It was then Wei Cheng sported a dark expression and narrated what had happened in the Divine Flame Cave. According to him, everything was going well initially, but at the most critical moment when he was about to capture the Heaven Flame, it seemed to have been disturbed. After pulsating for a moment, it disappeared.
“Besides that, did you happen to see anything else?” Yang Kai asked probingly.
Wei Cheng was startled for a moment, “What do you mean? Did you see anything else?”
“No, I was just asking,” Yang Kai replied in a perfunctory manner.
Based on what Wei Cheng had said, he didn’t see the sight of the white flame engulfing the Heaven Flame inside the cave. In his perception, the Heaven Flame disappeared abruptly and he didn’t even see the Alchemy Flames of different colours gathering together. If he had, he would’ve exposed it.
[That’s strange…] Yang Kai thought.
“I’m sorry that your attempt to capture a Heaven Flame has failed, but I really know nothing about it, nor is there a reason for me to interfere in your plans,” Yang Kai stared at him in a frank manner.
“Even if you didn’t mean to, this matter must have something to do with you,” Wei Cheng said through clenched teeth. It was obvious that he was infuriated; after all, he had been preparing for this moment for two years, and his attempt failed at the last moment. It was expected that he couldn’t get over it.
An impatient Yang Kai gazed at him, “What do you want, then? To fight me?” Although Wei Cheng’s failure did have something to do with him, he didn’t mean to do it. Moreover, he couldn’t really admit anything, so Yang Kai could only deny it.
Surprisingly, Wei Cheng’s eyes brightened when he heard that, “Good, you’re the one who said it. This Wei will fight with you.” He then gazed at Wu Zheng Qi, “Please be the witness for us, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
Wu Zheng Qi appeared hesitant, as though he was trying to say something, but he eventually let out a sigh, “Since both of you want to settle the matter in such a way, this Wu will act as witness. However, I hope that both of you won’t go overboard as you’re from the same Sect.”
Wei Cheng cupped his fist, “Many thanks, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
He then glared at Yang Kai, “I’ll see you at the Martial Methods Stage in three days!”
Upon finishing his words, he waved his hand and left with his Blood Warriors.
Yang Kai had just placed his hand on the hilt of True Void Sword when his aura dissipated instantly. Shocked, he gazed at Wei Cheng’s leaving figure and asked in puzzlement, “Why is he leaving?”
Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Since an agreement has been reached, he naturally has to go back and get prepared.”
A helpless Yang Kai asked, “What’s there to prepare when we’re just going to have a fight?”
An astounded Wu Zheng Qi stared at him, “Are you going to fight with Alchemist Wei just like this?”
“What else should I do?”
Wu Zheng Qi gaped at him for a moment before landing a slap on his own forehead, “I’ve forgotten that you’re new to the Sect, so you’re not familiar with our rules yet. The thing is, Alchemists are important treasures of Profound Pill Sect, so the fights between Alchemists are different from those of other cultivators.”
Yang Kai frowned, “Please enlighten me, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Usually, a fight between Alchemists is divided into three rounds. The one who wins two rounds will be the winner. Nevertheless, the first two rounds have nothing to do with the Alchemists as only their bodyguards would go on stage. They’ll fight in the first two rounds, and it will be best if there’s a winner. If there is a draw, the Alchemists will then go on stage; however, the competition between Alchemists will be all about Alchemy, not a battle. That way, the safety of the Alchemists can be ensured. Even if one of them loses, he wouldn’t be injured.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yang Kai replied, “I see.”
It was no wonder that Wei Cheng said they would meet again at the Martial Methods Stage after three days. Yang Kai initially thought that they would just fight right away, and he had even considered using a bit of his true strength.
“You don’t have any Blood Warriors yet, right?” Wu Zheng Qi gazed at him in an awkward manner.
In response, Yang Kai shook his head.
Wu Zheng Qi burst into laughter, “It seems that you’ll have to head to the Blood Warrior Hall, but… En, I’ll stop here. You’ll find out about it when you reach the Blood Warrior Hall later.”
Yang Kai felt helpless as he returned from the Divine Flame Hall.
His trip to the cave ended up in him getting a Mortal Flame and offending Wei Cheng. It also never crossed his mind that he would agree to fighting with him. Life was truly unpredictable.
However, that didn’t bother Yang Kai one bit as he was most concerned about the kind of Mortal Flame he had obtained. Why was it able to engulf a Heaven Flame?
While he was in his thoughts, he walked down the mountain and soon arrived at Seeking Pill Pavilion. After looking around for a while, he still couldn’t find the person he wanted to see.
He thought that woman’s stubbornness was her only good point. She had said she would be waiting for him, but she had disappeared barely a few days later.
However, on his way back to the peak, he suddenly heard Hua Rong calling out to him in a passionate manner, “Alchemist Yang!”
Yang Kai turned his head and saw the woman at the Recruitment Stage. As she yelled, she dashed forward and soon reached Yang Kai. With a fervent gaze, she asked, “Are you here to look for me?”
After taking a few steps back, Yang Kai nodded, “Yes.”
An elated Hua Rong asked, “Have you changed your mind and decided to take me on as your bodyguard?”
The woman’s jovial expression surprised Yang Kai as he wondered why she was so ecstatic. After measuring his words, he replied, “I can take you on as a bodyguard, but I must give you a test first.”
“Tell me. As long as it’s achievable, I’ll do it for you!” Hua Rong nodded repeatedly.
Yang Kai examined her as he doubted her ability to carry out the task; however, there wasn’t a better person to do this job at this point. He initially wanted to borrow Gao Ming from Gao Xin Peng, but the latter wasn’t even in Profound Pill Sect now, so how was he supposed to borrow his bodyguard?
“I want you to head to Void Spirit Sword Sect and escort three people to this place.”
Hua Rong was all ears as she listened to him, then she asked, “That’s it?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Can you do it?”
Hua Rong replied with a smile, “Don’t underestimate me, Alchemist Yang. I can even escort everyone from Void Spirit Sword Sect to this place, not to mention three people.”
“Good, I’ll leave it to you, then. When you return… I’ll take you on as a bodyguard,” Yang Kai said through clenched teeth. He had to settle the issue of getting his medicine boy as soon as possible since those from Profound Pill Sect had only given him one month. After that, he would have to start providing Alchemy services at Seeking Pill Pavilion. If he didn’t have a medicine boy to help him out by then, he would be swamped with work. That was why he rushed over to look for Hua Rong first instead of heading to the Blood Warrior Hall.
“After I come back with those people, how am I going to look for you?” Hua Rong darted her gaze around, “I can’t enter Profound Pill Sect without an Identity Token.”
That was indeed a problem. Just when Yang Kai was ready to say he would ask someone to wait at this place every day, Hua Rong suggested by saying, “Why don’t you bring me to make a registration and get the Identity Token for a bodyguard first? That way, I can directly enter Profound Pill Sect when I come back.”
Seeing that Yang Kai appeared hesitant, she said, “Please trust me, Alchemist Yang. I’ll definitely complete your task. If anything goes wrong, you can kill me.”
Since she had said so much, Yang Kai gave it a thought and agreed to it.
It didn’t take him a long time to bring Hua Rong to make a registration; however, a bodyguard hired from outside like Hua Rong would have to go through the examination and verification of Profound Pill Sect to have her background checked. This was to ensure that she wouldn’t pose a threat to the Alchemist she followed or to the Sect as a whole. She would only be acknowledged as a bodyguard after everything was done.
Yang Kai didn’t have to be concerned about it anyway as Profound Pill Sect had an intelligence department to deal with such matters.
When he saw Hua Rong off, she already had a temporary Identity Token with her. With this token, she was able to visit most places in Profound Pill Sect except for the most important areas.
After she was gone, Yang Kai headed to the Blood Warrior Hall to select two Blood Warriors.
Since they were trained in Profound Pill Sect, their loyalty was guaranteed. Yang Kai also didn’t have to pay anything to get them.
He initially thought that there were countless powerful cultivators in the Blood Warrior Hall and he could easily get two Eighth-Step or Ninth-Step Heaven Realm Masters, but after arriving at this place, he realised that he was too naive.
There were indeed some Heaven Realm Masters in the Blood Warrior Hall, but the strongest ones were only in the Third-Step or the Fourth-Step Heaven Realm. They were even weaker than Hua Rong, which was why he was disappointed.
It was then he realised why Wu Zheng Qi appeared hesitant at the mention of the Blood Warrior Hall.
After giving it a thought, Yang Kai realised that it wasn’t so surprising. Profound Pill Sect was a powerful great force, and it wasn’t difficult for them to nurture Heaven Realm Masters; however, it took time for Heaven Realm Masters to grow, and the ones in higher Steps had all been selected by the other Heaven Grade Alchemists. The Blood Warriors that were left were naturally the weaker ones.
How was Yang Kai supposed to fight with Wei Cheng with these Blood Warriors? Although he had no idea about the cultivation of Wei Cheng’s Blood Warriors, they were clearly not in the Third or Fourth-Step Heaven Realm.
Yang Kai initially intended to select two Blood Warriors, but he had now lost interest.
Nevertheless, the Blood Warriors looked fervently at him, as though they were willing to do anything for him upon receiving his order. It would be inappropriate if he didn’t even choose one.
In the end, he only brought back one Blood Warrior.
One hour later, Yang Kai was seated on a chair in his cave mansion. There was a man who knelt on one knee in front of him. His bald head appeared pretty shiny even in the cave mansion.
This guy was the only one Yang Kai had brought back from the Blood Warrior Hall as he looked a bit special. He was truly burly, and about two full heads taller than Yang Kai when he was standing. His facial features looked fierce and he was quite conspicuous even among the Masters in the Blood Warrior Hall.
However, this person wasn’t the strongest as he was only in the Second-Step Heaven Realm. According to the person in charge of the Blood Warrior Hall, his aptitude was low as well and he had remained in the Hall for a long time. The other Blood Warriors from the same batch were now in the Sixth-Step or Seventh-Step, and they had already been selected by other Heaven Grade Alchemists. He was the only one left in the Hall from the same batch.
If Yang Kai hadn’t picked him out this time, this person would be kicked out of the Blood Warrior Hall in six months and become a guard somewhere else.
This was how most Blood Warriors ended up; after all, only a small number of Blood Warriors would be selected by the Alchemists. Those in the Blood Warrior Hall who had no more potential for growth but hadn’t been picked out wouldn’t be allowed to stay there to drain the Sect’s resources. Profound Pill Sect had many places that needed the protection of Heaven Realm Masters after all.
“What’s your name?” Yang Kai examined the burly man who knelt on one knee in front of him.
The burly man replied in a remarkably gentle voice, “The Blood Warriors in the Blood Warrior Hall do not have names; we’re represented by codes. Please give me a name, Sir.”
Yang Kai arched his brow, “You don’t have a name?” He then gave it a thought, “Then why don’t you take my surname? Since you’re so well built, I’ll call you Yang Da Zhuang.”
“Thanks, Sir!” Yang Da Zhuang cupped his fist loudly.
“I’m just pulling your leg.” Yang Kai waved his hand, “Yang Huai. Your name will be Yang Huai.”
“Yes,” Yang Huai replied respectfully. He was fine with whatever name was given to him by Yang Kai, offering no complaints at all.
“Do you know why I chose you out of so many people in the Blood Warrior Hall?” Yang Kai gazed at him and asked.
Yang Huai shook his head, “I have no idea. You must have your own considerations, Sir.”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “That’s right, but the main reason is that you look ferocious enough!”
Yang Huai put on a smile that could easily make crying children silent.
“I don’t know what Secret Art all of you cultivate in the Blood Warrior Hall, but it’s obviously not appropriate to bring out your potential. Your body is sturdy, and your vitality is ample, so you should cultivate a Body Tempering Secret Art. The Second-Step Heaven Realm is definitely not your limit. I have a Secret Art named the Supreme Tyrant Body Art that I can teach you. You must cultivate it seriously.”
Yang Huai wasn’t really a bright person, so a simple Secret Art like the Supreme Tyrant Body Art suited him; however, it was originally an Emperor Grade Secret Art, so Yang Kai had to modify and limit it a great deal before teaching it to him. The entire process took about four hours.
The real reason Yang Kai picked out Yang Huai was that he was trying to carry out an experiment. Although he could cultivate the Heaven Devouring Battle Law in the Divine Armament World, he wasn’t sure if he could use other Secret Arts he had in this world. It was the first time he entered a Small Source World, and if he had more chances to enter other Small Source Worlds in the future, he wanted to gather more information now.
If his experiment was successful, he would have a new helper with him. Even if the experiment failed, it wouldn’t really matter.
“When you cultivate the Supreme Tyrant Body Art, you’ll also need some pills to assist you. I’ll pass you the required ones in the future. Just cultivate it on your own for now. I have a fight with someone in three days, and I’ll need you to go on stage at that time.”
Upon hearing that, Yang Huai cupped his fist, “I will obey any order you give me, Sir.”
After telling Yang Huai to choose a room in the cave mansion and settle down, Yang Kai walked out alone and asked someone for directions, then headed to the Records Hall.
The reason he went to the Records Hall was to find out what kind of a Mortal Flame he had obtained from the Divine Flame Cave.
There were many ancient books in the Records Hall, which was divided into the outer hall and inner hall. The outer hall was open to all the Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect, and all the books were free for them to browse through.
