200 million High-Rank Source Crystals was a gargantuan amount that not just anyone could possess. This amount was comparable to the total income of Azure Sun Temple for a number of years.
Even Xiao Yu Yang and Xue Zheng Mao’s expressions lit up upon hearing that amount.
On the contrary, Yang Kai continued to wear a calm expression on his face, as though he had not heard 200 million, but 2 million, or 200 thousand…
The few people present could not help silently nodding their heads in appreciation. In the end, Yang Kai had just broken through to the Emperor Realm, so no matter how many assets he possessed, he couldn’t be overly wealthy in their opinion. Yet, how was it possible for him to remain that unmoved in the face of such enormous wealth?
How could they know that Yang Kai was now in possession of such astonishing wealth that 200 million High-Rank Source Crystals truly did not amount to much for him.
“What about the second compensation?” Yang Kai asked in a calm tone.
The strange glint in Lan Xun’s eyes faded as she replied, “The second compensation… is that you can ask my father three questions. Anything, regardless of what type of question, is allowed.”
Right as those words rang out, Xue Zheng Mao and Xiao Yu Yang’s breathing both turned rapid as a fervent shade blossomed on their faces.
Despite being Elders of Star Soul Palace and possessing great authority that was second only to the Great Emperor, it was still not an easy matter for them to meet the Great Emperor. The Great Emperor was often in retreat, just like a hidden dragon who showed its tail but never its face. Basically, dozens of years might go by before there might be a possibility to meet the Great Emperor, much less being able to personally ask the Great Emperor some questions.
The two of them would definitely be ecstatic if they were able to obtain the opportunity that was now presented to Yang Kai. That was because any cultivator would definitely have many unanswered questions on their Martial Dao. Questions that Masters like them could ask could only be answered by the Great Emperors, so any advice or answer might allow their strength to soar.
Although the second compensation was not as direct as 200 million Source Crystals, it could be said that it was worth much more than the first. Source Crystals could be obtained through time, but an opportunity as good as being able to ask a Great Emperor three questions could only be gifted, not sought.
Even Wen Zi Shan wasn’t able to control his emotions as he turned his head to look at Yang Kai, really hoping the latter would accept this offer right away.
Who would have known that Yang Kai’s expression would still remain calm? After a moment of silence, he continued, “What is the third?”
Lan Xun replied, “The third form of compensation we can offer is allowing you to enter Star Soul Palace’s Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda and cultivate in there for one month.”
Yang Kai nodded his head at these three choices before him. Truthfully speaking, Star Soul Palace had shown much sincerity through this gesture, as any one of those compensations was sufficient for Yang Kai to return the Golden Armor Heavenly Book to them.
“Do I really have to return this Emperor Artifact?” Raising his head, Yang Kai held on to the Golden Armor Heavenly Book as he asked Lan Xun.
An apologetic look appeared on Lan Xun’s face, “Senior Brother Yang, I hope that you can empathize with the several dozen disciples of our Star Soul Palace that are trapped within that Sealed World.”
Without the Golden Armor Heavenly Book, there was no way to open the Grand Illusion Realm, meaning that those several dozen disciples would be forever trapped within.
Yang Kai sighed, before replying, “Then I’ll choose the third option.”
Elation appeared on Lan Xun’s face, though she proceeded to gawk and say, “Why don’t you take a while longer to consider?”
Wen Zi Shan chimed in to advise him too, “That’s right, Yang Kai. There’s no harm in thinking over your decision in detail. Since the Great Emperor has offered you three forms of compensation, he definitely would not force you to make your choice immediately. There is time for you to consider before making your decision.”
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, “There’s no need. I choose the third option.”
Wen Zi Shan’s jaw hung loosely, as though he was unable to say anything in the end.
He thought, if he was in Yang Kai’s position, he would have definitely chosen the second option. Although a trip into the Five Coloured Treasure Pagoda was an extraordinary opportunity, one had to rely on luck to be able to gain within it. If one wasn’t lucky, they wouldn’t be able to harvest anything even if they cultivated for ten years, much less one month. This made it very lacking when compared to being able to ask three questions to the Great Emperor. He also didn’t know what plan Yang Kai had. The only counterargument to his thoughts was that Yang Kai was the final and only decision-maker in this matter. Since the latter had made his choice, it naturally left him in a spot where it was better to not say anything.
Lan Xun was also very surprised by Yang Kai’s choice, as she had obviously assumed that there was over a ninety percent chance of him choosing the second offer. Yet, the development of this matter was moving out of her expectations. Nevertheless, she finally nodded her head and replied, “Then our Star Soul Palace will look forward to your arrival, Senior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded his head, and with a flick of his Divine Sense, wiped away the Soul Imprint he had engraved within the Golden Armor Heavenly Book in his hand. He then handed the Emperor Artifact to Lan Xun, who proceeded to store it into her Space Ring.
With this matter settled, Wen Zi Shan warmly invited Lan Xun and the others to stay in Azure Sun Temple for a few more days. Nevertheless, both Xiao Yu Yang and Xue Zheng Mao were utterly not in the mood, as they subsequently bade their farewells.
Having completed her mission, Lan Xun wanted to leave as well.
Before she left though, Yang Kai suddenly called out, “Junior Sister Lan, would you mind staying back for a bit? I still have a small personal matter to ask you.”
Lan Xun turned around and let Xiao Yu Yang and Xue Zheng Mao wait outside for her. The two naturally didn’t have any qualms about it while on the contrary, Xiao Chen was adamant on staying behind, a look of hostility covering his face as he did not feel assured leaving Yang Kai alone with Lan Xun.
“Senior Brother Xiao, you can go out first,” Lan Xun shot a commanding look at Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen opened his mouth, but was unable to say anything when he noticed Lan Xun’s beautiful eyes staring at him firmly. Immediately, his mood deflated while the words he was about to say became stuck in his throat. In the end, he shot an angry glare at Yang Kai before turning around to leave.
After a short while, Lan Xun and Yang Kai were the only ones left within the large palace hall.
Lan Xun smiled lightly and said, “There’s no one here now. What does Senior Brother Yang want to ask?”
Yang Kai replied, “Junior Sister Lan mentioned earlier that you visited Spirit Beast Island not long ago, yes?”
Lan Xun nodded her head, “That’s right. I visited there approximately three months ago when my father brought me to the Eastern Territory after being invited by Senior Martial Beast.”
“Then, did Junior Sister Lan meet Senior Jiu Feng on Spirit Beast Island?” Yang Kai’s expression changed.
“Aunt Jiu Feng?” Lan Xun was surprised by Yang Kai’s question, as she had assumed he had requested a private conversation to ask about Mo Xiao Qi. Who would have known that he wanted to ask about Jiu Feng. According to what she knew, there seemed to be no lines of communication between Yang Kai and Jiu Feng. Shaking her head, she replied, “I did not see her.”
After a short pause, she continued to speak, “However, I’ve heard from Little Sister Xiao Qi that Aunt Jiu Feng has been in a retreat recently, and was not to be disturbed unless absolutely necessary.”
Yang Kai frowned, a pensive look appearing on his face.
Jiu Feng being in retreat undoubtedly had something to do Liu Yan. After coming out of the Shattered Star Sea, Liu Yan had fused with the Phoenix True Fire, transforming into a Phoenix Egg before being brought back to Spirit Beast Island by Jiu Feng. As of now, there was still no news of them. At that time, Jiu Feng had mentioned that it would take at least one year at best, and five years at worst before the results could be seen.
Although there was Jiu Feng standing guard for her, Liu Yan was bearing substantial risk as she received the Fire Phoenix Inheritance, leaving Yang Kai feeling unassured and uneasy about her safety.
Originally, he hoped to be able to glean some news for Lan Xun, though he did not expect for her to have no information on this at all.
Seeing him reveal a disappointed look left Lan Xun with a face full of doubts and confusion, as she did not know what Yang Kai’s relationship with Jiu Feng was.
After turning silent for a while, Yang Kai said, “That’s right, I have another matter that I would like to ask Junior Sister Lan for help with.”
Lan Xun smiled faintly, “Of course, Senior Brother Yang.”
Yang Kai said, “Do you know a person by the name of Hua Qing Si, Junior Sister Lan? She is also a disciple of your Star Soul Palace, and her Master was that Tan Jun Hao…”
…
Half an hour had elapsed before Lan Xun walked out of the palace. The nervously waiting Xiao Chen immediately went forward to greet her, all while sizing her up in anxiousness, afraid that she might have suffered a mishap. After noticing that she was fine, as well as noticing the frustrated look on Yang Kai’s face, his mood instantly turned for the better.
“Senior Brother Yang, you can head to our Star Soul Palace whenever you have the time, and this Junior Sister will warmly welcome your arrival!” Lan Xun turned around to say to Yang Kai.
“Take care, Junior Sister Lan,” Yang Kai nodded his head absentmindedly.
Lan Xun signalled to Xiao Yu Yang and Xue Zheng Mao, before the few of them transformed into streaks of lights that proceeded to shoot across the horizon.
The various guests on Myriads Saint Peak quietly observed the situation.
With the Grand Canonization Ceremony complete and Yang Kai receiving Azure Sun Temple’s Jade Elder Token, from this point onwards, he was an official Elder of Azure Sun Temple. The appointment of an Elder should have been an ordinary matter, but Yang Kai’s display of strength before everyone’s eyes, exchanging a move with Xue Zheng Mao, brought him much fame. Although Yang Kai seemed to have suffered quite a serious injury as a result, that did not take away from the fact that he managed to wound the latter. Regardless of his courage or his strength, either one was enough for people to treat Yang Kai with high regard.
Furthermore, Lan Xun’s arrival had caused a strange atmosphere that hung over the guests, even after the members of Star Soul Palace had left.
Therefore, at this moment, quite a few of the gazes sent towards Yang Kai’s way had changed from before. No longer were they using the gaze a Senior would use towards a Junior. On the contrary, it was one of equals.
After a momentary bout of silence, the atmosphere returned back to its original liveliness through the efforts of the various Azure Sun Temple Elders.
Despite the completion of the Grand Canonization Ceremony, having so many Emperor Realms gathered at one place was a very rare occasion to come by. Furthermore, this happened in the territory of Azure Sun Temple, so they did not dare to neglect their guests.
Wen Zi Shan walked Yang Kai around the tables to exchange toasts, introduce himself, and get to know the various Emperors of the Southern Territory, which might prove useful to him in the future.
As he walked along, Yang Kai recognised quite a few familiar faces in the crowd.
Heavenly Martial Holy Land’s Wu Chang, Orthodoxy Temple’s Zhuang Bu Fan, and Eight Paths Sect’s Luo Yuan were people with whom Yang Kai had crossed paths before.
These rising stars that had radiated with extraordinary brilliance while in the Dao Source Realm had all broken through to the Emperor Realm now.
It was not surprising for Wu Chang and Zhuang Bu Fan, as they were already famous rising stars of the Southern Territory. Both of them possessed considerable status in their respective Sects, just like Xia Sheng in Azure Sun Temple, and had access to cultivation resources and opportunities that far exceeded those of ordinary people.
On the contrary, the Sect that Luo Yuan hailed from, Eight Paths Sect, was just a small force. In fact, it was not even able to rival the Blue Feather Sect that Yang Kai had previously joined. Nevertheless, with his outstanding aptitude and perseverance, Luo Yuan had broken through to the Emperor Realm! He had even assumed command of Eight Paths Sect, becoming its Sect Master!
This fellow’s face was brimming with an intent to fight as he stared at Yang Kai, appearing as though he wanted to duel with Yang Kai the first chance possible.
If not for it being Yang Kai’s celebratory day, Luo Yuan might have already issued a challenge.
After three rounds of drinks and five rounds of food, everyone moved about, exchanging cheers, forming groups and cliques, alongside greetings and pleasantries.
The majority of the Emperors present had brought along their disciples and Juniors to this place, which just so happened to be a good place to open their eyes to the world.
“We meet again, Young Master Yang.” A waft of delicate fragrance blew over, as a curvaceous figure squeezed her way to Yang Kai’s side, before letting out a laugh, “Forgive me, it should be Elder Yang now.”
Yang Kai turned his head over to find a beautiful woman standing elegantly with a wine cup in her hand. Her pretty face was of a ruddy pink shade, a presumed result of alcohol. Even her fair neck had a pink hue to it, creating an exceedingly alluring sight to behold.
“Palace Master Hua!” Recognizing this woman immediately, Yang Kai gave a faint smile and raised his cup in recognition.
“This Mistress offers this toast in gratitude for you saving my life,” Hua Yu Lu raised her cup and drained it in a single gulp.
Although this Hundred Flowers Palace Palace Master appeared delicate and fragile to the point where a gust of wind would cause her to topple over, she displayed a boldness that did not pale in comparison to any man. Having drained the cup in a single gulp, the shade of her face grew even more flushed than before.
“You’re too courteous, Palace Master Hua. On the contrary, the matter with Tan Jun Hao caused Palace Master Hua to be questioned by Star Soul Palace.” Yang Kai smiled lightly and drank some of the wine in his cup.
Hua Yu Lu shook her head and replied, “That wasn’t much trouble, as it was just a few questions. This Mistress simply told them the truth. Did it cause any trouble for Elder Yang?”
Yang Kai laughed and said, “Palace Master Hua’s truthful words helped me, so how could it bring trouble to me?”
Hua Yu Lu revealed a look of relief, before turning her head to glance at her surroundings before asking in a soft voice, “Why is there no sign of Xia Sheng here?”
Previously, when they had met in Flowing Shadow City, Hua Yu Lu mentioned that she was a friend of Xia Sheng’s, and from the looks of it now, these two seemed to be old acquaintances indeed. If not, she wouldn’t care this much about his presence, or lack thereof.
“Senior Brother Xia is currently stationed at Spirit Lake Palace. I’m afraid that he might be unable to come back in the near future,” Yang Kai replied. “If Palace Master Hua wishes to find Senior Brother Xia, you can take a trip to Spirit Lake Palace to pay him a visit.”
“Is that so…” A look of disappointment appeared on Hua Yu Lu’s face.
Right as she was about to say something, Gao Xue Ting suddenly walked over with a cold look on her face.
Hua Yu Lu immediately said, “Elder Yang still has other matters to attend to, so this Mistress will not disturb you further,” before turning around and leaving.
“How are your injuries?” Gao Xue Ting moved to Yang Kai’s side and asked in a soft voice, though her eyes remained fixed at Hua Yu Lu’s retreating figure.
“They’re fine,” Yang Kai replied.
If any other First-Order Emperor Realm Masters took Xue Zheng Mao’s palm to their chest, they would have to lie in bed for at least a few days. It might even be possible that they would be killed on the spot; however, with his exceedingly strong and sturdy body, coupled with the Great Soaring Black Dragon Armor he had worn, Yang Kai only suffered a few broken bones as a result of the blow, with not much damage done to his organs. He would recover from such an injury within a day or two even if he didn’t do anything about it at all.
“How do you know that woman?” Gao Xue Ting shot a question out abruptly, a look of disdain present on her face.
