Chapter 1063, Bet
Translator: Silavin & PewPewLaserGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain
Which herb could possibly grow that old? During thousands of years, natural disasters, shifts in environment, not to mention cultivators or Monster Beasts could cause any herb to die out or disappear from this world. Finding such an herb was simply impossible.
The other precious herb required, despite being quite rare and valuable, wouldn’t be too difficult to find. Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s primary focus was business, so as long he left it to Ha Li Ka, Yang Kai believed these adjuvant herbs could be soon collected.
But a ten thousand year old Soul Restoring Flower instantly made Yang Kai feel helpless!
“There is any number of women in this world. I see you’re still very young, boy, in the future there will always be other outstanding women. Sometimes you should learn to just let things go, that itself is a kind of happiness,” Zong Ao sighed as he gave some heartfelt advice.
“I must rescue her!” Yang Kai shook his head, his expression incomparably firm, “Senior, is there no other way to resolve her crisis?”
Zong Ao looked at him deeply, and his complexion gradually became dignified. After a while nodding, “There is one other kind of pill that could treat her condition, and the materials required for this pill aren’t difficult to find, its grade is also not too high.”
Yang Kai’s eyes brightened, cupping his fists and bowing deeply, “Please enlighten me, Senior!”
“Good, out of consideration for your deep infatuation, this old master will offer you his knowledge once more,” Zong Ao sighed, but followed up calmly, “However, I still advise you to not get your hopes up.”
“Senior, please.”
“The Burning Flame Pill!” Zong Ao spat out a few words.
“Burning Flame Pill?” Yang Kai frowned, thinking quickly, and after a moment, his eyes widened with surprise, “Saint King Grade Low-Rank Burning Flame Pill?”
“En, the Burning Flame Pill is indeed a Saint King Grade Low-Rank pill!” Zong Ao gently nodded.
Yang Kai looked puzzled, “Senior, Junior is a bit confused. The grade of the Burning Flame Pill is not high, so how can it cure my Young Lady’s condition?”
He really couldn’t understand how the first method Zong Ao gave him was to refine an Origin King pill, while the second method was actually to refine a Saint King Grade pill, the difference between them was like clouds and mud.
Zong Ao grinned, “Do you think an ordinary Burning Flame Pill will do? What this old master refers to is a Burning Flame Pill with Pill Clouds!”
Yang Kai trembled as he comprehended.
“Since you are also an Alchemist, you should know that a pill that forms Pill Veins or Pill Clouds has its medicinal effects increased geometrically, which is why the existence of Pill Veins and Pill Clouds dramatically increases a pill’s value. If a Saint King Grade Low-Rank Burning Flame Pill were to form Pill Veins, its medicinal effects would almost be equivalent to a Saint King Grade High-Rank pill, if it were to form Pill Clouds, even if it wasn’t as good as an Origin King Grade pill, it wouldn’t miss by far.”
“I see,” Yang Kai’s eyes shone brightly, and his spirit was instantly restored.
Zong Ao observed his expression however and sneered, “How could it be so easy to refine a Burning Flame Pill with Pill Clouds? It may be more difficult than trying to find a ten-thousand-year-old Soul Restoring Flower. This old master will repeat his words once more, boy, it’s best you give up now, don’t attempt to do the impossible.”
Him saying these words were not because he wanted to dampen Yang Kai’s enthusiasm, it was just his objective evaluation of the situation.
Even if the top Alchemists in Heng Luo Star Field were to constantly refine Burning Flame Pills, they wouldn’t necessarily be able to refine one with Pill Clouds.
Yang Kai however just grinned, “How do I know it’s impossible if I don’t even try?”
Zong Ao quickly stated, “Boy, don’t think this old master will help you refine such a Burning Flame Pill. This old master has no friendship with you, nor does he have such skill to guarantee he can refine a Saint King Grade pill with Pill Clouds.”
“I did not plan on asking Senior to refine it,” Yang Kai smiled slightly.
“Oh? You already have someone else in mind?” Zong Ao was slightly surprised, “Do tell, who do you want to make refine it for you? Since this old master has given you his advice, he would like to see what person has such ability!”
Zong Ao didn’t think there was anyone whose Alchemy skills were better than his own on Rainfall Star. When it came to Alchemy, here, he was the highest authority.
“Junior will do it himself!”
“You plan to refine it yourself?” Zong Ao’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
Yang Kai gently nodded.
As if he wanted to re-examine him, Zong Ao swept his eyes over Yang Kai, asking with a strange expression a moment later, “Don’t try to play games with this old master, this is your own matter, not mine. En, if you really can refine a Burning Flame Pill which forms Pill Clouds here, this old master will call you Grandfather!”
He clearly didn’t believe that Yang Kai possessed this kind of ability.
Yang Kai was just a weak Second-Order Saint. Even if he was an Alchemist, and had some talent and aptitude in the Alchemic Way, the longest he could possibly have been immersed in this path was twenty years.
Saint Grade High-Rank pills were his limit! Zong Ao concluded.
If he couldn’t even refine Saint King Grade pills, how was he supposed to refine one with Pill Clouds?
Zong Ao only took Yang Kai’s words as the foolish boastings of youth.
However, Yang Kai’s eyes only brightened further as he too wore a strange smile, “Senior, since you don’t believe this Junior’s words… how about we make a bet?”
“A bet?” Zong Ao’s eyes narrowed briefly before he snorted, “What bet, since you dare, this old master will play along!”