However, if they wanted to enter the inner hall, they would have to pay some Sect’s contribution points.
Yang Kai had an idea about what contribution points were, but he had no idea how to obtain them. After asking around about the Sect’s contribution points, he realised he was basically right and that they were truly good things.
In Profound Pill Sect, as long as one had enough contribution points, one could trade them for anything they wanted, including the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
This discovery greatly energised Yang Kai. He initially was still concerned about how to obtain the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill after he entered the Sect, but it turned out that he would just need to earn enough contribution points.
There were many ways one could earn contribution points. One of the ways was to provide Alchemy services in Seeking Pill Pavilion. Although it wasn’t a lot, the amount would grow into a staggering figure as time passed.
One could also earn points by carrying out various tasks assigned by the Sect.
Since Yang Kai was a newcomer, he naturally didn’t have any contribution points; however, now that he had found out about them, he didn’t have to worry about getting the pill recipe of Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in the future.
After going through many books in the outer hall of the Records Hall for half a day, Yang Kai still couldn’t find any useful information about the white flame he had obtained. One book on Alchemy Flames recorded many Mortal Flames that shared many similarities with the white flame, but it didn’t explain why the white flame could easily devour a Heaven Flame.
In that case, he could only go back to his residence.
In the next two days, Yang Kai stayed in his room and focused on refining the white flame he had obtained from the Divine Flame Cave. The white flame gave off a gentle feeling, as though it wasn’t powerful at all. Furthermore, it was easy to refine the flame, so it took him just two days to basically complete the refinement.
On the third day, someone was heard calling out to him from outside of the cave mansion. Yang Kai walked out and realised that it was a Heaven Realm Master he had never met before.
The Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist and asked, “Are you Alchemist Yang?”
Yang Kai nodded, “Yes. Who are you?”
The Heaven Realm Master replied, “I’m from the Divine Flame Hall. The Vice Hall Master has told me to come over and invite you to head over to Martial Methods Stage.”
“It’s time for the fight already?” Yang Kai frowned. He had been refining the white flame for the past two days, so he had lost track of the time. If Wu Zheng Qi hadn’t sent someone over, he would’ve missed the fight against Wei Cheng.
Yang Kai felt helpless, but since it had been agreed upon already, he didn’t intend to back down.
As such, he yelled back into the cave mansion. Soon, a ferocious Yang Huai stepped out. Unlike a few days ago, Yang Huai now appeared even more savage. When he walked out of the cave mansion, he looked just like an ancient Ominous Beast, which caused the Heaven Realm Master’s pupils to contract.
“Sir!” Yang Huai cupped his fist and greeted in a respectful voice.
Yang Kai studied him and nodded, “You’ve made some good progress.”
A few days ago, Yang Huai didn’t have his current ferocious aura. The fact that he had gone through such a drastic transformation was undoubtedly thanks to the Supreme Tyrant Body Art. This abridged version of Body Tempering Secret Art taught to him by Yang Kai seemed to match Yang Huai perfectly, so Yang Kai expected the latter to have some serious achievements in it in the future.
“Many thanks for your guidance, Sir,” Yang Huai appeared excited as well. He had stayed in the Blood Warrior Hall for quite a few years. Since his ascension to the Heaven Realm, the progress in his cultivation had been quite slow. He initially thought that it was all he could achieve in his lifetime. Nevertheless, it never crossed his mind that not only would he be brought out of the Blood Warrior Hall, but he would also obtain such a profound Secret Art.
While cultivating the Supreme Tyrant Body Art, he could clearly feel that there was an inexhaustible source of energy that he could draw on, which was a feeling he had never had in the past.
“How do you feel?” Yang Kai asked.
Yang Huai grinned, “I feel great. I have the urge to fight someone.”
Yang Kai chuckled, “You’ll have a chance soon.” He then turned to look at the Heaven Realm Master, whose face twitched, “Please lead the way for us.”
The Heaven Realm Master hurriedly extended his hand, “Please come with me, Alchemist Yang.”
The Martial Methods Stage was located on a Spirit Peak where there was a very flat platform, as though it had been carved with an enormous blade. Presently, the stage was surrounded by many people.
If there were any grudges between the Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect, they would come over to this place and settle it; however, such incidents were rare. Therefore, after word of the dispute between Wei Cheng and Yang Kai spread, many Alchemists who had nothing better to do came over to watch the good show. When Yang Kai and Yang Huai arrived at Martial Methods Stage alongside the Heaven Realm Master, this place was already crammed with people.
Around the stage stood many Alchemists who had brought their bodyguards with them. Some of them gathered together and chatted among themselves, discussing the cause of the fight.
Wei Cheng was seated on a chair on one side of the stage, and his bodyguards were standing behind him, a hint of impatience on his face.
A helpless Wu Zheng Qi from the Divine Flame Hall was waiting on the stage. Honestly speaking, he wasn’t willing to interfere in this matter. Although he was a Spirit Realm Master, Profound Pill Sect was an Alchemy-focused force. It wasn’t appropriate for him to butt into the dispute between two Alchemists. However, since he had been invited to be the witness, he had no choice but to come over.
When Yang Kai arrived, he immediately drew the attention of many Alchemists. Although it had been only a few days since Yang Kai joined the Sect, the news that there was a new Heaven Grade Alchemist spread quickly. Many people were expected to be curious about this new Heaven Grade Alchemist. Furthermore, despite being a newcomer, Yang Kai had already formed some grudges with Wei Cheng, and they had to settle the dispute on Martial Methods Stage.
When they finally saw Yang Kai, many of them exclaimed and gasped.
That was because Yang Kai looked truly young. He appeared to be about 17 or 18 years old at most, but he was already a Heaven-Grade Alchemist.
He was the only Heaven-Grade Alchemist in the entire Profound Pill Sect who was this young. When these people were his age, most of them were still in the Mortal Grade. Their achievements paled when compared to this young man.
If nothing unexpected happened, this young man would become an important figure in the future.
On one side of the stage, Wei Cheng sported a conflicted expression. He was truly incensed outside of the Divine Flame Hall the other day, which was why he took Yang Kai’s words seriously even though the latter didn’t really mean it.
However, since they had agreed to the fight, he naturally had to look into Yang Kai’s background.
Upon finding out more about the young man, Wei Cheng was dumbfounded.
That was because Yang Kai was a Heaven Grade Alchemist who was only 18 years old, and he probably would be a Spirit Grade Alchemist in the future. Anyone would want to form a good relationship with such a person instead of offending him.
However, things had come to such a point that there was no turning back. The fight must go on; after all, Wei Cheng was a Heaven Grade Alchemist, so he could not embarrass himself.
Furthermore, it was uncertain whether Yang Kai could really become a Spirit Grade Alchemist. Wei Cheng also had the potential to be a Spirit Grade Alchemist in the future; therefore, even though he slightly regretted it, he was madder at the fact that his plan, which was two years in the making, had been ruined.
If it weren’t because of the accident a few days ago, he could’ve obtained an excellent Heaven Flame, which would help him improve his Alchemy skills and increase his chance of ascending to the Spirit Grade.
After leading Yang Kai to the stage, the Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist to Wu Zheng Qi, “Alchemist Yang is here, Vice Hall Master.”
Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “Good, you may leave now.”
“Vice Hall Master Wu!” Yang Kai cupped his fist at Wu Zheng Qi, who nodded gently in response.
Wei Cheng came over and stood on the left side of Wu Zheng Qi. He was followed by his Blood Warriors.
Wu Zheng Qi arched his brow, “Many thanks for inviting this Wu to be the witness of this battle. I feel truly honoured. However, I hope that both of you will not go overboard since you are both from the same Sect. Peace and harmony are valued highly here.”
Then, he darted his gaze between Wei Cheng and Yang Kai before saying, “If there are no objections, the fight shall begin. The rules are the same as always. The fight is divided into three rounds, and the person who wins two rounds will be the winner. Additionally, no weapons are allowed on the Martial Methods Stage. Do you have any problems with this?”
Wei Cheng and Yang Kai expressed that they were fine with the rules.
“Good. As for how you’ll fight, you can have a discussion among yourselves. This Wu will not interfere. The reason I’m here today is only to act as a witness.” Then, Wu Zheng Qi went away and observed them silently.
On the stage, Wei Cheng took a glance at the towering Yang Huai behind Yang Kai, then frowned, “Have you only brought one bodyguard with you, Alchemist Yang? How are we going to fight?”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “What’s wrong with that? The rules state that the person who wins two rounds will be the winner. It doesn’t say how many bodyguards we must bring.”
Wei Cheng shook his head, “That’s right, but I guess you’re underestimating this Wei. The bodyguard you’ve brought out of the Blood Warrior Hall is only in the Second-Step Heaven Realm. The weaker one of my two bodyguards is in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm. There’s no way your bodyguard is a match for them.”
“We’ll have to let them fight to find out whether he’s a match.”
Wei Cheng stared fixedly at him, “If you’re willing to apologise to me, Alchemist Yang, I’ll pretend that nothing has happened so that you’ll be spared the embarrassment.”
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s good to have confidence, Alchemist Wei, but overconfidence will do you more harm than good.”
Wei Cheng’s face fell as he snorted, “I’m willing to settle the dispute peacefully, but since you’ve rejected me, don’t blame me for oppressing you as a Senior Brother. I’d like to know how you’re going to defeat the three of us when there are only the two of you. The rules are the same. If there’s no winner after the first two rounds, we’ll personally have to compete in the last round.”
“En.” Yang Kai nodded, “However, before that, shouldn’t we put down a wager? Otherwise, the fight will be boring.”
“Wager?” Wei Cheng was startled, “What do you mean?”
Yang Kai turned to look at Wu Zheng Qi, “Will it break the rules of the Sect, Vice Hall Master?”
Wu Zheng Qi replied impassively, “It’s fine as long as both of you agree. The most important thing is that there must not be any casualties.”
“Understood.” Yang Kai nodded, then took the sword from his waist and raised it, “It’s a Spirit Armament. Is this wager good enough?”
Wei Cheng’s pupils contracted when he heard that, and even Wu Zheng Qi appeared interested. The Alchemists around the Martial Methods Stage immediately broke into a commotion.
“A Spirit Armament? Is that really a Spirit Armament?” Wei Cheng gazed at him in shock.
Yang Kai tossed the True Void Sword at Wu Zheng Qi, “Vice Hall Master Wu can definitely tell whether it’s a Spirit Armament or not.”
Wu Zheng Qi took the sword and unsheathed it. After he observed it for a moment, a longing expression appeared on his face. A moment later, he put the sword back into the sheath and nodded, “It’s indeed a Spirit Armament.”
Since Wu Zheng Qi had said so, Wei Cheng naturally wouldn’t doubt him. He looked doubtfully at Yang Kai as he wondered what the latter was up to.
A puzzled Wu Zheng Qi inquired, “Are you sure you want to put this Spirit Armament down as a wager, Alchemist Yang? That is an extremely precious treasure.”
In the entire Divine Armament World, Spirit Armaments were the second-best weapons after the Ten Great Divine Armaments. Every Spirit Armament was extremely powerful. The power a Spirit Realm Master could use with or without a Spirit Armament was drastically different. Although Wu Zheng Qi was a Spirit Realm Master, even he didn’t have a Spirit Armament. Therefore, when he saw Yang Kai, a Heaven Grade Alchemist, nonchalantly fish out a Spirit Armament and use it as a wager, he felt that the latter was being wasteful.
It would’ve been wonderful if the sword were in his possession.
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “I’m short on money now, and I don’t have anything more valuable than this.”
A myriad of expressions came over Wei Cheng, “It seems that you’re confident in yourself, Alchemist Yang.”
Since Yang Kai had even fished out a Spirit Armament to be used as a wager, he wasn’t just confident; he practically had no regard for Wei Cheng, who became vexed at this realisation.
“Although I’d like to get this Spirit Armament, this Wei unfortunately doesn’t have anything suitable to be used as a wager.” Wei Cheng shook his head regretfully. It was a shame that he had to let such a chance slip through his fingers.
“It’s fine. I don’t need any precious items. I suppose you have some Red Jades, Alchemist Wei?” Yang Kai asked with a smile.
“Red Jades?’’ Wei Cheng was startled, “You want me to put down Red Jades as a wager?”
He couldn’t believe his ears. Even Wu Zheng Qi appeared flabbergasted as he secretly cursed at Yang Kai for being a wastrel. The value of a Spirit Armament could never be measured with Red Jades.
“I said I’m short on money. It’s fine as long as you have some Red Jades.” Yang Kai nodded.
“I… do have some Red Jades.”
“How many can you take out?” Yang Kai asked.
An embarrassed Wei Cheng replied, “About 200,000 to 300,000. No more than that.” It was expected that a Heaven Grade Alchemist had several hundred thousand to a million Red Jades. Wei Cheng initially had more than a million Red Jades as well, but in order to get the Heaven Flame in the Divine Flame Hall, he had spent quite a lot of money to buy certain items, which was why he was left with so little money.
Of course, even 1 million Red Jades were nowhere near enough to buy a Spirit Armament, not to mention 300,000. He was fully aware of it, which was why he appeared bashful when he spoke.
“300,000 it is.” Yang Kai nodded, “Are you okay with putting down 300,000 Red Jades as a wager, Alchemist Wei?”