Yang Kai replied, “I exchanged greetings with her once in Flowing Shadow City. What about her?”
“Nothing. If you’re still injured, you should go and recuperate rather than mingle with a dubious and shady figure like her.”
Dubious and shady figure…
Gao Xue Ting seemed to have a very big issue with Hua Yu Lu. After realizing this, Yang Kai did not dare to ask her more about the details.
With a flicker, Gao Xue Ting snatched away the wine cup in his hand, before saying, “There will be an exchange meeting between Emperors in the evening. Good things can appear there, so you should take a look if you’re interested.”
“Exchange meeting?” Yang Kai was indeed interested in it.
Gao Xue Ting nodded and replied, “It is rare for so many Emperor Realms to be gathered in a single place, so everyone naturally wants to take this opportunity to make connections, regardless of it being useful or not. This is also something that the Temple Master wishes to see, so the exchange meeting will be hosted by our Azure Sun Temple. That’s right, you can take anything you do not need to exchange as well.”
“Good, call me when it’s time,” Yang Kai nodded his head.
“Go on,” Gao Xue Ting waved her hand in response.
With the end of the Grand Canonization, Yang Kai was now a full-fledged Elder of Azure Sun Temple. However, due to the time constraints brought about by the whole series of events, he still did not have his own residence, so he naturally could only return to Purple Bamboo Peak.
Yang Kai took the next half a day to adjust his breathing to recover from his injuries. By the time night had fallen, his injuries were almost fully healed.
The communication artifact beside him vibrated slightly at that point. Extending his hand out to grab it, Yang Kai swept it with his Divine Sense before standing up.
The location of the exchange meeting was still Myriad Saints Peak, though this time the event was held inside the main palace. The various attendees should have already received the news of this exchange meeting, so only a few of the guests from earlier had left Azure Sun Temple. If not for urgent matters that required their attention, even those who left absolutely wouldn’t have missed an exchange meeting like this.
A few Azure Sun Temple disciples were standing at the doors to welcome the guests, and upon seeing Yang Kai, respectful looks appeared on their faces as they bowed their heads and shouted, “Greetings, Elder Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded his head in response, before walking in with huge strides.
Sweeping his eyes across the room, Yang Kai noticed that the palace was already filled with people. The guests that were here for the Grand Canonization Ceremony during the day were basically all present, with over a hundred Emperors accompanied by their Disciples or descendants they had brought along.
Although there were many people present here, everything was neat and orderly, devoid of the usual bustle from a crowd. Although conversations were occurring throughout the place, everyone was doing so privately with whispered voices.
The interior of the palace was brightly lit, making it seem as though it was daytime.
“Over here!”
As Yang Kai was looking around to find a place to sit, Gao Xue Ting’s voice suddenly rang in his ears. Looking over to the source of the sound, Yang Kai noticed Gao Xue Ting seated at the left side of the palace, beckoning to him.
With a faint smile, Yang Kai walked over to her.
That place seemed to be the area where the Azure Sun Temple Elders were seated, as other than Gao Xue Ting, there was also Chen Qian, Di Rong, and You Kun present. Seeing Yang Kai walk over, all of them revealed kind smiles on their faces.
Yang Kai exchanged greetings with everyone before sitting down at Gao Xue Ting’s side.
“Junior Brother, have you participated in such an exchange meeting before?” Gao Xue Ting suddenly turned her head over to him and asked.
Yang Kai stared blankly at her for a while, before looking to his other side. Noticing that there was no one there, he snapped back to his senses and looked back towards Gao Xue Ting, “Elder Gao, are you talking to me?”
Gao Xue Ting laughed and replied, “Who other than you do you think I’m talking to? Ghosts?”
Chen Qian, who sat by Gao Xue Ting’s side, covered her mouth to let off a soft laugh before explaining, “Yang Kai, you’ve broken through to the Emperor Realm and are now an official Elder of the temple, so you naturally have to be treated as an equal. This is the rule of our temple.”
An awkward look appeared on Yang Kai’s face as he scratched his head in response, “It may take me a while to adapt.”
Earlier today, he had placed himself in the status of a disciple before Gao Xue Ting, but now he had suddenly become her Junior Brother, which was a huge jump in position. This jump was a little too sudden and significant for him to wrap his head around.
Nevertheless, as he thought about it, everything made sense. At this moment, be it his cultivation or status, he was not one bit inferior to Gao Xue Ting and the other Elders, so he indeed possessed the qualifications to be considered an equal.
“Let me hear you call me Senior Sister!” Gao Xue Ting wore a serious expression on her face as she looked at Yang Kai.
“Senior Sister Gao!” Yang Kai said with a grin, showing his exceedingly strong adaptability.
“So obedient. It’s a pity there’s no reward.” The corners of Gao Xue Ting’s mouth curled up in response, before she followed up with another question, “So, have you participated in an exchange meeting before?’
“No,” Yang Kai shook his head. Although he had participated in quite a few auctions, he had only heard rumours of such exchange meetings. “Nevertheless, I know the basic rules, which is a barter trade.”
“That’s correct.” Gao Xue Ting nodded her head. “When one’s cultivation reaches the Emperor Realm, Source Crystals become less important and valuable. There are many good things that cannot be bought with Source Crystals; therefore, everyone generally prefers to conduct direct barter trading. Naturally, this does not mean that people would not take out Source Crystals to trade, though everything depends on the conditions set by the owner of the treasure.”
Yang Kai committed every one of Gao Xue Ting’s words to heart as he continued to nod his head, his humble stance causing Gao Xue Ting to be exceedingly satisfied with him.
After a moment, the great doors of the Myriad Saints Palace creaked, before closing shut with a bang.
Yang Kai knew that this exchange meeting was about to start.
Indeed, as soon as the palace doors closed shut, an elderly man flew up to the stage. This was not an outsider, but Azure Sun Temple’s Vice Temple Master, Qiu Ran.
Being the organizer and host, Azure Sun Temple naturally needed to be the first one to grace the stage and stir the crowd up.
After a soft cough, Qiu Ran spoke, “Many thanks to all the friends gathered here to attend tonight’s exchange meeting. This Old Master wishes for everyone to be able to obtain what they want and return from a rewarding journey. There’s not much more to say about the rules, so let the exchange meet begin. Our Azure Sun Temple will start things off and hopes for everyone to be able to offer up good items here.”
With a wave of his hand, a jade bottle appeared. Raising it slightly, Qiu Ran said, “This is an Extreme Soul Tempering Pill, a Low-Rank Emperor Grade Spirit Pill. This pill is for Emperors to consume, and upon refining its efficacies, it will allow a huge surge in one’s Spiritual Energy, enabling one to display one’s Soul Techniques with greater effectiveness. There are three pills within the bottle and only Source Crystals are accepted. Everyone, please make your bids.”
Right as his words rang out, the faces of the greater majority of the Emperors present changed.
This could not be helped, as those were Emperor Pills!
Emperor Pills were absolutely not easy to be chanced upon. Only Emperor Alchemists were capable of refining Emperor Pills, yet how many Emperor Alchemists were there in the entire Star Boundary? Even a great Sect like the Azure Sun Temple did not have their own personal Emperor Alchemist.
The Violet Source Chamber of Commerce had an Emperor Alchemist amongst its ranks; however, Grandmaster Huang Fu’s Alchemy schedule was already packed full to the brim. Even if someone wanted him to refine a pill, they would need to wait in line for a few years at least before getting their chance.
Among the Star Boundary, Spirit Pills beneath the Emperor Grade were still a common sight as there was still a substantial number of Dao Source Grade Alchemists out there. Nevertheless, things like Emperor Pills were basically rarities.
Yet now, Azure Sun Temple actually took out three Extreme Soul Tempering Pills, which was more than sufficient to show their sincerity.
Furthermore, only allowing Source Crystals as bids allowed all of the Emperors present to participate.
Therefore, right as Qiu Ran finished with his words, bids were announced in rapid succession, with the old bid being outbid immediately after being called. In a moment, an extremely lively atmosphere akin to a flea market appeared inside Myriad Saint Palace, as every Emperor present shouted until their faces and necks turned red, a display of their exertion in the bidding process.
Nevertheless, those pills seemed to have not much of a use for the Emperors from Azure Sun Temple.
That was because Azure Sun Temple possessed the Divine Ascension Mirror!
When he had first arrived at Azure Sun Temple, Wen Zi Shan had told Yang Kai that the cultivators of their Azure Sun Temple possessed Soul cultivations superior to their fellow cultivators in the same realm. The reason for this was the Divine Ascension Mirror.
The Divine Ascension was a Sealed World used for the improvement of one’s Spiritual Energy. As long as the Emperor Realms of the temple could go in once to cultivate, the result would be countless times more effective compared to this Extreme Soul Tempering Pill.
If they wanted to increase their Spiritual Energy, they would just need to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror, without the need to consume any Emperor Pills at all.
In other words, the Extreme Soul Tempering Pill might really not be of much value to the Emperor Realms of Azure Sun Temple. One could immediately realize this just by seeing the indifferent expressions present on the faces of Chen Qian and the others.
After realizing this, Yang Kai laughed quietly in his heart.
“5 million!” A person’s voice rang out before the entire place turned silent.
The bid of 5 million High-Rank Source Crystals immediately halted all of the other Emperor Realms in their tracks, as this price was basically the extreme limit that one would pay for those pills. People who were capable of cultivating all the way to the Emperor Realm were not stupid, and thus would naturally not recklessly toss away their Source Crystals; after all, this was just the beginning of the exchange meet, and who knew what good things might come up later.
In the end, the three Extreme Soul Tempering Pills were sold to a red-robed old man who bid five million High-Rank Source Crystals.
The red-robed old man seemed to be the Sect Master of a third class Sect and was surnamed Yu, though Yang Kai was unable to remember his given name. Earlier, he had exchanged greetings with this red-robed old man after being dragged around by Wen Zi Shan for a round of celebratory toasting. Nevertheless, despite his outstanding memory, Yang Kai was unable to remember the names of faces of over a hundred Emperors while slightly intoxicated.
It also could be attributed to his lack of motivation to remember.
Following up, Qiu Ran pulled out another two treasures, and just like the Extreme Soul Tempering Pills earlier, they were sold off for only Source Crystals. This created a wave of loud hustling among the Emperor Realm participants before the bids were won by a man and a woman at high prices.
After those three treasures, the atmosphere within this exchange meet had been ignited.
When Qiu Ran left the stage, the red-robed old man that had won the bid for the Extreme Soul Tempering Pills earlier took the lead and scuttled up onto the stage. Raising his hands, he greeted the people present with a grin, “This old man greets fellow friends.”
As he said that, with a wave of his hand, a scarlet red fruit appeared on his palm, “This is a 3,000-year-old Blue Blood Scarlet Dragon Fruit, and I am looking to trade this for Water Attribute Spirit Herb or Emperor Pill of equal value.”
Right as the Blue Blood Scarlet Dragon Fruit was brought out, a unique fragrance wafted across the interior of the palace, with anyone who smelled it feeling as though they were filled with life and vitality, causing a shock to their minds.
All of the Emperors present here were people with acute senses and mental faculties, so they knew that this Blue Blood Scarlet Dragon Fruit was an exceedingly rare treasure. This obviously moved the hearts of quite a few people, especially those who cultivated a Fire Attribute Secret Art or Technique, who now had flushed looks on their faces.
Five Space Rings were immediately tossed out silently from below the stage.
Receiving them, the red-robed old man examined their contents. A pensive look appeared on his face before he finally chose one of the rings. Returning the other rings, he walked off the stage and handed the Blue Blood Scarlet Dragon Fruit to the owner of the ring he had chosen.
With the red-robed old man giving a good example, the exchanges that followed suit grew increasingly lively, moving along at a rapid pace.
As one Emperor stepped down, he or she would immediately be replaced by another Emperor, retrieving the item they wanted to exchange, and listing out their exchange criteria.
Other than the rare person who was too greedy or had overly demanding requests, the rest of the Emperors were all able to obtain the items that they wanted.
Yang Kai remained seated all the while, with no intention of participating in the exchanges for the time being. However, he was enjoying the meeting with relish. As he was now, despite his great wealth with ordinary treasures not catching his eye at all, being able to watch the various kinds of strange and exotic treasures brought out in this exchange meeting, with every one of them being the precious gems of these Emperor Realms, widened his perspective greatly. This experience greatly expanded his knowledge, allowing him to recognize these treasures should they appear before him in the future.
Even Chen Qian and Di Rong, Elders of Azure Sun Temple, had personally taken to the stage and exchanged their treasures for things that they wanted from the participating Emperor Realms.
Although some people might be at a slight disadvantage in such an exchange, it was truthfully harmless; after all, if the disparity in value between the exchanged treasures was too great, it could just be balanced out using Source Crystals. Since everyone present here were sharp-eyed, no one would let themselves suffer too much of a loss in an exchange, so it was naturally impossible to pick up a bargain here.
“Is there anything that catches your eye?” Gao Xue Ting suddenly asked.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Let’s continue watching.”
“If there’s anything you’re interested in, go and inform your Senior Sister Chen. Your Senior Sister Chen controls our temple’s storehouse so she should be able to exchange a thing or two for you. This can be considered a little gift for your conferment as an Elder of our temple.”
As the two were chatting, a peculiar fluctuation suddenly rippled from the stage.
Everyone turned their eyes over swiftly, only to see a middle-aged man on the stage with a transparent bottle in his hand. Some liquid seemed to be sloshing slightly within the bottle, with the strange energy fluctuation that rippled out earlier precisely coming from the contents of that bottle.
“That’s…”
Yang Kai’s eyes lit up, as he was faintly able to guess what that thing was. Right as he was dwelling in his thoughts, a surprised gasp rang out by the side of his ear, “Supreme Divine Water!”
A commotion rose within the Emperor Realms present as everyone’s eyes glowed brighter by a few degrees as they stared at the liquid within the bottle.
Indeed, it was Supreme Divine Water. Yang Kai had also managed to recognize the item.
He had indeed bumped into this treasure before. Back then, he had managed to see a drop of Supreme Divine Water while in the Flowing Time Temple within the Four Seasons Realm. Nevertheless, that drop had ended up in Murong Xiao Xiao’s hands, and he did not know if it had been used up or not.
In the Star Boundary, there were Three Great Divine Waters; the Soul Cleansing Divine Water, the Life Revitalizing Jade Cream, and the Immortal Source Liquid. Each one of these was a naturally formed product and possessed immense benefits to cultivators.
Yang Kai had obtained all of the Three Great Divine Waters at one point or another in the past; however, there was another kind of Divine Water out there. Although it was not considered to be part of the Three Great Divine Waters, its value and efficacy were not inferior to theirs.
It was precisely the Supreme Divine Water!
Its use was in the maturation of Spirit Herbs, but wasn’t useful if consumed directly by a cultivator. This resulted in its exclusion from the Great Divine Waters, though no one could dispute its preciousness.
If a Spirit Herb was nourished by a drop of Supreme Divine Water, it would undergo a rapid maturation, increasing its medicinal age drastically. A single year’s worth of growth would be sufficient to reach a medicinal age of thousands of years compared to other Spirit Medicines. Furthermore, it posed absolutely no harm to the Spirit Herb, as though it had simply grown naturally.
