Ji. Naturally, we do not dare to question your word, but we do not know what this little brat’s character is like, so we have to be on our guard. Please, Grandmaster Ji, take another look! Have these pills been tampered with in any way?”
Ji Ying answered indifferently, “Each refinement produces a batch of Spirit Pills that have unique traces that can never be replicated perfectly again. Those who have not immersed themselves in the Alchemic Dao for a long enough time will not be able to tell, but from what this Ji can see, these nine Spirit Pills all indeed came from the same furnace.”
Mi Qi and Li Jiao were both dumbfounded at those words.
“Of course, the easiest way to tell is by the fact that these Spirit Pills are all still warm. If you don’t believe me, feel free to inspect them yourselves.” As he said that, Ji Ying threw the Emperor Yuan Pill with Pill Veins directly to Mi Qi at the side.
Mi Qi caught it and felt it carefully. Just as Ji Ying said, the Spirit Pill was indeed warm and had obviously just been refined.
His heart sank into the abyss as he handed it over to Li Jiao so that he could feel it too.
Yang Kai sneered, “Are the two of you still going to say that this Palace Master cheated?”
Mi Qi laughed dryly, “Of course not, we were just making a joke, a small joke. Please pay it no mind, Palace Master Yang.”
“That joke wasn’t funny at all.”
Li Jiao coughed dryly, “Both of you refined nine Spirit Pills with a single one forming Pill Veins. So does that mean… it’s a tie?”
“A tie it is then, no winners or losers!” Mi Qi quickly added in, but the look of disappointment on his face was obvious.
Yang Kai chuckled, “The quantity is the same, even with regards to forming Pill Veins, so the deciding factor is quality. There are always differences in efficacy!”
Ji Ying nodded at his words, “That’s right. The difference in quality can really distinguish things.”
Both Li Jiao and Mi Qi’s hearts jumped. Even though they were reluctant to accept ending things as a tie, they could still barely accept it since they weren’t losing anything anyway, but now that Yang Kai had taken the initiative to propose determining the winner by quality, they couldn’t help feeling some tightness in their chests.
[Could it be that… he really had the confidence to win? Otherwise, why would he propose such a thing?]
As soon as that thought came up, both of them instantly began to panic and Mi Qi quickly said, “Let’s just call it a tie. There’s no need to judge the quality.”
Yang Kai grunted, “Since it’s a bet, then we naturally have to determine who the winner is. Why? What is Sect Master Mi scared of?”
Mi Qi answered nervously, “What? This King, scared? What nonsense, Palace Master Yang.”
Li Jiao’s forehead also couldn’t help becoming a bit damp with sweat as that bad feeling in his heart became more apparent.
“Let me trouble Brother Ji to check once more!” Yang Kai turned towards Ji Ying.
“A trivial matter.” Ji Ying nodded.
At this point, winning or losing in this duel with Yang Kai didn’t matter that much to him anymore. He could tell at a glance that Yang Kai was able to perceive the true essence of the Alchemic Dao, so in the future, he may even be able to stand side by side with his Honoured Master. Therefore, Ji Ying didn’t think it would be shameful even if he were to lose here.
This Alchemy competition had also been quite rewarding for him, so Ji Ying felt that after returning and entering retreat for a time, he would definitely be able to make a breakthrough in his pursuit of the Alchemic Dao. When that time came, he may even be able to improve his skills to be no less than his Senior Brothers and Senior Sister.
At once, he focused his heart on examining the pills. He was holding both his and Yang Kai’s Emperor Yuan Pills on each hand, inspecting their colour, size, purity, and emitted aura. He even scraped off a layer of powder from each of the pills and tasted it.
The hall was silent as everyone looked on nervously, especially Mi Qi and Li Jiao. This bet related to fifty years of earnings for both of their respective Sects, so they were both eyeing Ji Ying intently like leeches on their prey, observing his expressions, fearing that he would say something that would mean bad news for them.
Yang Kai was the only calm and collected one, even walking back to his seat to pick up his cup of tea.
After a long time, Ji Ying finally exhaled. It seemed from the look on his face that he had come to a conclusion.
“Grand… Grandmaster Ji, what are the results?” Mi Qi asked nervously as even his voice slightly cracked.
Li Jiao was also watching Ji Ying intently, not even realizing that he had sweat running down his cheek.
“This Ji… is lacking. Brother Yang’s aptitude in the Alchemic Dao is superior, this Ji admires his skill greatly!” Ji Ying did not respond to them, but instead turned to Yang Kai and cupped his fists in respect.
“This Yang is unworthy of Brother Ji’s praise. This Yang was only able to win this time due to luck. I will still have to trouble Brother Ji to give me pointers in the future,” Yang Kai smiled and cupped his fists in return.
Ji Ying waved his hand with a bitter smile.
While the two of them talked, Li Jiao and Mi Qi stood there like fools, faces turning blue as the blood in their veins seemed to freeze solid.
Even though Ji Ying did not explicitly declare the winner, the meaning of his words were clear enough.
“Grand… Grandmaster Ji, are you sure? Are the Spirit Pills that he refined truly of higher quality?” Mi Qi asked in a trembling voice.
Li Jiao also hurried to add, “Why don’t you look at it again?”
Ji Ying’s expression turned to anger this time as he spat in a cold voice, “Are the two of you questioning this Ji’s character and competence?”
His character and skill had never been questioned by the two of them before, so Ji Ying also did not want to fuss over the matter with them out of the years of friendship they had together, but for them to repeatedly question his judgement angered Ji Ying very much.
Once was enough, but what did they mean by questioning him twice? Was his word really worth so little?
Seeing that Ji Ying was truly angered this time, both Mi Qi and Li Jiao’s hearts jumped as they belatedly realized how rude they had been.
Mi Qi wiped the cold sweat off his forehead, “No, no, no, Grandmaster Ji has misunderstood. Neither Brother Li nor I mean anything of the sort, please believe us, Grandmaster Ji.”
They could offend whoever else they wanted, but they could not afford to offend Ji Ying.
Ji Ying grunted, “Let me tell you. A real Alchemist will never make jokes with the pills they refine. If this Ji says he lost, then this Ji lost! There is no need for me to slander my own name to put Brother Yang on a pedestal.” After a pause, he extended both hands towards them, “If the two of you do not trust this Ji, then try the medicinal efficacies of these two Spirit Pills yourselves. Since the two of you are both Third-Order Emperor Realm Masters, then it should be easy for you to tell which is the stronger by taking them and refining them.”
Li Jiao and Mi Qi both exchanged glances and saw the intent in each other’s eyes as this was indeed a good idea.
This was an important matter, so they couldn’t help but be overcautious. However, if they were to do this, then they would completely offend Ji Ying because once they took those Spirit Pills to refine, it would mean they really did not believe in Ji Ying’s words.
These two choices troubled Li Jiao and Mi Qi greatly.
Yang Kai on the other hand was cheerful and fanned the flames, “I think it’s best if the two of you try them for yourselves, that way you can uphold Brother Ji’s name as well!”
Ji Ying stood there with a cold face, hands still outstretched.
Gritting his teeth, Li Jiao stepped forward and said with shame, “My apologies.”
He picked out a single Emperor Yuan Pill from each of Ji Ying’s hands at random.
Seeing this, Mi Qi also took two Emperor Yuan Pills.
