The High-Stakes Gamble

Gu Qingfeng's words struck right at Li Qianren's weak spot.

For a moment, Li Qianren fell silent. In his plan, Gu Qingfeng, with his master-level soul power and such low cultivation, was the perfect candidate to enter the Jade Dragon Secret Realm.

Seeing that his words had the desired effect, Gu Qingfeng sneered. Although he didn’t know what Li Qianren was scheming, if Li made him unhappy, he could simply refuse to cooperate. What could Li do then?

Gu Qingfeng was feeling particularly bold now. First, Li Qianren was no longer a match for him in combat. Second, Li needed him, so Gu Qingfeng had the upper hand.

Dan Qiusheng, standing nearby, was utterly stunned.

Since when could a lowly Earth-rank Demon Slayer dare to defy a Heaven-rank Demon Slayer so brazenly?

What was even more surprising was that Li Qianren seemed hesitant, as if he truly didn’t dare to do anything to Gu Qingfeng.

Was it related to the Jade Dragon Secret Realm?

Dan Qiusheng pondered for a moment but dismissed the thought. Over the past century, the Jade Dragon Secret Realm had shattered the dreams of countless prodigies. The divine refinement technique within it was simply not something mortals could comprehend.

That left only one possibility: Gu Qingfeng must have a powerful background. Perhaps he was the descendant of some influential figure, which was why even Li Qianren dared not touch him.

"Gu Qingfeng, since you’ve decided to enter the Jade Dragon Secret Realm, why refuse to study alchemy under Master Dan?" Li Qianren’s tone softened.

Gu Qingfeng inwardly sneered, feeling he had the situation under control. He was all too familiar with this game—after all, he had played it with Demon Pu before.

"Studying alchemy doesn’t necessarily require a master. Just give me a few books, and I’ll teach myself," Gu Qingfeng replied.

As soon as these words left his mouth, before Li Qianren could respond, Dan Qiusheng couldn’t hold back. Regardless of Gu Qingfeng’s background, Dan Qiusheng had devoted his life to alchemy and couldn’t stand such arrogance.

"What an insolent brat! You have no idea how vast and profound the art of alchemy is, yet you dare to claim you can teach yourself? What a pipe dream!"

Gu Qingfeng, hearing himself called an "insolent brat," was immediately displeased.

"Hey, you old fossil! What business is it of yours when I’m talking to Old Li? Just because you’re too dumb to learn without a teacher, you’re jealous that I can teach myself, huh?"

Dan Qiusheng, infuriated by Gu Qingfeng’s disrespect, laughed coldly and tossed out a pill formula. "You claim you can teach yourself? Here’s the formula for the Cultivation Foundation Pill. Let’s see you try!"

"You think I’ll just do what you say? Who do you think you are?"

"Scared now? Hmph."

"Old man, how about a bet?" Gu Qingfeng’s temper flared.

"What’s there to fear?"

"If I can glance at the formula and immediately refine the pill, I win. If not, you win. How about it?"

"Fine—" Dan Qiusheng began to agree but then caught himself. "Wait, what do you mean ‘I win, you lose’? According to your terms, I’d lose no matter what!"

Gu Qingfeng chuckled. "Slip of the tongue. So, do you dare to bet or not?"

"Of course I’ll bet, but what could a mere Earth-rank Demon Slayer like you possibly wager?" Dan Qiusheng said with disdain.

Without another word, Gu Qingfeng retrieved over a hundred pill bottles from his spatial ring and uncorked them one by one. Instantly, an overwhelming medicinal fragrance filled the air.

Dan Qiusheng’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. Cultivation Foundation Pills, Mysterious Essence Pills, Crimson Blood Pills, Hundred Transformations Pills—all high-grade pills, each worth a fortune. Where had this kid gotten so many pills? Had he robbed some sect’s alchemy storeroom?

"Is this enough? If not, I’ve got more."

"That’s plenty," Dan Qiusheng said, now even more convinced that Gu Qingfeng was the scion of some powerful figure.

"And you, old man? What are you wagering?"

Dan Qiusheng produced a small cauldron, about the size of a palm, and placed it on the ground. In the blink of an eye, it grew to the height of a person.

The cauldron was ancient in appearance, seemingly made of bronze, with intricate and mysterious patterns carved all over its surface.

"This cauldron is called the Seven Mysteries Cauldron. It contains the Seven Mysteries True Flame, a gentle yet profound fire perfect for alchemy. Though it can’t be used in combat, it’s a low-grade Earth-rank spiritual tool. Its value matches your pills, but while pills can be obtained, Earth-rank spiritual tools are priceless. I’ll wager this cauldron. Do you accept?"

Gu Qingfeng’s eyes lit up at the mention of an Earth-rank spiritual tool. "Deal. Hand over the formula."

Dan Qiusheng, however, smiled slyly. "Since the stakes are so high, you can’t refine the Cultivation Foundation Pill. Its formula is common knowledge, and you might have already practiced it. Instead, I’ll give you a unique formula of mine—the Bone-Corroding Pill. It can dissolve the bones of anyone who consumes it. If you’re as talented as you claim, refining any pill should be no issue, right?"

Gu Qingfeng wasn’t fazed in the slightest. With his photographic memory, master-level soul power, and innate talent for controlling flames, he was practically a born alchemy prodigy.

It was like singing. If you had a perfect memory and a heavenly voice, you could sing any song flawlessly after hearing it just once.

"Fine, but I don’t have the materials or tools. You’ll have to provide them."

Seeing Gu Qingfeng agree, Dan Qiusheng smiled. While the materials for the Bone-Corroding Pill weren’t excessively rare, the refining process was incredibly complex, requiring precise control over the flames. Even he, the creator of the pill, only succeeded three or four times out of ten attempts.

He wasn’t worried about Gu Qingfeng pretending to be weak. Even if Gu Qingfeng were an alchemy master, there was no way he could refine the Bone-Corroding Pill on his first try.

Dan Qiusheng hadn’t initially planned to bet with a junior, but the sheer number of pills Gu Qingfeng had produced was too tempting. The kid’s wealth rivaled that of a master alchemist like himself.

With a wave of his hand, Dan Qiusheng produced a pile of materials and tossed the formula to Gu Qingfeng. He then pointed to the Seven Mysteries Cauldron. "Here are the materials and formula. I’ll even lend you my Earth-rank spiritual tool, the Seven Mysteries Cauldron, so you can’t make excuses when you lose."

Gu Qingfeng took the single-page formula, glanced at it briefly, and committed it to memory with his photographic recall. He then tossed it back to Dan Qiusheng.

Dan Qiusheng sneered. "What? Giving up already?"

Gu Qingfeng rolled his eyes. "Such a simple formula only needs a glance."

Without another word, he picked up the materials and walked over to the Seven Mysteries Cauldron. Opening the lid, a wave of heat rushed out, revealing a seven-colored flame shaped like a lotus resting at the bottom.

"So this is the Seven Mysteries True Flame? Looks flashy," Gu Qingfeng muttered, causing Dan Qiusheng to bristle with anger.

His Seven Mysteries True Flame was a top-tier flame for alchemy, and here it was being insulted.

Before Dan Qiusheng could retort, Gu Qingfeng’s next move left him utterly dumbfounded.

Gu Qingfeng dumped all the materials into the cauldron at once.

Dan Qiusheng was speechless. Even cooking had a proper sequence, let alone alchemy. The order in which ingredients were added was critical; any mistake would ruin the pill.

This was basic knowledge even for alchemy apprentices. How could Gu Qingfeng not know this?

Suddenly, Dan Qiusheng nearly laughed out loud. It seemed he had this bet in the bag!