The Supreme Divine Water was also the Divine Water that Alchemists would most hope to obtain. Imagine, if a precious Spirit Medicine needed a thousand years to reach maturity but could be instantly cultivated to its full potential next year if it were fed with a drop of the Supreme Divine Water, readying it for use in Alchemy.
The medicine garden in Yang Kai’s Small Sealed World had a large amount of Heavy Earth as well as quite a few Earth Vein Crystals, which aided in promoting the growth of Spirit Herbs. There were many Spirit Herbs that were being grown within the Sealed World Bead’s medicine garden, with a year of growth there being able to match a hundred years in the outside world, making it have a similar effect to the Supreme Divine Water. Nevertheless, Yang Kai was still incomparably attracted to the Supreme Divine Water.
That was because the Firmament Tree needed the Supreme Divine Water to expedite the development of its sealing capabilities.
The sealing strength present within the gold and silver Firmament Tree was able to seal the Ancient Demon Qi within Yang Kai’s body; however, if Yang Kai were to display his Demon Transformation technique, the seal would be broken. When that happened, he would need to rely on the strength of the Firmament Tree to reseal the Demon Qi. If not, he would be destined to devolve into a Demon.
The amount of Supreme Divine Water present in the man’s hand was not much, three to five drops at most. In other people’s hands, this was capable of only promoting the growth of a few stalks of precious Spirit Herbs. However, it might be able to save Yang Kai’s life during critical moments.
As he weighed those thoughts in his head, Yang Kai reached a decision.
The man on the stage took a look around before giving a faint smile, “I think there’s no need for this one to describe the benefits of this Supreme Divine Water, as everyone should already understand its value. However, I don’t need Source Crystals, just a suitable exchange.”
Those words sounded somewhat overly crafty, as he did not set any conditions for the exchange. Yet, it gave people a feeling as though he was trying to take advantage of this exchange meeting, causing many of the Emperors present to feel displeasure at his actions. Nevertheless, that was his property, and he was the only person that could decide whether he would want to exchange it or not. Therefore, despite the displeasure they felt in their hearts, they had no other choice but to suck it up and bid.
After a moment of silence, Space Ring after Space Ring flew towards the stage. Clearly, those rings were filled with items people wanted to exchange for this man’s Supreme Divine Water.
Yang Kai had also filled his Space Ring with some items, which he felt would absolutely be enough to show his sincerity! He had too many items in his hands, so he did not mind taking a slight loss in the exchange. As long as he was able to obtain the Supreme Divine Water, it would be worth the price.
The middle-aged man proceeded to observe the items present in each one of the Space Rings, before returning them to their owners below the stage. This caused quite a few Emperor Realms to reveal looks of disappointment as they clenched their teeth in silence, all while thinking how utterly greedy the fellow on the stage was.
All of them had assumed that the items they had placed in their Space Ring were more than sufficient to be exchanged for those drops of Supreme Divine Water, yet their Space Rings had been promptly returned.
When it came time for Yang Kai’s Space Ring, the middle-aged man shot a look at it, though he did not return it immediately after doing so. Instead, he muttered to himself, held it in his hand, before continuing to search through the other Space Rings.
His actions caused Yang Kai’s brow to twitch as he knew that the items he had placed in his Space Ring were sufficient to fulfil the middle-aged man’s demands, though the latter had yet to make his decision.
After a short while, the middle-aged man’s eye lit up upon searching through another Space Ring. Without any hesitation at all, he proceeded to throw Yang Kai’s Space Ring back.
Yang Kai’s face turned black as he gloomily grabbed his Space Ring.
He felt that he had already offered a very good deal for the exchange, as it was impossible for other people to offer anything higher than the price of the items he had placed in the Space Ring. Yet, the owner of the Supreme Divine Water had declined his offer.
Since that had happened, there could only be two reasons. The first one was that another person had offered a trade of greater value than what Yang Kai had offered. Nevertheless, the possibility of this was not high, as no one present here was wealthier than Yang Kai! This only left the second possibility, which was that the other person had offered items that the middle-aged man needed urgently, leading to this result.
“Many thanks for everyone’s participation. This one has decided to proceed with the exchange with this friend.” After finishing his inspection of all the Space Rings, the middle-aged man gave a faint smile before tossing the bottle of Supreme Divine Water down from the stage.
A person extended his hand and grabbed it, before storing it in his Space Ring.
Yang Kai shot a look at that person, silently committing his appearance to memory.
The exchange meeting continued on, with good items popping up from time to time, attracting fervent reactions from everyone present. Nevertheless, with everyone present being an Emperor Realm Master, they couldn’t lose their heads over those treasures. Therefore, regardless of how fiery the atmosphere and the bidding became, the exchange meeting continued on in an organized and orderly fashion.
Basically everyone was able to obtain the items they were interested in, with only a small minority leaving empty-handed in disappointment.
After an hour, a short old man walked up to the stage. Present on his face was an amicable smile, giving people a good impression of him. Opening his mouth, he spoke, “This old man doesn’t have anything too good to exchange. Nevertheless, having come here, I can’t just return empty-handed, so I wish to share a little something with everyone.”
As he said those words, he retrieved an item that looked like a cosmetics box from his Space Ring.
The item was not large, approximately the size of one’s palm. It was exquisitely and beautifully crafted, its exterior gleaming and sparkling with soft light. This caused the eyes of quite a few of the women present here to light up.
However, the people present knew that this box was definitely not a cosmetics box, as an Emperor Realm Master would not take out an ordinary item in such a situation.
Divine Senses came sweeping over as people inspected the interior of the box, but after a short instant, weird looks appeared on the faces of quite a few Emperors.
“Everyone, please take a look!” The old man gave a faint smile and cracked open the lid of the box.
In the next instant, a soft and gentle ringing sound rang out from the box, forming a simple, yet mysterious song. The sounds seemed to contain a peculiar strength that caressed the soul like an invisible jade white hand, calming everyone’s flustered and impatient hearts and allowing their moods to become calm and tranquil.
The Emperors were still alright when the music began to play, but the descendants and disciples that they had brought here reacted differently. The weaker their cultivation realms were, the greater the reaction. An Origin King Realm Junior was actually unable to control himself and let out a soft groan, while a look of satisfaction appeared on his face. Furthermore, a glorious light sparkled within his eyes, as though he had comprehended something.
As the ringing sounds continued, the box started to extend upwards. When this happened, the audience was able to see that the box was not some cosmetics container, but an item that appeared just like a pagoda. After extending upwards, a pagoda-like shape took form, extending roughly three hands into the air, with nine distinct levels to it.
Every level was rotating independently; some of them were turning to the left, and others to the right, some of them rotating quickly, while the others did so slowly. Following their revolutions, the music gradually started to change, though it still sounded as beautiful as before.
By the time the pagoda had completely formed, a hazy mist started to develop around it. An azure blue shade tinted the haze before it quickly spread through the interior of the hall.
As people raised their heads to look up and noticed a starry sky with a million twinkling points of light had replaced the ceiling of the palace.
The place the audience was in now did not seem to be within the Myriad Saints Palace, but among the incomparably vast starry sky. Extending their hands, they felt as though they could make contact with the stars, giving people an exceedingly strange and miraculous feeling.
The faces of the Emperors present grew serious as they gradually sensed how miraculous this treasure box was. Each of them started to ponder on what kind of price they would pay to obtain it.
*Huala…*
As a soft sound rang out and the starry skies shattered before dissipating away. The incomparably beautiful scenery returned back to a blank ceiling, disappearing alongside the melodious music as the treasure box slowly closed up, turning back into its original box shape, looking all too ordinary as it had before.
Those Dao Source Realm and Origin King Realm Juniors instantly snapped back to their senses. As they did so, starving looks appeared on their faces as flames erupted within their eyes as they stared fervently at the treasure box.
Holding on to the treasure box, the old man gave a faint smile and spoke, “This is the Heavenly Music Treasure Box. The heavenly melody it produces alongside its illusionary projection has great benefits to cultivators at or below the Dao Source Realm, allowing them to achieve twice the result in their cultivation with half the effort. Furthermore, there are absolutely no negative side effects to it. This treasure box was obtained by this Old Master by chance during my youth and has been accompanying me since the Saint Realm. Over the past thousand years, it played a huge role in forging this Old Master’s present accomplishments.”
After hearing the old man’s explanation, the audience was able to reaffirm their guesses. Although the Emperor Realm Masters present were not able to sense the miraculous effects of this Heavenly Music Treasure Box, they were able to deduce it from the reactions of their descendants and disciples, that this treasure was indeed extremely beneficial for cultivators with lower cultivations. By providing strange and miraculous music as well as a beautiful illusionary realm, it brought significant gains to all those cultivators who cultivated under its influence.
This was not something that Spirit Pills could substitute, as every Spirit Pill would contain some traces of impurities within it. Although it would not have any effect when consumed sparingly, it would not be advantageous to a cultivator’s growth if consumed in large quantities. However, the Heavenly Music Treasure Box was different, as every benefit it offered was completely pure.
This audience was now even more interested in the creator of such a treasure.
Furthermore, from the words of the old man, they knew that this Heavenly Music Treasure Box had accompanied him for the past thousand years. From this, they knew that this treasure was not something that current Artifact Refiners could refine. It was extremely likely that this item was refined a long time ago, and might even have been refined in ancient antiquity.
The old man continued to speak, “Truthfully speaking, this old man was not willing to take this treasure out to exchange. However… this old man is single, has no descendants, and has no disciples; therefore, this Heavenly Music Treasure Box will be just like a pearl covered in dust if it continues to accompany this Old Master. Thus, this Old Master hopes that it can display its strength once again, as a form of gratitude for the many years it has helped him.”
This old man’s words sounded somewhat depressing, though it caused a shock to ripple in the hearts of the audience upon hearing his words.
Generally speaking, the path of a cultivator like this old man, without a Sect or any strong background would definitely be filled with challenges, difficulties, and hurdles. This would limit one’s accomplishments in the grand scheme of things, making it even more difficult to reach the Emperor Realm compared to other people.
However, as of now, this old man was an Emperor Realm Master, and it was highly likely that this Heavenly Music Treasure Box played a large role in that.
“Nevertheless, there is a matter that this Old Master has to let all of you know. Although this Heavenly Music Treasure Box is a miraculous treasure, it is absolutely ineffective towards Emperors. In fact, its effectiveness is greatly reduced even for those in the Dao Source Realm. Only those below the Dao Source Realm will be able to fully enjoy the benefits of this Heavenly Music Treasure Box.”
Appearing to be an honest person, the old man did not conceal any information and explained the quirks and features of the Heavenly Music Treasure Box.
Nevertheless, what was there to be wary of?
The Emperor Realms present here were not solitary existences like this old man, almost all of them belonging to great forces that had innumerable members below the Dao Source Realm.
Take Azure Sun Temple for example. This top Sect had cultivators of all cultivation realms, with one able to find a bunch of Dao Source Realms at any given moment. These people would greatly benefit from the Heavenly Music Treasure Box.
If Azure Sun Temple was able to obtain the Heavenly Music Treasure Box, their disciples in the Dao Source Realm and below would have one more advantage in their cultivation path.
This treasure had incomparably massive appeal for Sects and Families.
Therefore, some people could not help but to ask right after the old man finished his explanation, “Old Lu, can we know what you want in exchange for this Heavenly Music Treasure Box?”
“That’s right, Old Lu. Give a price!”
There were even some Sect Masters that were secretly sending transmissions to Old Lu. In fact, some Elders and even Vice Sect Masters were hoping that he could join their Sect. Nevertheless, they were bound to be disappointed as people like Old Lu were innumerable throughout the Star Boundary. Some of them would never chance upon any opportunities, and might be lacking in aptitude, which left them unable to join any Sect. However, some of them preferred to be wild and free like the cranes flying through the clouds, not willing to be fettered or bound by any force.
Without a doubt, Old Lu was the latter sort of person. If not, with his Emperor Realm cultivation, he would definitely be welcomed by any Sect should he wish to join. In fact, even Azure Sun Temple would give him a position should he request for it.
After a while, Old Lu finally replied, “A few years ago, this Old Master started to cultivate a certain Secret Technique that requires Monster Cores. Therefore, this Old Master hopes to exchange this Heavenly Music Treasure Box for Monster Beast Cores.”
“Monster Beast Cores!” Both looks of happiness and looks of worry appeared across the audience upon hearing his reply.
“This Old Master needs Monster Cores, and they need to be Monster Cores from Twelfth-Order Monster Beasts. Furthermore, this Old Master wishes to exchange for two sets of Five Elements Monster Cores!”
“Five Elements Monster Cores?”
“Moreover, two sets?”
Shocked cries rang out, as frowns appeared on the faces of many Emperors, as they felt that this Old Lu was trying to take the lion’s share from this exchange.
Twelfth-Order Monster Beast Cores! Even if they were Low-Rank ones, each one of them was worth at least two or three million High-Rank Source Crystals. A full set of Five Elements Monster Cores would have to be comprised of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Attributes, with prices ranging from ten to fifteen million Source Crystals. Furthermore, the price would be higher if they were to come in a complete set, pushing the price up to around twenty million.
A full set of Five Elements Monster Cores would be twenty million, while two sets would reach forty million in price!
Although the Heavenly Music Treasure Box was extraordinary, it was only useful for cultivators at or below the Dao Source Realm. Who would be willing to spend a few tens of millions of High-Rank Source Crystals to buy this? It wasn’t to say that they didn’t have that many High-Rank Source Crystals, but even if they did, this was not economical.
Therefore, the Emperor Realm Masters that were originally interested in the Heavenly Music Treasure Box immediately proceeded to curse under their breaths after hearing Old Lu’s reply.
Nevertheless, there were quite a few people that proceeded to cast their gazes towards Qiu Ran and the few Azure Sun Temple Elders present.
The Emperors present definitely could not take two sets of Five Elements Monster Cores. Therefore, the only people that could pay such a price would be the hosts of this exchange meet, Azure Sun Temple.
The audience immediately realized that Old Lu had taken out his Heavenly Music Treasure Box in this exchange meeting solely to deal with Azure Sun Temple. If even Azure Sun Temple wasn’t able to satisfy his request, there was no choice but for this exchange to fall through.
Indeed, Spiritual Energy started to surge between the Elders of Azure Sun Temple, a clear indication of them communicating amongst themselves.
After a short moment, Qiu Ran shook his head slowly.
A disappointed look instantly appeared on Old Lu’s face.
“The temple doesn’t want this treasure box?” Yang Kai asked Gao Xue Ting.
Being a High-Rank Guest Elder of the temple, he did not possess any authority or decision-making power on matters that concerned the benefits of the temple. That was why Qiu Ran and the others did not include him in their discussion on this matter.
“The price is too high. Furthermore, our temple does not have a full set of Five Elements Monster Cores,” Gao Xue Ting replied.