Once they finished, Ji Ying declared bluntly, “Since the two of you do not trust this Ji, then this Ji’s cooperation with you two will end here. There is no need for you to come to Medicine Pill Valley to ask this Ji to refine Spirit Pills in the future either.”
Upon hearing this, Li Jiao and Mi Qi were both shaken. Pale-faced, they spoke in unison, “Grandmaster Ji…”
“It’s needless to say more!” Ji Ying coldly snorted, not even bothering to say another word to them.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi both heaved heavy sighs. Looking at the two Spirit Pills in their hands, they suddenly felt as if these small Spirit Pills weighed tens of thousands of kilograms.
Since things had come to this though, the two of them could only grit their teeth and refine these Emperor Yuan Pills.
Since they have already offended Ji Ying, they couldn’t lose those five billion Source Crystals either, could they? Once they refined the two Emperor Yuan Pills and proved that the one that Ji Ying refined was better than Yang Kai’s, then they would still gain something in the end.
Even though Emperor Alchemists were rare, there were still a few in the Northern Territory that did not belong to Medicine Pill Valley.
Circulating their Emperor Qi and refining the Emperor Yuan Pills, they managed to completely refine its medical efficacies in just a short moment. Then, the two of them took the second Emperor Yuan Pill and continued refining.
A short while later, both Li Jiao and Mi Qi opened their eyes. Grief-stricken as if they were mourning the death of their parents, both their faces looked extremely terrible.
After refining both pills themselves, they clearly felt that the first Emperor Yuan Pill they took had lower medicinal efficacy than the one they took after. And, the first one that they took was the Spirit Pill that Ji Ying refined.
The difference between the two was not too big, but the former Spirit Pill was still just a slight bit inferior.
Ji Ying commented at this point, “This Ji lost to Brother Yang in the process of condensing medicinal liquid, as the medicinal liquid that this Ji condensed was not as pure as Brother Yang’s. That is why the pills became slightly inferior. Since the two of you have personally refined them and verified this fact, you should have come to a conclusion, right? Or is this Ji still speaking carelessly and favouring Brother Yang?”
Mi Qi had a bitter face, “We never meant to imply such a thing.”
Of course, they could speak contrary to facts and say that the Spirit Pill that Ji Ying refined was better, but that would be an obvious and completely shameless lie, and with the three Monster Kings staring at them with unkind eyes, it was obvious they wouldn’t just let such an insult pass. What’s more, there was still that terrifyingly strong woman called Qing’er. If they really were to do such a shameless thing, then the situation was not destined to end well for them.
“Since the results are out, then the two of you… Please accept your loss willingly,” Yang Kai walked over step after step with his hands behind his back.
Both Mi Qi and Li Jiao’s faces were twitching as they felt as if their hearts had been stabbed and were now leaking blood.
“Grandmaster Ji…” Mi Qi shot a pleading look at Ji Ying, hoping that he would step out to speak in favour of them.
But Ji Ying just went back to his own seat, not paying them any mind. He was clearly annoyed by them.
Seeing this reaction, both Mi Qi and Li Jiao’s hearts cooled like damp ashes. They were in an unfavourable situation right now, and they definitely wouldn’t be able to win in a fight, nor could they escape. If they were to really start a battle here, then the two of them would definitely be forced to remain here forever.
Why did they think of coming to High Heaven Palace with Ji Ying in the first place? Now they had dug their own graves. Truly, entering a tiger’s den was easier than leaving. Both of their guts were churning with regret.
“Well then, you two are both well-known characters in the Northern Territory, so you couldn’t possibly be thinking of reneging on your debts, could you?” Yang Kai’s face turned fierce as he glared at the two of them.
“En?” The three Monster Kings made threatening noises in unison, Monster Qi spilling out, seemingly as if they would take the two of them down the instant Yang Kai gave the order.
“How could we?” Li Jiao wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. While suffering slightly, he could only smile, “If we are willing to bet, then we are definitely willing to concede. Brother Mi and I will definitely not renege on our debts.”
“That’s right, that’s right. We won’t do that.” Mi Qi also nodded repeatedly.
How many years has it been since they had humbled themselves like this? Not even in front of Ji Ying had they ever been this meek. Now though, the two of them had finally re-experienced what it was like to be inferior, and the vexing feeling in their heart could not be washed away even with the waters of three rivers and five lakes.
“Since you aren’t going to renege, then hurry and pay up!” Yang Kai stretched a hand out to them like a predatory creditor.
Mi Qi said with a bitter face, “Palace Master Yang, how can five billion High-Rank Source Crystals be taken out so easily?”
“That’s right, the number is too great,” Li Jiao also said awkwardly.
“Two and a half billion then. If you can’t take out five billion, then you should be able to take out two and a half billion, can’t you?” Yang Kai eyed the two from the corner of his eye.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao’s heads shook like rattles.
Yang Kai glared, “How many years have your Sects been established in the Northern Territory? How could you be so poor? Aren’t you afraid of people laughing if word got out that you couldn’t even take out a measly two and a half billion Source Crystals?”
Li Jiao answered, “Palace Master Yang does not understand. Our Sects may earn a lot each year, but our expenses are equally large. Not much balance remains after each year.”
“That’s right.” Mi Qi nodded, “Palace Master Yang also obtained the foundation and wealth accumulated by Seeking Passion Sect over the millennia of its existence, so he could know how many Source Crystals there were. Our Sects and Seeking Passion Sect were not that far apart in terms of overall strength and assets.”
“So, does that mean the two of you can’t pay up?” Yang Kai’s face suddenly turned cold.
“For now… we can’t.” Mi Qi and Li Jiao were both feeling very guilty.
“How dare you!” Yang Kai bellowed, “What gave you the guts to make such a large bet with me if you didn’t have the capital to do so? Did the two of you come just to make a pastime out of this Palace Master? Hear my order, Monster Kings, kill them!”
“Yes!” Upon hearing this, all three Monster Kings shot out immediately.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi were both horrified, thinking that Yang Kai may have planned to wipe out both of them long ago so he could rob the foundations of their Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace. If the two of them were to die here, then their Sects would be without leaders. There will be no way they could resist the terrifying might of High heaven Palace then. They would probably be razed to the ground immediately.
“Hold on, please wait!” Seeing that the three Monster Kings were rushing towards him, Mi Qi quickly raised his hand and shouted.
“Wait!” Yang Kai also shouted.
The three Monster Kings stopped instantly, but they stood around Li Jiao and Mi Qi, surrounding them with their Monster Qi, not giving them any room to escape at all.
Cold sweat slid down their cheeks, dripping onto the ground with a clear noise.
Watching the two of them, Yang Kai asked lightly, “Does Sect Master Mi have any last words? This Palace Master is merciful, so he will allow you to live for another few breaths of time!”
He wanted him to say his last words already? Black lines covered Mi Qi’s face. Suppressing the panic in his heart, he said nervously, “Palace Master Yang, Brother Li and I did not intend to renege on our debt, nor did we have any intentions not to honour our bets. We just… we do not have the capital to fulfil this bet. We should not have made such a large bet with Palace Master Yang without being fully prepared, but now that things have come to this, you have nothing to gain even if you were to kill us.”
“That’s right, that’s right! If you kill us, then those five billion Source Crystals will really be gone and you will also be making mortal enemies with our Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect.”
“Since I can destroy Seeking Passion Sect, why would I fear your Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect?” Yang Kai sneered at them with much disdain. However, he stroked his chin in a manner that seemed like he was considering things seriously and nodded after a long while, “But you are right. Keep talking, whether you can live or not depends on your mouths now.”
