Elder Lu was still caught up in the back-and-forth haggling with Jiang Chen when a sudden flash of inspiration struck his mind. It was only then that he belatedly entered Jiang Chen's frame of thought.
Add another billion, and the pills could be refined into finished products!
This news detonated in Elder Lu's mind like a thunderclap. Once he recovered, he fixed Jiang Chen with a gaze that bordered on idiotic.
His eyes held a tangled mix of emotions — shock, hope, doubt, and the anxiety of someone terrified to get his hopes up.
Jiang Chen observed Elder Lu's reaction and found it quietly amusing. He understood perfectly well why the man wore that expression.
When something had gone unresolved for eight hundred years and a person still refused to give up, still clung to it with unwavering persistence — that thing must matter enormously to them.
The Xiayu Heavenly Sword Sect had offered the bounty for the ancient Xingyi Pill, and for eight hundred years they had never relented. They had even stationed a dedicated representative in Pillfire City.
That alone spoke volumes about how important the Xingyi Pill was to the sect.
That was precisely why Jiang Chen had the nerve to demand an additional billion. He would not have named that price without reason.
Sure enough, the swirling complexity in Elder Lu's eyes gradually condensed into a single, intense longing. Seeing Jiang Chen smile without a word, Elder Lu was the first to crack. He asked in a low voice, "Arena Master Shao — that offer just now, are you certain it wasn't a jest?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "Do I strike you as someone who jokes?"
Elder Lu had been watching, been studying him closely. And truly — the young man did not appear to be joking.
Could this youth actually know how to refine the ancient Xingyi Pill?
But… that was absurd, wasn't it? For a moment, Elder Lu's mind churned with doubt and hesitation.
It wasn't the additional billion he found exaggerated. His concern was whether this young man truly possessed the ability.
If Jiang Chen could really reconstruct the formula and refine the ancient Xingyi Pill, then forget an extra billion — the Xiayu Heavenly Sword Sect would gladly pay even more.
The question was: could this be a con?
"Arena Master Shao," Elder Lu said, his tone deadly earnest. "I am genuinely sincere about cooperating with you. I ask only one thing — can you truly refine this pill?"
Jiang Chen frowned slightly. "Empty words prove nothing. Seeing is believing. Put up your one and a half billion Sacred Spirit Stones, and naturally I'll hand over the pill in exchange."
Elder Lu's face lit up with delight. "Good. For this matter, we should have the Cleansing Furnace Hall serve as notary."
"Invite Peerless Great Emperor as well." Jiang Chen was not entirely trusting of the Cleansing Furnace Hall's people, so he wanted the Peerless Great Emperor involved.
In any case, his interests were now entangled with the Peerless Great Emperor's. The man craved the Pine and Crane Pill and would certainly side with Jiang Chen.
Elder Lu had no objection to this and nodded. "No problem at all. As long as the transaction is fair, the Xiayu Heavenly Sword Sect's sincerity is beyond question!"
"On my end, there will be no issues either," Jiang Chen said mildly.
Elder Lu cupped his fists. "In that case, this old Lu will go prepare the Sacred Spirit Stones. One and a half billion — my personal authority isn't sufficient for that amount. I'll need to report to my superiors. However, such a report should pose no significant problems. When necessary, I can also make decisions on my own. Still, a sum this large requires me to gather the funds as well."
"Take your time. But I'll say it again — I've already completed the task. The initial five hundred million must be paid. Otherwise, you'll be in breach of our agreement." Jiang Chen was not about to end up with nothing after all his effort.
If Elder Lu were to renege afterward, he would have labored for nothing.
Elder Lu gritted his teeth. "Fine. Five hundred million to you first, and you hand over the complete pill formula."
That had been the original content of their deal. The pill refinement was an additional matter tacked on afterward — they would discuss that later.
Money on one side, goods on the other.
Once the transaction was complete, Elder Lu departed the Cleansing Furnace Hall in a hurry, clearly going to raise the funds and report to his superiors.
Jiang Chen had secured the five hundred million bounty and didn't much care whether Elder Lu would return or not.
It was Deputy Hall Master Gao who approached again after Elder Lu left, asking with a smile, "Elder Lu left in quite a rush. Was there some other complication?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "He has further requests of me — that's a matter for later. By the way, the client behind the third bounty task — could I trouble Deputy Hall Master Gao to bring them here as well?"
Jiang Chen held three Supreme-level bounties. Elder Lu's was only the second.
The third Supreme bounty concerned a formation diagram. Truthfully, Jiang Chen took far more interest in this formation diagram bounty than the ancient Xingyi Pill one.
Although this bounty offered a smaller sum than the Xingyi Pill, the formation diagram was intimately connected to Jiang Chen himself.
He had inherited the legacy of the Danxiao Ancient Sect, and the sect's token and command medallion were now in his possession.