It wasn’t common to come across a Twelfth-Order Monster Beast Core, much less a full set. Although Azure Sun Temple had a few dozen Twelfth-Order Monster Beast Cores in their storehouses with rather good grades, they were lacking Earth Attribute ones. Therefore, they naturally were not able to satisfy Old Lu’s requirements.
“If the temple doesn’t want it, I’ll take it,” Yang Kai grinned.
Gao Xue Ting looked at him strangely, “You have two sets of Five Elements Monster Cores?”
“I have to discuss with him whether I have them or not,” Yang Kai smiled faintly in response before looking towards the stage and saying, “Old Lu, take a look and see if this meets your request.”
After saying that, he raised his hand and tossed a Space Ring out.
Receiving it, Old Lu swept his Divine Sense over it. A look of happiness quickly appeared on his face, before being followed up with a frown as he replied, “Elder Yang, this seems to be slightly lacking.”
The Space Ring contained a set of Five Elements Twelfth-Order Monster Cores; however, there was only one such set. As the remaining two sets, they were made up of Eleventh-Order High-Rank cores.
Yang Kai shook his head and replied, “Twelfth-Order Monster Beast Cores, and moreover a full set? How could that be easy to obtain? Even these cores were something I obtained by chance. Old Lu, would you be willing to compromise and accept them? If not, we can only end things here.”
As they heard his reply, everyone immediately understood that the items Yang Kai had sent might not have reached Old Lu’s requirements; however, it should have also met some of them, which explained the latter’s hesitation.
Old Lu turned silent, not giving an immediate reply.
As he was hesitating though, Yang Kai sent him a Divine Sense Message, “However, I have some news that I can relay to Old Lu that concerns Twelfth-Order Monster Beast Cores.”
“What?”
“Every half a year from now, there will be two Twelfth-Order Monster Cores that will appear at the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce in Maplewood City. There will even be High-Rank ones. If you pay close attention, Old Lu, you might even be able to obtain another set there in time.”
“How do you know about this news?” Old Lu was surprised.
[Those Monster Cores are going to be provided by me, so how would I not know about them?] Yang Kai quipped to himself.
Keeping such information to himself though, he replied, “I have an intimate friendship with one of the Managers of that branch of Violet Source Chamber of Commerce. This is something that he informed me about.”
“Good, good, good.” Old Lu smiled happily. If the matter was as Yang Kai had mentioned, he would not need to be in a rush to obtain the two sets of Five Elements Monster Cores he required. Instead, he could cultivate using the first set first, before obtaining the second set, piece by piece.
“We can go ahead with the exchange. However, this Old Master wishes for Elder Yang to supplement me with a million High-Rank Source Crystals. After all, there is still a large disparity between the value of these items and this Old Master’s price.”
This old fellow seemed simple and honest, yet had such a black heart! Yang Kai cursed silently, before replying with much thought at all, “Five hundred thousand.”
Old Lu turned silent for a while, appearing to be deliberating over this matter, before finally nodding his head, “Good.”
Yang Kai proceeded to send five hundred thousand High-Rank Source Crystals over before obtaining the Heavenly Music Treasure Box from Old Lu, which he shoved into his Space Ring.
“Junior Brother, you’re willing to spend so much for the temple even though you had just become an Elder! Senior Sister really has to thank you on behalf of the many disciples of our temple. When they cultivate in the future, they will definitely remember your benevolence,” Gao Xue Ting’s voice suddenly drilled into Yang Kai’s ear.
Yang Kai’s face turned black upon hearing her words. Turning his head around, he noticed that Gao Xue Ting was focused on the stage, not appearing to be talking to him at all.
“This… Senior Sister Gao, this treasure box is mine…”
Turning her head over, Gao Xue Ting’s gaze turned chilly, “Hmm?”
Yang Kai immediately corrected his words, “It’s naturally not an issue if the temple’s disciples need it.”
Only now did Gao Xue Ting nod her head, “You’re too thoughtful, Junior Brother.”
Yang Kai let off a dry laugh, feeling as though his mouth had been stuffed with bitter medicine, with him pondering silently how to reach a compromise…
There were still quite a few treasures that graced the stage in the exchange meet, with many Emperor Realms taking turns to walk up and present the treasures they had kept for many years, whipping the audience into a frenzy time and time again. However, being in the territory of Azure Sun Temple, everyone still maintained order, keeping their manners when exchanges failed, with no one daring to incite any trouble.
Yang Kai took action a few times and obtained a few precious items, including an ancient pill recipe.
This continued all the way to the morning of the second day before the exchange meeting finally finished. Everyone then proceeded to stand up before the host, Qiu Ran represented the higher-ups of Azure Sun Temple and cordially invited everyone to remain as a guest. Nevertheless, no one really wanted to remain and everyone proceeded to say their goodbyes.
Not long after, the hundred or so Emperors brought along their descendants and disciples and departed.
“Junior Brother Yang, please come and visit this Old Master’s Spirit Jade Peak. It should be time for you to choose your residence,” Qiu Ran suddenly said.
Yang Kai nodded and replied, “Good. Please wait a moment, Senior Brother Qiu, as I still have a small matter to handle.”
After replying, he immediately rushed out of the palace, transforming into a streak of light as he flew away.
Qiu Ran frowned, before sighing, “He certainly is energetic… Ah, youth…”
He did not know what Yang Kai was running off to do, to the point that he had pushed an important matter like choosing his residence aside. From the looks of it, it seemed to be something urgent.
After an instant, Yang Kai suddenly appeared at a place three hundred kilometres away from Azure Sun Temple. Looking around, he immediately focused his sights on a certain location. Cupping his fists, he called out, “Sect Master Zhang, it has been a while.”
The void rippled before a whirlpool appeared. In the next instant, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man suddenly appeared from the centre. Stepping out, a sliver of a surprised look was present on his face as he replied, “What good eyesight you have, Elder Yang.”
He had concealed himself at that location and had put up his guard, yet he did not expect Yang Kai to see through his concealment with a single glance. Indeed, he really possessed the ability to back up his conferment as an Elder of Azure Sun Temple. The crucial point was that the latter was still young, which made Zhang Dao Shan feel as though he had aged past his prime.
“May I know what the matter is, for Elder Yang to ask this Zhang to meet at this place?”
Earlier, Zhang Da Shan was about to leave after the end of the exchange meet when he received Yang Kai’s transmission. Thus, he had waited specifically at this place. If not, he would already have headed back to his Sect.
If it was any other person, he would most likely not pay attention to such a brusque request; however, with Yang Kai’s status as an Elder of Azure Sun Temple, Zhang Da Shan had no choice but to treat the latter with high regard, leaving him no other option but to wait here.
Yang Kai chuckled, “My apologies if this offends you, Sect Master Zhang; I would like to request for an item from Sect Master Zhang.”
A frown appeared on Zhang Da Shan’s face as he immediately understood the situation, “The Supreme Divine Water?”
Earlier, when the previous owner of the Supreme Divine Water had taken it out during the exchange meet, Yang Kai had also made an offer, though the trade was not successful. In the end, the Supreme Divine Water ended up in Zhang Da Shan’s hands. There were no previous interactions between the two of them; therefore, if Yang Kai wanted to find him for any matter, the only possibility would be due to the Supreme Divine Water.
“Indeed,” Yang Kai nodded his head.
A guarded look immediately appeared on Zhang Da Shan’s face while he sent his Divine Sense to scan in all directions, appearing as though he was preparing to fight his way out of an ambush at any given moment.
Yang Kai immediately let out a dry laugh, “There’s no need to worry, Sect Master Zheng. This Yang has come here alone and is genuinely interested in trading with Sect Master Zhang for that Supreme Divine Water.”
Zhang Da Shan frowned as he replied, “If that is the case, I would really have to apologize. This Supreme Divine Water is very important to this Zhang, so I would have to disappoint Elder Yang.”
Yang Kai raised his hand and continued, “There’s no hurry to reject me, Sect Master Zhang. Would you allow me to guess your use for the Supreme Divine Water?”
Zhang Da Shan’s frown grew deeper, as he felt increasingly impatient towards Yang Kai’s obstruction. He had already rejected the latter’s request, so what more did Yang Kai want to say?
Yang Kai pretended to not see this as he continued, “The use of the Supreme Divine Water is without a doubt for the cultivation of Spirit Herbs, and is one of the greatest treasures an Alchemist can ask for. Sect Master Zhang should want the Supreme Divine Water for this reason, right?”
“That’s right,” Zhang Dao Shan nodded his head in agreement. This was not hard to guess, so it didn’t prove the latter’s brilliance at all.
Yang Kai smiled and continued, “However, from what I can see of Sect Master Zhang’s talented capabilities, you are lacking any kind of Fire Attribute Qi or traces of Spirit Medicines. Therefore, Sect Master Zhang should not be proficient in the Alchemic Dao.”
Zhang Da Shan shook his head, “The Martial Dao is broad and boundless. This Zhang does not have the patience nor the capability to explore the Alchemic Dao as well.”
Yang Kai revealed a calm expression and smiled faintly, “In other words, Sect Master Zhang is planning on gifting this Supreme Divine Water to another, right? Furthermore, it must be to an Alchemy Grandmaster that would let Sect Master Zhang gift such a precious treasure. From the looks of it, Sect Master Zhang seems to have some kind of request for the other party, most probably refining a specific pill?” Yang Kai paused for an instant before continuing, “Perhaps Violet Source Chamber of Commerce’s Grandmaster Huang Fu?”
A look of surprise finally appeared on Zhang Da Shan’s face, “Elder Yang is even able to guess this?”
Yang Kai laughed and replied, “There are not many well-known Alchemists in the Southern Territory. Furthermore, only those few Emperor Alchemists are worthy enough for Sect Master Zhang to offer such a precious treasure like the Supreme Divine Water. There is no need to consider other Emperor Alchemists, however, as every one of them belongs to a great Sect and are extremely difficult to meet, much less request to concoct pills too. On the contrary, Violet Chamber of Commerce is focused on business, with Grandmaster Huang Fu frequently offering Alchemy services to the public. Generally speaking, only he would entertain requests for pill concoction.”
Having arrived at this point, Zhang Da Shan did not conceal any further as he nodded his head, “That’s right. This Supreme Divine Water is indeed a gift I’ve prepared for Grandmaster Huang Fu.”
Yang Kai replied, “Sect Master Zhang is planning on using this treasure to request Grandmaster Huang Fu to concoct a Spirit Pill for you?”
“Is there anything wrong about that?”
“Of course there isn’t anything wrong with that; however, with Grandmaster Huang Fu’s fame, there are innumerable people that are requesting for his Alchemy services, so who wouldn’t offer precious gifts to him? Although Sect Master Zhang’s Supreme Divine Water is very precious, you might not be able to gain any priority in the queue for his services. In fact, you might have to wait for a period of time even if Grandmaster Huang Fu accepts your gift.”
Zhang Da Shan frowned, “This Zhang naturally knows this; however, as long as Grandmaster Huang Fu accepts this gift, there should be results within three months. It is still better than those who have to wait bitterly for a few years.”
“Three months…” Yang Kai laughed, before raising a finger and saying, “What if I could let Sect Master Zang obtain the Spirit Pill he desires in one day?”
“What?” Zhang Da Shan’s entire being shook, “One day? Impossible!”
Doubt and suspicion immediately filled Zhang Da Shan’s expression. If Yang Kai had said those words to him yesterday, he would have snorted and scoffed in disdain; however, it was a different matter now. Right now, Yang Kai was an Elder of Azure Sun Temple. With such a golden signboard attached to his name, everything that Yang Kai said contained a certain level of credibility.
After hesitating for quite a while, Zhang Da Shan finally replied, “Which Emperor Alchemist does Elder Yang know?”
“Has Sect Master Zhang heard of the name Ji Ying?” Yang Kai asked back.
“Ji Ying…” Zhang Da Shan muttered as he fell into deep thought, but very quickly, his expression shook as light burst forth from his eyes, “Grandmaster Ji Ying? The Disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor?”
“Other than him, who else could it be?”
“You can’t be serious, right?” Zhang Da Shan was exceedingly shocked, “That Grandmaster is in the Northern Territory, and Elder Yang mentioned that within a day…”
Yang Kai interjected, “At this moment, Ji Ying is in Azure Sun Temple. I have a friendly relationship with him, so it isn’t a problem for me to request him to concoct a furnace of pills.”
Zhang Da Shan was instantly dumbstruck.
Requesting a furnace of pills from an Emperor Alchemist? Furthermore, from the Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor! How can a mere friendly relationship work like this? The point that made it extremely hard to believe was that Grandmaster Ji Ying was supposedly in Azure Sun Temple right now!
Just as Zhang Da Shan was lost in his confusion and tumultuous emotions, Yang Kai’s voice rang out once again, “Is Sect Master Zhang willing to gift that precious treasure and wait for three months or more to be able to obtain your desired Spirit Pills, or is Sect Master Zhang willing to try to obtain those Spirit Pills by tomorrow? However, truthfully speaking, even if Sect Master Zhang is able to request Grandmaster Huang Fu to perform Alchemy for you within three months’ time, I’m afraid that the fee for his work would be sky-high. However, if I use my connections, this fee can be waived.”
“Waiver of fees?” Zhang Da Shan’s eyes lit up.
When one requested an Emperor Alchemist to perform alchemy for them, not only would they need to prepare all of the required materials, they would also have to pay a rather high commission. If not, how would those Alchemists become filthy rich?
“Only this time!” Yang Kai replied with a straight face.
Zhang Da Shan immediately sensed something from Yang Kai’s reply as his face lit up with excitement, “Then the next time, this Zhang can also…”
“You naturally have to pay appropriate remuneration next time,” Yang Kai chuckled.
Zhang Da Shan was simply ecstatic. If he was able to form a connection with Grandmaster Ji Ying through this, he would no longer need to be at the beck and call of other people and wait bitterly when he needed pills in the future. As for commission fees, that was something that he was naturally willing to pay.
Seeing the change in his expression, Yang Kai struck again while the iron was still hot, “To tell you the truth, Sect Master Zhang, I need that Supreme Divine Water as well as I was planning to give some to Grandmaster Ji Ying. Set a price, Sect Master Zhang, and I’ll pay it.”
“There’s no need for that,” Being a decisive person, Zhang Da Shan had already made up his mind, and thus did not plan on hesitating further. After some organizing, he tossed a Space Ring to Yang Kai, “The Supreme Divine Water and the alchemy materials are inside. I’ll have to trouble Elder Yang then.”
Yang Kai extended his hand out to grab it. Sweeping the contents with his Divine Sense, he smiled faintly and replied, “Just wait here for a day, Sect Master Zhang, and I will come find you tomorrow.”
“Many thanks!”
Indeed, the title of Elder of Azure Sun Temple had great utility. It would be an utter fantasy for anyone else to even attempt to obtain the Supreme Divine Water from Zhang Da Shan’s hands as he wasn’t that much of an idiot to simply offer a precious treasure like the Supreme Divine Water to others on a whim.
It was precisely due to Yang Kai’s status as an Elder of Azure Sun Temple that he had chosen to believe the latter.