Mi Qi breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that his life was safe for the time being, but he also knew that if he couldn’t convince Yang Kai to let the two of them live, then they were certain to lose their lives here today.
After thinking for a while, he organized his words and began, “Brother Li and I can’t possibly gather so many Source Crystals right now, but a portion is still possible.”
“How much?” Yang Kai asked in a deep voice.
“Five… five hundred million?” Mi Qi asked tentatively.
Li Jiao nodded, “Five hundred million is possible.”
“Are you trying to dismiss a beggar with that?” Yang Kai coldly snorted, “This Palace Master earned more than ten times that from Seeking Passion Sect’s Treasury! If you dare mention a measly five hundred million again, I’ll kill you right now! At worst I would simply lose those five hundred million Source Crystals.”
“A billion, a billion!” Mi Qi hastily changed his words hastily, “We cannot offer any more. If we go any higher, then we really won’t be able to take it out immediately.”
This was already the bottom line for his Full Sky Sect. Even a billion would require him to take out several treasures to sell just to scrape together the required amount.
“And you, Palace Master Li?” Yang Kai eyed Li Jiao coldly.
Li Jiao said uneasily, “Yes yes, the most I can gather is a billion.”
“One billion huh…” Yang Kai paced back and forth, thinking for a while before nodding, “Fine, one billion it is.”
Li Jiao and Mi Qi were overjoyed at those words.
But before they had time to relax, Yang Kai added, “But you’ll still be short one and a half billion each then. How are the two of you planning to pay the rest back?”
“This…” Li Jiao and Mi Qi were at a loss for words, not knowing how to answer.
Yang Kai continued, “This Palace Master does have an idea, but I’m not sure if you are willing to listen.”
“Please enlighten us, Palace Master Yang!” Both Li Jiao and Mi Qi turned to Yang Kai together.
“If you don’t have enough Source Crystals on hand, then you can make up the amount with treasures. I believe that the two of you must have many rare treasures in the storehouses of your Sects. My High Heaven Palace has not been established for long, so we just happen to need large amounts of cultivation resources. Let’s see, an Emperor Artifact can count for ten million, so for one and a half billion, you only need to turn over a hundred and fifty!”
“A hundred and fifty Emperor Artifacts!”
“An Emperor Artifact is only worth ten million High-Rank Source Crystals?”
Mi Qi and Li Jiao both exclaimed in unison, cursing him in their hearts. Even though they had known that Yang Kai would definitely take advantage of this opportunity to cut off a pound of flesh from them, they didn’t think he would be so ruthless. This was outright robbery!
What Emperor Artifact was worth only 10 million High-Rank Source Crystals? Even the worst Emperor Artifacts would never sell for so little! What’s more, a hundred and fifty Emperor Artifacts was a ridiculous number. Even if both their Sects combined all of their assets, it would still be impossible for them to find so many Emperor Artifacts.
“If you don’t have Emperor Artifacts, then Dao Source Grade Artifacts and Origin King Grade Artifacts will do as well, along with spirit flowers, herbs, rare ores… As long as they are cultivation materials or rare resources, this Palace Master will accept them all,” Yang Kai waved his hand as if making it seem like he was a generous soul.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi’s faces were as black as the bottom of a pot. If they really did as Yang Kai said, then wouldn’t both their Sects be emptied by him? What would happen to the disciples in their Sects then? How could they still face all the Elders and Disciples of their Sects?
“No, that’s impossible…” Li Jiao was almost in tears, “Palace Master Yang, please have mercy!”
Yang Kai’s face turned cold, “This Palace Master has already given you a chance, but you didn’t cherish it. Now you want to blame me?”
Mi Qi and Li Jiao were both speechless.
Yang Kai sighed, “As Brother Ji said before, we are all cultivators of the Northern Territory, so we are surely going to see more of each other in the future. So, this Palace Master will not feel good taking things too far either.”
[You want to ‘apologize’ now?] Li Jiao and Mi Qi sneered in their hearts.
“How about this? This Palace Master has another suggestion. If this too is impossible, then you two can just stay here until your Sects pay a ransom to take you back. I’ll let the two of you go whenever they gather enough Source Crystals.”
“Please go on, Palace Master Yang.”
Even though they knew that Yang Kai’s idea definitely won’t be a good one, it was better than him exterminating their Sects and taking all of their treasures by force. It didn’t hurt to listen to his suggestions either.
“Once you manage to gather the first billion Source Crystals… You can pay the rest in instalments,” Yang Kai said while waving his hand.
“Pay in instalments?” When they heard this, Li Jiao and Mi Qi exchanged glances before cautiously asking, “How are the instalments going to be calculated?”
Yang Kai explained, “Since you both command top Sects, it is natural for you to have large incomes each year. In the future, a portion of that income will be paid to my High Heaven Palace. When you finish paying off your debt, the bet will end. What do the two of you think of this suggestion?”
Mi Qi said with great joy, “Palace Master Yang’s suggestion is good, we’ll pay in instalments then!”
Li Jiao also nodded, “Good, good, good, Palace Master Yang is truly wise to be able to think of such an idea.”
“Your heads are also pretty good,” Yang Kai smiled, “In that case, let’s do that. But we should discuss the details carefully.”
“Yes, of course,” Mi Qi nodded incessantly.
Yang Kai continued, “I take it your Sects earn around fifty million High-Rank Source Crystals a year, is that correct?”
“Just about,” Mi Qi and Li Jiao nodded. For those small or medium Sects, this was a terrifying number. It should be known that the Emperor Realm Masters who participated in Flowing Shadow City’s auction only brought around ten or twenty million High-Rank Source Crystals with them, and even that had emptied the coffers of their respective Sects. But for Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect, their annual earnings alone would reach over fifty million.
The difference was like Heaven and Earth.
“I won’t ask for all fifty million then, forty million each year will do!” Yang Kai said to the two of them.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao’s faces twitched. If they had to pay forty million each year, it meant they would only have ten million left for their own Sects. That was a greatly reduced figure, and their Sects would surely not have an easy life in the future.
But if they wanted to pay off their debt, then they had no choice but to do so.
The two of them nodded sullenly, agreeing.
“Good, after fifty years of payments, the debt will be cleared,” Yang Kai said seriously.
Both mi Qi and Li Jiao frowned when they heard this, with the former asking, “Palace Master Yang, this number… doesn’t seem quite right, does it?”
Li Jiao also chimed in, “That’s right, Palace Master Yang. Did you miscount? Brother Mi and I each have a bet of two and a half billion to settle, and we will be giving you a billion upfront, so only one and a half billion will be left. If we hand over 40 million a year, then no matter how you calculate it, it would not take fifty years to pay off the balance.”
If they went according to what Yang Kai said, then the total number of High-Rank Source Crystals their Sects would end up paying to High Heaven Palace would be three billion, which was five hundred million more than their bet.
Yang Kai sneered, “Do you two not count interest?”
“In… Interest!” Mi Qi and Li Jiao were both dumbfounded.
What sort of interest would cost this much? Five hundred million High-Rank Source Crystals was already ten years worth of each Sect’s revenue!
It was only at this moment that they understood Yang Kai’s sinister intentions. They thought he was offering them the opportunity to pay in instalments out of conscience and consideration for future relations, but who knew that he had actually been digging a big hole for them and tempting them to jump into it?
