Cao Jin noticed that the two of them seemed to have low fighting spirit, but he wasn't surprised. Instead, he smiled faintly and dropped another bombshell.
"Gentlemen, even if we come up empty inside Illusory Wave Mountain, there's one thing that's certain!"
"What?"
Cao Jin smiled leisurely. "There's still one person inside Illusory Wave Mountain. He should still have five Heaven Grade Spiritual Medicines on him, over a hundred Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines, and possibly even several thousand stalks of Holy Infant Grass."
Back when Zhu Changsheng had leaked the secret of the ancient medicinal garden, he had specifically highlighted Jiang Chen—especially how Jiang Chen had used the antidote to the Bewitchment Miasma as leverage to shake everyone down, demanding half of all the Heaven and Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines the various sects had obtained.
On top of that, Elder Tanlang had deliberately played up Jiang Chen and singled him out, which had left a deep impression on Cao Jin. What's more, Zhu Changsheng had also warned him that Jiang Chen was the one who had killed Long Juxue—the girl with the Innate Azure Phoenix Physique.
That brat Jiang Chen had caused Yong Xingyun—the third-ranked among the Ten Great True Disciples—to lose his cultivation furnace, and his Dragon-Phoenix Dual Harmony Sword technique still hadn't reached completion to this day.
And Ding Tong, a second-rate prodigy sent by the Nine Sun Celestial Sect to make a move in the Myriad Phenomena Territory, might have even fallen at this kid's hands.
After all that had happened, it would have been impossible for Cao Jin not to have a strong impression of Jiang Chen.
Cao Jin had thought carefully about all of this after suffering a setback at Dan Qian Palace. He somewhat regretted his impulsiveness.
He suspected that the reason Jiang Chen hadn't come out of Illusory Wave Mountain wasn't that he couldn't, but that he didn't want to. Once he came out, he'd have to hand over half of his Heaven and Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines to his sect.
Putting himself in Jiang Chen's shoes, Cao Jin figured that Jiang Chen staying behind in Illusory Wave Mountain was actually a risky gamble. By staying, he wouldn't have to share those Heaven and Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines with his sect—he could keep them all for himself.
It had to be said that Cao Jin was judging Jiang Chen by his own petty standards, yet he felt his reasoning was perfectly sound.
And if his reasoning held true, then Jiang Chen had at least five Heaven Grade Spiritual Medicines and over a hundred Earth Grade Spiritual Medicines on him. Besides, the people from Sacred Sword Palace had also testified that Jiang Chen had several thousand stalks of Holy Infant Grass!
On top of all that, that brat Jiang Chen had also refined the Ten Thousand Year Pill. In other words, the formula for the Ten Thousand Year Pill was still in this kid's head!
A person brimming with treasures like that, still inside Illusory Wave Mountain—even if their expedition yielded nothing else, capturing Jiang Chen alone would be an enormous windfall!
He had originally not intended to reveal anything about Jiang Chen, but seeing that the two of them lacked motivation, he had no choice but to spill the beans.
Second-Rank Pill King Shi Zhen pondered for a moment before asking, "Senior Brother Cao, you're not making wild claims just to motivate us, are you? A single person hoarding five Heaven Grade Spiritual Medicines? Wasn't it said that only twelve were produced in total?"
"Yeah, who has enough clout to keep nearly half for themselves?" Fat Wu was clearly skeptical as well.
"This is absolutely true—I guarantee it on my honor, not a single word is false. Moreover, this kid can also refine pills. He refined a Ten Thousand Year Pill that extended a Saint Realm elder's life by five hundred years."
This time, Shi Zhen could no longer contain himself. "Five hundred years? The Ten Thousand Year Pill? Senior Brother Cao, forgive my bluntness, but you're... you're..."
If the Three Star Sect hadn't sworn so earnestly, Cao Jin wouldn't have believed it either. But the Three Star Sect had risked the destruction of their entire sect—they clearly wouldn't have done that just to tell a lie.
So Cao Jin firmly believed the information was true, and the intuition of a powerhouse told him that there was a very high chance it was real.
"Junior Brother Shi Zhen, I've said all I have to say. Whether we go or not—make your call. Worst case, I'll find someone else." Cao Jin's tone carried a hint of displeasure.
He had explained so much to two junior brothers who were far beneath him, clearly going against his usual style. Now these two were still chattering away, and he was naturally a bit annoyed.
But this time, Shi Zhen answered without hesitation. "I'm in."
Clearly, the news about the Ten Thousand Year Pill had sent this Second-Rank Pill King into a frenzy.
Seeing Shi Zhen agree, Cao Jin nodded. "Junior Brother Shi Zhen, the Ten Thousand Year Pill is absolutely genuine. The person who received it was Xiang Wentian, the Sect Master of the Great Saint Hall. That old man's remaining lifespan was supposedly less than fifty years, and his cultivation was about to dissipate. After taking the Ten Thousand Year Pill on the spot, it worked instantly—it reversed the flow of time, and he looked as if he'd become several hundred years younger. The people from the Three Star Sect witnessed it firsthand—it couldn't possibly be fake."
Shi Zhen's lips trembled slightly, a sharp gleam flickering in his eyes. Suddenly he said, "Senior Brother Cao, it's settled. If we obtain that pill formula, I must have a copy."
Cao Jin smiled faintly. "Naturally."
Wu Heng quickly spoke up. "Though my alchemy talent is nothing special, there still needs to be a clear arrangement for how we split the Ten Thousand Year Pill. My demands aren't much—I just want a proportional twenty-five percent share of any profits from the pill."
Cao Jin glanced at Wu Heng and said, "You get twenty percent. Shi Zhen and I each get forty."
Wu Heng opened his mouth but didn't argue further.
Once the three of them had reached an agreement, they didn't linger—they set off immediately.
Throughout the journey, the three of them kept an extremely low profile. After a full month of travel, they finally entered the Myriad Phenomena Territory. Careful not to alert anyone, they followed their map and arrived at the outskirts of Illusory Wave Mountain.
Illusory Wave Mountain had been the royal medicinal garden left behind by the old Myriad Phenomena Empire. Though its location was remote, it wasn't difficult to find.
The three of them entered the Illusory Wave grand hall and looked around.
"Judging by the looks of it, nobody's been here for nearly two years." After looking around, Fat Wu Heng made his observation.
Cao Jin nodded. "Everyone in the Myriad Phenomena Territory believes that the outer restrictions of Illusory Wave Mountain only open once every thirty years. Before the cycle completes, the barriers can't be opened. So coming here is pointless. I'd guess the next time anyone shows up, it'll be for the next Illusory Wave Mountain alchemy competition."
The fat man nodded, walked out of the grand hall, and made his way to the outer barrier of Illusory Wave Mountain.
Cao Jin and Wu Heng stood behind the fat man in silence. When it came to formations, Fat Wu Heng was the authority, and they naturally wouldn't interrupt his train of thought.
After studying the barrier for about half an hour, the fat man finally withdrew his gaze.