Although Xia Sheng had spoken softly, every person present was far from ordinary — they could hear a pin drop from a mile away. Her words rang crystal clear, and in an instant, every pair of eyes turned to glare at Yang Kai with open hostility. The consensus was unanimous: this fellow was utterly shameless and despicable, daring to hatch such a scheme!
"I'm not pretending!" Yang Kai flashed a confident smile and declared with pride, "I am a Dao Source Realm alchemist!"
The moment these words left his lips, nobody responded. They all stared at him with peculiar expressions. A breeze swept across the mountaintop, and silence reigned — not even a crow nor a sparrow dared make a sound.
"Hahaha…" After a long pause, hearty laughter finally erupted. Xiao Chen pointed at Yang Kai with undisguised contempt. "You? A Dao Source Realm alchemist? Do you even know what an alchemist is? They're not the kind of people you can just pluck off the street at random! Kid, you'd better think carefully before you speak — words spoken rashly have a way of catching up with you!"
By the time he finished, he made no effort to hide the disgust in his eyes, his tone dripping with scorn.
"Brother Xiao seems to know me quite well?" Yang Kai tilted his head, fixing Xiao Chen with a look.
Xiao Chen snorted coldly. "If not for this trip to the Land of Four Seasons, I wouldn't even know your name, let alone know anything about you."
He carried on as though Yang Kai simply wasn't worth his attention.
"Precisely." Yang Kai smiled faintly. "Since Brother Xiao doesn't know me, how can you be so certain I'm not a Dao Source Realm alchemist? That logic of yours is rather strange."
"This…" Xiao Chen's brow furrowed, momentarily at a loss for a rebuttal. Still, he pressed on stubbornly. "Someone like you couldn't possibly be a Dao Source Realm alchemist. If you're just trying to ride the current and fish in troubled waters, I'd advise you to abandon that notion immediately — otherwise, hmph!"
His words had barely faded when Zhuang Bufan suddenly spoke up. "Brother Yang, you've been guarding this place all along, not allowing anyone near the Grand Mysteries Treasure Lotus… Could it be that you already knew everything about it?"
He had fought Yang Kai not long ago, and though he had narrowly lost at the final moment, that didn't diminish his favorable impression of the man. Just as Yang Kai thought Zhuang Bufan was a decent fellow, so too did Zhuang Bufan feel the same about Yang Kai. That was precisely why he chose this moment to lend him a hand.
"Oh?" At Zhuang Bufan's words, Lan Xun's slender brows arched upward. She turned to him in surprise. "Brother Zhuang, are you saying that Brother Yang has been the one guarding this place all along?"
"That's right. When I arrived, he was the only one here. And when the Grand Mysteries Treasure Lotus first emerged, he was the first to reach this spot." Zhuang Bufan gave a slight nod.
"Brother Yang, is what Brother Zhuang says…" Lan Xun turned to Yang Kai.
"Yes!" Yang Kai nodded gently. "The moment the Grand Mysteries Treasure Lotus first appeared, I was already here. I knew what it was and what it could do — that's why I stayed to guard it. I turned away quite a few who didn't know its true value. My plan was to wait until it fully matured before harvesting it, but then all of you returned early… and now it's become this situation."
He let out a wry laugh as he finished.
"You really are an alchemist?" A strange glimmer flickered in Lan Xun's eyes.
If he weren't an alchemist, how could he have precisely identified a rare heavenly treasure like the Grand Mysteries Treasure Lotus? Even someone of Zhuang Bufan's caliber had only been able to guess, not confirm, its identity. Only an alchemist with exceptional skill and vast knowledge would have a high likelihood of recognizing the Grand Mysteries Treasure Lotus for what it was.
If Lan Xun had harbored doubts about Yang Kai's claims before — suspecting, as Xia Sheng had suggested, that he was merely posing as an alchemist to stir up trouble — she now felt a measure of confidence.
"Yes!" Yang Kai nodded solemnly.
"And you're a Dao Source Realm alchemist?" A spark of excitement lit up Lan Xun's expression.
"That's what I said, but unfortunately, not everyone believes me." Yang Kai spread his hands, letting his gaze drift — with deliberate casualness — toward Xiao Chen.
The latter immediately put on a stern face. "Anyone can make empty claims. I could say I'm an Emperor-grade alchemist — would you believe that too?"
Yang Kai shrugged helplessly.
Lan Xun, however, pressed her lips together in a smile. "Whether it's true or not, there's only one way to verify it on the spot. If Brother Yang can refine a batch of Dao Source Realm pills right here and now, that would settle the question. There's still plenty of time — more than enough for Brother Yang to complete the refinement. What do you think…"
Before Yang Kai could answer, Xiao Chen cut in from the side. "Does he even have the nerve? If he actually tried, wouldn't he be exposing himself?"
Lan Xun shot Xiao Chen a sharp look, finally putting a stop to his incessant babbling.
Yang Kai furrowed his brow, putting on a troubled expression. "Is that really necessary?"
Lan Xun smiled. "Does Brother Yang lack confidence in himself? I do believe Brother Yang is unlikely to tell such a lie, but… this is a matter of great importance. If you're unable to refine the Grand Mysteries Treasure Pill, it would be better not to attempt it carelessly. Otherwise, you'd be squandering a precious heavenly treasure."
"The Princess makes a valid point!" Zhuang Bufan nodded as well. "Refining it into pills would certainly give more people a chance, but if the herb is ruined in the process, that would be a far greater loss. When the time comes, we can simply let the herb mature and have everyone compete for it with their own abilities. Brother Yang, give it careful thought."
He was also offering Yang Kai a graceful way out, which was why he had worded his counsel so diplomatically.