“You have two choices here,” Yang Kai looked impatiently at them, “Either you gather two and half billion Source Crystals worth of resources and send them to my High Heaven Palace within a month, or you can gather one billion and repay the rest over the next fifty years!”
“Palace Master Yang…”
“You think this Palace Master won’t destroy your Sects if you try to haggle with me again?” Yang Kai spat with an unkind glare.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao immediately fell silent, their faces filled with fear.
They could also see that Yang Kai’s patience was almost worn out. If they kept on dragging things out, then they would be the ones eating a loss in the end.
Exchanging glances with each other, Mi Qi said helplessly, “We’ll pay in instalments then.”
Even though they had to pay an additional five hundred million with this method, which would hurt them gravely, they could at least retain their foundations this way. If they really forcefully coughed up the full two and a half billion in a month, it would definitely deal critical damage to their Sects, damage they might not be able to recover from even after a hundred years.
However, it was now apparent that for the next fifty years, both Fire Dragon Palace and Full Sky Sect would likely have to take High Heaven Palace’s head as their guide, and the disciples of their Sects would also be unable to raise their heads in front of the disciples of High Heaven Palace.
Li Jiao had a gloomy look on his face, “I will also pay in instalments.”
“Very good!” Yang Kai rubbed his palms and smiled, “Both of you are men of decisive character! In that case, please return now. This Palace Master wants to see your one billion Source Crystals within a month, then we will collect the rest each year after. We should not delay matters, so this Palace Master will not keep you two. Please!”
Mi Qi and Li Jiao cupped their fists, exhausted, and turned around, walking outside.
Unlike their exuberant faces when they arrived, they were now completely downcast.
Nobody would be happy to encounter such a tragedy, and it would also be a headache for them to tell the Elders of their respective Sects once they returned. A lifetime of fame, ruined because of one wrong move! Both men were filled with remorse and regret, wondering in their hearts whether they should refuse to acknowledge their debts after leaving…
“Palace Master Li, please wait.”
Before the two of them could walk out of the hall though, Ji Ying suddenly spoke up.
Hearing his call, Li Jiao turned his head to look at Ji Ying and asked, “Grandmaster Ji, what are your instructions?”
“I dare not give instructions,” Ji Ying responded frankly as he tossed a wooden box towards Li Jiao, “As this Ji’s skill is lacking, this Ji is afraid that he may fail Palace Master Li’s request. So, I will return this Dragon Blood Flower to Palace Master Li. Palace Master Li should find another Grandmaster to assist him.”
“Dragon Blood Flower!” Zhu Qing who had been standing quietly in the corner of the hall this whole time was suddenly roused as if a nerve had been touched. Her face changed, and at the same time, she reached out to grab the wooden box and a huge suction force suddenly appeared, bringing it right into her hands.
Before Li Jiao could even recover from the shock of Ji Ying’s words, he suddenly discovered that his precious treasure had been snatched away. Face changing, he shouted, “Young Lady, what are you trying to do?!”
Truly, when it rains, it pours. Not only did the ship arrive late, it set sail in a headwind too.
They had already completely offended Ji Ying during this trip, so not only did his plan to refine the Dragon Blood Pill fall through, now the materials have also been stolen away.
That was the spirit flower that he spent so many years cultivating with his own Blood Essence. He was counting on it to improve his own strength, so how could Li Jiao stand idly by while it fell into the hands of another person? But he didn’t dare to be forceful here and just looked at Zhu Qing with an indignant face, hoping that this young woman would return the Dragon Blood Flower to him.
Zhu Qing flicked her wrist, opened the wooden box, and a bright red flower lying quietly inside immediately came into view.
Yang Kai looked over curiously, and his eyes couldn’t help but light up.
The Dragon Blood Flower was like a crystal formed from the purest blood. The strangest thing was the fact that a trace of Dragon Qi was actually being emitted from the flower.
Even if he had never heard of this Dragon Blood Flower before, and it was also his first time seeing it, Yang Kai understood that it must be something amazing.
“It really is a Dragon Blood Flower!” Zhu Qing frowned and shut the wooden box again, but she didn’t give it back to Li Jiao. Instead, she glared at him and snapped coldly, “Where did you get this Dragon Blood Flower?”
Li Jiao answered, “Young Lady, please return that flower back to me first!”
Naturally, Zhu Qing paid him no mind, and before Li Jiao could blink, she appeared in front of him with a solemn and aggressive demeanour, “I’ll ask you one more time, where did you get this Dragon Blood Flower from!”
A powerful aura suddenly pressed down on him, causing Li Jiao’s breathing to grow difficult. All the blood in his body seemed to freeze up and he couldn’t help but back up a few steps. Face pale, he answered, “I came upon it by chance. Why are you asking me?”
He was truly baffled now. This Dragon Blood Flower was really something that he obtained by chance, and even though it was precious, what about it was enough to rile up this woman so much? Even more shockingly, he couldn’t muster the slightest bit of resistance against this woman in front of him despite being a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master. A sort of fear born from the deepest marrow of his bones which consumed all his will gripped him every time he faced her.
But how could that be? He was already a Third-Order Emperor, but he was completely suppressed just by her aura alone. Only a Great Emperor could achieve this, but no matter how he looked at her, this woman in front of him didn’t look like a Great Emperor at all.
“Liar!” Zhu Qing shouted, “The Dragon Blood Flower only grows on Dragon Island. It can’t appear elsewhere!”
She seemed to be possessed with anger, and as she spoke, a resounding dragon roar suddenly rang out across the sky. The illusory phantom of a giant dragon head suddenly appeared above her, its two majestic eyes staring down at Li Jiao. In an instant, all the strength seemed to have been drained from Li Jiao’s body, and he actually fell to the ground with his eyes wide in horror. Cold sweat was pouring down his forehead like a waterfall as she stutteringly shouted, “Dragon Clan!”
“What!?” Mi Qi was also taken by surprise and kicked the ground hard to put some distance between Zhu Qing and himself, his face turning as white as snow.
Mi Qi looked stunned at the phantom dragon head above Zhu Qing’s head, and he couldn’t help but gulp audibly.
No wonder this woman had such terrifying power despite her petite size, and no wonder why Li Jiao couldn’t muster any resistance against her despite being a Third-Order Emperor Realm Master, it turned out this woman belonged to the Dragon Clan!
If that was the case, then everything could be explained.
The Dragon Clan was the king of the myriad spirits, the leader of all Divine Spirits! Naturally, it would not be difficult for an adult dragon to be able to send him flying with a single punch, and Li Jiao was even worse off. Due to the trace of Dragon Bloodline in his body, he was completely suppressed by the Bloodline Power of this dragon girl in front of him. He may not even be able to find a sliver of strength in his body in front of her.
This was the terror of Dragon Blood’s bloodline suppression.
But how could there be a Dragon here? And, looking at Yang Kai’s attitude towards this dragon girl before, their relationship seemed a little unusual.
Could Dragon Island be lurking behind this High Heaven Palace?
Mi Qi was still thinking about whether he should renege on his debt after escaping from High Heaven Palace a moment ago, but how could he dare to do that now? With the Dragon Clan being involved, he wouldn’t dare to run away from his debt even if he had a hundred times to courage.
On the other end, Ji Ying who was seated on his chair was also stunned.