Wei Cheng stared at him like the latter was a fool, “Are you sure you’ll be fine with me only taking out 300,000 Red Jades as a wager?”
“Yes,” Yang Kai nodded.
On the side, Wu Zheng Qi was on pins and needles. If he hadn’t been restrained by his identity as a witness, he would’ve said to Yang Kai that he could lend him some money. It was extremely wasteful to put down a Spirit Armament to be a wager when the other party could only offer 300,000 Red Jades.
Wei Cheng stared fixedly at Yang Kai, and upon making sure that the other party wasn’t joking, he nodded, “In that case, I’ll take out 300,000 Red Jades to be a wager. Please be the witness of it, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
“En,” Wu Zheng Qi replied lethargically.
“Let’s start now, Alchemist Yang,” Wei Cheng felt elated since he was going to get a Spirit Armament soon. He speculated that it might be Yang Kai’s way of apologising to him; otherwise, why would anyone do such a foolish thing?
A Spirit Armament could more than make up for his losses in the Divine Flame Hall.
At the thought of this, he felt less hostile towards Yang Kai. Despite Yang Kai’s firm stance, he was actually a tactful person. This was his indirect way of apologising to Wei Cheng.
Yang Kai nodded, “Good.” He then turned to look at Yang Huai, “Do your best.”
Yang Huai cupped his fist and replied solemnly, “I’ll not embarrass you, Sir.”
Yang Kai nodded and leaped off the Martial Methods Stage. On the other hand, Wei Cheng and one of his Blood Warriors also left the stage, leaving only a single Blood Warrior to deal with Yang Huai.
Wu Zheng Qi shot an impassive glance at the people on the stage and replied dispassionately, “If the two of you are ready, you can start at any moment.”
The next moment, Wei Cheng’s Blood Warrior charged towards Yang Huai at the speed of lightning, leaving behind only an afterimage. He reached his opponent in a split second, and following a loud boom, the entire stage shook.
The towering Yang Huai seemed to have been struck by a mountain as he staggered backwards and almost collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, he managed to stabilize himself soon, then he extended his big hand.
A figure disappeared in front of him as he whisked past his palm and circled around him. Soon, another loud boom was heard.
A confident Wei Cheng observed the battle on the stage and nonchalantly stated, “Alchemist Yang, your Blood Warrior is too weak. There’s no way he can defeat my bodyguard.”
Yang Kai put on a smile without responding to him.
Yang Huai was only in the Second-Step Heaven Realm while Wei Cheng’s bodyguard was in the Sixth Step. There was a difference of four Minor Realms between them. On the stage, without any external help, Yang Huai was expected to be of no match for his opponent.
In just over ten breaths of time, Yang Huai had been struck more than ten times. Every strike would cause him to stagger and almost collapse to the ground, but he could always stabilise himself soon and counterattack. Although he was unable to harm his opponent, his powerful attacks forced the other party to dodge.
Such a battle was supposed to end quickly since the powers of both parties were drastically different. Nevertheless, the reality was that Yang Huai surprised the others with his perseverance and resoluteness.
Although Wei Cheng’s Blood Warrior seemed to have gained the upper hand on the stage, he was unable to defeat Yang Huai or force him out of the stage.
Furthermore, as time passed, a layer of blood mist started forming around Yang Huai’s figure. It was initially inconspicuous, but as time passed it increasingly thickened.
“What’s that?” Wu Zheng Qi, who had been observing the battle on the stage, arched his brow with surprise. That was because he realised that Yang Huai’s speed and strength were increasing by the breath.
Yang Huai was sturdy, but he was not very agile, and he was four Minor Realms behind his opponent; therefore, since the beginning, he had been in a passive position, and his occasional counterattacks were easily dodged by the opponent. Nevertheless, as the battle dragged on, his attacks gradually became faster and more powerful.
Following a tearing sound, the two of them leaped away from one another. Yang Huai was covered in blood as he widened his eyes with fury. There was a piece of cloth that he had torn from his opponent. After he released it, he dashed towards his opponent like an enraged bull, his eyes bloodshot.
The spectators around the stage exclaimed. It was the first time Yang Huai managed to hit his opponent, even though he had only torn a piece of cloth from the other party.
On the other hand, the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master took a look at his own chest where a small part of his robe had been torn off, revealing his vest. When he looked up and saw Yang Huai charging towards him, he became incensed and activated his Spirit Qi to deal with him.
The intense battle thus continued.
The spectators were initially not interested in the first round as a battle between Blood Warriors could be quite boring. Both of them were trained in the Blood Warrior Hall, so they were most familiar with each other’s moves and techniques.
Furthermore, there was a huge gap in powers between the two Blood Warriors on the stage.
It was supposed to be a battle without suspense; however, the reality surprised everyone as the Second-Step Heaven Realm Master was still not defeated following a series of attacks from a Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master. Even though he was weak and covered in blood, he was still unwavering and resistant.
Many of the spectators were moved.
The battle on the Martial Methods Stage remained intense. Wei Cheng’s Blood Warrior was agile as he wandered around Yang Huai and made a move from time to time. Like a cat teasing a rat, he was able to easily mess with Yang Huai.
There was a subtle change behind Wu Zheng Qi’s gaze as he observed the fight, and then there came a moment when Yang Huai extended his hand and bellowed, “Got you!”
Following a loud boom, Spirit Qi surged as an air blast spread around. The sight on the Martial Methods Stage shocked everyone. At that moment, Yang Huai had miraculously caught the other Blood Warrior’s calf while fending off the latter’s violent attack.
The next moment, Yang Huai put on a hideous grin and lifted his opponent before smashing him to the ground as though the latter was a chicken. If his move was successful, the other party would be severely injured despite being a Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master.
Wei Cheng exclaimed.
Instantaneously, the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master curled up his body in a strange way. Like a snake, he draped himself around Yang Huai’s muscular arm. Right before his back came into contact with the ground, he pushed out his fists in rapid succession at Yang Huai.
*Hong…*
The entire the Martial Methods Stage shook violently as the intense battle abruptly stopped.
The spectators looked up and saw that Yang Huai had fallen on one knee with widened eyes. He remained in the posture of the last move he made. On the other hand, his opponent was lying on the ground, his face covered in blood, looking all battered.
Although he had tried his best to resolve the crisis at the most critical moment, he was still hurled onto the ground by Yang Huai. Presently, his back was all numb, which made him think that his spine might have broken.
[Is it over?] After a moment of silence, the people around the Martial Methods Stage started whispering among themselves. The fact that a Second-Step Heaven Realm Master had won the battle surprised them. Even Wei Cheng believed that to be the case as well. He appeared sluggish as he was unable to accept the outcome.
Just then, Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and extended his hand towards Wei Cheng before announcing the result, “Alchemist Wei has won the first round.”
Wei Cheng was startled upon hearing that. After making sure that he wasn’t mistaken, he appeared puzzled. Although he was a Heaven Realm Master, an Alchemist’s cultivation was generally built up using a lot of elixirs; therefore, it was unlike the other cultivators who relied on tortuous hard work. Even though he had taken in every detail of the battle, he still couldn’t figure out what was going on, nor did he understand why he had won the fight.
However, since Wu Zheng Qi had said so, there shouldn’t be a mistake.
Wei Cheng then gazed at Yang Kai, who appeared calm and didn’t seem to have the intention of objecting to the decision. It was then he set his mind at ease.
Right then, some noises were heard coming from the stage as the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master got up with difficulty. Although he appeared battered, he could still move at the very least. On the other hand, Yang Huai remained unmoving in the same posture. The blood streaming from his mouth and nose dripped onto the ground and caused some light noises.
Seeing that, Wei Cheng finally realised that Yang Kai’s Blood Warrior had probably passed out. It was no wonder that he had won this round.
“Sir, I didn’t disappoint you!” The Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master cupped his fist at Wei Cheng.
“You’ve done a great job. Get some rest now,” Wei Cheng nodded gently.
“Yes,” the Blood Warrior replied. When he leaped from the stage, he couldn’t help but turn to look at Yang Huai, still reeling from shock inside.
He had never come across a person as defiant as this Second-Step Heaven Realm Master before. In truth, he had won this battle only because of a stroke of luck. If the other party had been able to persevere just a moment longer, it was hard to tell who would have won in the end.
On the other hand, Yang Kai leaped onto the stage and checked on Yang Huai, who was actually fine. This guy was extremely sturdy, so although he appeared battered, he was only covered in flesh wounds. None of his five viscera and six organs were harmed. The reason he passed out was that he had consumed too much energy. Confirming Yang Huai’s status, Yang Kai circulated some of his own Spirit Qi into him to wake him up.
“Sir!” Yang Huai regained consciousness and realised that he was defeated. With an embarrassed expression, he cupped his fist, “I’m sorry for disappointing you.”
Yang Kai patted the other man’s shoulder, “It’s fine. You’re much weaker than him after all. You did well. Moreover, it’s only been a short time since you started cultivating…”
Yang Huai grunted in a muffled voice. It wasn’t until this battle that he realised how extraordinary the Supreme Tyrant Body Art taught to him by Yang Kai was.
He was fully aware of his power as a Second-Step Heaven Realm Master. In the past, he could never have gotten into a prolonged battle with a Sixth-Step Heaven Realm Master. He doubted that he could even last for twenty breaths of time before; however, after cultivating the Supreme Tyrant Body Art, he was almost able to defeat such an opponent, which was simply inconceivable. He had already gained so much after cultivating the Secret Art for a few days. If he cultivated it for a longer time, he would have a chance to defeat the other party.
“Who will go on stage for the second round, Alchemist Yang?” Wu Zheng Qi asked.
Yang Kai had only brought one Blood Warrior with him. The bodyguard was basically half-dead, so there was no way he could go on stage for the second round. Wu Zheng Qi had never come across such an incident before, so he had no idea what to do; therefore, he decided to ask Yang Kai.
Yang Huai got up with difficulty and cupped his fist, “Sir, I can go on stage again!”
Yang Kai replied with a smile, “Look at you. You’re even struggling to stand stably. If you go on stage again, you’ll be killed.”
“I’m willing to die for you!” Yang Huai appeared solemn.
“I didn’t bring you out of the Blood Warrior Hall just to watch you die. Go down. I’ll take part in the fight this time!” Upon finishing his words, Yang Kai gently pushed Yang Huai away. Engulfed in a soft force, Yang Huai was directly sent away from the stage.
Both Wu Zheng Qi and Wei Cheng were stunned.
With a frown, Wu Zheng Qi asked, “Alchemist Yang, the second round is still a physical fight. Are you sure you want to take part in it?”
Yang Kai nodded, “What’s wrong with that? Can Alchemists not fight for themselves?”
“There’s no such rule, but…” Wu Zheng Qi appeared to be in a dilemma, “No Alchemist has taken part in a physical battle on this stage before. What’s your cultivation now, Alchemist Yang?”
“Third-Step Heaven Realm,” Yang Kai replied honestly.
At that instant, Wu Zheng Qi wasn’t sure what to do. He then took a look at Yang Huai and reckoned that the latter really was unable to fight again. If the Blood Warrior were asked to go on stage, he would certainly lose. Since Yang Kai had no one else with him, it was understandable that he wanted to fight himself.
At the thought of this, Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “In that case, please be careful, Alchemist Yang.”
He then glanced at Wei Cheng, “Please tell someone to come forward, Alchemist Wei.”
Wei Cheng nodded and ordered the other Blood Warrior to go on stage. At the same time, he said in a small voice, “Don’t kill him. Just throw him off the stage. He’s a Heaven-Grade Alchemist after all. If anything happens to him, I won’t be able to save you.”
The Blood Warrior nodded, “Don’t worry, Sir. I know what to do.”
Then, he jumped onto the stage and cupped his fist at Yang Kai, “I’m ready, Alchemist Yang.”
Wu Zheng Qi dropped him a reminder, “Alchemist Yang, this bodyguard is in the Seventh-Step Heaven Realm. If you don’t think you’re a match for him, you’d better admit defeat now.”
“Many thanks, Vice Hall Master Wu.” Yang Kai put on a smile, “But… I don’t think I’ll be the one who will admit defeat.”
Right after he finished his words, he abruptly appeared in front of the bodyguard and lightly pushed out a palm surging with Spirit Qi.
The bodyguard was initially calm and collected, but when he saw Yang Kai’s palm, his expression changed drastically as he was engulfed in a sense of danger. He hurriedly pushed all his Spirit Qi and met the attack.
At the most critical moment, he recalled that the other party was a prestigious Heaven Grade Alchemist instead of a bodyguard, so he quickly restricted his force a little lest Yang Kai was harmed.
“Hong…”
Spirit Qi erupted as a figure was sent flying away like a sack. The person then crashed into the crowd and caused them to collapse to the ground.
Wu Zheng Qi, who had secretly circulated his Spirit Qi and readied himself to interfere, was dumbfounded by what he just witnessed.
On the other hand, Wei Cheng, who was ready to watch a good show, was rooted to the spot. The other cultivators and Alchemists couldn’t believe their eyes either.
At that instant, the entire place fell into silence.
It wasn’t until a moment later that these people came to their senses and turned to look at the source of the commotion. Over there, a person got to his feet as a myriad of expressions came over his face. His eyes were filled with disbelief. He was none other than Wei Cheng’s bodyguard, who was in the Seventh-Step Heaven Realm.
