Zong Ao had never intended from the start to claim such enormous benefits for himself alone.
This was a place discovered by the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce, and Rainfall Star was their Cultivation Star. By leveraging his status to pressure the others, he had already taken eighty percent of the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water — which was his limit. If he had taken it all, he wouldn't have dared guarantee that Halika and the others wouldn't turn on him.
He had no confidence in his ability to deal with so many cultivators whose strength exceeded his own.
So he had the good sense to take a step back on his own, leaving behind ten drops of the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water!
When Halika and the others heard Zong Ao's words, their expressions all changed, and they grew excited as though they'd been injected with chicken blood. They clasped their fists one after another: "Thank you, Grandmaster! The Five-Colored Meteoric Essence is rare, but we should be able to find some."
"Mm. Make it quick. Who knows whether this Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water might suddenly fall and seep into the ground." Zong Ao waved his hand dismissively, then turned and walked out with the vessel in his hands.
Halika didn't dare delay either. Leaving only the middle-aged woman behind to stand guard, he departed together with Lin Mufeng, heading out at speed — presumably to search for the Five-Colored Meteoric Essence stockpiled in their branch's warehouses.
Yang Kai silently followed behind Zong Ao, accompanying him all the way out of the ancient ruins.
The two of them rode their Star Shuttles back to the palace in the valley.
Inside the side room, Xueyue was still sleeping peacefully, just as she had been when Yang Kai had left earlier. He went over to check on her, and finding nothing amiss, went to seek out Zong Ao once more.
It seemed that having obtained the Mysterious Yin Sunflower Water, a true treasure, Zong Ao was highly excited. When Yang Kai arrived, he was in the alchemy room, refining pills like a madman, venting the thrill surging through his heart.
Those dozens of pill furnaces had all been infused with Saint Source by Zong Ao and were humming in resonance. One by one, marvelous and mysterious spirit arrays were conjured by Zong Ao and thrust into the furnaces. Herbs flew out of the space ring on his hand like snowflakes, and he rapidly condensed them into medicinal essence before casting them into the furnaces.
Yang Kai couldn't help but be stunned, his eyes going wide as he stared at this unbelievable sight.
He had never imagined that anyone in this world could refine pills so crazily — one person bustling about at dozens of pill furnaces, simultaneously producing dozens of pills!
In that moment, he finally understood why Zong Ao was able to refine so many pills for the Heng Luo Chamber of Commerce.
Judging by his technique and proficiency, Zong Ao hadn't been doing this for just a day or two. It was quite possible that he had always used this world-shattering method to refine pills.
Yang Kai possessed the fire of his Divine Sense, was versed in all manner of lost spirit arrays, and held unique innate advantages on the path of alchemy. Yet he recognized that he could never, under any circumstances, reach the level of divine mastery that Zong Ao demonstrated.
At most, he himself could handle four or five pill furnaces before hitting his limit.
There are always people beyond people, and heavens beyond heavens! Yang Kai felt a surge of enlightenment. Filled with reverence, he simply stood at the doorway, watching Zong Ao's every hand movement without blinking, not letting a single detail slip past him.
Zong Ao showed no intention of sending him away either. He continued busying himself, the excitement on his face never diminishing — if anything, growing more flushed. Exquisite spirit arrays were inscribed one after another with his Saint Source and thrust into various furnaces. The different arrays interlocked in perfect harmony, forming complex and elaborate composite spirit arrays that took effect within the furnaces, catalyzing the medicinal properties and aiding the refinement.
Everything was orderly and methodical. Everything was supremely polished, without the slightest error.
A full half-day later, waves of distinct pill fragrance began drifting through the alchemy room. The different scents mingled together, and breathing them in was refreshingly uplifting, like a sudden clarity that invigorated the spirit.
Yang Kai's gaze only grew more focused.
"Rise!" Zong Ao suddenly called out in a low voice. The dozens of pill furnaces trembled in unison, and pills of varying colors shot out from within, falling like raindrops into the jade bottles that had been prepared in advance.
Zong Ao casually tossed a recovery pill into his mouth, letting his own power slowly replenish, then made his way to the jade bottles with undisguised eagerness. He picked them up and began examining them one by one.
After quite some time, he finished his inspection and said with clear dissatisfaction: "Sigh. Only two. Pills are damn hard to refine!"
With that, he pocketed the two pills that bore Pill Patterns and casually tossed the rest aside.
The scene was somewhat familiar — Yang Kai had witnessed something similar once before, when he'd brought Xueyue here to find Zong Ao. A thought stirred within him, and he asked: "Senior, you refine pills this way to increase the probability of Pill Patterns appearing?"
Zong Ao turned and settled into his chair, grinning as he nodded slightly. "Sharp eye, kid. That's right — the reason I go to all this trouble refining pills is to boost the chances of Pill Patterns appearing!"
After a brief pause, he added: "Pill Patterns are something you can only encounter by chance, never by demand. Even the most top-tier alchemist can't guarantee that the pills they refine will produce Pill Patterns. It's just that when an alchemist is highly skilled and refining low-grade pills, the probability goes up considerably, that's all."
"I've been devoted to researching Pill Patterns for hundreds of years, and only thought of this crude method — winning through quantity — a hundred years ago. Otherwise, why do you think I don't charge any fees? Hmph, what I want is for them to supply me with herbs. Otherwise, why would I let them get away with such an enormous bargain?"