As the Fifth Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, he was a knowledgeable and experienced man, but he had never met a true Dragon Clan member before. He never thought he would have the chance to set his eyes upon one in this High Heaven Palace.
Thinking back to Yang Kai’s attitude towards this dragon girl though, he remembered he had even asked her to serve them tea!
Cold sweat began to drip down Ji Ying’s face while deep admiration for Yang Kai, as well as shock and fear, filled his heart.
The Dragon Clan were famous for their pride and arrogance, so how could one of them possibly end up being treated as a maidservant? If her temper were to be provoked, then who would be able to walk out of this hall alive?
What ability did Yang Kai possess to be able to make a dragon girl so obedient to him? Could he also be part of the Dragon Clan?
At that thought, Ji Ying began looking at Yang Kai in a different light. Originally, his identity as an Emperor Alchemist as well as his ability to beat him in an Alchemy competition was enough to garner Ji Ying’s attention and make him want to befriend him, but now, all Ji Ying could think of was ‘admiring the high mountains’.
To be served tea by a dragon girl. Even his Honoured Master, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor himself, would not receive this kind of honour if he personally came to visit, right?
Ji Ying’s thoughts couldn’t help but run wild.
“Speak, where did you get this Dragon Blood Flower? Tell me or die!” Zhu Qing eyed Li Jiao coldly, murderous intent radiating from her body.
The Dragon Blood Flower was an exclusive product of Dragon Island, but now one had actually appeared outside. Even though it was of the lowest quality possible, it was still undoubtedly a Dragon Blood Flower. Could it be that someone from Dragon Island was colluding with the outside world, selling Dragon Blood Flowers? This was no small matter, also the reason Zhu Qing was so serious about it.
“Frozen Earth! The Frozen Earth! I got it from the Frozen Earth!” How could Li Jiao dare to hide anything at this moment? A living, breathing dragon girl was standing right in front of him. The bloodline suppression he felt was more than enough to send fear into his bones. If this dragon girl wanted to kill him, then she could very likely do it in just one move. So, he could do nothing but reveal his secret.
“So, it’s the Frozen Earth!” Mi Qi was shocked. He had asked many times in the past, curious to know where Li Jiao had obtained this Dragon Blood Flower, but each time, Li Jiao would try to brush off the question, which made him grit his teeth in hate. Only now did he find out that this Dragon Blood Flower actually came from the Frozen Earth!
This was a dangerous Forbidden Zone, and it was rumoured that even Great Emperors did not dare tread deeply into it. A Third-Order Emperor would be taking a great risk just entering the Frozen Earth.
“Frozen Earth,” Zhu Qing frowned. She believed him partially and she didn’t think that Li Jiao would dare to lie under her pressure, but she was still curious and asked, “How could there be a Dragon Blood Flower in the Frozen Earth?”
That damned place was extremely cold without any living things in sight, so how could a Dragon Blood Flower appear there?
Li Jiao hurried to explain, “A dragon seemed to have met its end there, and his bones must have been buried in that ground. That was how the Dragon Blood Flower managed to germinate and survive.”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Qing’s face changed, “The burial place of a dragon then?”
She seemed to have thought of something, and after a few breaths of silence, she pressed, “You better be telling me the truth, or I’ll rip you into a thousand pieces.”
“Every word is true!” Li Jiao responded with haste.
“Where exactly did you discover the fallen dragon? What landmarks were nearby?” Zhu Qing suddenly transmitted her voice directly to him.
When he heard this, Li Jiao understood that she intended to investigate the matter herself. But this wasn’t a surprise as a dragon may possibly have met its end there, and the Dragon Clan’s numbers were small to begin with. Each one of their clansmen was extremely precious, so if one of them fell in the Frozen Earth, then naturally, Zhu Qing had to go and investigate. At the very least, she had to retrieve their bones to give them a proper burial.
Li Jiao transmitted back, “Young Lady, if you really plan to collect the corpse of your clansmen personally, then there is no need for that. I have checked before and the bones of that dragon had already turned into dust. It no longer exists.”
Zhu Qing quickly snapped, “You need only tell me the location. You don’t have to care about anything else.”
Seeing her insistence, Li Jiao could only tell Zhu Qing the location. In the end, he also added, “The Frozen Earth is a very dangerous place. If Young Lady were to meet with any accidents inside, it is none of my business.”
Zhu Qing sneered, “Even you managed to come out of there alive, why can’t I?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” Li Jiao’s forehead was covered in cold sweat. He then glanced at the wooden box in Zhu Qing’s hand, “Then, this Dragon Blood Flower…”
“Do you want to die?”
“I’ll return it to the Young Lady, it belongs to Dragon Island to begin with!” Li Jiao quickly changed his tone, but his heart felt pained enough that it could bleed.
He really suffered a miserable loss this time. Losing so many Source Crystals to Yang Kai was already a big heartache to him, and now he was going to lose the precious Dragon Blood Flower he spent so much time and effort raising too.
He shouldn’t have come. He really shouldn’t have come to this damned High Heaven Palace!
“Scram!” Zhu Qing waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.
Only then did Li Jiao get up in a hurry. He took another reluctant look at the wooden box before turning around and flying off.
Since Li Jiao had already left, Mi Qi naturally did not dare to stay any longer. Cupping his fists and excusing himself, he quickly followed suit.
“Qing’er, let me have a look at that.” Inside the hall, Yang Kai suddenly beckoned Zhu Qing with a smile on his face.
Zhu Qing glanced at Yang Kai with scorn and casually tossed the wooden box to him.
Yang Kai grabbed it and opened the box, clicking his tongue at the marvellous sight.
“The Dragon Blood Flower is one of the most exotic spirit flowers in the world and can only be cultivated with the blood of a Dragon Clansmen. It only grows on Dragon Island,” Ji Ying explained on the side.
“Cultivated with Dragon Blood?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up at those words.
Dragon Blood itself was already a very good thing, and it was rare for anyone to be able to see it, so how could something cultivated with Dragon Blood be any worse? No wonder this Dragon Blood Flower was so full of energy and even contained a wisp of Dragon Qi.
Even though he had no idea what sort of Spirit Pill could be refined from this Dragon Blood Flower, Yang Kai could instinctively tell that this spirit flower was very useful to him.
“Can it be refined?” Yang Kai raised his head to look at Ji Ying.
Ji Ying smiled, “Naturally. The Spirit Pill made with the Dragon Blood Flower as the main ingredient is called the Dragon Blood Pill. If a dragon or someone with a Dragon Clan bloodline were to take such a pill, they would be able to enhance the purity and power of their bloodline. Even if an ordinary person were to take it, it would grant tremendous benefits, especially for body tempering.”
“Dragon Blood Pill…” Yang Kai muttered, an interested expression on his face.
According to Ji Ying, this Dragon Blood Flower could be refined into a furnace of Dragon Blood Pills, and not only could the Dragon Blood Pill enhance the purity of a dragon bloodline, it also had a significant effect on the tempering of a physique, not to mention a variety of other positive effects.
The quality of his own physical body was extremely strong to begin with, so if he could refine this Dragon Blood Flower into Dragon Blood Pills, then it would be like adding wings to a tiger.
Yang Kai’s thoughts couldn’t help but spin as he turned to Ji Ying and asked, “Brother Ji, do you have the pill recipe for the Dragon Blood Pill?”
Ji Ying scratched his cheek and coughed dryly, “Yes I do, but…” He glanced at Zhu Qing.