A Seventh-Step Heaven Realm Master was sent flying away from the Martial Methods Stage by a Third-Step Heaven Realm Master with only one move. If they hadn’t seen it with their bare eyes, no one would have believed it.
An incensed Wei Cheng glared at his bodyguard, “What on Earth are you doing?”
The Seventh-Step Heaven Realm Master was embarrassed as he cupped his fist, “Please forgive me, Sir. I just wasn’t careful enough.” There was a doubt in his mind. Even though he had restricted his power at the last moment lest Yang Kai be harmed, his attack still should have been enough to suppress a mere Third-Step Heaven Realm Master.
He initially had the confidence to push Yang Kai out of the stage in that clash, but he was the one who was sent flying away instead.
As he recalled the moment their moves met just now, he felt as though he was faced with a Peak Heaven Realm Master instead of a Third-Step Heaven Realm Master. However, it wasn’t like he could explain that to anyone, so he just dismissed it as his own hallucination.
Wei Cheng was infuriated. He initially thought that he could easily get a Spirit Armament to make up for his losses in the Divine Flame Cave, but it never crossed his mind that there would be a turn of events.
Since he was unable to change the outcome, it was pointless to say anything else. He glowered at the bodyguard and snapped, “Waste!”
The bodyguard hung his head low in silence, his face all red.
“Vice Hall Master Wu, I suppose I’ve won this round,” Yang Kai gazed at the dumbstruck Wu Zheng Qi.
Wu Zheng Qi came to his senses and nodded with an awkward expression, “Alchemist Yang has won the second round!”
“Both of you have respectively won one round of the physical fights, so the contest is currently a draw. You can have a discussion among yourselves regarding the last round.” Wu Zheng Qi looked around. Yang Kai and Wei Cheng had already come to an agreement, and it was an unspoken rule in Profound Pill Sect. They naturally wouldn’t object to it.
Since the last round was about Alchemy, Wu Zheng Qi, a cultivator, was unable to interfere.
Standing on the Martial Methods Stage, Yang Kai said, “Alchemist Wei, I’m a newcomer, so I’m not familiar with the Sect’s rules. You can decide on what to compete. I’m fine with anything.”
Wei Cheng snorted, “You’re truly confident, Alchemist Yang. What if I say we’ll compete against each other using Alchemy Flames? Will you accept the challenge?”
Upon hearing that, the Alchemists around the stage broke into a commotion and Wu Zheng Qi immediately raised his hand, “You can’t do that!”
A curious Yang Kai asked, “Why can’t we fight using Alchemy Flames?” It seemed to him that it was a serious issue to fight against one another with Alchemy Flames.
An astounded Wei Cheng asked, “Why don’t you even know this? Have you been living under a rock?”
On the side, Wu Zheng Qi explained, “Alchemist Yang, all Alchemists have their own Alchemy Flames, which are divided into different Grades. You’ve been to the Divine Flame Cave, so you must be aware that a powerful Alchemy Flame can swallow a weaker one to upgrade itself. That’s why some Alchemists fight against each other using their Alchemy Flames. However, this kind of fight is extremely dangerous. Usually, the Alchemy Flame of either party will end up getting swallowed. Once that happens, the Alchemist will suffer from a severe backlash. Therefore, unless it is an unresolvable blood feud, Alchemists never compete against each other using Alchemy Flames.”
After explaining it to Yang Kai, he turned to look at Wei Cheng, “Alchemist Wei, you and Alchemist Yang are important treasures of Profound Pill Sect. It isn’t like there’s a life-or-death feud between the two of you. It will be fine if it’s any other form of competition; however, if you really want to fight using Alchemy Flames, this Wu will have no choice but to report the incident to the Elder Council and ask them to interfere.”
Wei Cheng pressed his lips together, “This Wei was just making a point. Of course, I know how dangerous it is to fight using Alchemy Flames. Please don’t take it seriously, Vice Hall Master Wu.”
It was only then that Wu Zheng Qi nodded, “That’s good.”
Wei Cheng turned to look at Yang Kai, “We won’t fight using Alchemy Flames. However, it will be far too time-consuming if we compete against one another in a complete Alchemy session. Why don’t we refine some medicinal liquid? Let’s see who will be able to refine a purer, more concentrated medicinal liquid from the same herbs. It’s a simple contest and won’t take a long time.”
Yang Kai was naturally fine with it as he nodded, “En.”
It was apparent that Wei Cheng was well prepared. As he clapped his hands, the Heaven Realm Blood Warrior, who was previously sent flying away from the stage by Yang Kai, leapt up with two boxes in hand.
With his hands behind his back, Wei Cheng stated, “These are Starry Sky Flowers. They are similar in terms of their medicinal age and size. You can examine them and pick out one. Instead of using any Alchemy Furnaces, we’ll only use our own Alchemy Flames to refine the medicinal liquid and see who can do better.”
As he spoke, the Heaven Realm Blood Warrior reached Yang Kai with the boxes and let him examine them.
The Alchemists around the stage whispered among themselves.
“Alchemist Wei is trying to refine a Starry Sky Flower? It isn’t an easy task.”
“That’s right. Of all the Heaven Grade herbs, even though Starry Sky Flowers are not the most precious, they are definitely the most difficult to refine. I heard that even the best Heaven Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect can only refine 70% of its medicinal efficacies.”
“Even the Spirit Grade Alchemists from the Elder Council can only reach 90%, let alone Heaven Grade Alchemists.”
“However, it’s a good test to find out an Alchemist’s foundation. This will be interesting.”
…
Noises could be heard coming from everywhere as Yang Kai gazed at the boxes. Just like what Wei Cheng had said, there was no difference in size or age between the two herbs. They could be said to be identical. They looked like flowers the size of a palm with eight petals each, on which silver lines were seen glowing, making them look like a sky full of stars.
Yang Kai had never seen these flowers before and had a feeling that they were native to the Divine Armament World.
Wei Cheng extended his hand, “Please, Alchemist Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded and randomly selected one. The bodyguard then walked towards Wei Cheng with the other flower. Wei Cheng took the flower and said with a smile, “By the way, Alchemist Yang, I have some unique insight when it comes to refining Starry Sky Flowers, so you’ll definitely lose.”
He wouldn’t have come up with such a form of competition if he were not confident in himself. That was the reason he had prepared two starry Sky Flowers from the start.
Yang Kai didn’t respond to him.
Right then, Wu Zheng Qi was heard saying, “If the two of you are ready, you can start at any moment.”
“Please, Alchemist Yang!” Wei Cheng shouted while activating his Spirit Qi. At the same time, an orange flame appeared above his palm. The brightness of the flame suggested that it was a very high-quality Heaven Flame, though Yang Kai wasn’t sure exactly what kind of flame it was. The Heaven Flame surrounded the Starry Sky Flower as its intensity shifted from time to time. Under Wei Cheng’s control, the flame started extracting the medicinal liquid out of the Starry Sky Flower.
Seeing that, Yang Kai hurriedly activated his Spirit Qi and Alchemy Flame. A white flame appeared out of thin air and flickered in the next moment. Although it appeared very pure, it wasn’t comparable to the Heaven Flame of Wei Cheng when it came to colour or Grade.
“A Mortal Flame?” Someone exclaimed all of a sudden.
Many of them were dumbfounded as they gazed at the flame above Yang Kai’s palm. Although they had no idea what kind of Alchemy Flame it was, they reckoned that it was a Mortal Flame just judging from its appearance.
It was inconceivable that the Alchemy Flame of a Heaven Grade Alchemist was a Mortal Flame.
If they hadn’t seen it with their eyes, they wouldn’t have believed it. Mortal Flames were usually used by new Alchemists as they were the lowest Grade of Alchemy Flames.
Wu Zheng Qi was also astounded. Yang Kai had visited the Divine Flame Cave a few days ago, so he should have gained something. Why did he only get a Mortal Flame?
A busy Wei Cheng took a glance at Yang Kai, then guffawed, “Alchemist Yang… how can you use a Mortal Flame to refine a Starry Sky Flower? Do you know that it’s a Heaven Grade herb? There’s no way a Mortal Flame will work on this Spirit Flower. I suggest that you admit defeat now to save you from embarrassment.”
Yang Kai shot him a glance and replied impassively, “What difference does it make whether it’s a Mortal Flame or a Heaven Flame? The Alchemist is the foundation of everything. As long as one is skilful enough, he can refine a Heaven Grade herb using a Mortal Flame… like this!”
As he spoke, the white flame surged while the medicinal liquid was extracted from the Starry Sky Flower and formed into a ball. With continuous burning, the impurities were slowly removed.
Wei Cheng was stunned, “How is that possible?”
While he was in a dazed state, his Heaven Flame almost destroyed the starry Sky Flower. Flustered, he quickly restrained the Heaven Flame’s power.
The Alchemists around the stage broke into a commotion as the sight before their eyes was inconceivable. A white Mortal Flame could really refine a Heaven Grade herb as fast as Wei Chang’s Heaven Flame.
In fact, Yang Kai was actually suppressing the white flame.
Although he already knew that the white flame he had obtained from the Divine Flame Cave was strange, he hadn’t had time to carry out any experiments with it yet. It wasn’t until this moment that he realised the white flame was incredibly powerful when it came to refining medicinal liquid. He didn’t really exert much force when the medicinal liquid was extracted out of the Starry Sky Flower. Moreover, the impurities in the medicinal liquid were swiftly purified with the help of the white flame.
This made Yang Kai feel even more curious about the kind of Alchemy Flame he had obtained. Unfortunately, there wasn’t any record of it in the Sect’s Records Hall.
The competition was still ongoing. On the Martial Methods Stage, Yang Kai and Wei Cheng continuously adjusted the intensity of their Alchemy Flames. The original Starry Sky Flowers were now gone and replaced by two drops of medicinal liquid. The drops of liquid glowed as though a sky full of stars had been condensed together. As the impurities were removed, the drops of medicinal liquid shone brighter and brighter.
Wei Cheng’s forehead was covered in sweat. He didn’t mind losing 300,000 Red Jades, but he couldn’t bear to embarrass himself in such a way. It had been decades since he joined Profound Pill Sect, so if he lost the competition against a newcomer who only arrived a few days ago, he would be too embarrassed to show his face again. Moreover, Yang Kai was only using a Mortal Flame in this competition.
Therefore, Wei Cheng went all out. Under such immense pressure, he was able to exceed his own limits and compared to the times when he refined Starry Sky Flowers in the past, he actually achieved a new record in performance.
One hour later, Wei Cheng took a deep breath and abruptly withdrew his Heaven Flame.
There was a drop of very pure medicinal liquid hovering above his palm, swirling around in mid-air with the influence of his Spirit Qi. Under the sunlight, the medicinal liquid reflected a rainbow of lights.
He let out a breath and without even needing to look at it, Wei Cheng knew that he had extracted 70% of the medicinal efficacies from the Starry Sky Flower. Although it wasn’t the best record in Profound Pill Sect, it was the best he had personally achieved so far.
Then, he looked up and saw that Yang Kai had also finished his refinement. There was also a drop of Starry Sky Flower’s medicinal liquid hovering above his palm, and from the looks of it, the drop of medicinal liquid was about the same as his own.
With a conflicted expression, he felt his chest tightening.
That sight before his eyes alone made him realise that he had lost. That was because he used a Heaven Flame to refine the Starry Sky Flower while Yang Kai used a Mortal Flame. Wei Cheng didn’t think he could have achieved the same result using a Mortal Flame.
Still, this was a competition between two Alchemists with a huge wager on the line, so Wei Cheng naturally wouldn’t admit defeat easily. He looked provocatively at Yang Kai and commented, “You’re pretty amazing, Alchemist Yang.”
Yang Kai nodded, “You’ve done pretty well yourself, Alchemist Wei.”
Seeing that neither of them was sincere, Wu Zheng Qi coughed and said, “This Wu is a cultivator who knows nothing about the profundities of the Alchemic Dao. Both of you will be the judges of the results. I believe you’ll be impartial and conscientious.”
He might have been sincere when he said those words, but it could also be that he wasn’t willing to be the judge of the last round. Both parties came to a draw in the combat rounds, and the winner would emerge in this final contest. It was inappropriate for Wu Zheng Qi to decide and announce the winner; therefore, he decided to leave the matter to the two competitors themselves.
Wei Cheng nodded, “In that case, Alchemist Yang and I will examine the medicinal liquid ourselves.”
Then, he circulated his Spirit Qi and pushed his drop of medicinal liquid towards Yang Kai. Seeing that, Yang Kai also sent his medicinal liquid that was extracted from Starry Sky Flower over.
While they examined each other’s medicinal liquid, the Alchemists around the Martial Methods Stage watched attentively. They were eager to find out who the winner would be; however, before the results were announced, they had no way to tell.
A moment later, Yang Kai put on a smile and gazed at Wei Cheng, whose expression kept changing as though he had just seen something shocking.
The spectators could see that while Yang Kai was calm and collected, Wei Cheng appeared conflicted. They were shocked as they thought that Wei Cheng might have lost the competition.
But, how was that possible? Both of them on the stage were Heaven Grade Alchemists, but one of them used a Mortal Flame while the other used a Heaven Flame. There was no way Wei Cheng would lose.
While they were lost in their doubts though, Wei Cheng suddenly let out a sigh and became dejected. The medicinal liquid hovering above his palm fell apart, then he cupped his fist, “Alchemist Yang is truly skilful. This Wei is no match for him. I’ve lost the competition.”