“If this Junior can refine a Burning Flame Pill that forms Pill Clouds, Junior won’t ask for much, just half of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water Senior managed to collect!” Yang Kai stared at Zong Ao daringly.
Zong Ao’s face twitched severely as he snorted once again, “Boy, this old master thought you were the honest and well-behaved type, but it seems you’ve been harbour ideas about this old master treasure all along! Aren’t you afraid your appetite will cause you to lose your teeth?”
“If Junior loses his teeth, that will be his own responsibility,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head, “Are you afraid you will lose?”
Zong Ao grinned fearlessly, “Don’t try to taunt this old masters, such petty tricks aren’t worth my consideration.”
Even after saying so, a second later, Zong Ao still nodded, “Fine. If you can really refine a Burning Flame Pill that forms Pill Clouds, why wouldn’t this old master grant you half his Profound Yin Sunflower Water? This old master has dedicated hundreds of years to studying the formation of Pill Veins, never once finding the correct path forward, if you have the ability to surpass this old master, this old master will be sincerely convinced! However, if you can’t refine it, what are you willing to wager, boy?”
Zong Ao directed an extremely cold and gloomy look towards Yang Kai as he asked.
The entire gambling proposal Yang Kai made had annoyed Zong Ao, making him feel that this Junior was taking Alchemy lightly while simultaneously looking down on his many years of research, causing a tinge of murderous intent to rise in his heart.
“I’ll leave that up to Senior!” Yang Kai said without any fear or hesitation. In any case, if he couldn’t refine this pill, Xue Yue would die, and when she died, he would follow.
“Good, this old master has been lacking an errand boy, if you fail, you’ll serve this old master for the rest of your life!” Zong Ao chuckled, “But this bet must have a deadline to it, or do you expect this old master to simply wait forever?”
“Naturally not,” Yang Kai seemed to have expected him to say that, “The deadline will be when my Young Lady dies, how about it?”
“That will be in just a year or so. Boy you’re certainly crazy enough, this old master is looking forward to seeing how you refine a Burning Flame Pill with Pill Clouds!” Zong Ao laughed.
“Senior should sit back and watch,” Yang Kai grinned, not showing any signs of fluster, only immense self-confidence.
This expression was not missed by Zong Ao, who suddenly couldn’t help feeling a bit hesitant, secretly wondering whether this little brat’s boldness was supported by some hidden secret.
Not feeling relieved, he decided to ask, “What grade of pill can refine with your current methods?”
“Saint King Grade Low-Rank pills!” Yang Kai said casually.
“How is that possible?” Zong Ao was stunned, “You can really refine Saint King Grade pills?”
His face showed clear disbelief as he thought Yang Kai was simply exaggerating.
Yang Kai just shrugged however and said, “I’ve truly refined some.”
“How old are you this year?” Zong Ao asked suspiciously.
“Less than thirty, twenty-seven or eight, I think?” Yang Kai wasn’t quite sure of his current age, he spent all of his time wandering outside or in secluded retreat so he had long ago lost track of the passage of time.
A twenty seven or twenty eight year old boy able to refine Saint King Grade pills was enough to shock Zong Ao speechless.
A bad premonition suddenly came over him, as if half of his Profound Yin Sunflower Water had suddenly changed surname.
Shaking his head, Zong Ao again said, “After a year, things will become clear. This old master won’t ask anything for now, but I still have to tell you boy, even if you can refine a Burning Flame Pill with Pill Clouds, it will only be able to drive away the chilling effects of the Profound Yin Sunflower Water on this little girl, you’ll still need to recomposing her Soul Avatar by yourself.”
Yang Kai frowned, and cupped his fists said, “I understand.”
“En, see yourself out,” Zong Ao waved.
Yang Kai exited and went to the sleeping Yue Xue in the next room before leaving for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s branch.
Half a day later, Yang Kai met with Ha Li Ka and the others inside the main hall.
Ha Li Ka, Lin Mu Feng, and the middle-aged woman were all gathered around a table and a container refined from Five Coloured Meteor Essence, which held a few drops of Profound Yin Sunflower Water, sat before them.
Three pairs of eyes stared fixedly towards this Profound Yin Sunflower Water.
Five Coloured Meteor Essence wasn’t difficult to find in Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce’s vaults, so after Zong Ao left, the three executives had quickly gone to collect this treasure and were now discussing how to distribute them, and what they should report to the Home Star.
The three were a little bit overwhelmed by everything.
Noticing Yang Kai’s arrival, the three did try to cover up their discussion or hide the Profound Yin Sunflower Water; Ha Li Ka simply stood up and asked, “How is the situation with Lady Xue’er?”
“Unchanged, her life is safe for now but she still remains unconscious,” Yang Kai replied casually.
The three faces turned dark.
“However, Senior Zong Ao was able to diagnose her condition and prescribe a cure,” Yang Kai quickly added.
“Really?” Ha Li Ka’s expression brightened as Lin Mu Feng let out a sigh of relief, the middle-aged woman also patting her plump chest as the bitterness on her face noticeably decreased.
“Little brother, if you require anything from our Chamber of Commerce, please speak freely, Lady Xue’er’s accident occurred on our Rainfall Star, so we will not spare any effort to assist you,” Ha Li Ka stated upfront.
“That is why I have come here, I must ask for your help,” Yang Kai smiled faintly.