The antidotes were, naturally, exclusively his.
And several of the key spiritual medicines needed to refine those antidotes had already been completely harvested by
In other words, on this island, the specific herbs capable of curing the Mindbewildering Miasma poison could not possibly exist in a second set.
This meant that once his antidotes were ready, no matter how many Heaven Grade and Earth Grade spiritual medicines those people had obtained, or how they ultimately divided them, the final say would rest with
Otherwise,
It was now clear that this island was eerie through and through. The restrictions scattered everywhere had appeared lethal at first glance, but in reality, they were merely intimidation. As long as one didn't blunder about recklessly, as long as one waited patiently, those restrictions posed absolutely no danger.
After all, the restrictions on this island opened once every three thousand years. They had already temporarily shed their lethal power to allow entry.
But an island like this, allowing people to come and go freely? That was obviously impossible as well.
So the restrictions were merely a surface-level test. The true trial was this hidden life-and-death gambit concealed beneath.
One had to admit—this life-and-death gambit was extraordinarily well-hidden.
And equally ingenious.
Those who entered this ancient island to harvest spiritual medicines were, without exception, experts in alchemy. And since they were alchemical geniuses, this life-and-death gambit was precisely a test of that very domain. If no one managed to discover it, then it could only mean that these so-called alchemical geniuses simply lacked the fortune and karmic affinity needed to enjoy the opportunities this island had to offer.
In that case, one's life and death were a matter of fate.
Being invaded by the Mindbewildering Miasma and perishing here would be no cause for sympathy.
In truth, the powerful figure who had designed this life-and-death gambit had actually left numerous avenues of survival. Mixed within the vast field of spiritual medicines were all the materials necessary for refining the antidote to the Mindbewildering Miasma.
If a true King-level alchemical genius discovered after leaving the island that they had been afflicted by the miasma, they could still sift through the spiritual medicines they had gathered and pick out the ingredients needed for the cure.
Clearly, the person who had set this trap had also anticipated that whoever entered would strip the island of every last herb. In the process of such a sweep, they would inevitably carry away the antidote ingredients as well.
So this life-and-death gambit was a matter of death within life, and life within death.
The crucial factor was whether the people who entered this island possessed sufficient observational acuity and comprehension.
And
This was why
No matter how those others divided the Earth Grade spiritual medicines, no matter how they apportioned the Heaven Grade ones, he had remained utterly unmoved. That was the reason.
Earlier, when confronted with
This was also why he had dared to continue the bet with
Because
Back then,
As for
Every last detail of this had been part of
The antidote itself was not difficult to refine. The hard part was seeing through the life-and-death gambit, and the challenge of extracting the correct antidote ingredients from among all those spiritual medicines.
Roughly two hours later,
After storing the pills safely, he casually put away the Celestial Shuttle Cauldron and strolled at an unhurried pace toward the third-level platform.
By this time, the distribution of the Heaven Grade spiritual medicines was nearing its end.
Upon seeing
Seeing his flushed, animated expression,
They appeared perhaps once in a century—and even then, they were claimed by the top-tier powers, never making it to the open market.
So for these young people, this was absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime eye-opening experience.
Of course, for
For the
Where others were having their horizons broadened,
The distribution of the Heaven Grade spiritual medicines proceeded without controversy.
Twelve plants in total—two for each faction, divided with perfect evenness.
As for those from the fifth-rank sects, they hadn't even dared to entertain the thought. Being allowed to participate in the distribution of the Earth Grade spiritual medicines was already an extraordinary concession.
If they tried to claim a share of the Heaven Grade spiritual medicines as well, they would likely be forced to spit back out everything they had taken from the Earth Grade portion.
So, although the strong cultivators from those fifth-rank sects were thoroughly envious, they possessed the good sense to know their place. Not one of them dared to stir up any fuss, much less let even a trace of greed show on their faces.