After chatting for a while, Du Wan solemnly handed over the Saint-grade lower-quality pill with pill patterns that Yang Kai had refined earlier.
This Saint pill had been taken by the several grand masters for observation while Yang Kai was unconscious, so it had naturally been kept in Du Wan's possession.
Yang Kai took it casually, holding it lightly in his hand, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.
He wasn't sure if it was because he had fully comprehended the Pill Master's True Secret and his own alchemy had improved, but Yang Kai found that holding this pill he had refined himself, he could clearly sense the various essences and traces within it without even needing to observe it.
It felt as if it were a part of him. The sensation was quite wondrous.
"Oh, right. I noticed that at the final stage of refining this Saint pill, you suddenly inscribed many spirit arrays… Does that have something to do with the formation of pill patterns?" Du Wan suddenly asked.
Yang Kai nodded slightly. "I suppose there is some connection. Everyone assumes that the formation of pill patterns comes down to luck, but I believe one can use refined techniques to increase the probability of pill patterns forming. That's why I inscribed so many spirit arrays."
"Increase the probability of their formation?" Du Wan's eyes lit up, and he asked in a deep voice, "By how much can it be increased?"
If this method truly worked, the entire continent's alchemy could undergo an earth-shattering transformation. Imagine if pill patterns could be deliberately produced — a single set of alchemical ingredients would then yield several times the efficacy and utility.
Yang Kai smiled wryly and shook his head. "It's hard to say. I can only try my best. And in this regard, I've only just grasped a few clues — I haven't fully figured it out yet… I drew inspiration from an ancient Saint pill that had been left behind, and then after observing the techniques of all you grand masters, I had a sudden idea. I never expected to actually produce pill patterns."
"An ancient Saint pill?" Du Wan's expression changed. "How did you know it was from the ancient era?"
"Because what grew on it wasn't pill patterns… but pill clouds. From the condensation of its medicinal potency, one can deduce that it must have existed for at least several thousand years!"
Du Wan inhaled sharply, his eyes going wide. "A Saint pill with pill clouds? Where is it now? Could you let me observe it?"
Yang Kai scratched his head awkwardly. "I ate it."
"You… you ate it?" Du Wan was dumbfounded.
"I nearly burst apart and died!" Yang Kai said with a bitter laugh. Recalling the experience of taking that Saint pill still gave him lingering fear, though he owed it to that pill that the Five-Colored Soul-Warming Lotus in his sea of consciousness had evolved into the Six-Colored.
"What a colossal waste!" Du Wan slapped his thigh in indignation. "An ancient Saint pill with pill clouds, and you just ate it? That's… simply criminal!"
He was visibly upset, as if something precious and dear to him had been ruined by Yang Kai.
Yang Kai could more or less understand his feelings. Once one's alchemy reached a certain level, it was possible to reverse-engineer the techniques and attainments of the original alchemist by examining the finished pill, and even uncover many long-lost alchemical secrets.
That was exactly Yang Kai's reasoning for personally experiencing that pill's effects.
It was hardly surprising that Du Wan was upset upon learning this.
After fuming for quite some time, Du Wan finally took a deep breath to compose himself and sighed, "Fortunately, you have strong luck. Otherwise, you really might have died."
Pill clouds were fundamentally different from pill patterns. Pill patterns could only preserve a pill's potency over long periods, but pill clouds could help a pill absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, increasing its medicinal efficacy.
An ancient Saint pill that had existed for thousands of years, nourished by pill clouds for so long, must have contained medicinal potency so vast it was beyond imagination.
The fact that Yang Kai had not died after consuming it was nothing short of a miracle.
"What did you learn from that ancient Saint pill?" Du Wan asked urgently once more.
"Those pill clouds… bore traces of human intervention. That's why I performed those actions while refining pills the other day. Now it seems that pill patterns and pill clouds can indeed be prompted into forming, though the probability should be quite low." Yang Kai furrowed his brow.
"As long as it can be prompted, that's good enough," Du Wan said, his eyes gleaming with approval. "Study it carefully. If you can truly figure it out, it will send shockwaves through the entire alchemical world. If you need any help from me, just say the word — this old man certainly won't refuse."
"Thank you in advance, Old Du. I'm sure I'll be troubling you then," Yang Kai said with a serious nod.
"Oh, that reminds me." Du Wan suddenly recalled something and reached into his cosmos bag to rummage around. A moment later, he produced a gleaming golden nameplate and handed it over with a smile. "This is your new identity nameplate. Your previous one only recorded your rank as a Spirit-grade lower-quality alchemist, right? Now that you're essentially a Saint-grade alchemist, it's time for a replacement."
"That's really not necessary, Old Du… I don't particularly care about these things."
Du Wan chuckled. "I know you don't care. But as the head of the Jushi City Alchemist Association, I must hand this nameplate to you. If you agree, I'd also like to report this news to the Grand Alchemist Association! If those people found out that a city as remote as Fuyun had produced such a young Saint-grade alchemist, their eyes would probably pop out of their heads!"
As if picturing their shocked expressions, Du Wan laughed heartily.
"Old Du, there's really no need to report it, is there?" Yang Kai said with a grimace. "High-rank alchemists are certainly respected, and it does make things more convenient. But it also comes with a lot of trouble… I really don't want people showing up at my door every day begging me to refine pills for them. It would waste a great deal of time."
Du Wan's expression turned serious. He pondered for a moment before speaking. "Let me ask you one question. Answer me honestly."
Seeing him so solemn, Yang Kai straightened up as well. "Please go ahead, Old Du."