There was a real dragon girl here so he didn’t dare to discuss with Yang Kai about the matter of refining the Dragon Blood Pill; after all, the significance of the Dragon Blood Flower to Dragon Island was simply too big. If he were to provoke this dragon girl, then even his identity as one of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor’s Legacy Disciples may not necessarily be able to save him.
“You want Dragon Blood Flowers?” Zhu Qing looked at Yang Kai.
“You have more?” Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, but he soon reckoned this was an obvious fact; after all, Zhu Qing was a Dragon, so it made sense for her to have a lot of Dragon Blood Flowers on her. If he could get her to part with those Dragon Blood Flowers, then he could refine a large batch of Dragon Blood Pills and greatly enhance his strength!
“I do.” Zhu Qing nodded.
Yang Kai was overjoyed, but before he could say anything more, Zhu Qing continued, “But I left them all on Dragon Island. It’s taboo to take Dragon Blood Flowers out of Dragon Island.”
His excitement was instantly doused with cold water, causing Yang Kai to shout in an aggrieved tone, “Then why did you bother saying that in the first place!”
However, this too made sense as he had checked Zhu Qing’s Space Ring before. If she really did have Dragon Blood Flowers, then he would have found them already.
Ji Ying’s forehead was covered in cold sweat again. How could this Yang Kai have such a casual attitude towards a dragon girl, not even showing a trace of politeness? Ji Ying’s heart was simply drumming with worry.
Zhu Qing smiled, a cunning light flashing across her eyes, “If you come with me to Dragon Island, I can give you all of those Dragon Blood Flowers. I still have around ten in my possession!”
Ji Ying’s eyes went wide as he was shocked beyond words.
This dragon girl… actually invited Yang Kai to Dragon Island? Did he hear her right?
Dragon Island was the most mysterious place in all of the Star Boundary. Don’t even mention going there, ordinary people couldn’t even figure out where it was located. On top of that, as they considered themselves the kings of the myriad spirits, the Dragon Clan never invited others into Dragon Island. Only the Great Emperors had the right to step foot there, but it was still impossible for them to go often, much less obtain Dragon Blood Flowers from the Dragon Clan.
But now, not only did this dragon girl invite Yang Kai to Dragon Island, she even said she would give him ten Dragon Blood Flowers…
Ji Ying was dumbfounded. Even though this was none of his business, he still quickly shot a meaningful glance at Yang Kai.
This was a very rare opportunity, so how could he hesitate? Naturally, he should agree as quickly as possible. If it were him, he would definitely get up and go immediately.
“If you mention this again, we’ll no longer be friends!” Yang Kai glared at Zhu Qing with a stern face.
Zhu Qing pouted and extended a hand towards Yang Kai, “Then give the box back to me.”
With a flip of his hand, the box disappeared and Yang Kai swiftly turned his head away, “What box? I don’t see anything!”
Zhu Qing fumed, “The Dragon Blood Flower belongs to Dragon Island. Aren’t you worried you’re going to attract trouble if you keep it?”
Yang Kai continued, “What Dragon Blood Flower? I don’t know anything!”
Zhu Qing was furious and unamused. Yang Kai clearly wasn’t planning to spit it out. If someone else had snatched away that Dragon Blood Flower, Zhu Qing would undoubtedly have taken action immediately, but even though Yang Kai was not part of the Dragon Clan, he carried the Ancestral Dragon Source with him, so he was entitled to the Dragon Blood Flowers.
Frowning, Zhu Qing decided to not dwell on this matter with him.
Ji Ying was stunned. Someone actually dared to… snatch something from the Dragon Clan in this world?
He hadn’t been shocked so greatly and so often at any other point in his entire life as he had been today, and he felt like he was slowly losing his sense of reality.
“Qing’er, it’s a nice day today so why don’t you go out and get some sun? It’s not good for your skin if you stay inside all the time,” Yang Kai suddenly smiled at Zhu Qing again.
Zhu Qing coldly snorted. She knew that he was just trying to drive her away, so she left with a stomp of her feet.
Yang Kai then shot a look at Hua Qing Si and the three Monster Kings, after which they all retired in unison.
In just an instant, the only ones left in the hall were Yang Kai and Ji Ying, as well as Ji Ying’s First Disciple who was sitting in meditation.
With a toss of his hand, Yang Kai gave the wooden box back to Ji Ying and commented, “I’ll have to trouble Brother Ji to refine a furnace of Dragon Blood Pills for me.”
“Ah?” Ji Ying was dumbfounded and caught the wooden box stiffly.
Yang Kai laughed, “Brother Ji hasn’t forgotten, right? You’re now my High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist!”
Ji Ying was stunned before he laughed bitterly, “This Ji is willing to accept his loss and will naturally not renege on his debt, but I must first return to Medicine Pill Valley in order to inform my Honoured Master…”
Yang Kai nodded, “No problem. Brother Ji can go back and take care of his own matters first, then you can return to my High Heaven Palace whenever you are free.”
“Many thanks, Brother Yang,” Ji Ying politely acknowledged, feeling somewhat conflicted inside. He was still a free and unrestrained man before coming to High Heaven Palace, but he actually became this place’s Chief Alchemist after coming here once.
This was not the ending he hoped to see.
But on second thought, Yang Kai’s own Alchemy skills were quite amazing, and he even managed to touch the true essence of the Alchemic Dao, so if Ji Ying had more opportunities to compare notes with him, it would be of great benefit to his advancement.
Once such an idea came to mind, he wasn’t so opposed to the idea of becoming High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist anymore. Instead, he was even vaguely looking forward to it.
“Brother Yang, there is one matter which I need to confirm with you,” Ji Ying suddenly looked serious.
Yang Kai smiled and understood, “Is it about my Alchemy techniques?”
Ji Ying’s body trembled in surprise, “Could it be…”
Yang Kai nodded, “Brother Ji’s guess is correct!”
“As expected!” Ji Ying’s face changed. He had his doubts when he first saw Yang Kai’s pill recipe as it was identical to the one he used.
Quite obviously, there was only one possibility…
“The only one who could have known that recipe and who had left Medicine Pill Valley would be my Third Senior Brother. This Ji entered too late and never met Third Senior Brother, but I have heard about him before. Since this pill recipe is now in Brother Yang’s hands, dare I ask where Third Senior Brother Gong Sun Mu is now?”
Gong Sun Mu committed a terrible mistake in his early years and was expelled by Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. Many years had passed since that event, and there had been no news of Gong Sun Mu in the Star Boundary since then. Now that Ji Ying saw this familiar pill recipe, he naturally wanted to ask about Gong Sun Mu as his Junior Brother.
He knew that even though his Honoured Master had already expelled Gong Sun Mu from Medicine Pill Valley, they still shared some fond memories of those years and no matter what may have transpired, they were still once Master and Disciple. Ji Ying’s Third Senior Brother was said to be a natural genius with unmatched skills in the Alchemic Dao, skills that neither his Eldest Senior Brother or Second Senior Brother could compare to. Unfortunately, Gong Sung Mu went down the wrong path, otherwise, his achievements would have only been more outstanding than his Senior Brothers now.
Yang Kai sighed with dismay, “Senior Gong Sun Mu had long ago passed away.”
Ji Ying was shaken but still revealed a bitter smile, “As expected.”
It seemed that he too had some suspicions in his mind, but Ji Ying still felt sad when Yang Kai confirmed the fact, sad that such an Alchemy genius had fallen before his time.