“You have my respect,” Yang Kai nodded gently. He wasn’t surprised by the outcome, but Wei Cheng had earned his respect at the last moment by being straightforward. That guy was foul-tempered, but he could still be considered a righteous man. At the very least, he wouldn’t refuse to admit defeat.
The crowd broke into a riot as the Alchemists looked at Yang Kai in shock. They could not figure out how he used a Mortal Flame to refine such pure medicine liquid and even defeated Wei Cheng. In the past, they would never have imagined such a thing was possible, but it now happened right in front of them on this day.
“I’ll tell someone to send the 300,000 Red Jades to you later. Goodbye!” Wei Cheng’s face was crimson as he hurriedly left the stage. He soon disappeared into the distance alongside his Blood Warriors.
“Congratulations, Alchemist Yang.” Wu Zheng Qi stepped forward and passed the True Void Sword back to him, “You’ve surprised all of us with your capabilities today. I’m sure your name will be known to everyone in Profound Pill Sect soon.”
Yang Kai took the sword and replied with a nod, “Many thanks for your kind words, Vice Hall Master Wu, but fame doesn’t really matter to me. Since this matter has been settled, I’ll take my leave now. I’m sorry for bothering you today.”
“It’s fine. I had fun watching the competition as well.” Wu Zheng Qi chuckled.
Yang Kai nodded and walked down the Martial Methods Stage, followed by Yang Huai.
Wei Cheng was a pretty efficient man as, barely one hour after Yang Kai returned to his cave mansion, he received the 300,000 Red Jades as promised. It took Yang Huai quite some time to carry all the Red Jades into the cave mansion, and once he was done, the entire place appeared quite luxurious.
Yang Kai had previously obtained 100,000 Red Jades from Heavenly Martial City, which allowed him to go from the Peak Earth Realm to the Third-Step Heaven Realm in just one month. With three times as many resources than what he previously possessed, Yang Kai reckoned that the Red Jades could last him for quite some time.
However, he was uncertain about how much his strength would increase. As one’s cultivation improved, he would consume increasingly more resources. Yang Kai even doubted that these Red Jades could allow him to achieve an ascension of two Steps.
With that said, things were easier now with these Red Jades. At the very least, he could buy the ingredients for the Body Tempering medicinal liquid that Yang Huai needed. He then fished out some Red Jades and jotted down a prescription before telling Yang Huai to head to Profound Pill City to buy a large number of herbs.
Profound Pill City relied on Profound Pill Sect to thrive, but the reverse was also true in some sense. As a result, there were a lot of herbs for sale in the city. It could even be said that any Spirit Herb could be found there as long as it wasn’t too rare.
It took Yang Huai four hours before he returned with bags of herbs in hand. Yang Kai selected some herbs that could help him with cultivating the Supreme Tyrant Body Art and told him to cultivate on his own. Then, he sat down with his legs crossed in the middle of the Red Jades that had been piled up like mounds and activated the Heaven Devouring Battle Law.
It could be said that Yang Kai instantly became famous after the competition on the Martial Methods Stage.
He already drew some attention when he joined Profound Pill Sect as a Heaven Grade Alchemist back then, but with that said, there were many Heaven Grade Alchemists in the Sect, and they had their own things to do; therefore, they were only slightly curious about him.
Now, however, after Yang Kai defeated Wei Cheng, his name became known to everyone in the Sect just like Wu Zheng Qi had predicted.
Not only was Yang Kai a Heaven Grade Alchemist at the astonishingly young age of 18, but he had also defeated a veteran Heaven Grade Alchemist when it came to refining medicinal liquid. Furthermore, he only used a white Mortal Flame at that time to do so.
All the things he had achieved piqued the interest of many. Even those from the Elder Council soon heard about it.
After the competition, Yang Kai started receiving invitations from various Heaven Grade Alchemists from time to time. They mostly ask him to their cave mansions to attend gatherings of sorts.
The Heaven Grade Alchemists would frequently come together and discuss the Alchemic Dao. This was the norm in Profound Pill Sect as by doing so, they could realise their own weaknesses and learn from others through exchanging pointers.
This was a great practice that had been passed down over the generations.
However, due to various different circumstances and personalities, the Heaven Grade Alchemists all had their own circles of friends, and it was difficult for others to mingle into such established groups.
Certainly, these circles wanted Yang Kai to join them, and he never turned them down. It had only been a short time since he joined Profound Pill Sect, so he was more than happy to become friendly with the other Heaven Grade Alchemists. Furthermore, he could also find out more about the level of Alchemy in this Divine Armament World by talking with others about it.
In just one month, Yang Kai had attended 7 gatherings. His experience and knowledge in the Alchemic Dao were far superior to these Heaven Grade Alchemists; however, due to his young age, he didn’t want to reveal too much. Having said that, he would occasionally let out some of his insight in a tactful manner and allow others to benefit from it.
He had made friends with many people in the past month, and he was well-received in all circles. If he claimed to be the most popular Heaven Grade Alchemist in Profound Pill Sect now, no one would object to it.
After all, given his young age and exceptional aptitude, any Heaven-Grade Alchemist was willing to become his friend.
The one-month deadline imposed by the Sect was fast approaching, but Hua Rong still hadn’t returned. However, considering the distance between Profound Pill Sect and Void Spirit Sword Sect, Hua Rong should be back soon.
As Yang Kai expected, Hua Rong returned barely three days before the deadline. With the temporary Identity Token given to her, she was able to enter Profound Pill Sect without difficulty.
When Yang Kai rushed over upon hearing the news, Hua Rong was already waiting in the Reception Palace.
Upon seeing him, Hua Rong cupped her fist, “Sir, fortunately, I’ve not disappointed you. They’re here.” She seemed exhausted and it was obvious that she hadn’t had proper rest in a while.
“Well done,” Yang Kai nodded and turned his head.
Wan Ying Ying and the other two Junior Brothers from Void Spirit Sword Sect came over with excited expressions and cupped their fists, “Eldest Senior Brother!”
Yang Kai raised his hand and stroked Wan Ying Ying’s head, “You must be tired. Did anything happen on the road?”
Despite being jovial, Wan Ying Ying still muttered, “Stop stroking my head, Eldest Senior Brother, I’m not a child… Nothing happened as Big Sister Hua was there to protect us.”
“That’s good. I’m sure you already know why I’ve asked you to come here. I need a few assistants, and since you have some heritage in Alchemy now, you can stay here to help me while continuing to study the Alchemic Dao.”
“Yes, Eldest Senior Brother. We won’t disappoint you!” The two Junior Brothers cupped their fists.
“Get some rest tonight and I’ll bring you to register your identities tomorrow. You’ll first have to join Profound Pill Sect and become Outer Disciples before you will be allowed to become my assistants.”
He then led Wan Ying Ying and the others to head to his cave mansion. Hua Rong approached the next moment and poked his waist before asking in a small voice, “Sir, who’s that ugly and ferocious-looking bear behind us?”
“Show some respect!” Yang Kai looked down at her hand and chided her, “I brought Yang Huai out of the Blood Warrior Hall to work as my guard. Since you will work with him, you should get to know him.”
“So, he’s a Blood Warrior from the Blood Warrior Hall.” Hua Rong seemed to have expected this. When she took one more glance at Yang Huai, she shuddered and asked dejectedly, “Sir, am I not good enough for you? Why did you get one more person to be your bodyguard? I’m saddened by what you’ve done! I went to Void Spirit Sword Sect and back in the past month for you. Is this how you’re supposed to treat me?”
She seemed ready to sob as though Yang Kai had thoughtlessly abandoned her after having his way with her.
Yang Kai glared at her, “If you dare to spout nonsense again, I’ll kick you out of Profound Pill Sect!”
Hua Rong instantly pressed her lips together, “Why do you sound like an old fart when you’re only a young man? Hmph!” Then, she exclaimed, “Wow! This is what the inner circle of Profound Pill Sect looks like. This place is magnificent, and the World Energy is so rich!”
Yang Kai shook his head and ignored her.
After returning to his cave mansion, Yang Kai told Hua Rong and the others to choose their own rooms and settle in. Then, he had a servant prepare a meal for them.
As they gathered together, they started wolfing down the food. Yang Kai asked about Void Spirit Sword Sect, and upon learning that all was well, he finally set his mind at ease.
After giving it a thought, he realised that it wasn’t so surprising. He was now a disciple of Profound Pill Sect after all. Additionally, Li Zheng Qing and Zhuang Ju He would never betray him. The other Earth Realm Masters were also still relying on him to refine Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills for them, so they would never do anything to harm Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Also, the Sect now possessed a Black Jade mine, so they wouldn’t have to worry about getting cultivation resources. They also had the support of the businesses owned by Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect. Before Wan Ying Ying and the others departed, Su Chang Fa, Gu Kang Ning, and Hong Xiu already had a discussion on whether they should open their gates and take in more disciples.
There were not many disciples in Void Spirit Sword Sect because they were previously not powerful enough or wealthy enough to protect and support too many people. However, things were different now. Even Tian Luo Hall and Roaring Tiger Sect had been subdued by them, so naturally, Su Chang Fa wanted to restore the glory of Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Before Wan Ying Ying left, Su Chang Fa had told her to ask Yang Kai for his permission; after all, Yang Kai was technically the Sect Master of Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Certainly, Yang Kai wouldn’t object to this. When there was a chance, he would head to Profound Pill City and get someone to send a letter back to Void Spirit Sword Sect.
Three days later, a Profound Pill Sect Deacon came to get a Wooden Token engraved with Yang Kai’s name to hang in front of a vacant desk at the Seeking Pill Pavilion.
The two Junior Brothers who came from Void Spirit Sword Sect also went to assist. One was tasked with running errands while the other was tasked with receiving the cultivators who came to ask for pills.
On the other hand, Wan Ying Ying remained by Yang Kai’s side to help him personally. Compared to the two other Junior Brothers, her aptitude in Alchemy was better. Besides, Yang Kai intended to nurture her talents.
Although Yang Kai mastered countless pill recipes, none of them belonged to the Divine Armament World. Many of the pills in the outside world did not exist in the Divine Armament World. Similarly, some of the pills in the Divine Armament World did not exist in the outside world.
That was why he only listed one type of pill, which was the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, when the Deacon came to collect the Wooden Token for registration.
In other words, Yang Kai would only be refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. Fortunately, this pill was also the most in-demand pill among all Earth Realm cultivators.
Even though he started providing Alchemy services today, Yang Kai was not too concerned. Refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill was not a difficult matter for him after all. It would take some time at most; therefore, he continued to cultivate even after the Deacon took his Wooden Token.
On the other hand, Wan Ying Ying waited outside his secluded home with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation. From time to time, she would raise her head and look down the mountain frantically.
After waiting for more than two hours, a figure suddenly came speeding in this direction from the foot of the mountain. She let out a cheer and quickly went to greet the visitor.
A short while later, she came hurrying into the secluded home with a bag clutched tightly in her hands. She exclaimed excitedly, “Eldest Senior Brother! Eldest Senior Brother! Somebody came to request a pill!”
Wrapped in a burst of fragrant wind, she rushed over to Yang Kai. She was completely out of breath, and her bosom that was just beginning to take shape heaved up and down violently.
Yang Kai opened his eyes and looked at her; then, he spoke with some amusement, “If somebody is here to make a pill request, then they are here to make a pill request. Why don’t you catch your breath first?”
She quickly took several deep breaths and calmed her excitement. After that, she placed the bag beside him and looked at him eagerly.
“Open the bag and take a look inside,” he motioned to her.
She responded and cheerfully opened the bag. When she saw the dazzling array of items inside the bag, she couldn’t help exclaiming in astonishment, “What are all these!? These must be worth quite a lot!”
Yang Kai swept a glance over the items and nodded, “The pill recipe of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill is a secret that only the Alchemists of each Sect are allowed to know. That’s why the people who come to request the pill do not know what kind of herbs to prepare. They either prepare enough Black Jades and Red Jades or precious treasures with enough value as compensation. Of course, how much they prepare will depend entirely on their means and generosity. The more generous they are, the further up on the waiting list they will be placed, and the faster they can obtain the pill they want.”
This was a piece of information Yang Kai learned after spending time with other Alchemists over the past month. Due to the number of cultivators in the Divine Armament World, there was an overwhelming demand for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. The speed at which Alchemists could refine pills could not keep up with the demands of the cultivators.
It had to be said that not every cultivator only required one Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill to advance to the Heaven Realm. Some might even need to undergo many attempts before they succeed, and each attempt required one or more Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills.
Compared to other Heaven Grade pills, the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill was much harder to refine. Among hundreds of Heaven Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect, less than half were listed to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. The other half either did not have enough contribution points to exchange for the pill recipe or their success rate in refining the pill was so low that Profound Pill Sect forbade them from refining it.
Therefore, all the Heaven Realm Alchemists listed to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills had accumulated large amounts of resources brought by the cultivators who came here to make pill requests.
It was just that performing Alchemy required time. That was why not all the cultivators who came to make a pill request could obtain the pill they wanted quickly. Some people who came to make a pill request might be placed on the waiting list and told it would be several years before it was their turn.