Seeing Yang Kai’s figure disappear without a trace, Zhang Da Shan was overwhelmed with excitement and apprehension.
He was excited about the possibility of forging a connection with Grandmaster Ji Ying through this matter. This would allow him to benefit from this relationship should he need to request Emperor Pills in the future. The apprehension he felt stemmed from the unknown success of the refining of the Emperor Pill this time round.
Even an Emperor Alchemist had a certain percentage chance of failure whenever they took action. If it failed, the herbs that he had painstakingly collected would be completely destroyed, meaning he wasted the five years of his life that he had spent collecting them!
As Zhang Da Shan moved along this train of thought, he was shocked once again as he patted his leg in annoyance. Earlier, due to being overwhelmed by his emotions, he had forgotten to inform Yang Kai about the pill he desired. Nevertheless, after further consideration, with Grandmaster Ji Ying’s insight and Alchemical prowess, it shouldn’t be difficult to deduce the type of Spirit Pill to refine from the herbs that he had prepared.
As the day passed, Zhang Da Shan waited impatiently, feeling as though an entire year had gone by.
All of a sudden, a streak of light came shooting over from the distance. Zhang Da Shan’s mind shook as he raised his eyes to look over.
Yang Kai’s figure reappeared, and with a casual toss, threw a jade bottle over. With a faint smile, he said, “Fortunately, I did not fail my mission!”
Emotions surged crazily in Zhang Da Shan’s heart upon hearing that. Receiving the jade bottle, he opened it up to take a look. Indeed, he saw six gleaming, smooth, and round Emperor Pills within. Taking a whiff of the pill fragrance, he immediately felt his mind relax and his soul enter a harmonious state.
He let off a laugh, and replied in a sincere tone as a look of gratitude appeared on his face, “Many thanks, Elder Yang.”
If not for Yang Kai’s connections, how would it have been possible for him to obtain these Spirit Pills in just a day? According to Zhang Da Shan’s estimates, he would have to first head to the headquarters of the Violet Source Chamber of Commerce to seek out Grandmaster Huang Fu, gift the Supreme Divine Water to him, then wait at least a few months before being able to obtain the Spirit Pills from him.
Furthermore, three to four Spirit Pills would be the maximum amount he would obtain.
Truly worthy of being the Disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor! Grandmaster Ji Ying’s prowess in Alchemy left Grandmaster Huang Fu in the dust. Zhang Da Shan could not help but rejoice that he was fortunate enough for Yang Kai to send a message to him yesterday, and fortunately, he had believed in Yang Kai. If not, how would he have benefited from such a wondrous matter?
At this moment, he naturally felt extreme gratitude towards Yang Kai.
“You’re too courteous, Sect Master Zhang. We both obtained what we wanted, that’s all,” Yang Kai smiled faintly and cupped his fists, “Safe travels!”
“Please wait, Elder Yang!” Zhang Da Shan suddenly raised his hand and shouted.
Looking back, Yang Kai replied, “What is it, Sect Master Zhang?”
A somewhat sheepish look appeared on Zhang Da Shan’s face, “This Zhang wishes to ask Elder Yang, if this Zhang wishes to seek Alchemy services in the future…”
Yang Kai smiled, “Please do not hesitate to find me in Azure Sun Temple.”
In any case, with Ji Ying putting in the effort, any Emperor Pill could be easily refined. Furthermore, he could even obtain some commission from it.
Zhang Da Shan was ecstatic, “Many thanks, Elder Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded his head, and with a flicker, returned back the way he came.
……
Azure Sun Temple, Spirit Jade Peak, the residence of Vice Temple Master Qiu Ran.
“Senior Brother Qiu, I’m here!” Yang Kai shouted out after barging inside. Very quickly, he noticed Qiu Ran seated quietly within, appearing as though he was waiting for the former to arrive.
“Hm, your expression doesn’t look too good, Senior Brother Qiu.” Yang Kai looked at Qiu Ran in surprise.
With a gloomy look, Qiu Ran replied, “Didn’t you ask this Old Master to wait for you for a moment yesterday? How did a moment become a day?”
Only then did Yang Kai realize why the latter was looking at him with bitterness on his face, making it seem as though Yang Kai had abandoned him after a one night stand. Scratching his head, he laughed sheepishly, “I bumped into a small matter and was held up for a bit.”
Qiu Ran shook his head in helplessness. Too lazy to refute the latter, he waved his hand and replied, “Follow me.”
Yang Kai followed behind obediently.
As Qiu Ran walked into a slightly larger hall, he waved his hand, causing the doors to immediately close shut. Looking left and right, Yang Kai discovered that there were traces of a Spirit Array present within this large hall, though he was unable to identify exactly what kind of array it was.
There was a massive sand table present in the middle of the hall, and upon taking a cursory look at it, Yang Kai discovered that there seemed to be a sliver of spirituality present within the sand as it slowly circulated about. However, taking a closer look, he noticed that it was an inanimate object, bringing about an incomparably strange feeling within him.
Moving forward for a closer look, Yang Kai’s eyebrows immediately rose up, “Is this Azure Sun Mountain Range?”
Qiu Ran nodded in response, “Correct. This is the Mountains and Rivers Projection of our Azure Sun Mountain Range.” As he said that, he extended his finger. Emperor Qi surged out before the sand table immediately started to come alive. Luscious vegetation, trees, and a mountain range rose up, followed by rocky outcrops, before a miniaturized model of Azure Sun Mountain Range impressively formed. Every single mountain peak, and every single valley present within Azure Sun Mountain Range was identical in shape and scaled size to the original.
Yang Kai clicked his tongue repeatedly in awe, while thinking whether he should ask Hua Qing Si to create a similar Mountains and Rivers Projection when he returned back to High Heavens Palace.
Although this kind of thing was not uncommon within big Sects, it required exquisite and detailed refining to create. With his High Heavens Palace’s current level of heritage, it shouldn’t be difficult to accomplish such a task.
“Our Azure Sun Temple sits within Azure Sun Mountain Range, with our temple taking its name from it. There are a total of 1,352 large and small peaks, of which there are 27 main peaks reserved for our Elders. Currently, the majority of them are empty. Take a look and find one that catches your interest,” Qiu Ran said while pointing towards the Mountains and Rivers Projection.
Yang Kai took a deep look for a while before replying, “Senior Brother Qiu, someone is staying in that green area, right?”
Qiu Ran nodded, “That’s right. The peaks highlighted in green are occupied by people, while the white areas are unoccupied.” Saying that, he extended his hand to point towards a certain location on the Mountains and Rivers Projection, “This is this Old Master’s Spirit Jade Peak.”
“Oh?” Yang Kai raised his brow. With Spirit Jade Peak as a reference, he was able to make out the accuracy of this Mountains and Rivers Projection in detail. Of the 27 main peaks, other than the 10 or so being occupied by the Elders of the temple, the remaining dozen or so were left for him to choose from. Yang Kai looked over at them and felt somewhat dazzled, resulting in him being unable to make a decision for a long time.
To the side, Qiu Ran extended his hand and pointed towards a certain Spirit Peak, “That place is quite good. How about considering it, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai looked over to where he was pointing, before pointing towards the neighbouring Spirit Peak, “If I am not mistaken, that should be the Purple Bamboo Peak, yes?”
“That’s right. That’s Junior Sister Gao’s Purple Bamboo Peak!”
“Forget about it,” Yang Kai said with great certainty.
Of the people within Azure Sun Temple, Gao Xue Ting was the person that he was most unable to oppose. Although if he and Gao Xue Ting were to fight, Gao Xue Ting would lose nine times out of ten, it was still for the best to avoid being neighbours with her.
“Oh… take your time to choose one then,” Qiu Ran did not judge Yang Kai’s response.
After a while, Yang Kai suddenly pointed, “That Spirit Peak.”
Qiu Ran looked over and nodded slightly and replied, “Spirit Sword Peak. It’s also fairly good, though its location is somewhat remote and the peak isn’t too big.”
The 27 Spirit Peaks designated for the residence of Elders did not have many differences between them; after all, regardless of shape or the density of World Energy present, they were all Main Peak level locations. Nevertheless, this Spirit Sword Peak was located slightly further from the core of Azure Sun Mountain Range, though it truly did not matter for anyone with an Emperor Realm cultivation.
“Since Junior Brother has already chosen, then Spirit Sword Peak it is.” With a wave of Qiu Ran’s hand, the Mountains and Rivers Projection instantly collapsed, turning back into its earlier sand table appearance, before he continued, “Junior Brother, your Elder Token will be able to open the various barriers and restrictions present on Spirit Sword Peak. When you head over, please remember to refine your Elder Token together with the Spirit Sword Peak’s Earth Vein. From then on, Spirit Sword Peak will be your domain. Without your permission, even this Old Master cannot enter as he pleases.”
“Many thanks, Senior Brother Qiu,” Yang Kai cupped his hands and replied.
“Off you go,” Qiu Ran waved his hand.
Yang Kai immediately bade farewell and left.
Leaving Spirit Jade Peak, Yang Kai headed along the path he memorized towards Spirit Sword Peak.
It merely took the time for one to steep a small cup of tea for a tall, precipitous mountain peak to come into view in the distance. At first glance, the mountain peak appeared just like a sharp sword piercing out from the ground, giving it an imposing look. That was also where its name of Spirit Sword Peak came from.
The sides of the mountain peak were steep, with high cliffs surrounding it, while clouds covered the midline of the mountain. Many beasts and creatures were living on the mountain, with everything coming together to form something akin to a paradise.
Yang Kai looked over from a distance and was immensely satisfied with it.
Although he was the Palace Master of High Heaven Palace, which occupied a peak grade Spirit Vein and many Spirit Peaks, he was just a High-Rank Guest Elder in Azure Sun Temple. Nevertheless, Yang Kai now had a place he could call his own in the Southern Territory.
This was something to be happy about.
Transforming into a streak of light, he flew towards the mountain peak. Sweeping his gaze around, Yang Kai saw that there were a few exquisite palaces here. Although it had been unoccupied for many years, and no maintenance had been conducted on them, with the protection of the various Spirit Arrays, there was not a trace of damage present on these palaces. In fact, there wasn’t even a speck of dust.
Standing where he landed, Yang Kai spread out his Divine Sense. Like a tsunami roaring towards the shore, it encapsulated the entire Spirit Sword Peak in a flash, allowing Yang Kai to get a full understanding of the situation of this Spirit Sword Peak.
Retracting his Divine Sense, Yang Kai moved about, appearing just like a sovereign who was inspecting his own territory.
After spending a full half-day doing so, Yang Kai had returned to his peak’s main palace and could not help but call out in surprise, “Senior Brothers, Senior Sisters, why are all of you here?”
Impressively, Gao Xue Ting and the others were waiting within. Upon seeing Yang Kai return, Chen Qian gave a faint smile and replied, “We’re here to offer our congratulations.”
Yang Kai chuckled and said, “Didn’t you all already offer your congratulations yesterday?”
“What’s wrong? You don’t welcome us?” Gao Xue Ting shot a cold glare at Yang Kai.
This shocked Yang Kai, who hastily replied, “How would I dare? I’m simply ecstatic. Everyone, please come in.”
As he said that, he welcomed the other Elders into the palace hall.
Before Yang Kai could even sit down though, Gao Xue Ting suddenly waved her hand, causing over a hundred big bottles of fragrant wine to appear on the ground. With a refreshing tone, she declared, “Our temple has a new Elder, so today, everyone will not return until they’re drunk!”
As those words rang out, colour faded from everyone’s faces.
Chen Qian’s pretty face turned pale as she hurriedly cautioned, “Please don’t be impulsive, Senior Sister!”
Di Rong’s face also changed as he subconsciously backpedalled, “I suddenly recalled that the Temple Master is looking for me for some matters, so I’ll take a leave first.”
“Hmm?” Gao Xue Ting’s eyes narrowed sharply as she snorted deeply.
In an instant, Di Rong turned stiff and came to a halt there. He turned his head around to You Kun, hoping that the latter could save him from this impending disaster, only to see You Kun drenched in beads of cold sweat, his face so pale it appeared as though he had lost all of his blood.
After some time, a group of people were huddled together in the corner, all of their faces a pale shade, while Chen Qian and another female Elder were shivering in fright.
Yang Kai’s face was filled with shock as he looked towards the beautiful figure dancing about in the large hall with an Emperor Artifact longsword in her hand. After gulping with much difficulty, he asked seemingly to the Heavens, “What kind of situation is this?”
That figure was moving about without inhibition, staggering about with a bottle of wine in her hand. Her eyes were scarlet red, while she would cheer to herself from time to time, take a swig of her wine, before complimenting how good the wine was. Her emotions flowed out without restraint, as flower after flower of sword patterns formed as her longsword shook, radiating a chilling glow in all directions.
Di Rong replied in a bitter tone, “Junior Brother Yang, since you’re still quite new here, you’re not aware of the Three Great Taboos of our temple. I never imagined that you would witness this so soon after you become an Elder. This is truly… something to be celebrated.”
Yang Kai gawked, “Three Great Taboos? What Three Great Taboos?”
Chen Qian replied in a soft voice, “Temple Master’s birthday, Senior Brother Qiu’s fury, and… Senior Sister Gao drinking alcohol!”
“What kind of taboos are these?” A look of astonishment appeared on Yang Kai’s face before he looked back to the person before them. At this moment, he felt that the noble and pure image he had of that lady had completely collapsed and disintegrated. The lady he was looking at right now was basically a mental patient! Cleaning away the cold sweat that had formed on his forehead, he replied, “Why does Senior Sister Gao turn into a different person after drinking alcohol? Could it be that she has been taken over by some malicious spirit?”
“It isn’t that serious…” You Kun hastily waved his hand, while his expression turned strange, “It’s just that Junior Sister Gao… could never handle her alcohol.”
“How can that be? For better or worse, Senior Sister Gao is a Second-Order Emperor. No matter how strong the alcohol is, she would be able to easily remove its effect just by circulating her Emperor Qi. How does it turn into this?”
Chen Qian sighed, “It’s all due to Temple Master’s negative influence.”
“How does it concern Temple Master?” Yang Kai was utterly surprised by her reply and felt that what he had seen and witnessed today had caused his outlook of the world, life, and his values to collapse.
Chen Qian replied, “Senior Sister Gao was brought up by Temple Master from childhood. You should know about this, right?”
“Yes. I’ve faintly heard about this,” Yang Kai nodded his head.
Chen Qian revealed a sad and depressed look, “When she was young, Temple Master made Senior Sister Gao drink a number of times, and each time, it was until she was totally drunk. This culminated in one incident where she drank too much and turned crazy for a few days and nights before finally returning back to normal. After that, Senior Sister Gao always becomes like this whenever she touches alcohol.”
In this short story, one could sense the miserable childhood Gao Xue Ting had experienced. This truly made anyone who heard it feel sad and burst into tears.
“That’s… utterly heartless! It makes one bristle with anger!” Yang Kai cursed out in extreme anger, causing a wave of commotion that incited the group of Elders to nod their heads in succession, looks of contempt and disdain present in their eyes that were aimed towards that Temple Master of theirs.
