Ziche Min was a man of considerable integrity — the traditional, scholarly sort of alchemy practitioner. In his personal philosophy, there wasn't much room for cunning or underhanded scheming.
When it came to unconventional methods, Ziche Min could never come up with any good ideas of his own.
So when he heard
"Shao Yuan, are you sure this plan of yours will really work?"
Jiang Chen shrugged. "I'm not certain it'll work, but I feel it's definitely worth trying. With someone this proud, if I hurl insults at him every day, belittle him, tear him down until there's nothing left — he won't be able to sit still."
"He is certainly proud. If you challenge him through conventional means, he'll dismiss you with contempt and use his arrogance to crush your spirit. However, he's also a narrow-minded man. If you can provoke him with insults, he just might fall into the trap."
Ziche Min analyzed the matter seriously, and the more he thought about it, the more feasible Jiang Chen's simple and blunt approach seemed.
Jiang Chen smiled. "Then let's give it a shot. By the way, have there been any major alchemy gatherings in the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms recently? Even if there aren't major events, is there anything lively happening at all? With an island as vast as Myriad Abyss, there must be some buzz worth attending."
Ziche Min thought for a moment. "There are some happenings, but none of them are really significant enough. I'm not sure whether
The Shi Xuan of today was nothing like the Shi Xuan from over sixty years ago who had worked Elder Zimu to death with fury.
Nowadays, Shi Xuan considered himself an alchemy grandmaster. He was no longer a young upstart charging recklessly through the alchemy world — he had grown concerned with style, with status.
In ordinary circumstances, given his self-importance, Shi Xuan might not even deign to attend.
"So you're saying there aren't any alchemy gatherings happening anytime soon?"
"That's right." Ziche Min thought carefully once more and shook his head. "Based on what I know, there won't be any major alchemy events in the next year or two."
"If there aren't any alchemy gatherings, can we organize one ourselves?"
"We? Organize one?" Ziche Min was momentarily stunned — it was something he had never considered. Moreover, since Elder Zimu's passing, the
If the Eternal Sacred Land were to host an alchemy gathering, it was doubtful anyone would take it seriously. Simply put, others might not be interested, and it would be unlikely to draw any real alchemy grandmasters.
Ziche Min smiled bitterly. "Hosting a grand gathering is easier said than done. If the Eternal Sacred Land still had that kind of clout in the alchemy world of the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms, naturally we could do it anytime. But even when Elder Zimu was alive, our influence wasn't particularly strong. Now, our voice has weakened even further. Among the Ten Great Divine Kingdoms, if we're not at the very bottom, we're certainly among the bottom three."
"Clout is built on strength and heritage. But organizing a gathering like this isn't purely a matter of clout. Attracting people doesn't always require sheer influence. After all, you can't force someone to enjoy something. Even if you have the strongest reputation, if the gathering itself has nothing enticing, people still won't be particularly enthusiastic."
"But if there's enough appeal, even a minor power can draw a crowd. Do you remember the Ancient Jade Grand Gathering hosted by the Blue Mist Island Domain?"
As a second-tier power, Blue Mist Island Domain had leveraged the appeal of its inherited ancient jade artifacts to attract the great powers of all Ten Great Divine Kingdoms.
Ziche Min started, struck by a sudden realization.
After a long pause, Ziche Min took a deep breath and said with some embarrassment, "Shao Yuan, to be honest with you, the Eternal Sacred Land doesn't really have anything in the alchemy field that could draw people in."
"Elder Ziche, what if I could find such a lure? Would the Eternal Sacred Land have what it takes to host a gathering like this?"
Jiang Chen's eyes burned with intensity as he gazed at Ziche Min.
Ziche Min was quite taken aback. Looking at the unwavering determination in Jiang Chen's eyes, he felt himself moved.
"Shao Yuan, what kind of lure do you have? This old man is quite curious now."
"What does Elder Ziche think would be the most appealing lure?"
"In the world of alchemy, the most captivating things are naturally lost pill recipes, or extraordinary medicinal pills. Or perhaps peerless spiritual herbs that have never appeared before — things along those lines." Ziche Min mused. "Shao Yuan, don't tell me you actually have some peerless pill recipes or pills?"
Jiang Chen smiled faintly. "None of those things are difficult. Among my inherited memories, there are indeed some precious pill recipes, as well as methods for refining many lost medicinal pills."
To the outside world, Jiang Chen had always maintained that his alchemy knowledge was passed down through generations of ancestors — a cumulative heritage, refined over time. His forebears possessed a bloodline of inheritance, and in his generation, a larger portion of those inherited memories had awakened.
This explanation was believable enough.
Upon hearing this, Ziche Min's eyes lit up. He knew full well the depth of this young man's alchemy heritage — the Water Moon Heart-Viewing Pill had already given him a profound understanding of that.
"If you can produce Celestial-level ancient pill recipes or ancient pills, the lure would be more than sufficient. And if they're pills that don't exist anywhere on the market, the appeal would be even greater." Ziche Min grew visibly excited.