That was what happened to Tian Luo Hall’s Palace Master, Shu Wan Cheng, back then. He once came to Profound Pill Sect to request a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and offered up a substantial remuneration; even so, he was told to wait for several years…
It was not as though one’s priority on the waiting list was immutable. If they offered a gift valuable enough to tempt the Alchemist performing Alchemy for them, then their request would be brought forward on the waiting list. For that reason, most cultivators who came to make a pill request would prepare as much compensation as they could afford in order to obtain the pill they wanted as soon as possible.
This was not a secret, and when Yang Kai heard this from his Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, he finally understood why most Alchemists were such wealthy people in the Divine Armament World.
With the ability to perform Alchemy, it was difficult not to make a fortune. And, Yang Kai was now one of them. There was basically no need to worry about his cultivation resources from now onward. As long as he continued to provide Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion, the riches would continue to flow without pause.
“Ying Ying, have you prepared the things I asked you to?” Yang Kai placed the bag of items to the side and asked.
“I’ve prepared them, Eldest Senior Brother!” Wan Ying Ying quickly nodded in response.
“In that case, let’s begin. You may stand to the side to observe my actions. If there’s anything you don’t understand, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Yes!” She nodded seriously.
She knew that her Eldest Senior Brother wanted to nurture her talents, and that an opportunity to observe a Heaven Grade Alchemist performing Alchemy was very rare. Even the medicine boys serving beside the other Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect did not enjoy such generous treatment.
This was the first time Yang Kai performed Alchemy after he obtained the White Flame and the Five Dragons Furnace, and he soon discovered that the support provided by the White Flame when performing Alchemy was simply incredible. Be it in terms of condensing the medicinal liquid or other processes, the results were countless times better than when he used the Radiant Flame Stones.
…..
At Seeking Pill Pavilion.
Ma Tai sat in a corner with a depressed look on his face, looking as though he had lost his soul. At this moment, he was staring lifelessly at the desk by the side. There were two young medicine boys sitting behind the desk; moreover, there was a Wooden Token hanging above the desk with the name ‘Yang Kai’ engraved on top.
Unlike the other desks where there were people constantly coming and going all day long, this desk could be said to be noticeably empty. It could even be said that nobody visited this table!
Of course, it was not completely without visitors. At the very least, Ma Tai had gone up to that desk to make a pill request when the Seeking Pill Pavilion opened its doors this morning. He also offered up all the wealth that he had been accumulating for many years.
He initially waited with great excitement and anticipation, but after making some inquiries, he was completely dumbfounded by what he learned instead.
It turned out that the Heaven Grade Alchemist named Yang Kai was providing Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion for the first time today. As if that was not bad enough, it was rumoured that Alchemist Yang was only 18 years old…
[An 18-year-old Heaven Grade Alchemist!? How can there be such a person in this world!? When I was 18 years old, I was only in the Mortal Realm! Even if Alchemist Yang began learning Alchemy from inside his mother’s womb, it’s still impossible for him to be a Heaven-Grade Alchemist! Let’s just say that he is indeed a Heaven-Grade Alchemist, but he is so young! What is his success rate in refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!?]
Ma Tai finally understood why nobody had been lining up at this desk when he arrived here this morning. He initially thought that he was incredibly lucky and hit the jackpot, but who could have known that this was the real situation?
[It’s over! It’s all over now! If my pill request fails, I will never get another chance to advance into the Heaven Realm again! If I don’t advance into the Heaven Realm, then how will I get my revenge on my enemies!?]
Thinking back to the person who died in his arms three years ago, he was tempted to kill himself by ramming his head into the table. He deeply regretted his foolishness. [There are so many Alchemists, why did I have to choose this fledgling Alchemist Yang!?]
“Another pitiful person whose pill request failed,” a passerby couldn’t help sighing when they walked by and saw him. Then, they casually tossed a Black Jade to him.
There were many people at the Seeking Pill Pavilion like Ma Tai, those who spent a great fortune just to come here only for their pill request to fail in the end generally had the same reaction as him. Some even went mad from the shock. It was just that there were Spirit Realm Masters guarding the Seeking Pill Pavilion all year round, so those who dared to act without restraint in this place tended to suffer tragic endings.
The clattering of the Black Jade startled Ma Tai back to his senses and he stood up abruptly. [Maybe I still have time to change my mind! I only just offered up my compensation this morning after all. Less than half a day has passed since then. Alchemist Yang might not have started refining yet. I might have the chance to get back what I offered earlier.]
As soon as the thought passed through his head, he hurried over to the desk.
The two young disciples from Void Spirit Sword Sect sat upright behind the desk. Looking at the lively scene in front of the other desks and comparing that to the quiet scene in front of them, they could not help feeling envious.
“Senior Brother Jing An, why won’t they come and make a pill request to Eldest Senior Brother? We don’t have anybody here. They don’t even need to queue!” The slightly younger Junior Brother asked.
Senior Brother Jing An replied, “It might be because Eldest Senior Brother is just starting to provide Alchemy services and his name is not well-known. The people who came here to make pill requests feel uneasy about Eldest Senior Brother’s skills. Even if there’s no need to queue here, they won’t dare to try asking us; after all, it was not easy for them to gather their wealth for compensation.”
The Junior Brother said, “But, isn’t Eldest Senior Brother amazing at refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill? I heard that the Former Sect Master has many Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills that Eldest Senior Brother refined before he left.”
Jing An laughed and explained, “You might know that, but others don’t. Don’t worry, Junior Brother. Fame is like fine wine, the older it gets, the more fragrant it becomes. Time will tell. Besides, didn’t we get a customer who came to make a pill request earlier? Oh, somebody’s coming! Stop looking so gloomy. Smile quickly! Things might be a little quiet here, and our business might be a little lacking, but we can’t lose to others when it comes to hospitality. Hmm? Why does this customer look so familiar?”
The Junior Brother muttered, “This person seems to be the one who came to make a pill request this morning…”
“So it is him!’”
Ma Tai walked straight up to the desk and cupped his fist with a slight bow, “Greetings, Sirs!”
Jing An smiled, “So it is the Sir who came to make a pill request this morning! How may I help you, Sir?”
Ma Tai opened his mouth. Despite rehearsing what he wanted to say earlier, he didn’t know how to bring up the topic at this moment, [Should I say that I want to take back what I offered up earlier? Should I say I’m regretting my decision and don’t want to go through with my request anymore? If I say these words, will they beat me up… But, this matter is related to my advancement into the Heaven Realm!]
Even though he was extremely anxious, he could only steel himself now. Just as Ma Tai was about to speak though, he heard the medicine boy call out while looking at something behind him, “Little Junior Sister, you’re here! Does Eldest Senior Brother have instructions for us?”
Ma Tai turned to look in that direction and saw a young girl dressed in turquoise robes with a sweet appearance walking towards them. She was probably the so-called Little Junior Sister.
Wan Ying Ying said, “Eldest Senior Brother didn’t give any instructions. I came here to deliver the pill.”
Before Jing An could react, a sudden thought occurred to Ma Tai and his eyes lit up and he shouted, “Deliver a pill!? Deliver what pill!?”
Wan Ying Ying was so startled that she jumped to the side and looked at Ma Tai in confusion, “This is…”
Jing An smiled and said, “Don’t panic, Little Junior Sister. This Sir is the one who made a pill request this morning.”
“Oh! So it is you!” She immediately understood and pursed her lips into a smile, “Since you are here, Sir, I’ll just hand the pill straight to you. You can also check to see if there’s anything wrong with it.”
While speaking, she handed a jade box to Ma Tai.
Ma Tai stared at the jade box in shock, “Pill… Is the pill I requested done?”
“En!” She tilted her head to the side and stared at him, unable to understand his reaction; then, she pushed the jade box towards him again and said, “Sir, why don’t you take a look first? Afterwards, please accompany Senior Brother Jing An to the front desk and report the results to the Deacon stationed here.”
“Oh! Good, good, good!” Ma Tai finally returned to his senses. He wiped his hands vigorously against his clothes as though he was afraid the dirt on his palms might contaminate the jade box and took it with great solemnity. Holding his breath, he opened the box lightly and a round pill entered his vision…
Wan Ying Ying proceeded to say, “Sir, your luck is pretty good. Eldest Senior Brother managed to produce one High-Rank pill.”
Ma Tai’s hands started to tremble uncontrollably, and his eyes stared fixedly on the pill inside the jade box like a leech. He had never felt so emotionally charged before and he exclaimed excitedly, “A High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!”
When his voice rang out, numerous pairs of eyes from all directions turned to stare at him in unison.
Wan Ying Ying leaned close to her two Senior Brothers and asked in a whisper, “Um… What’s wrong with this Sir? Why is he making such a huge fuss?”
Jing An replied with a laugh, “Maybe he’s just too happy.”
“Is… Is this really what Alchemist Yang refined for me?” Ma Tai was in disbelief.
Just moments ago, he had decided to ask for his compensation back despite the risk of offending a Heaven-Grade Alchemist. Who could have known that he would obtain a High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in the blink of an eye? His life was truly filled with ups and downs.
[It’s a High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill! I never even dreamed that I would receive a High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill!] When he came here, he felt that he would have been satisfied just to receive a Mid-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill… It had to be said that countless people came to the Seeking Pill Pavilion for pills every year; however, less than 10% of them were lucky enough to obtain High-Rank pills. Most of them would only receive Mid-Rank or even Low-Rank pills.
“That’s right! It was just refined earlier. In fact, it’s still warm from the furnace! If you don’t believe me, you can feel it for yourself,” Wan Ying Ying pointed out.
Ma Tai didn’t know which part of his brain was defective, but he listened to her words and actually reached out his hand to touch the pill; then, he immediately exclaimed in surprise, “It really is warm…”
Wan Ying Ying smiled even more brightly as she said, “Did you think I would lie to you? I personally watched as Eldest Senior Brother refined this pill, and then I quickly delivered the pill here without a moment’s delay.”
“Many thanks! Many, many thanks, Young Lady!” Ma Tai thanked her gratefully.
Jing An said, “Sir, there are many eyes here. I think you should put the pill away first.”
Upon hearing those words, Ma Tai finally realised that there were countless people around him; moreover, they were almost all staring at the pill in his hands with envious gazes. He quickly closed the jade box and cupped his fist at the three of them, “Please thank Alchemist Yang on my behalf. This Ma will definitely return this great kindness if the chance arises in the future!”
Unable to understand what Ma Tai was feeling at the moment, Wan Ying Ying was at a loss for what to do and quickly waved her hands, “You’re being too polite, Sir. You came here to make a pill request. Not to mention that you’ve already paid for it. It’s only right that we refine the pill for you.”
Jing An chimed in, “Sir, please follow me to meet the Deacon stationed here and report the handover in person.”
This was a necessary procedure. Every Alchemist who provided Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion had to make a record regarding the success or failure of their pill refining and the quality of the pills they produced. These were related to their evaluation and how many contribution points they would receive as a result.
Ma Tai was clearly aware of this procedure so he immediately nodded and said, “Of course. It’s as it should be. Sir, please lead the way!”
Jing An immediately led Ma Tai to the Deacon stationed at the front desk. Ma Tai took out the High-Rank Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill and left after obtaining the Deacon’s verification. Meanwhile, the Deacon wrote down Yang Kai’s Alchemy evaluation in his records.
At the same time, a large crowd of people suddenly rushed over to the originally quiet and deserted table. They surrounded Wan Ying Ying and the other Junior Brother, clamouring with questions. When they heard that there was no extended wait required for Yang Kai to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, especially after witnessing the High-Rank pill that Yang Kai refined for Ma Tai, many people immediately expressed their desire to request Alchemy services from him.
For a time, the scene was so chaotic that they attracted the attention of the Seeking Pill Pavilion’s guards. Only then did the chaotic situation return to order.
A short while later, Wan Ying Ying hurried back to Fixed Moon Peak where Yang Kai’s secluded home was located. She also brought with her an entire carriage worth of precious treasures!
When she rushed into the secluded home while yelling excitedly, Hua Rong and Yang Huai naturally came out after hearing the commotion. After listening to Wan Ying Ying’s explanation and seeing the carriage that was filled with treasures, Hua Rong’s eyes shone with a green light. She kept circling around the carriage and cheering, “We’re rich! We’re rich! We’re rich!”
On the other hand, Yang Kai was very calm. This situation was well within his expectations. He instructed Hua Rong and Yang Huai to put away the items in the carriage. He told them to keep the useful items and then bring the rest down the mountain to sell at Profound Pill City for Red Jades. As for Yang Kai himself, he entered his secluded home with Wan Ying Ying to continue performing Alchemy.
There was an unwritten rule among the Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect when it came to performing Alchemy, no matter how many pills were refined, they only needed to give one to the person who made the request. They could keep the remaining pills for themselves. It was up to them whether they wanted to hand these pills to the Sect or sell them themselves.
Nevertheless, even an Alchemist like Gao Xin Peng could only refine 4 Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills back when Yang Kai first met him. Moreover, 3 of them were Mid-Rank pills while the last was a Low-Rank pill. Gao Xin Peng was considered one of the best among all the Heaven Grade Alchemists in Profound Pill Sect, but even he could only obtain such results, so what more need be said about the other Heaven Grade Alchemists?
Producing 2 or 3 pills per furnace was basically the norm. In many cases, they might produce only 1 pill or worse, fail at their Alchemy attempt altogether.