After gawking for a while, Yang Kai continued, “Since she cannot drink alcohol, she should know better than to do it. Yet, how did she get so much Spirit Wine…” As he said that, Yang Kai took a sniff of the wine fragrance, before saying in praise, “This Spirit Wine has been fermented for a few hundred years. Tsk tsk, what a waste.”
“Who knows where she got them from?” Chen Qian was on the brink of tears, “She should have been feeling great the past few days, right? Last night, she even came to my Small Spring Peak to chat through the night with me before leaving.”
Another female Elder immediately added, “She had also come to me last night…”
Yang Kai sighed, “So, with this happening, what is the best option? Don’t tell me we have to wait for her to become sober for her crazed antics to stop?”
Chen Qian replied, “It’ll be alright when the wine is finished.”
Yang Kai swept his eyes across the scene, and his head started to hurt, “There are still over a hundred bottles, so how long will she be drinking for? In accordance with her speed, it will take a few days and nights before they are empty.”
“Other than that, there isn’t any option left,” Chen Qian shook her head.
Yang Kai thought silently for a while before a resolute expression appeared on his face as he stood straight up.
“What are you going to do, Junior Brother Yang?” You Kun asked in surprise.
“I’m going to accompany her to drink. The faster the wine is finished, the earlier this matter can end,” As he said that, he took big strides forward, appearing just like a man who would face an army of tens of thousands of people by himself!
Respectful looks immediately appeared on the faces of the various Elders present, as they looked blankly at his back figure.
“Youth…” Di Rong shook his head and sighed.
“Enough of this nonsense. Let’s help Junior Brother Yang restrain her before getting out of here as soon as possible,” You Kun shot a glare at the others, before looking over to Yang Kai, who had at some point been captured by Gao Xue Ting and was already getting alcohol forced down his throat. He immediately turned his head away, unable to continue watching on.
[Junior Brother! We will remember your sacrifice and pay this favour back in the future!]
Everyone understood this tacitly, proceeding to hold their breaths and tiptoe out of the premises.
Just as they arrived at the entrance though, an elegant figure suddenly shot towards them, flying straight towards You Kun’s face. A few strands of his black hair drifted away while a deep gulch was carved onto the ground. If not for the protection of the Spirit Array, that strike might have caused the entire palace to collapse.
“You all want to leave?” A frosty look was present on Gao Xue Ting’s face, appearing just like the north wind that had whipped over from the Nine Hells, to the point where even the air seemed to have frozen up. An ice-cold voice reverberated in everyone’s ears, causing everyone to freeze up, their entire being turning cold as a ghastly voice sounded, “Let me see if you all dare to take another step?”
Chen Qian looked pitifully at Gao Xue Ting and replied in a soft voice, “Senior Sister Gao, you’re drunk…”
Gao Xue Ting immediately tossed Yang Kai away, and with a flicker, appeared before the hall entrance, blocking the path. Slashing her long sword down, she glared imposingly at Chen Qian, “How am I drunk?”
“You, you… I…” Chen Qian was at a loss. An Emperor was actually forced to the point where she was just like a mouse that had bumped into a cat, unable to utter a single word properly at all.
“Stop your nonsense and come here and drink!” Gao Xue Ting grabbed hold of Chen Qian, wrapped her arm around the latter’s neck, and shoved the wine bottle towards her mouth.
Chen Qian only managed to gulp down a few mouthfuls before she could not hold back her gag reflex. Wine flowed and dripped down her slender neck, staining her robes, obliterating her gentle and humble pretty girl image in an instant…
“Hahahahaha!” Gao Xue Ting burst into laughter, appearing as though she was feeling exceedingly ecstatic before her pretty eyes rotated and locked onto You Kun.
You Kun instantly jumped up and extended his hand. Grabbing hold of a wine bottle as he hastily replied, “There’s no need for you to take action, Junior Sister Gao. This Senior Brother will do it himself.”
As he said that, he raised his head to take a drink, appearing incomparably heroic as he did so.
Only after seeing this did Gao Xue Ting reveal a satisfied look, before her pretty eyes shifted once again.
However, any Elder that was targeted by her, while filled with bereavement, hastily grabbed the fragrant wine and gulped it down in large mouthfuls.
Gao Xue Ting continued to laugh heartily, seemingly having lost all of her intellect. Waving her longsword once again, she started to perform a sword dance within the hall, causing Sword Qi to fly out in all directions, leaving Yang Kai and the rest to run helter-skelter away in distress.
“Junior Brother Yang…” Chen Qian managed to regain her senses after much difficulty. Extending her hand to rub the corners of her mouth, she proceeded to remind him with good intention, “Please do not use your cultivation to dispel your drunkenness, if you do…”
“If I do?” Yang Kai asked in surprise.
This conversation came too late though, as just like a spectre, Gao Xue Ting suddenly appeared in front of him. Extending her hand out, she grabbed hold of him, lifted him up just like a little chick, before speaking out in a chilling voice, “Little brat, you dare to cheat!?”
As she said that, the long sword in her hand started to vibrate, as though it was about to fly out from her hand at any moment.
Yang Kai’s face turned pale as he clamped his legs and cried out in alarm, “Please be merciful, Senior Sister Gao!”
“Hmph, you want me to be merciful?” Gao Xue Ting let out a cold snort, swept her eyes over Yang Kai before nodding, “Put your best into it then!”
Her longsword rose and shook before a bottle of spirit wine appeared on top of the sword’s tip as it was delivered before Yang Kai.
Yang Kai immediately revealed a look of deep bitterness. However, under the demanding glare from Gao Xue Ting, he had no choice but to clench his teeth and take up the bottle.
“Good, good, good!” Gao Xue Ting clapped and danced about, a satisfied look appearing on her face, as though she was a little girl that had just gotten a new toy. Just as Yang Kai had emptied the bottle, yet another one was hoisted before him.
Yang Kai looked at her with a face filled with bitterness.
“Are you going to drink or are you going to drink?” Gao Xue Ting’s face immediately turned frosty.
“I’ll drink, I’ll drink, I’ll drink…” Yang Kai stared at the longsword positioned below his chin, before nodding vigorously like a little chick pecking at rice grains.
After downing a total of thirteen successive bottles of hundred-year-old spirit wine, Yang Kai let out a full belch as his body started to sway. Under the sympathetic looks from the various Elders, he opened his mouth with much difficulty, “Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters… this little brother will take his leave first!”
As his voice rang out, he collapsed backwards onto the ground.
“Waste!” Gao Xue Ting stepped on Yang Kai ruthlessly and sneered. With a twist of her body, she leaned on his body, using him as a support as she raised a wine bottle in her hands and opened her mouth to drink.
The clear yet strong fragrant wine transformed into arrows of water, before being drunk up completely in just a few breaths.
With Yang Kai leading by negative example, the other Elders did not dare to hesitate anymore as they all proceeded to hug a bottle and start drinking. Within a moment, the entire hall was filled with a miserable atmosphere, as though Azure Sun Temple had been decimated by its bitter enemies.
The alcohol strength of the spirit wine was extraordinary, and coupled with them being unable to circulate their cultivation to get rid of its effects, even these Emperor Realms were unable to prevent themselves from getting wasted.
It did not take long for Chen Qian to reach her limits. She felt her entire world shake, while it seemed as though her eyelids were being weighed down by a few mountains. No matter how hard she tried, she could not keep them open. She tipped over as she collapsed onto the ground, passing out then and there.
Not long after, another female Elder joined her.
You Kun and Di Rong fell over in succession.
After a short while, snoring sounds filled the hall, as Azure Sun Temple Elders laid on the ground in a disorderly fashion. If anyone saw this scene, they would be in for a great shock.
The only person left was Gao Xue Ting, who continued to persevere away in her fight with those fragrant wines.
Only after drinking the last bottle up did she smack her lips, and collapse limply on the ground.
……
“You all actually gathered together to partake in heavy drinking in broad daylight! Highly improper!” On top of Spirit Jade Peak, Vice Temple Master Qiu Ran slammed his fist on the table, his moustache waving chaotically in the wind while the group of Azure Sun Temple Elders before him lowered their heads, embarrassed looks covering their faces.
“All of you are Elders of our Azure Sun Temple, with important responsibilities to shoulder, the very pillars of our temple! If we were to have faced an enemy incursion yesterday, what path would the thousand-year foundation of our temple have taken!?” Qiu Ran grew angrier as he shouted, to the point where his saliva shot out in all directions.
“We know our mistake, Senior Brother,” Gao Xue Ting lowered her head and straightforwardly admitted her wrongdoing.
“You know your mistake?” Qiu Ran grew even angrier as he stared at Gao Xue Ting and roared, “Do you think a single ‘I’m wrong’ will suffice!?”
Gao Xue Ting lowered her head to the side and mumbled under her breath, “I already said I’m sorry, what else do you want? That’s why you’re still unable to find a companion after so many centuries. Serves you right to be single until you die!”
“What did you say?” The veins on Qiu Ran’s temples throbbed.
“Nothing,” Gao Xue Ting made a poker face and met Qiu Ran’s raging anger head-on before taking it upon herself to say, “However, this matter was caused by me. If Senior Brother wants to mete out punishment, just punish me alone, as it was not their fault.”
The other Elders nodded their heads in succession after hearing her words.
You Kun added, “That’s right, Senior Brother. This matter was caused by Junior Sister Gao. We are just the victims. If you want to mete out punishment, just punish her alone. Furthermore, you have to make sure it is a severe one. It will not appease the masses if she doesn’t get punished sufficiently.”
Yang Kai responded by staring at him in stunned silence, appearing as though this was the first time that he had met You Kun.
Qiu Run replied with a sneer, “Who else can force you all to drink alcohol?”
Di Rong scratched his face and replied, “Your vision is truly sharp, Senior Brother! That’s precisely it!”
“Nonsense!” Qiu Ran erupted with great anger, “None of you will escape from yesterday’s matter!”
The group sagged like lifeless corpses, with their heads drooping down, disheartened after hearing his words.
“Just state the punishment. What’s with the long-windedness?” Gao Xue Ting shouted back with an extremely impatient look on her face.
“You, you, you… you are utterly devoid of any respect for your Seniors!” Qiu Ran slammed the table yet again. After venting his anger for a while longer, he declared, “Yesterday’s matter is absolutely unacceptable! If our disciples were to know of your actions, how would our temple maintain its dignity in the future? In view of this, this Old Master will punish you all by deducting 3,000 Elder Contribution Points from all of you!”
“What!?”
“Please don’t do it, Senior Brother Qiu… that’s 3,000 Elder Contribution Points! Why not just kill me!”
“Please be merciful, Senior Brother!”
The group of Elders immediately started to shout out, appearing as though they were having their skin peeled off by Qiu Ran. In fact, Chen Qian even proceeded to carve a pitiful stance as she looked at Qiu Ran and cried, “Senior Brother… please don’t be like that…”
She was actually using a soft approach of attack that was just shy of flirting.
“Stop this disgraceful act before this old man! If any of you dare to utter one more word, I will deduct another 2,000 points!” Nevertheless, Qiu Ran continued to wear a steely and unemotional expression on his face, with his words sounding so sharp it appeared to cut through everything like butter.
Those words immediately shut everyone up, their shouting coming to a screeching halt.
“Hmph,” Qiu Ran shot a cold glare at Gao Xue Ting, “As for you, the cause of this disaster, other than the deduction of 3,000 Elder Contribution Points, you will be further deducted 1,000 points, for a total of 4000 Elder Contribution Points! On top of that, you will be locked up for three months in solitary confinement! If you commit such an offence again, your punishment will be increased!”
Gao Xue Ting spat disdainfully in response. Clearly, she did not accept those terms of punishment, though she did not say anything to refute it.
Yang Kai’s heart was filled with distress as he stood by the side. While he was an in-name disciple of Azure Sun Temple, he did not have much interaction with these Elders. Of those rare interactions, due to the difference in their statuses, he hadn’t had the opportunity to observe their true natures.
Now, with his title of High-Rank Guest Elder, giving him equal status as them, Yang Kai finally managed to gain a better understanding of the minds and characters of these high ranking people. For a moment, Yang Kai felt that his impressions of them had been completely wiped clean and replaced by an utterly new one.
A sharp gaze suddenly shot over, leaving Yang Kai gulping his saliva down before meeting it with a dry laugh.
Qiu Ran remained silent for a while, before continuing, “Junior Brother Yang, in light of this being your first offence, this Old Master will not say anything to you and you will not be punished.”
Yang Kai was ecstatic upon hearing this and hastily replied, “Many thanks Senior Brother Qiu! Senior Brother truly is a paragon of virtue and understanding.”
As his words rang out, eight pairs of eyes turned to look at him…
“Only this time. There will be no next time. If there is a next time…”
“There absolutely will not be a next time!” Yang Kai made a solemn vow as a guarantee.
“That would be best,” Qiu Ran let out a long sigh before saying in a sincere and gentle tone, “Junior Brother Yang, you have such achievements at such a young age, with you being destined to have immeasurable prospects for your future. Therefore, you should not mix around with this group of hooligans and be sure to protect your Martial Heart, okay?’
His words left Yang Kai unable to reply, leaving him filled with embarrassment.
Fortunately, Qiu Ran did not continue as he went back to scolding the rest of the Elders before waving his hands to get them to shoo off.
The group of Elders felt as though they had received the amnesty of their dreams and hastily departed.
Upon leaving Spirit Jade Peak, the group of Elders had their heads drooping down in depression, while Gao Xue Ting at the front was continuing to mutter incessantly, something vaguely along the lines of cursing. As she did so, a frosty aura radiated from her, causing no living creature to dare come near to her, creating an utterly frightening spectacle.
“Haa… It was only yesterday that I informed you about the Three Great Taboos of our temple. Who would have known that you would be lucky enough to bump into two of them within the short span of two days, Junior Brother Yang,” You Kun let off a sigh, patting Yang Kai’s shoulder and asking with deep concern, “Were you frightened, Junior Brother?”
“I’m alright,” Yang Kai nodded his head, before asking curiously, “Why is everyone so afraid of Senior Brother Qiu?”
Chen Qian replied with a soft voice, “Not only is Senior Brother Qiu our temple’s Vice Temple Master, but he is also the Elder in charge of the Punishment Hall, which is in charge of disciplining everyone from the Temple Master down to the disciples. With the temple’s law and order under his control, who isn’t afraid of him? Even the Temple Master has to give him face.”
“So, that’s how it is,” Yang Kai finally understood the reason, before asking another question, “So, what are those Elder Contribution Points that were mentioned?”
When Qiu Ran said that he was going to deduct 3,000 Elder Contribution Points from them, the various Elders seemed so dejected to the point it appeared as though their parents had died. Clearly, those Elder Contribution Points were very useful.
You Kun explained, “Junior Brother Yang, you’ve just become an Elder for a few days, so you haven’t come across this yet. Elder Contribution Points, erm, is something that every big Sect will have. Take our temple for example. Our disciples have Disciple Contribution Points, while we Elders have Elder Contribution Points. These contribution points can be exchanged for many benefits from the temple. The most straightforward exchange would be one Elder Contribution Point being equivalent to 1,000 High-Rank Source Crystals!”
