Setting up a spatial transmission formation might not seem like much in the short term, but in the long run, the impact on both Sects would be enormous.
This was one of the reasons Yang Kai had agreed to become an Elder of the Azure Sun Divine Temple in the first place. Once you became an Elder, you would have your own spirit peak, and setting up a formation would be far simpler.
But now, after being played like this by Gao Xueting, Yang Kai had no choice but to reconsider.
If this matter ever got out to Gao Xueting, then Ji Ying would likely become the Divine Temple's exclusive alchemist, and Ling Xiao Palace would have no hope of ever getting their hands on him again.
For the time being, it would be best to keep things quiet. When the time was right down the road, he could lay everything out then.
Half a day later, a brand-new spatial transmission formation was completed. With the Elder's jade token channeling the power of Spirit Sword Peak's earth veins to conceal it, unless Yang Kai himself willed it, even Wen Zishan would be unable to detect it upon arrival.
He embedded Source Crystals into the formation, channeled the power of the Space Laws, and with a flash of light, Yang Kai vanished.
The next moment, his figure reappeared atop Ling Xiao Palace's spatial transmission formation.
A short while later, on Medicine Pill Peak—one of Ling Xiao Palace's main peaks—Yang Kai found Ji Ying.
Seeing him again, Ji Ying looked thoroughly surprised. "Brother Yang, you're back already?"
"Ugh." Yang Kai wore a helpless expression as he accepted a cup of tea from Ji Ying's senior disciple, sat down, and said listlessly, "Don't ask."
Ji Ying smiled. Though he had no idea what Yang Kai had been through, he could tell his mood was poor. He casually produced a jade bottle and tossed it over.
Yang Kai caught it, eyes narrowing. "What's this?"
"Dragon Blood Pills," Ji Ying explained. "They were refined using that Dragon Blood Flower from last time as the main ingredient. They should be of some use to you, Brother Yang."
"Oh? These are Dragon Blood Pills?" Yang Kai was genuinely surprised. He opened the jade bottle and poured out three blood-red pills, each about the size of a fingernail, emitting a faint scent of blood that wasn't harsh at all—instead, it gave a sensation of one's blood beginning to boil.
Judging by their appearance, these Dragon Blood Pills were Emperor Grade, low-tier spirit pills.
"It was my first time refining this particular pill, so I was inevitably a bit rusty. In the end, only three pills were successfully formed. I hope you won't hold it against me, Brother Yang." Ji Ying said with a touch of guilt.
Yang Kai laughed. "Brother Ji, you're far too modest. Three pills is already an impressive result."
Though Ji Ying was an Emperor Alchemist and a Personal Disciple of the Wonderful Pill Great Emperor, being able to produce three pills on his very first attempt at a new formula was testament to his extraordinary foundation in alchemy. An ordinary Emperor Alchemist would absolutely not have done as well as Ji Ying.
Ji Ying waved his hands repeatedly and said with a rueful smile, "Brother Yang flatters me."
In front of Yang Kai—the man who had once defeated him in a fair alchemy duel—Ji Ying simply had no room for arrogance.
After a brief pause, Ji Ying continued, "But speaking of which, now that I've come to Ling Xiao Palace, what exactly does Brother Yang need me to do? A few days ago, I went to see Manager Hua, and she only told me to rest for a while without assigning me any specific tasks. As Ling Xiao Palace's chief alchemist, I can't very well just sit around eating and waiting to die. I have no particular talents—alchemy is all I know."
Yang Kai smiled. "Alchemy is precisely what I need from you. Take a look at this."
As he spoke, he tossed over the ring Gao Xueting had given him.
Ji Ying caught it and swept his divine sense inside, his expression shifting slightly. "So many Emperor Grade spirit herbs."
"Refine whatever you see fit, Brother Ji. There's no rush—just let things follow their course."
"Very well. I won't let you down."
"There's one more thing I'd like to ask you about."
"Please, go ahead."
Yang Kai's expression turned serious. "I'm curious—how much do you know about a pill called the Body Renewal Pill?"
"The Body Renewal Pill?" Ji Ying's face stiffened, and his breathing quickened slightly. "Could it be… that you have a Body Renewal Fruit?"
Yang Kai thought to himself that he didn't just have a Body Renewal Fruit—he had an entire Body Renewal Fruit tree. However, the ripe fruits on the tree had already been picked, and the rest would likely need a considerable amount of time to mature.
He made no effort to conceal anything, reaching out and producing a Body Renewal Fruit.
Ji Ying's eyes lit up immediately. He rose to his feet and carefully accepted the fruit, sweeping it with his divine sense and studying it closely. The more he looked, the more delighted he became, nodding incessantly. "It truly is a Body Renewal Fruit—exactly as described in the records. I thought this thing had gone extinct long ago. How could it possibly still exist?"
He stared at it while scratching his ears and cheeks, utterly unable to take his eyes off the Body Renewal Fruit.
"Things called extinct are simply things no one has happened to find. I obtained this by chance."
Yang Kai had quite a few so-called extinct items in his possession, so he could deeply appreciate the sentiment.
Ji Ying suddenly looked up. "Brother Yang, you want me to refine Body Renewal Pills?"