Therefore, most Heaven Grade Alchemists did not have many Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills in their possession despite this unwritten rule. Refining a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills would take at least half a day or up to two days. Furthermore, they needed to rest and recover their strength afterwards, so their efficiency was not very high.
Yang Kai, however, was very different from the others. With his Alchemy Skills, he could produce at least 5 or 6 pills at a time. If he was lucky, he might even produce 7 or 8 pills.
When he refined the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill for Ma Tai, he had produced 6 pills from that furnace, 2 of them were High-Rank while the others were Mid-Rank. With just one furnace of pills, Yang Kai had enough to satisfy the pill requests of six people.
In addition, the time he took to refine one furnace of pills was much shorter compared to other Alchemists. It was only because he was teaching Wan Ying Ying along the way that Yang Kai deliberately slowed down his movements. If he focused solely on the refinement process, he would only need an hour or so to finish a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills.
Not only could Yang Kai condense many more pills at once than average, but he also took far less time to do so. In this way, providing Alchemy services did not affect his cultivation time at all.
As the days passed, a long queue formed in front of a certain desk at the Seeking Pill Pavilion every single day. There was an endless stream of people who came to make pill requests. As long as they were there for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, they would choose to queue in front of Yang Kai’s desk.
This couldn’t be helped though as the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill that Yang Kai refined would be Mid-Rank at worst. With a little luck, they might even receive a High-Rank pill. More importantly, there was no precedent of failure. This gave the people who came to ask for pills a great sense of security and reassurance. For that reason, they were willing to spend however much needed for their requests.
The number of people who came to ask Yang Kai for pills already created a wait list a year long. Be that as it may, a year was not that long compared to the other Alchemists.
The 300,000 pieces of Red Jade that Wei Cheng lost to Yang Kai back then had been finished a long time ago. Most of the resources brought by the people who came to ask for pills were also sold for Red Jades by Yang Huai and Hua Rong, who then constantly sent these Red Jades back to the secluded home for Yang Kai to cultivate with. Meanwhile, the remaining Spirit Herbs were refined into various pills by Yang Kai.
With the help of massive amounts of resources and pills, Yang Kai and the others experienced a rapid growth in their respective cultivations!
Hua Rong who was previously in the Sixth-Step Heaven Realm had advanced into the Seventh-Step Heaven Realm after serving by Yang Kai’s side for a mere three months. Wan Ying Ying and Jing An advanced into the Seventh-Step Mortal Realm and Eighth-Step Mortal Realm, respectively.
Even Yang Huai advanced from the Second-Step Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm in one go! His growth rate was simply sensational. The Supreme Tyrant Body Art was indeed perfectly suited to this brawny man who resembled an iron tower. Supplemented by the large amounts of resources and elixirs given to him by Yang Kai, it was not strange for Yang Huai to experience such remarkable growth.
As for Yang Kai, he was now in the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm. With the growth of his strength, his demand for cultivation resources also grew larger in turn. The Heaven Devouring Battle Law was certainly Heaven-defying. When cultivating this Secret Art, devouring resources was like drinking water or eating rice. Combined with the continuous stimulation of his Dragon Vein, there was no amount of resources in the world that Yang Kai could not swallow clean in a short period of time.
Fortunately, resources would flow in continuously as long as he continued to provide Alchemy services at the Seeking Pill Pavilion.
At present, Yang Kai was more worried about his contribution points than Red Jades. Although he received a set amount of contribution points for every Alchemy service he performed, it was not much. He had investigated the number of contribution points required to exchange for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill already, and the number was so high that Yang Kai felt a little speechless.
Based on his current rate of accumulation, he would need to perform Alchemy at the Seeking Pill Pavilion for at least 20 years to save up enough contribution points to exchange for the pill recipe of the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill.
It was not surprising when he thought about it though. Generally speaking, it would take at least several dozen years for a Heaven Grade Alchemist to become a Spirit Grade Alchemist. As such, a Heaven-Grade Alchemist had more than enough time to accumulate the necessary contribution points. It was just that the speed of Yang Kai’s growth and advancement was too fast.
In just three months, he had advanced from the Second-Step Heaven Realm to the Fifth-Step Heaven Realm. Yang Kai estimated it would take only a year or 2 before he reached the Ninth-Step Heaven Realm. At that time, he would need the pill recipe for the Hundred Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in order to refine one for himself!
One or two years was not enough time for him to accumulate enough contribution points, no matter how many furnaces of pills he refined. He even took the time to teach the Earth Grade and Mortal Grade Alchemists in the Sect to earn more contribution points, but unfortunately, these contribution points were but a drop in the bucket compared to what he needed.
Third Elder Yu Bo Yang rushed into Profound Pill Sect’s Elder Hall with a scroll in his hands.
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua asked, “What’s wrong, Elder Yu?”
“Greetings, Great Elder!” Yu Bo Yang gave a bow before he explained, “While checking the daily reports of the Sect today, I came across something interesting. Please take a look, Great Elder.”
Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard and smiled lightly, “If even you find it interesting, Elder Yu, then it won’t be a trivial matter. What happened?”
Yu Bo Yang did not elaborate. He simply handed the scroll in his hand to the other party; then, he sat down on a chair next to the Great Elder and poured himself a cup of tea.
Wu Feng Hua unfurled the scroll and murmured, “Oh? The records from the Seeking Pill Pavilion…” Following a quick glance through the records, it didn’t take long before his eyes involuntarily narrowed slightly, “This… Are you certain that the records are accurate, Elder Yu?”
Yu Bo Yang slowly nodded, “The Deacons in charge of recording the pill quality at the Seeking Pill Pavilion work in groups of two that rotate shifts every ten days. It’s impossible for every group to make a mistake. I have also questioned them myself. This is indeed the truth.”
“How can this be?” Wu Feng Hua stared at a certain part of the scroll, where the name ‘Yang Kai of Fixed Moon Peak’ was clearly written. Below the name were various dates followed by the words ‘Pill Formed’. Lastly came the words ‘High-Rank’ and ‘Mid-Rank’ that appeared in a cyclical manner behind the words ‘Pill Formed’. Moreover, the words ‘High-Rank’ occupied a terrifying 30% in this series!
Yu Bo Yang said, “It’s difficult to believe, but this is indeed the truth! Ever since Yang Kai began providing Alchemy services three months ago, he has never experienced a single failure when refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. Moreover, the quality is always Mid-Rank or above.”
Wu Feng Hua was pensive, “It’s possible that he may have failed, but he used the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills he refined previously to make up for the losses!”
“Even so, this success rate is terrifying! He has practically surpassed even veterans like us! In all fairness, can you achieve such success for three consecutive months, Great Elder?”
Wu Feng Hua pondered the question seriously before he slowly shook his head, “It’s difficult!”
Yu Bo Yang asked, “Even veterans like us can’t accomplish this, so how did a young boy like him do it? Not to mention, the quality of the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills are all Mid-Rank or superior!”
Wu Feng Hua looked up at the other party, “Elder Yu, what do you mean…”
Yu Bo Yang explained, “This boy must have his own unique insights into refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, which can increase his success rate and the quality of the pills!”
Wu Feng Hua fell silent for a while before he nodded lightly.
Yu Bo Yang continued, “Great Elder, please take another look at the number of times he has performed Alchemy over the past three months. You’ll discover something else after you make a comparison.”
After receiving the reminder from Yu Bo Yang, Wu Feng Hua checked the records once more. A moment later, he raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, “This boy is getting faster and faster!”
Yu Bo Yang nodded in affirmation, “That’s right. In the beginning, he could only refine enough Pills to fulfil the pill requests of 2 people each day. He probably refined a single furnace of pills per day, and each furnace produced 2 or 3 pills. Afterwards, he gradually began to satisfy the needs of 3 to 4 people each day, but over the last week or so, 7 or 8 people received a Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill each day. 7 or 8 people! This is truly unheard of!”
Even if refining one furnace of pills produced 3 pills, one would need to refine 3 furnaces of pills to supply enough pills for 7 to 8 people. How could a single Heaven-Grade Alchemist refine 3 furnaces of pills within a day though? Even veterans like themselves would be exhausted after refining 2 furnaces of such pills in a single day. Furthermore, this was not counting the time needed for rest and recovery.
Wu Feng Hua closed the scroll, “It looks like this boy does indeed have his own personal insight into refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill! Elder Yu, why did you come here to tell me about this matter? What are your thoughts?”
Yu Bo Yang’s eyes gleamed, “Great Elder, this is an important matter that can bring great fortune to Profound Pill Sect. If the boy can spread his Alchemy Techniques within Profound Pill Sect, then the Alchemists of Profound Pill Sect will experience a massive improvement in efficiency. What’s more, since his insights can be used for refining the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, it might also work with other pills. If that is possible, then…”
Wu Feng Hua’s eyes narrowed slightly. How could he not realise the importance of the matter?
If Yang Kai could share his insights with the entire Sect, it would certainly be a huge boon and merit. At that time, the time taken for the Alchemists of the Sect to refine pills would be shortened considerably. They would have more time to do other things and in the long term, the benefits towards Profound Pill Sect would be immeasurable.
“Be that as it may, such insights belong to him…” Wu Feng Hua hesitated slightly.
Yu Bo Yang insisted, “He is a Profound Pill Sect disciple! If it is something that can benefit Profound Pill Sect, he should offer up his insights. Besides, it’s not like the Sect won’t compensate him for his contribution.”
Wu Feng Hua shook his head, “This boy is extremely talented and will definitely become a Spirit Grade Alchemist one day. There’s no need to create friction with him.”
“But…”
He raised a hand to stop Yu Bo Yang, “This matter is very important, so I must inform the Sect Master. Sect Master can decide on what to do. Why don’t you come with me, Elder Yu?”
Yu Bo Yang nodded upon hearing those words, “Good!”
The two of them immediately set off to meet the Sect Master and report their various discoveries.
…..
Inside a secluded home halfway up Fixed Moon Peak, Yang Kai was teaching Wan Ying Ying Alchemy with some common materials when Yang Huai suddenly walked inside and announced in a rumbling voice, “Sir, there’s an old man outside who claims to be the bodyguard of the Sect Master. He said that the Sect Master invites you over for a chat.”
“The Sect Master?” Yang Kai raised an eyebrow at those words. [Is it finally here? I’m glad that my continuous attempts recently were not a waste of time.] He nodded and added, “Got it. I’ll head there now.”
After instructing Wan Ying Ying to practice on her own, Yang Kai changed his clothes and walked out of the cave mansion, where he immediately noticed the stooped old man.
The old man was standing there with his hands behind his back, looking rather ordinary and inconspicuous. There did not seem to be anything special about him other than the fact that one of his eyes was blind. There was no saying what he experienced in the past to become like this.
Upon seeing Yang Kai approaching him, the old man simply looked up at him without much reaction.
“Greetings, Senior,” Yang Kai stepped forward and bowed. Although he was a Heaven Grade Alchemist, this old man was the bodyguard of the Sect Master. The old man was bound to be in the Spirit Realm, and likely a Master at the peak of the Spirit Realm at that.
The old man gently nodded, “The Sect Master has summoned you. Follow me!”
Saying so, he turned around.
In the next moment, Yang Kai felt a gentle force wrapping around him. He then flew forward behind the old man, the scenery passing by him as swiftly as the wind. 10 breaths later, his figure came to a sudden halt and he found himself standing in front of a Grand Hall before he could react.
The old man turned back and said, “Go on in. The Sect Master and several Elders are inside.”
“Many thanks, Senior!” Yang Kai cupped his fist as thanks and strode towards the hall.
[Speaking of which, I have never met the Elders of Profound Pill Sect before.] There was a test when he first joined Profound Pill Sect, but nobody had revealed themselves at the time, so Yang Kai had never met them before.
Being summoned here today was within his expectations though.
Ever since he began providing Alchemy services, Yang Kai had no choice but to improve and increase his refinement speed as the number of pills he produced had to keep up with his demand for cultivation resources. Only then could he grow stronger, faster.
Unfortunately, such outstanding performance would surely attract the attention of Profound Pill Sect’s Elders one day.
Yang Kai originally felt a little hesitant about his actions; after all, his current strength was not that high, so it might be dangerous to expose too much of his real ability.
However, after careful consideration, he decided that there was no danger to his life since he was part of Profound Pill Sect now. In addition, he might even be able to resolve his concern over the contribution points along the way.
Nevertheless, his explanation for certain things had to be carefully considered!
Upon entering the Main Hall, Yang Kai immediately felt three pairs of eyes turning towards him, and when he looked up, he saw three people sitting up ahead.
The one in the middle was an old man dressed in all white. He also had white hair and a white beard. Despite his clearly advanced age, he was in high spirits. His expression was dignified and calm, as though he was used to being in a high position.
Two other old men were sitting on his left and right. One was dressed in green and the other was dressed in red robes. The three of them were extremely imposing and while the power in their bodies was withdrawn, they were definitely in the Spirit Realm.
Yang Kai took two steps forward and cupped his fist, “Disciple Yang Kai, greets Sect Master and two Elders!”
The old man in the middle smiled, “How do you know that this Old Master is the Sect Master? We’ve never met before, right? Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if you addressed the wrong person?”
Yang Kai calmly replied, “If I’ve addressed Senior wrongly, then I’ll ask to make sure before I greet you again.”
The Great Elder and Third Elder exchanged a glance with each other with the latter commenting, “He’s quite bold!”