Yang Kai explained, “It was in a secluded cave mansion left behind by Senior Gong Sun Mu that I found his inheritance.”
Ji Ying could only laugh bitterly, now understanding why Yang Kai’s refining process for the Emperor Yuan Pill was the same as his. As Yang Kai inherited Gong Sun Mu’s inheritance, he naturally received his pill recipes as well. That was exactly the pill recipe that Gong Sun Mu received from the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, as had Ji Ying.
Having explained, Yang Kai took out a jade slip and passed it to Ji Ying, “These are the final words Senior Gong Sun Mu left. I will now pass them to Brother Ji to bring back to Medicine Pill Valley. As for the matter of Senior Gong Sun Mu’s inheritance, I will have to trouble Brother Ji to ask the Great Emperor for his opinion on the matter.”
Ji Ying accepted it and nodded, “Brother Yang is righteous. I will report this matter to my Honoured Master and I believe he will not have any objections. Honoured Master should be happy that there is someone to take up Third Senior Brother’s mantle.”
Yang Kai nodded, “I hope that is the case.”
After a pause, Yang Kai asked curiously, “In Senior’s final words, he mentioned being expelled by the Great Emperor because he committed a taboo by studying the Human Pill Technique. Dare I ask Brother Ji what this Human Pill Technique is?”
Ji Ying’s face changed, “Could it be that Brother Yang is interested in the Human Pill Technique?”
Yang Kai waved his hands, “It was just a casual question. Since it has been deemed taboo by the Great Emperor, it must not be anything good. How could I be interested in studying it?”
Ji Ying’s expression cleared a little and he thought for a moment, “Actually, there is no harm in telling Brother Yang. I believe in Brother Yang’s character. I’m sure you wouldn’t pursue the Human Pill Technique.”
Yang Kai looked at him curiously.
Ji Ying continued, “The Human Pill Technique that Third Senior Brother was studying was a way to refine Spirit Pills by taking human lives as kindling. The higher the cultivator’s cultivation, the better the Spirit Pill that could be refined.”
“What?” Yang Kai’s face changed, “Using humans as ingredients?”
Ji Ying sighed, “That’s right. Honoured Master was furious when he learned of this, and if Eldest Senior Brother had not pleaded for his mercy back then, then Third Senior Brother would probably have been killed by Honoured Master on the spot. After this Ji entered the Sect, Eldest Senior Brother told me about Third Senior Brother, as a cautionary tale of sorts.”
Yang Kai nodded and commented, “Even though Senior Gong Sun Mu went down the wrong path, he repented in his final years. It’s just a pity he was unable to face the Great Emperor personally and ended up dying while meditating in seclusion.”
Ji Ying smiled bitterly, “No one is without fault.”
While they talked, Ji Ying’s Disciple suddenly opened his eyes and exhaled lightly, a look of joy on his face.
“Did you gain anything?” Ji Ying smiled at him.
His First Disciple quickly nodded his head, got up, and bowed to Yang Kai, saying respectfully, “Many thanks, Grandmaster Yang!”
Ji Ying laughed, “If you are able to ascend to the ranks of Emperor Alchemist someday, then it would all be thanks to your Martial Uncle Yang. You’d best not forget his gracious gifts.”
His First Disciple answered promptly, “This disciple will never forget!”
Yang Kai laughed, “It was all thanks to his own luck, there’s no need to thank me!” With a twinkle in his eye, he proposed, “Now that your Honoured Master has become the Chief Alchemist of my High Heaven Palace, why don’t you stay at High Heaven Palace too?”
“This…” The First Disciple looked a little hesitant, seemingly unable to make a quick decision.
Ji Ying scolded in a light-hearted manner, “Brother Yang, you’re insatiable! Why don’t you pull my Eldest Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Fourth Senior Sister over as well?”
“That would be wonderful!”
“I wish to take a trip to the Frozen Earth.”
Half a month had passed since Yang Kai’s Alchemy competition with Ji Ying. Today, he had been refining the Golden Armor Heavenly Book when Zhu Qing suddenly sought him out with a declaration.
Yang Kai was shocked, “That place is a Forbidden Zone. Even if you’re a Dragon, you may not be able to get out safely. What are you going there for?”
“You know the reason.”
Yang Kai frowned as he did understand Zhu Qing’s plans.
She wished to visit the Frozen Earth for no reason other than to retrieve the bones of her clansman. Before, Zhu Qing had a rather off expression when Li Jiao revealed to her the location where he discovered the Dragon Blood Flower. That Dragon Clansman that had fallen in the Frozen Earth must have had some relationship with her.
“Didn’t Li Jiao say that the skeleton has long turned to dust, so it would be useless even if you went there?” Yang Kai tried to persuade her. Even though this girl had been quite annoying to him, and he couldn’t hope for anything more than for her to go as far away from him as possible, he still felt worried if she had to go to a place like the Frozen Earth.
A Dragon Clansman had already fallen there, so if Zhu Qing headed there, then she may end up following in the footsteps of her predecessor.
“There is still one more thing there,” Zhu Qing revealed.
“What?”
Zhu Qing pondered for a moment before saying truthfully, “A Dragon Source. I must go there and find my clansman’s Source!”
Yang Kai suddenly understood. The Source of a Dragon Clansman was a Divine Spirit Source and definitely would not disappear so easily. Even if the bones had already turned into dust, the Source definitely remained.
He nodded, “Then go, but you must be careful. The Frozen Earth is not a place where you can just barge into.”
Zhu Qing looked silently at him, “Are you coming?”
Yang Kai immediately rolled his eyes, “Of course not.”
“Can’t you accompany me?” A look of disappointment flashed past Zhu Qing’s eyes.
Yang Kai grunted, “My strength is too low. The only thing waiting for me in the Frozen Earth would be death. Aren’t you worried that I’ll become a burden to you if I go?”
Most importantly, he wouldn’t have much to gain by going, so why would he go there?
Zhu Qing thought about it seriously before nodding, “You’re right, I’d just be imposing on you. In that case, I will go alone.” After a pause, she added, “But you have to behave and stay here. Don’t go wandering off.”
Yang Kai scoffed, “Why do I have to behave and stay here? Once you leave, I’ll leave the Northern Territory immediately. It’s wide seas and high skies after that, so I’ll go as far away as I want and you’ll never find me again!”
Zhu Qing’s face went dark in an instant, “In that case, I’m not going.”
Compared to her clansman’s Source, her business at Yang Kai’s side was the top priority.
Yang Kai’s mouth twitched and he couldn’t help but want to slap himself on the face, “I was just kidding. Rest assured, I’ll remain in High Heaven Palace and wait until you return.”
“You’re not lying, are you?” Zhu Qing observed Yang Kai’s eyes, seemingly trying to peer into his soul.
“Why would I lie? There are too many things to settle here at the Sect, and this Palace Master has a lot of issues he needs to handle, so where is he going to find the time to run around?” Yang Kai responded earnestly.
“Good,” Zhu Qing nodded, convinced. Suddenly, she added, “By the way, I have a Secret Technique here. Try cultivating it, it’s much better than your previous one.”
“Secret Technique? What kind of Secret Technique?” Yang Kai frowned.
Zhu Qin took out a jade slip and threw it to Yang Kai.
Yang Kai grabbed it and looked inside with his Divine Sense, his eyes turning round in an instant as he shouted, “Dragon Transformation Secret Technique!”
