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!
g Yu was preparing for retirement when her organization decided to eliminate her. She transmigrated to a zombie apocalypse world. However, a tiny unexpected situation occurred: She somehow transformed into an adorable little girl?!
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
ap a wealthy young lady? Or else I'll be eliminated by the system? Ye Feng, who awakened the Kidnapper System, originally wanted to live a peaceful life but never imagined he would become a kidnapper of young women. However, after some time, he discovered that all the girls the system ordered him to kidnap were far from ordinary. "Big brother Ye Feng~ You've kidnapped my heart, and now you're not allowed to leave me ever again~" "Ye Feng~ You kidnapped me back then, now it's my turn to capture you♡" "Little Feng, you're mine! You can only be mine!" "Ye Feng, none of them deserve you. Only I love you the most♡" ... This is madness, they've all gone mad! Wait, what? Why are all the girls I kidnapped yanderes?!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