“That many?” Yang Kai was shocked by what he heard and proceeded to silently calculate in his mind. Didn’t that mean that 3,000 Elder Contribution Points was equivalent to three million High-Rank Source Crystals?
A single drinking session led to the loss of three million High-Rank Source Crystals. That was why these Elders were feeling incomparably dejected over the punishment. 3,000 Elder Contribution Points was really not a small number to them.
“Although you can exchange High-Rank Source Crystals for Elder Contribution Points, there is a limit to how many you can earn that way per year. Every person can exchange for at most 2,000 points per year in this way. If you want to obtain more Elder Contribution Points, you have no choice but to complete certain tasks that are beneficial to the temple. An example would be completing Elder Missions.”
“Generally speaking, the amount of Elder Contribution Points that we accumulate in total will not amount to more than five or six thousand.”
“That’s right. Elder Contribution Points are very useful for us. For example, if you want to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror, you need to spend Elder Contribution Points. 2,000 Elder Contribution Points will allow you to enter once.”
You Kun patted Yang Kai’s shoulder and said in a heartfelt manner, “Junior Brother Yang, let’s work hard together in the future.”
Yang Kai gave a casual reply, only to see You Kun scoot over and speak mysteriously, “I’ll tell you in advance that it will be Temple Master’s birthday in three months’ time. Around that time, you’d best leave if you can, or lock yourself up in secluded retreat. Just make sure to not reveal yourself unless absolutely necessary.”
Chen Qian by the side nodded her head furiously in agreement, appearing as though she had experienced some kind of nightmare before, “That’s right, Junior Brother Yang. You’ve already experienced two out of our temple’s Three Great Taboos; you absolutely do not wish to experience that last one.”
Yang Kai’s face turned pale as he replied, “Could it be more terrifying than Senior Sister Gao drinking alcohol?”
Chen Qian pondered over it in deep thought, before replying, “Definitely, however… in any case, it will not be anything good.”
You Kun could not help but shiver, “That’s enough, that’s enough. I have to go back and properly recuperate. Ah my heart, my heart…”
“I’m also going. If you’re free, please come to my Small Spring Peak for a visit, Junior Brother,” Chen Qian turned in another direction, before flying away.
After a short while, the various Elders scattered, heading back to their respective peaks. Gao Xue Ting, the first one to leave, was already long gone, most likely having already returned to her Purple Bamboo Peak. Qiu Ran had punished her with three months of solitary confinement, which would definitely leave her angry for quite a while.
Yang Kai returned to his Spirit Sword Peak, looked at the wine bottles that were strewn messily around his Spirit Sword Palace, before letting out a long sigh.
Extending his hand, he pulled a wine bottle over before flinging it down the mountain with a flick of his wrist.
This continued for a few dozen wine bottles before a black shadow suddenly scuttled out from behind one of the bottles before lunging over towards him.
Remaining calm despite the appearance of the black shadow, Yang Kai gave it a light flick. Immediately, a whimper rang out as the black shadow shot backwards and landed on the ground.
Lowering his head, Yang Kai was somewhat surprised by what he saw.
Present before him was a little jet-black coloured beast that spanned the size of his palm. On first look, it appeared similar to a dog. Plastered to the ground, it bared its fangs at Yang Kai as it grimaced in pain, a threatening growl rumbling out from its throat.
“Where did this little thing come from?” Yang Kai was seriously surprised.
The critical point was that he had unexpectedly not discovered any trace of this little beast before it showed itself. Although Yang Kai had not intentionally scanned his surroundings just now, it was unreasonable for him to have failed to discover the presence of a living creature that had been hiding in plain sight only a few steps away.
However, the truth of the matter was that Yang Kai had only sensed it when the little beast had suddenly shot out towards him.
Sending his Divine Sense out, he discovered that there seemed to be no unique traits possessed by this little beast. Its appearance here on Spirit Sword Palace was most likely due to it being attracted by the strong smell of alcohol.
After observing it for a while, Yang Kai snickered and he extended his hand to grab the little beast. Never did he expect the little beast to sense the impending danger and attempt to evade. Nevertheless, it still ended up being captured by Yang Kai and held in his hand.
Immediately after being captured, the little beast actually instantly restrained its hostility. Extending its tongue, it proceeded to pant at Yang Kai, making it appear just like a little dog.
“Seems you know how to judge the situation and respond accordingly,” Yang Kai grinned, and with a slight move of his hand, tossed the little beast away.
Having removed this mysterious visitor, Yang Kai retrieved his Jade Elder Token and opened the barriers around Spirit Sword Peak. He then started to infuse some of Spirit Sword Peak’s Earth Vein energy into his token, in accordance with Qiu Ran’s teachings.
Only when this was completed would he become the true master of this Spirit Sword Peak.
The refining process was rather simple, the only problem being the huge expenditure of Spiritual Energy. Locating the exact position of the Earth Vein and grasping hold of its fluctuations was a simple task for Yang Kai, but that didn’t make it any less laborious.
This refining process took five days, before a streak of light flashed faintly above the jade token. At the same time, a miraculous feeling surfaced within Yang Kai’s heart, like the jade token had become one with the Spirit Sword Peak, and everything between the two was connected and shared.
With a single thought, the entire Spirit Sword Peak was within the grasp of his hand.
Refinement complete!
Just as he was putting away the jade token, Yang Kai suddenly discovered a familiar strength fluctuation appearing outside the Spirit Sword Peak’s barrier. A surprised expression appeared on his face, before a hole appeared in the barrier, letting the visitor in.
After a few moments, a streak of light landed in front of the Spirit Sword Palace, revealing the figure of Gao Xue Ting.
“Senior Sister Gao, what are you doing here?’ Yang Kai asked, gasping in surprise. While doing so, he took a sneaky look at his surroundings. Only when he was sure that there was no one around did he close the large doors of the Spirit Sword Palace.
Gao Xue Ting frowned, “What’s with those sneaky actions? What are you planning?”
Yang Kai glared at her in response, “What can I be planning? On the contrary, it’s you who was punished with three months of confinement by Senior Brother Qiu, yet you actually dared to run all the way here. If Senior Brother Qiu finds out about this… he will definitely deduct your Elder Contributions to death.”
Gao Xue Ting sneered, “That old ghost just wants to lock me up in solitary confinement, though he did not say anything about locking me up on Purple Bamboo Peak. There isn’t any place within the territory of our temple that I can’t go as I please.”
“This place is also included?” Yang Kai gawked, most surprised about Gao Xue Ting’s nickname of “old ghost’’ for Qiu Ran.
Gao Xue Ting chuckled coldly, “Sooner or later, I’ll snatch away his post as the Punishment Hall Elder… and let him experience the taste of having his Elder Contribution Points deducted and being locked up in solitary confinement.”
Complicated feelings arose in Yang Kai’s heart as he started to question whether he made the right choice in accepting Gao Xue Ting’s request to be a High-Rank Guest Elder of Azure Sun Temple.
As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam would become crooked too; he had originally assumed that Gao Xue Ting was an esteemed and noble lady; however, from the looks of it, due to her upbringing under Wen Zi Shan, which utterly distorted her childhood days and caused her mental development to suffer damage, how esteemed and noble could such a person be?
It seemed that his impressions of her had been based on the false front she had put up. After gaining a more in-depth understanding of her, all of his views had been destroyed…
“That’s right, Senior Sister Gao, why have you come to look for me?” Not wanting to further the conversation about starting a coup, Yang Kai hastily changed the subject.
“Right. There’s a small matter,” Gao Xue Ting nodded her head with a serious expression and with a flick of her hand, a Space Ring appeared which she tossed over to Yang Kai.
Feeling suspicious as he caught it, Yang Kai sent his Divine Sense inside before his brow rose in surprise and he commented, “So many Emperor Grade Spirit Herbs! Could this be a benefit of becoming a temple Elder? Our temple is really thoughtful; however, I have quite a few Spirit Medicines myself, so I don’t need these.”
Gao Xue Ting stared at him and replied indifferently, “You’re misunderstanding. This isn’t for you. Spirit Sword Peak is your reward. Right, if you want to, you can find Junior Sister Chen Qian to request for some disciples to come to your Spirit Sword Peak to help you maintain the flowers and vegetation here. That can be considered a benefit. As for these Spirit Grasses and Medicines…”
“What are they for?”
“They are for you to refine into Spirit Pills,” Gao Xue Ting replied bluntly.
“Refine into pills?” Yang Kai’s expression turned dark, “There are so many Emperor Grade Spirit Medicines inside here, and you want me to refine them all into Emperor Pills?”
“That’s right, we want you to refine them into Emperor Pills,” Gao Xue Ting nodded, “Our temple doesn’t have an Emperor Alchemist among its ranks, though we have accumulated quite a few Emperor Grade Spirit Medicines. It wasn’t easy to get you to join, so we naturally have to hand these over to you to deal with.”
“Why me?” A look of speechlessness was plastered on Yang Kai’s face.
Gao Xue Ting replied with a faint smile, “With greater power comes greater responsibility. Junior Brother, during that year in the Four Seasons Realm, you managed to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill. Although that matter happened a long time ago, and some people might not remember it, with me being the leading Elder at the time, I recall it very clearly. I’ve asked around and heard that since you were able to refine the Extraordinary Treasure Pill, it shows that you were already on the cusp of becoming an Emperor Alchemist. After those years, you should have made some progress in the Alchemic Dao. Other than you, who else can we hand these Spirit Medicines to? Are we going to let the other temple Elders waste them by burning them to dregs while trying to refine pills? That would be an utter waste. That’s right, it seems that you had refined a furnace of Emperor Pills during your stay in my Purple Bamboo Peak yesterday. Tsk tsk, and you successfully completed your refining in half a day’s time, how incredible. Although there are quite a few herbs in that ring, I believe in your capabilities. In just a year and a half or so you should be finished with those.”
Yang Kai remained silent for a moment, before asking with a serious tone, “Can I reject this?”
“Yes, you can,” Gao Xue Ting nodded, “No one’s forcing you on this matter.”
“Then I reject it!” Yang Kai returned the Space Ring back.
Gao Xue Ting took the Space Ring, turned around, and sighed as she walked away, “I came to help you with good intentions yet you were not grateful for it. Good, good, I’m afraid that you might not be able to enter the Divine Ascension Mirror for the rest of your life.”
Yang Kai immediately raised his hand, “Please wait, Senior Sister!”
Gao Xue Ting turned her head and grinned as she looked at him, “Is there anything you want to say, Junior Brother?”
Yang Kai covered his mouth and coughed lightly, “Senior Sister, I would have forgotten about the Divine Ascension Mirror if you hadn’t just mentioned it. A few days ago, you told me that someone was using the Divine Ascension Mirror when I asked you about going in, someone who could not be disturbed unless absolutely necessary. May I know what time it would be possible for me to go in?”
“Do you have Elder Contribution Points?” Gao Xue Ting tossed a question back.
“No.”
Gao Xue Ting sneered and declared, “2,000 points per entry. You don’t even have any Elder Contribution Points, yet you still dream of entering the Divine Ascension Mirror. Have you not sobered up yet?”
“But that time…”
“That time, you still weren’t an Elder of our temple. Currently, you are already an Elder of our temple, so you naturally have to follow the rules. If not, if just anyone were able to enter as he or she pleased, training in the Divine Ascension Mirror would no longer be precious anymore.”
“How can you be like this, Senior Sister?” Yang Kai was utterly distraught.
Gao Xue Ting turned around and said in a sincere and heartfelt manner, “Junior Brother, with greater power comes greater responsibilities. Being the only Emperor Alchemist in our temple, you have to shoulder the responsibility of refining Emperor Pills for our temple.”
Yang Kai growled between his clenched teeth, “You duped me to become an Elder a few days ago just for this, right, Senior Sister! You were my respected Senior yet you had the heart to trick me!”
Gao Xue Ting smiled lightly and replied, “Nonsense, I’ve been planning this ever since you refined the Extraordinary Treasure Pill in the past.”
“I really was blind…” Yang Kai felt bitterness and pain wash over his heart, as his impression of her completely shattered. As he woke from the dream, his heart had been sliced up, leaving a scene filled with blood and tears.
Gao Xue Ting said, “Don’t be angry. If you don’t wish to perform Alchemy, there is still another way.”
Yang Kai growled back, “I seek your advice, Senior Sister!”
“Didn’t you mention previously that one of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor’s Disciples was your High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist? Since you already have such a subordinate, there isn’t actually a need for you to personally put in the labour.”
“Oh… that seems like a good method,” Yang Kai stroked his chin thoughtfully.
After a moment of contemplation, Yang Kai seemed to have made a decision as he asked, “So, what are the benefits?”
“One Emperor Pill for ten Elder Contribution Points! As long as you are able to refine two hundred Emperor Pills, you can enter the Divine Ascension Mirror.”
“Fart!” Yang Kai leapt up, “Ten Elder Contribution Points? That’s just a mere ten thousand High-Rank Source Crystals. Which Emperor Alchemist would accept such a cheap fee when they take action!?”
“Dammit! Which of those scoundrels spoiled my good deed by telling you the conversion rate!” Gao Xue Ting’s face sank as she mumbled in anger.
Yang Kai’s face turned black, “I can hear you…”
Gao Xue Ting pouted and replied, “So, what do you want?’
“One Emperor Pill for one hundred Elder Contribution Points. I will barely be able to accept that.”
One hundred Elder Contribution Points was worth a hundred thousand High-Rank Source Crystals. Generally speaking, it was impossible for an Emperor Alchemist to only refine a single pill for every furnace, with four pills being the absolute minimum. Furthermore, any Emperor Alchemist would charge a fee of around five hundred thousand High-Rank Source Crystals for every furnace they refine.
Yang Kai’s asking price was basically the same as what the temple would pay when they sought outside Emperor Alchemists.
“Twenty points!” Gao Xue Ting counter-offered without a trace of politeness in her voice.
“A hundred points!” Yang Kai refused to budge.
“Stop daydreaming!”
“A hundred points means a hundred points!”
“Thirty points at most!”
…
An arduous bout of haggling and bargaining proceeded on, which ultimately ended with Yang Kai bowing down and accepting the price of fifty Elder Contribution Points for one Emperor Pill.
“Come, come, come, sign this Soul Contract.” With a flip of her hand, Gao Xue Ting took out a contract that radiated with peculiar fluctuations. This was precisely a Soul Contract produced by Serene Soul Palace. This thing was a common sight in the Eastern Territory, but was a priceless object in the Southern Territory. How she managed to get her hands on one of these was a mystery.
“Aren’t you looking down on me, Senior Sister? Although this Junior Brother may be young, he won’t go back on his word.” A look of disgust appeared on Yang Kai’s face.
“Just sign it.” Gao Xue Ting urged him on.
Unable to bear with her, Yang Kai had no other choice but to leave his Soul Imprint on the Soul Contract.
