Shi Xuan had come to this Supplement Heaven Grand Gathering purely for the Taiyi Heaven Supplement Pill. Otherwise, with his current status and standing, he wouldn't have deigned to set foot in a place like the Eternal Sacred Land — in his eyes, doing so would have been beneath him.
It was the temptation of the Taiyi Heaven Supplement Pill that made him want to come and assess the situation, to see if there was any opportunity to exploit. He had never expected that the Eternal Sacred Land, for reasons he couldn't fathom, had somehow grown so brazen as to repeatedly send a young man to provoke him — and now, in a fit of madness, that young man actually wanted to challenge him to an alchemy duel?
In Shi Xuan's view, within the entire Eternal Sacred Land, forget about finding a worthy opponent — there wasn't even a single person who qualified to be his disciple.
To challenge him, Shi Xuan, in the art of alchemy? That was the very definition of overestimating one's own abilities.
Every genius shared one common trait: absolute self-confidence. Although the current situation looked somewhat suspicious — a young man continuously provoking him, goading him into anger, and then proposing a wager — anyone with a shred of common sense would sense something was off.
Shi Xuan himself felt that there was a trap here. But even knowing that, he felt no fear, because he possessed more than enough confidence.
Even if it was a trap, he believed the Eternal Sacred Land's level was far too low to pose any real threat to him.
An alchemy wager, at the end of the day, came down to who had the deeper foundation in the dao of alchemy.
Of course, being on someone else's turf, Shi Xuan wouldn't be blindly confident or let his guard down. Instead, he wore a leisurely smile and cupped his fists toward the guests gathered all around. "Today, most of the great alchemists of Myriad Abyss Island have gathered here. I, Shi, originally had no desire to make a spectacle of myself, but the Eternal insisted on overestimating their own abilities. I'd like you all to bear witness — when it comes to this wager, don't say I, Shi, was bullying a junior."
Before anyone else could speak, Jiang Chen smiled coolly. "There's no need for you to distance yourself from this. And there's no need to be paranoid and worry that I'll resort to some trick. The Taiyi Heaven Supplement Pill was developed by me, so naturally I have the authority to decide its fate. However, if you lose, the matter of how you used underhanded tactics to defeat Elder Zi Mu back then — don't even think about denying it."
In truth, Shi Xuan had used a bit of cunning to goad Elder Zi Mu into a rage, but the alchemy duel itself had not involved any cheating.
However, a man of his pride would never stoop to explaining himself. He sneered, "I, Shi, have no interest in arguing the point. But regarding your Taiyi Heaven Supplement Pill — dare you swear that you won't use a fake formula to deceive people?"
"Naturally, I will swear to it," Jiang Chen said flatly.
Shi Xuan nodded. "Good. Then swear."
"What do you mean, 'I swear'? Don't you have to swear as well?" Jiang Chen sneered. "Or do you think it's absolutely impossible for you to lose?"
Shi Xuan threw his head back and laughed. "Don't tell me you actually think you can beat me?"
"A wager requires fairness from both sides. Surely even you, Shi, have that much gambling integrity?" Jiang Chen refused to be bullied by Shi Xuan's bluster.
Shi Xuan was momentarily taken aback, then said coldly, "My victory over Elder Zi Mu back then was clean and honorable — nothing to deny. Using that as wager collateral is simply absurd."
"Then what are you willing to bet?" Jiang Chen scoffed.
"Hmph, ignorant child. If you can beat me, we can discuss anything."
"Anything at all?" Jiang Chen smiled with a hint of amusement. "Then how about I keep you as my personal pill servant for all eternity, never to renounce the deal. What do you think?"
"Insolent!" Behind Shi Xuan, several of the Hundred Sacred Land's followers bristled with fury, their eyes wide.
A cold light shot from Shi Xuan's own eyes as he stared at Jiang Chen. "Young man, so bold with your words — aren't you afraid of shortening your own life? Wanting me, Shi, to serve as your pill servant — aren't you afraid the heavens will strike you down with lightning?"
Jiang Chen burst into laughter. "Are you scared?"
Shi Xuan's expression darkened. "Kid, if you're trying to provoke me, I'll give you this much — you've succeeded. However, anyone who offends me in the domain of alchemy tends to meet a very, very unpleasant end."
"Oh? Then does that mean you've accepted the wager terms?"
Shi Xuan said coldly, "And what if I have? Do you think you actually stand a chance?"
"Then let's swear oaths!" Jiang Chen declared sharply.
"Wait a moment!" The middle-aged man standing before Shi Xuan spoke up. "You want to wager against our Grand Master with nothing more than a pill formula, yet you're asking for our Grand Master's life and freedom? You've certainly got a nerve."
Jiang Chen smiled, looking thoroughly amused. "Shi Xuan, it seems your own people don't have much confidence in you. If you were truly guaranteed a hundred percent victory, this would be a trade with virtually no risk and infinite reward."
Shi Xuan waved a dismissive hand. "Step back. This kid is crafty enough, but if he thinks he can play tricks in front of me, he's still far too green."
At the end of the day, Shi Xuan's confidence was absolute. He simply could not believe that some random youth from the Eternal Sacred Land could pose any real challenge to him.
Alchemy was not like other disciplines. Even if a young man had stumbled upon some fortuitous encounter, he couldn't possibly have become truly powerful overnight without any foundation. Even with opportunities, one needed time to digest them, time to accumulate experience. This young fellow looked no older than thirty — how much depth and accumulation could he possibly have?
There was simply no scenario in which Shi Xuan could lose.
Jiang Chen swore his oath first. Once the oath was completed, he regarded Shi Xuan with a calm, steady gaze — an unspoken pressure in itself.
The exchange had gone back and forth to this point. If Shi Xuan showed even the slightest hint of hesitation or reluctance, it would be taken as cowardice. For a man of his stature, such a display was absolutely unthinkable.
With a cold tone, he swore his own oath: "If I lose this wager, I will serve as that brat's pill servant for life — it wouldn't be an injustice. Should I renege, I, Shi, will take my own life on the spot. Otherwise, may heaven and earth strike me down."