Zhu Qing nodded, “I’ve seen you perform a Secret Technique similar to Dragon Transformation before, but the level of that Secret Technique seems to be quite low, far below this one. If you can successfully cultivate this Secret Technique, then it will increase your combat ability by at least twenty percent in that form.”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up as he asked joyfully, “Truly?”
Zhu Qing smiled, “Do I look like the type to lie to you?”
Yang Kai blushed before changing the subject, “How come you have Secret Techniques like this on Dragon Island?”
Dragons only needed to circulate their Source Strength in order to transform into their True Dragon Form, so what use was this Dragon Transformation Secret Technique to them? Yang Kai couldn’t figure it out.
“Pureblood Dragons aren’t the only ones living on Dragon Island. There are others too,” Zhu Qing said leisurely. “You’ll know when you go to Dragon Island one day.”
“Then we’ll talk again then.” Yang Kai waved his hand and happily studied the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique written in the jade slip. If it was really as Zhu Qing said, then his battle power would soar again if he managed to cultivate this Secret Technique.
“Take your time cultivating, I’m going now.” After saying that, Zhu Qing turned around and walked off.
“Don’t die out there.” Yang Kai suddenly looked up at Zhu Qing’s back and called out.
Zhu Qing smiled and opened the door, leaving while feeling quite smug inside. She figured cultivating this Dragon Transformation Secret Technique would keep Yang Kai busy for a month or two, by which time she should already have returned from the Frozen Earth.
Outside the main gate, Zhu Qing turned into a stream of light and flew towards the far north. Then, she suddenly stopped and looked back, getting the vague feeling that someone was watching her.
But looking around, she didn’t catch sight of anyone. Shaking her head, she quickly left, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
“Ai!” Yang Kai sighed in his room, feeling a little guilty.
He didn’t agree to Zhu Qing’s request to accompany her to the Frozen Earth for two reasons. The first was really because the Frozen Earth was a very dangerous place, but the second was because he wanted Zhu Qing to give up on the whole idea. How could he have expected her to just leave without even hesitating?
“What a stubborn girl! I hope she dies out there,” Yang Kai coldly snorted, clearly in a bad mood.
But soon, his frustrations cleared as he concentrated on the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique in his hands.
The Dragon Transformation Secret Technique that he possessed now was taught to him by Chi Yue back on Heng Luo Star Field’s Monster Emperor Star. Yang Kai considered this quite an amazing Secret Technique back when he wasn’t very strong, and it had helped him raise his battle power a lot when he learned it, but with his increase in strength, that Secret Technique had become less and less useful to him.
But this Dragon Transformation Secret Technique given to him by Zhu Qing was indeed profound and could bring out the full latent potential of his Dragon Source, as well as the dragon artifacts that he had refined into his body.
When comparing the two Secret Techniques, the previous Dragon Transformation Yang Kai cultivated was indeed quite low in level.
The more Yang Kai studied this technique, the happier he felt, and the more he devoted himself to studying it.
He originally planned to get as far away from Zhu Qing as possible after she left, but he had already forgotten all about that.
In the blink of an eye, another half month passed.
Inside the room, Yang Kai opened his eyes and shouted, “Dragon Transformation!”
A high-pitched dragon roar sounded before a huge Golden Divine Dragon Illusory Phantom flickered behind him, merging into Yang Kai’s body, immediately resonating with the dragon artifacts that he refined into his body.
The sound of bones cracking could be heard and Yang Kai showed an immensely painful expression. His figure, which was originally sitting cross-legged on the floor, rose more than three meters higher.
*Kacha…*
Both his hands transformed into dragon claws that were much more realistic than the previous ones. The tips of the claws were as sharp as blades and were shining with a cold glint. On his chest, Scales covered with patterns emerged, spreading all the way down to his waist.
The Dragon Scales were not made of energy like before, but rather a condensation of the Dragon Clan’s Source Strength. They were no worse when compared to real Dragon Scales, and looked no different to the naked eye.
There were also some slight differences with his head and tail as well.
Yang Kai reached out to touch his head and his eyes widened instantly. That was because he discovered that two small nubs had suddenly bulged out on both sides of his head, as if something was growing out of it.
Dragon Horns?” Yang Kai recalled the scene of Zhu Qing activating her Source Strength the first time he met her, instantly understanding.
The two small bulges on each side of his head should be Dragon Horns. Only, he hadn’t cultivated a profound Dragon Transformation Secret Technique like this one, so he looked like neither fish nor fowl.
Touching his back, Yang Kai’s expression grew even stranger.
But this couldn’t be helped as a small Dragon Tail had actually grown out behind his butt…
Could he really face people with this appearance?
After calming his emotions, he slowly stood up. Yang Kai discovered himself to be more than two times taller than before. He wasn’t short to begin with, but he wasn’t remarkably tall either. Right now, perhaps only a few naturally gifted people could compare to his height. Anyone else standing in front of him could only be looked down upon.
Gently clenching his fists, Yang Kai could feel that his hands were filled with power, as if they could explode at any moment.
The richness of that power made Yang Kai feel extremely happy.
With a light wave of his hand, the air rippled in front of him, turning into a mirror. When Yang Kai saw his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air.
How could this look be described as just fierce and fiendish? Not only had his image been greatly changed, but there was also an extremely ferocious aura emanating from his body. Any timid person would probably run away immediately if they saw him like this.
The most striking part of his transformation were his eyes. They had turned into a golden color just like when he activated his Demon Eye of Annihilation. It gave off a mighty feeling, and if he narrowed his eyes, perhaps even his close friends would be frightened by his visage.
Yang Kai couldn’t resist laughing, now very satisfied with this appearance.
And he was still a ways away from perfecting this Dragon Transformation Secret Technique. If he really understood the Dragon Transformation Secret Technique that Zhu Qing gave him thoroughly, then the changes to his body would likely become even more pronounced. At the very least, he would become even taller.
The old Dragon Transformation Secret Technique really could not compare to this one.
“Palace Master, Palace Master!” Hua Qing Si’s voice suddenly came from outside.
Yang Kai’s eyes twinkled as he took a step out, his large feet producing a heavy thudding noise as they hit the ground like beating war drums.
The moment the door was opened, Hua Qing Si’s beautiful face lost color as she exclaimed, “Who are you?!”
When she spat out the first word, she had already summoned her Five-Coloured Spear and poured her Emperor Qi into it, causing the Emperor Artifact to release a radiant glow that shot towards Yang Kai.
Hua Qing Si had the instinctive feeling that this extraordinary being wasn’t something to be trifled with, so she had released a lethal strike on the very first move.
Yang Kai laughed viciously and lunged out with his dragon claws.
With one swing, he was able to shatter the five-coloured light and caught the Five-Coloured Spear between his fingers, halting its advance.
With her Emperor Artifact restrained, Hua Qing Si was horrified and tried desperately to retrieve her weapon.
The Five-Coloured Spear rumbled loudly in Yang Kai’s hand, but it wouldn’t move. She couldn’t shake off Yang Kai’s restraint no matter how she tried.
“Heh, heh, heh, your Palace Master has already been killed by this King, and now this King is going to destroy your High Heaven Palace! I’ll give you a death without burial!” Yang Kai laughed maniacally.
The horror on Hua Qing Si’s disappeared all of a sudden as she swept her eyes over Yang Kai, frowning as she asked, “Palace Master, what are you doing? You really scared me there.”