With the contract signed, Gao Xue Ting’s eyes immediately lit up as a smile blossomed on her face. With great care, she stored the Soul Contract, extended her hand and patted Yang Kai’s shoulder warmly, “Junior Brother, your Senior Sister’s fortune will depend on you in the future.”
Her words immediately stunned Yang Kai. Nevertheless, after some thought, his face suddenly sunk as he spoke out in a bitter tone, “Senior Sister, is this the mission Senior Brother Qiu assigned to you? Upon completion, how many Elder Contribution Points will you be able to obtain?”
“The same amount as you,” Gao Xue Ting replied as she glanced away.
“What do you mean by the same?”
“That old bachelor gave me a price of a hundred Elder Contribution Points per Emperor Pill and asked me to convince you to help perform Alchemy for our temple. Since I secured your cooperation at fifty points per pill, the remaining fifty points will belong to me, so I’m naturally getting the same as you!”
“Ah…” Yang Kai’s smile suddenly turned incomparably sinister, “It really is hard for you, Senior Sister, to tell me about this as though it meant nothing. Senior Sister, you really are a good person. I swear I’ll remember this great favour for the rest of my life.”
Gao Xue Ting replied defiantly, “The path of growth will always be filled with thorns, young man. Suffering defeat to gain wisdom and then learn from your mistakes. You should move slowly in the future.”
“I really have to thank Senior Sister for this lesson!” Yang Kai forced those words out from his clenched teeth, as he felt his insides churn, a sweet feeling surged up his throat.
Gao Xue Ting gave a sweet smile, “Don’t forget that you’ve already signed the Soul Contract. Good, do work hard. How quickly you work will determine how quickly you can access the Divine Ascension Mirror.” Turning around, she made a lazy stretch, opened the doors of the Spirit Sword Palace, and raised her head towards the sky as she commented, “What a beautiful day.”
With a shift of her tender body, she transformed into a streak of light before disappearing into the distance.
Yang Kai clutched his chest as a look of pain covered his face.
Half a day later, in a desolate mountain valley behind Spirit Sword Peak, Yang Kai raised his Jade Elder Token. As thoughts flashed through his mind, he drew power from the Earth Vein and manipulated the barrier around his Spirit Sword Peak to conceal this portion of the mountain valley.
With this, even Third-Order Emperors would not be able to pierce through the concealments around this place without significant effort.
Letting out a sigh, Yang Kai retrieved various materials from his Space Ring as he prepared to arrange a Space Array.
He had originally not planned on concealing this Space Array and was even thinking of sharing it with Wen Zi Shan, as once Azure Sun Temple and High Heaven Palace were connected, it would bring immense benefits to both Sects.
Currently, Hua Qing Si was collecting the unique products of the Northern Territory, and when the time came, they would be able to earn a great profit if they shipped those products to the Southern Territory. On the other hand, if Azure Sun Temple were to collect the unique products of the Southern Territory and ship them to the Northern Territory, they would definitely be able to obtain a good price for them too.
Not much was needed to be said about using a Space Array to connect the two places, with both Sects being able to protect and aid each other.
Although nothing could be predicted from arranging a Space Array in the short term, it would have a huge impact on both Sects in the long run.
That was also one of the reasons why Yang Kai agreed to become one of Azure Sun Temple’s Elders back then, he would be given his own Spirit Peak if he became one, and thus, making it much simpler for him to arrange this array.
However, after his recent experience with Gao Xue Ting, Yang Kai had no choice but to reconsider his plans.
If she learned about this matter, then Ji Ying might end up as the exclusive Alchemist of the temple in the future. Consequently, High Heaven Palace would lose its Chief Alchemist.
For the time being, it seemed as though it would be better for this matter to be carried out in secret as it would not be too late to reveal the truth once the time was right.
Half a day later, a brand-new Space Array was completed. Using the Jade Elder Token to mobilize the power of Spirit Sword Peak’s Earth Vein to conceal the Space Array, even Wen Zi Shan would not be able to sense its presence unless Yang Kai allowed it.
Inserting Source Crystals into the array to activate it, Yang Kai disappeared in a flash of light.
In the next moment, his figure appeared above the Space Array in High Heaven Palace.
Another moment later, he found Ji Ying on the Medicine Pill Peak, one of the Main Peaks of High Heaven Palace.
Ji Ying seemed surprised to meet Yang Kai again and commented, “Brother Yang, why are you back so soon?”
“Heh,” Yang Kai looked annoyed. Accepting the tea from Ji Ying’s First Disciple before he sat down and dispiritedly said, “It isn’t worth mentioning.”
Ji Ying smiled lightly. Although he did not know what had happened to Yang Kai, he could tell that the latter was in a bad mood. Therefore, he casually took out a jade bottle and tossed it to him.
Yang Kai caught the bottle and asked curiously, “What’s this?”
“Dragon Blood Pills,” Ji Ying explained, “These are the Spirit Pills created from the Dragon Blood Flower you obtained previously. It should be of some use to you, Brother Yang.”
“Oh? These are the Dragon Blood Pills?” Yang Kai sounded extremely surprised as he opened the jade bottle and poured out three blood-red pills. Each pill was about the size of a fingernail; moreover, they exuded a bloody smell that was surprisingly not pungent. The scent alone was able to stimulate Yang Kai’s blood, roiling it slightly.
From the looks of it, these Dragon Blood Pills were Emperor Grade Low-Rank Spirit Pills.
“This is my first time refining this kind of pill, so it is inevitable that I am not familiar with the method yet. In the end, I only managed to produce three. Please forgive me, Brother Yang,” Ji Ying said remorsefully.
Yang Kai laughed in response, “You are too humble, Brother Ji. Successfully refining three pills is already a great achievement.”
Although Ji Ying was not just an Emperor Alchemist, he was also a Legacy Disciple of the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor. The ability to produce three pills during his first attempt to refine this type of Spirit Pill was enough to demonstrate his profound Alchemy skills. An ordinary Emperor Alchemist could never have performed as well as Ji Ying had.
Ji Ying repeatedly waved his hands dismissively with a wry smile, “You praise me too much, Brother Yang.”
In front of Yang Kai, who had defeated him fair and square in an Alchemy competition, Ji Ying could not bring himself to be proud of his achievements.
Pausing for a moment, he continued, “Back to the topic at hand… I have entered High Heaven Palace, but what exactly do you want me to do, Brother Yang? A few days ago, I met with Head Manager Hua; however, she simply asked me to rest for a while and did not assign any tasks to me. I can’t just laze around now that I am the Chief Alchemist of High Heaven Palace, right? After all, I don’t have any other talents aside from my Alchemy skills.”
Yang Kai smiled and replied, “It is precisely your Alchemy skills that I am interested in, Brother Ji. Here, take a look at this.”
While speaking, he tossed the ring that Gao Xue Ting had given to him over to Ji Ying.
Ji Ying caught it and scanned it with his Divine Sense before calling out in some surprise, “So many Emperor Grade spirit medicines!”
Yang Kai replied, “Refine them as you see fit, Brother Ji. You don’t need to rush; just go at your own pace.”
“Not a problem. I will live up to your expectations, Brother Yang.”
“There’s something else I’d like to ask of you, Brother Ji.”
“What is it?”
Yang Kai’s expression suddenly became solemn as he continued, “How much do you know about the Flesh Incarnation Pill, Brother Ji?”
“The Flesh Incarnation Pill?” Ji Ying’s expression froze for a moment, and his breathing became a little uneven, “Could it be… Do you have the Flesh Incarnation Fruit, Brother Yang?”
Yang Kai thought to himself, [I don’t just have the Flesh Incarnation Fruit; I even have the Flesh Incarnation Fruit Tree! However, the ripe fruits on that tree have already been picked, so I’m afraid it will take a long time for the rest of the fruits to mature.]
He didn’t conceal the truth from Ji Ying, stretching out his hand and summoning a Flesh Incarnation Fruit into his palm.
Ji Ying’s eyes brightened in response. He hurriedly got up and carefully accepted the Flesh Incarnation Fruit from Yang Kai. Studying it with his Divine Sense and looking it over carefully, Ji Ying became more and more elated the more he stared at the fruit. He couldn’t help nodding as he commented, “It’s really the Flesh Incarnation Fruit! It’s exactly like what is recorded in the ancient books. Didn’t this go extinct a long time ago? How is it possible for it to appear here?”
He studied the Flesh Incarnation Fruit while mulling over it, seemingly completely obsessed with it.
“Spirit Herbs are only classified as extinct when nobody can find them. I just stumbled upon this by accident.”
The Flesh Incarnation Fruit wasn’t the only ‘extinct’ item that Yang Kai owned. Therefore, he had a deep understanding of this subject.
Meanwhile, Ji Ying raised his head abruptly, “Brother Yang, are you asking me to refine the Flesh Incarnation Pill?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded and added embarrassedly, “I thought about refining it myself since I’ve almost gathered all the necessary materials; however, I can’t help feeling that it’s inappropriate for me to do so. What if I fail in the refining process? This is the only Flesh Incarnation Fruit in the world after all, that’s why I wanted to know what Brother Ji’s probability of successfully refining the pill was first.”
Ji Ying frowned and considered the question seriously, answering after a while, “Less than thirty percent.”
[Thirty percent… That’s very low…. Even Ji Ying only has a thirty percent chance of success. The difference should be negligible even if I have a slightly higher probability of succeeding. In hindsight, I made a wise decision when I decided not to rashly try my hand at refining the Flesh Incarnation Fruit.]
“Do you think you can ask the Great Emperor to help?” Yang Kai asked solemnly.
“Honored Master?” Ji Ying lifted his head and pondered over it before breaking into a smile, “He stopped taking outside Alchemy requests a few thousand years ago, but if it’s the Flesh Incarnation Fruit… He might make an exception. I will need to return to Medicine Pill Valley and inform Honored Master about this matter. As for whether he will help… that will be up to the Heavens.”
“Then, I shall trouble you with that, Brother Ji. This matter is not urgent. You can go back whenever you are free.”
“I’ll go immediately,” He stood up. It seemed he felt the Flesh Incarnation Fruit would be very attractive to the Great Emperor, otherwise, Ji Ying would not be in such a rush.
Naturally, Yang Kai did not try to stop Ji Ying from leaving.
After seeing Ji Ying off, he went looking for Hua Qing Si. He wanted to discuss the Mountains and Rivers Projection with her.
Needless to say, Hua Qing Si knew about Mountains and Rivers Projections; however, she wasn’t sure how one was created. She had only broken through to the Emperor Realm in recent years, after all, so many things had been completely out of her purview until now.
“Nanmen Da Jun should know about this subject, right?” Hua Qing Si suddenly thought of somebody who might have the necessary knowledge. The Mountains and Rivers Projection was most likely a type of Spirit Array, so as an Emperor Array Master, there was no reason why Nanmen Da Jun would be unaware of its workings.
“Call him over.”
Immediately, Hua Qing Si took out a communication artifact and sent word to Nanmen Da Jun.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, Nanmen Da Jun appeared in front of them.
“Palace Master, Head Manager. Were you looking for me?” Nanmen Da Jun smiled and asked, seeming to be doing quite well for himself recently. At the moment, his face was ruddy and glowing with vitality, the depression from before swept far away.
He had been fascinated by Yang Kai’s Space Array in the past and agreed to join High Heaven Palace for ten years in order to gain access to its Array Charts. The truth was that he had been unhappy about this, but he seemed to have resigned himself to his fate as time passed.
He gradually adapted to his position as the Chief Array Master, especially after Yang Kai handed the full authority of arranging all Spirit Arrays in High Heaven Palace to him. These days, he spent his time investigating and repairing the Spirit Arrays around High Heaven Palace and used up countless materials in the process. The profligate spending gave Nanmen Da Jun an inexplicably wonderful feeling.
Although he had the freedom to roam as he pleased in the past, unfettered to any one force, Nanmen Da Jun’s financial resources had also been limited. As a result, he could not arrange many sophisticated Spirit Arrays he conceived of even if he wanted to. However, he was now backed by High Heaven Palace, so all the grand arrays that only existed in his mind were being gloriously brought to life by him and his subordinates, one by one.
Nothing could make Nanmen Da Jun happier than that.
All of a sudden, it seemed as if joining High Heaven Palace had been a good choice.
Naturally, freedom was still the most important aspect!
He might be the Chief Array Master of High Heaven Palace in name, but essentially, nobody bothered him, leaving him completely free to do as he pleased. Therefore, he leisurely lived his days with an ambitious goal in his heart. He was going to use a long time to set up a gigantic array in the High Heaven Palace, one that when completed, would even be able to defend against one or two attacks from a Great Emperor!
With such a Sect Defending Array, all attacks from Emperor Realm Master would be doomed to fail as long as the array was activated.
[It’s not as if my dream is impossible to achieve. Unfortunately, that is only possible provided High Heaven Palace has sufficient financial resources to support my actions; however, I believe High Heaven Palace does have the resources to do so. After all, a Cross-Territory Space Array is a huge money-making opportunity.]
Therefore, he immediately put down whatever he was doing at the moment and rushed over without hesitation the moment he heard Yang Kai calling for him.
Hua Qing Si said, “Palace Master wants to set up a Mountains and Rivers Projection for the palace. Can you do it?”
“Head Manager Hua, are you looking down on me?” Nanmen Da Jun glanced sideways at her, hot air blowing out of his nostrils, “How can I call myself an Array Master if I can’t even arrange something like a Mountains and Rivers Projection?”
Yang Kai nodded in satisfaction, “Good. Then, I will leave this matter to you and Head Manager Hua.”
Nanmen Da Jun suddenly scratched his face and said, “Unfortunately, I can’t arrange a Mountains and Rivers Projection alone.”
“Why?” Yang Kai frowned. [This guy was so arrogant just now, looking as if he was second only to the Heavens, yet now he is faltering. What does he mean by this?]
Nanmen Da Jun replied, “The thing is… a Mountains and Rivers Projection can be said to be a very simple, but also very difficult piece to create, Palace Master. Not only does it require an Array Master, but it also requires an Artifact Refiner. These two must work together to arrange one.”
“An Artifact Refiner?”
“Yes. Strictly speaking, a Mountains and Rivers Projection is an artifact; therefore, it is only natural that it requires an Artifact Refiner to complete. Moreover, the requirements for the Artifact Refiner are very high. An ordinary Artifact Refiner cannot possibly produce a Mountains and Rivers Projection. At the very least, you need a Dao-Source Grade High-Rank Artifact Refiner.”
“Such requirements are indeed quite difficult to meet,” Yang Kai rubbed his chin as he pondered. It seemed like it would be difficult to proceed with this, but that couldn’t be helped. Although High Heaven Palace was still small, it had everything it currently needed. Be it Alchemists, Array Masters, or even puppets. The only thing really missing was a competent Artifact Refiner.
What Nanmen Da Jun said made Yang Kai realize that he had an issue he could not ignore. It was time for High Heaven Palace to recruit or cultivate its own Artifact Refiner.
After all, all kinds of talents were indispensable in a big Sect.
Silavin: Happy Chinese New Year! Let us start off the new year with a bang! Quite literally!
Picking up a new novel:
Dragon Blood Warrior