Baili Yun Sang raised a hand to calm the chatter before continuing, “I called you here today because of your excellent performance at the Seeking Pill Pavilion. Be it in terms of quality or quantity, the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills you refined are far superior to your peers. It’s just that the Great Elder and the Third Elder have some doubts about certain matters. That’s why I called you here to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill in front of us!”
Yu Bo Yang said, “Both the herbs and the Alchemy Furnace have been prepared for you. The Sect Master himself used this Alchemy Furnace when he was younger, so it is definitely better than your own Alchemy Furnace. Feel free to use it as you please.”
Those words made Yang Kai raise a brow. Looking up, he saw a small and delicate Alchemy Furnace in front of him. He had noticed this object when he first entered the Grand Hall, but he had not paid much attention to it at the time. Looking at it now, he realised that the Alchemy Furnace was indeed quite old. He could tell that it was extraordinary at first glance.
The Great Elder also spoke up, “Do your best at this refining! Don’t feel stressed or pressured about anything!”
Yang Kai thought to himself, [If I did my best at refining, wouldn’t I frighten you guys to death…] Even so, he cupped his fist and said, “This Disciple will not disappoint Sect Master and two Elders.”
“Do you need time to rest or prepare?” Wu Feng Hua asked.
Yang Kai replied, “This disciple is full of vigour. There’s no need for that.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “In that case, please begin.”
Yang Kai bowed and finally walked over to the Alchemy Furnace. Activating his Spirit Qi to stimulate his Alchemy Flame, he shot the little white flame into the Alchemy Furnace.
As soon as the white-coloured Alchemy Flame appeared, Baili Yun Sang and the two Elders were stunned. That was because the white flame seemed to be nothing more than a Mortal Flame to them.
[This brat is going to use a Mortal Flame to refine a Heaven Grade pill!?] Great Elder Wu Feng Hua was about to question Yang Kai when Baili Yun Sang raised a hand to stop him.
He glanced at Baili Yun Sang in astonishment, only to see the latter staring at the white flame with a solemn expression. Moreover, Baili Yun Sang’s eyes were flashing with excitement.
[Why would a trivial Mortal Flame make the Sect Master so excited?] Wu Feng Hua wondered before a sudden thought struck him. He suddenly recalled a certain legend written in one of the Sect’s oldest records…
Four months had passed since Yang Kai joined Profound Pill Sect. With the exception of the first month, he had spent the remaining three months refining Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills every single day. It could be said that he had perfected the skill of refining this Heaven Grade pill and could flawlessly do so even with his eyes closed at this point.
Therefore, he even had the excess energy to covertly pay attention to the reactions of the Sect Master and the two Elders. The Spirit Qi around them fluctuated slightly and it was obvious that the three of them were secretly communicating with each other.
Nevertheless, he had already mentally prepared himself to expose some of his secrets. That was why he had to put some effort into refining the pill this time.
The white Alchemy Flame danced as he formed one hand seal after another.
After several hours, Yang Kai used his Pill Condensing Technique before smacking the Alchemy Furnace with his palms. A soft sound immediately rang out from within the furnace. At the same time, the strong aroma of pills filled the air.
Taking a shallow breath, he took two steps backwards and cupped his fist, “Sect Master, Elders, this Disciple has finished the refining. Please inspect and verify the results!”
All three men seated above him stared at him blankly. Their expressions were filled with a sense of shock and disbelief that could not be concealed. As the Elders of Profound Pill Sect, they were considered wise and knowledgeable. Moreover, they were accustomed to various great changes in life. Even when battling the other Alchemy forces during the Divine Armament Tournament, their expressions would remain indifferent and unchanged.
However, they had no idea how they were supposed to feel about everything they just witnessed.
Everything that happened just now was beyond their comprehension. If they had not seen the entire process from start to finish, they would not have dared to believe that such a bizarre situation could exist in this world.
“How long?” Baili Yun Sang was the first to return to his senses and turned to look at the Great Elder, asking this short question.
Wu Feng Hua quietly counted for a moment before he solemnly said, “Less than 6 hours!”
Yu Bo Yang gasped. Even though he had expected such results, he couldn’t help feeling absolutely stunned to hear those words.
It took less than 6 hours to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills! Moreover, this furnace was refined by a Heaven Grade Alchemist! Even veterans like them would normally take 8 to 10 hours to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills. It had to be said that they were among the best Spirit Grade Alchemists in the entire world. If other Heaven Grade Alchemists were given this task, it would be good if they took only 12 hours to refine a furnace of Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pills!
Such results had surpassed the refining record of the entire Profound Pill Sect… No, the refining record of the entire Divine Armament World!
Baili Yun Sang nodded lightly, “The time has been shortened by half, at the very least. Now, we have to check the pills that were formed.”
Having said so, he walked down from his seat. The Great Elder and Third Elder quickly followed behind him.
It only took a few steps for them to stand in front of the Alchemy Furnace. All three of them unanimously had expressions of anticipation and anxiety on their faces, as if there was something very important inside this furnace.
“Open it,” Baili Yun Sang instructed.
Wu Feng Hua responded and raised a hand to smack the Alchemy Furnace. The cover of the furnace flew into the air, and the situation inside the furnace immediately entered their eyes.
Yu Bo Yang exclaimed in astonishment, “He produced 5 pills!” Reaching out a hand, he grabbed the 5 pills and examined them carefully, his expression of shock deepening as he shouted, “2 High-Rank pills and 3 Mid-Rank pills!”
Wu Feng Hua hurriedly took the 5 pills from Yu Bo Yang upon hearing those words. Not only did he perform a similar examination of the pills, but he also used his fingernail to scrape off a bit of pill powder and place it in his mouth to taste. Only then did he exclaim, “There’s no problem with the medicinal efficacies.”
He turned to look at Yang Kai in shock. What he saw in front of him was simply astonishing!
Baili Yun Sang suppressed the excitement in his heart, and doing his best to lower his voice, he looked at Yang Kai and asked, “How did you do it?”
Yang Kai cupped his fist, “This Disciple modified the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill. I also used some different Alchemy Techniques at the same time.”
Wu Feng Hua nodded, “The pill recipe you used just now is certainly different from the one you used when you first joined the Sect. Many of the processes have been simplified and some of the techniques are new and unique. I’ve never seen such techniques before. With this improvement, you can indeed shorten the refinement time greatly, but that’s not all. You can even increase the number of pills formed and their quality! But… How did you come up with these improvements?”
The pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill that belonged to Profound Pill Sect had been modified and improved over countless generations. Furthermore, this was the pill recipe for a Heaven Grade pill, so only a Spirit Grade Alchemists had the qualifications to make improvements to it.
Baili Yun Sang himself had tried to make improvements to this pill recipe in the past. Unfortunately, his efforts proved to be unproductive and eventually he gave up after wasting 2 years for nothing.
Something that even Baili Yun Sang had failed to achieve had been accomplished by a Heaven Grade Alchemist who only joined the Sect 4 months ago. More importantly, the recipe was improved by a wide margin compared to the original!
That was simply not something that could be achieved by an ordinary man.
“This Disciple doesn’t know either!” Yang Kai cupped his fist and replied.
“You don’t know?” Yu Bo Yang glared at Yang Kai, “How can you not know? Aren’t you the one who improved this pill recipe?”
Yang Kai replied, “Reporting to, Third Elder, the pill recipe was indeed improved by this Disciple, but this Disciple does not know why the changes improved the pill recipe in this way. I just felt that making those changes during the Alchemy process would be better, so that’s what I did.”
Those words left Baili Yun Sang and the other two confused.
“It’s like this…” Yang Kai hurriedly brought out the explanation he prepared in advance, “This Disciple was fortunate enough to join Profound Pill Sect. When I first registered to refine the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill, I used the original pill recipe. Then, this Disciple faintly heard a strange voice inside a waking dream one night. The voice was intelligible and impossible to comprehend. This Disciple could not understand what the voice was saying at all, but when I woke up and refined the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill again, I instinctively made some changes to the recipe. Afterwards, the voice would appear in my dreams again every now and then. Every time the voice appeared, this Disciple gained something. As a result, this Disciple improved the pill recipe for the Ten Revolutions Clear Heart Pill over the past few months until it became what it currently is. I also somehow comprehended a few extraordinary Alchemy Techniques!”
This was the explanation Yang Kai prepared in advance. His current performance was rather bizarre, so he needed a valid reason to explain it.
Contrary to his expectations though, the 3 Elders looked shocked by his explanation.
Baili Yun Sang asked, “Did you say you faintly heard a strange voice?”
“Yes!” Yang Kai nodded, “This Disciple suspected that this knowledge was imparted to me by Honoured Master when he taught me Alchemy in the past. It’s just that I was too young and could not remember much from that time, so I didn’t understand Honoured Master’s kind intentions. Maybe performing Alchemy again has jolted certain memories, leading to my recollection of various things from the past. That voice is probably the sound of Honoured Master earnestly teaching me.”
In any case, his fabricated Master was not in Profound Pill Sect, so Yang Kai decided to push all the responsibility unto him.
Baili Yun Sang slowly shook his head, “Your Honoured Master might be a talented genius, but even he cannot succeed to this extent. This matter is probably unrelated to him!”
Yang Kai was astonished, “How are you so sure, Sect Master?”
[If this matter is unrelated to my fabricated Master, then I really don’t have a suitable reason anymore…]
On the other hand, Baili Yun Sang seemed to no longer wish to dwell on this topic. He waved his hand dismissively and said, “You don’t need to ask too much. In any case, I’m certain this has nothing to do with him. The strange voice you heard… This Sect Master knows what it is.”
Yang Kai was a little flabbergasted as he thought, [How can you know? Even I don’t know what it is!]
Yu Bo Yang quickly asked, “Sect Master, do you suspect…”
Baili Yun Sang nodded solemnly, “There’s no other possibility aside from this explanation.”
Great Elder Wu Feng Hua stroked his beard and nodded lightly, “If that’s the case, then everything makes sense now. But, why would that happen?”
“It is the Will of the Heavens.” Baili Yun Sang sighed softly and turned to look at Yang Kai again, “Do you want to see the true body of this voice?”
“Sect Master!” Both Wu Feng Hua and Yu Bo Yang gave a start of surprise.
Baili Yun Sang, however, just waved his hand and declared, “He can even hear its voice, which can only mean that he has fate with it. Allowing him to come into contact with it might lead to further discoveries.”
Wu Feng Hua pondered for a while before he nodded, “You’re right, Sect Master.”
Yu Bo Yang looked at Yang Kai with a complicated expression, “Kid, you sure are lucky. This is a blessing that many people never encounter in their lives.”
Yang Kai was completely bewildered and asked, “Sect Master, that voice… actually exists?”
Baili Yun Sang burst out laughing, “You heard the voice yourself. Why are you asking me?”
Yang Kai didn’t know what else to say. He originally wanted to push everything onto his fabricated Master, but who could have known that he would create a connection with something else through a series of coincidences? Now that things had come to this point, Yang Kai felt he was riding a tiger and could not get off anymore. Thus, he could only nod in response, “I will follow your arrangements, Sect Master!”
Baili Yun Sang nodded in delight, “There’s no need to rush. Go back and rest for tonight. I will send somebody to get you tomorrow. On another note, there’s another thing that I want to ask you.”
“Please ask, Sect Master.”
And so he inquired, “Where did you obtain the Alchemy Flame you used just now?”
Yang Kai replied, “This Disciple obtained this Alchemy Flame from the Divine Flame Cave a few months ago, but this Disciple does not know what kind of Alchemy Flame it is. Could it be that you know, Sect Master?”
Baili Yun Sang revealed a look of affirmation. He had a guess when he first saw the white flame and this was simply confirming his initial conjecture. After sorting out his thoughts, he said, “It might be an Alchemy Flame that I know. But, whether it is or not will need to be verified.” While saying so, he instructed Yang Kai, “Bring out that Alchemy Flame of yours.”
Yang Kai immediately pushed his Spirit Qi to manifest his Alchemy Flame. In the next instant, the white flame danced in the palm of his hands, looking extremely gentle.
Baili Yun Sang stared at the white flame and slowly reached out his hand towards Yang Kai. At the same time, a golden flame suddenly appeared in his palm.
The golden flame that danced wildly was extremely pure and scorching hot. One could tell that it was a Spirit Grade Alchemy Flame at a glance, one that was of a much higher grade compared to the white flame in Yang Kai’s hands.
However, as Baili Yun Sang moved his hand closer, the golden Alchemy Flame began to flicker. On the other hand, the white flame in Yang Kai’s hand remained steady. This phenomenon became increasingly obvious as the distance between them shortened.
At a certain point, the golden flame abruptly shrank into a ball on its own and retreated to Baili Yun Sang’s wrist. It was as though the golden Alchemy Flame had spirituality and could sense a great danger ahead.
Baili Yun Sang withdrew his Alchemy Flame and breathed out softly, “It really is that Alchemy Flame!”
Both Wu Feng Hua and Yu Bo Yang were staring at Yang Kai with a complicated expressions. It was obvious that they understood what just happened.
“Put it away!” Baili Yun Sang ordered.
Only then did Yang Kai put away the Alchemy Flame and humbly asked, “Sect Master, what exactly is this white flame? This Disciple searched through the Records Hall but could not find any relevant entries regarding it at all.”