"Master Ji truly is remarkable!" Yang Kai praised, gazing at the spirit pill that bore alchemical veins. An Emperor-grade spirit pill manifesting alchemical veins was genuinely extraordinary—even when he himself refined Emperor-grade pills, he rarely saw such a phenomenon.
By this alone, Ji Ying was fully deserving of his title as an Emperor Alchemist.
"Too kind, too kind. The fact that alchemical veins appeared this time is all thanks to Brother Yang's good fortune!" Ji Ying waved his hand dismissively.
"What… what does that have to do with him?" Mi Qi interjected from the side. "Manifesting alchemical veins is a testament to Master Ji's consummate alchemical skill. What could he possibly have to do with it?"
"Indeed. Had he not deliberately caused interference, there might have been more than just one pill with alchemical veins by now," Li Jiao added from the side.
Ji Ying shook his head but offered no explanation. He believed Yang Kai didn't need him to explain, either.
The truth was that his ability to produce an Emperor Yuan Pill bearing alchemical veins this time was entirely due to the tremendous pressure Yang Kai had imposed on him. Although he'd been distracted twice during the process, that overwhelming pressure—particularly that fleeting glimpse—had given him a flash of insight that allowed him to achieve such a perfect result.
Under normal circumstances, he could refine a hundred batches of Emperor Yuan Pills without necessarily producing a single one with alchemical veins. To have one appear in a single batch was nothing short of a miracle.
But if he were asked to refine another batch, he might not be so fortunate.
Mi Qi and Li Jiao saw Ji Ying fall silent and assumed he was simply being polite to Yang Kai. They had no idea about the intricacies at play. Mi Qi promptly spoke up: "Palace Master Yang, we've finished inspecting the pills Master Ji refined. I wonder—what's the situation with the pills Palace Master Yang refined?"
"Palace Master Yang's alchemy skills are surely formidable as well. He must have produced alchemical veins too," Li Jiao chimed in from the side, his tone dripping with sarcasm. He deliberately elevated Yang Kai, harboring sinister intentions.
Yang Kai smiled faintly.
"Since everyone agreed to a wager, why not bring them out for a look?" Mi Qi kept his face stern, as though he'd already won. "Surely Palace Master Yang isn't refusing to show his pills because he knows he can't compare to Master Ji?"
Ji Ying quickly intervened: "Why must you two be like this? Brother Yang is also an Emperor Alchemist. Moreover, he's the Palace Master of Sky Cranes Palace. We'll all be living in the Northern Region from now on—bound to cross paths sooner or later. Why not let today's matter rest? We can share a drink, leave grudges behind with a laugh, and word of it would make quite the fine tale."
He had agreed to compete with Yang Kai in alchemy purely out of momentary anger. Now, however, he was beginning to worry for Yang Kai.
His own luck had been extraordinary—producing an Emperor Yuan Pill with alchemical veins. But could Yang Kai possibly be that lucky as well? If he lost, that would be five billion high-grade source crystals. Both he and his eldest disciple had already benefited greatly from Yang Kai. His eldest disciple was still immersed in enlightenment and would undoubtedly harvest enormous gains. If Yang Kai were to lose those five billion because of him, Ji Ying would never forgive himself.
That was why he wanted to play peacemaker and smooth things over. He deliberately pointed out Yang Kai's status as an Emperor Alchemist, hoping it would prompt Mi Qi and Li Jiao to take the hint and back down. If they abandoned the wager today, they would surely befriend Yang Kai. And with friendship came future benefits—at the very least, when they needed pills refined in the future, Yang Kai would certainly not refuse, and Ji Ying could even help out himself.
Li Jiao and Mi Qi exchanged a glance, clearly understanding Ji Ying's intentions. Both wore troubled expressions.
If this were an ordinary matter, they would have been happy to give Ji Ying face. But this involved five billion high-grade source crystals—even they couldn't help but hesitate.
After a long moment, Mi Qi finally furrowed his brow. "Master Ji, a man without his word is nothing. Palace Master Yang entered into this wager with us of his own accord, and now he must honor it. If Brother Li and I were to simply let it go, I'm afraid we'd be underestimating Palace Master Yang—and that would surely not sit well with him."
Li Jiao nodded. "Brother Mi speaks truly. Please forgive us, Master Ji. It's not that we're unwilling—it's just… a wager is a wager."
Hearing this, Ji Ying's expression darkened. He hadn't expected that even his personal intervention wouldn't earn them any leniency. It seemed they were dead set on fleecing Yang Kai.
He was about to say something more when Yang Kai suddenly raised his hand. "Brother Ji, no need for further words. I honor my bets."
Li Jiao and Mi Qi were delighted to hear this, and both praised him: "Palace Master Yang is a man of his word! If Sky Cranes Palace ever needs assistance in the Northern Region in the future, don't hesitate to reach out. Our two great Sects will certainly not refuse."
Anyone could offer cheap pleasantries. If the time ever came, they could always decide on a case-by-case basis. Besides, they didn't actually believe Yang Kai would come asking for help. After today's events, even if Sky Cranes Palace and their two great Sects weren't outright enemies, they certainly wouldn't be on peaceful terms.
Yang Kai smiled faintly. "I said I honor my bets—but I haven't lost yet. Why are you two so confident you can take those five billion?"
Li Jiao and Mi Qi stared. The former said, "Well then, let's have a look. Let's see how Palace Master Yang's pills turned out."
"Yes, yes, let's have a look." Li Jiao nodded vigorously.
It didn't matter—Yang Kai had already lost. They'd just let him see it with his own eyes.
"Oh!" Ji Ying let out a sigh. Things had reached this point, and there was nothing more he could do. Five billion high-grade source crystals was more than enough motivation for Li Jiao and Mi Qi to risk offending him.
"Brother Ji, help me take a look," Yang Kai tossed the jade bottle in his hand to Ji Ying.
Ji Ying caught it and nodded. "Very well."
As he spoke, he uncorked the bottle and tipped the Emperor Yuan Pill into his palm.
Every pair of eyes fixed upon it. The breathing of all present seemed to quicken.
The three great Demon Kings exchanged glances, their gazes flashing with ferocious light. Without a word spoken between them, they had silently resolved that if Yang Kai lost this round, they would immediately seize Mi Qi and Li Jiao.
Take five billion high-grade source crystals and leave? What utter fools did they take them for!