Seeing this, Zhao Sheng's eyes flashed, and he lowered his head to transmit his voice to Chen Guanxi, asking, "Fellow Daoist Chen, what are the rules of this duel? Why does the Supreme Elder look so grim? Could it be that our Spring and Autumn Alliance has no chance of winning?"
After hearing this, Chen Guanxi gave a wry smile and replied in a low voice, "If we really want to have a duel, I'm afraid our alliance doesn't have much of a chance of winning! Fellow Daoist Zhao, you may not know this, but the Xuanxiao Sect has a life-or-death technique. Once activated, the caster's strength will increase by at least 30% in a short period of time, making them virtually invincible among cultivators of the same level."
Although Chen Guanxi lowered his voice, everyone present was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage, so how could they not hear him? The others' auras plummeted, and the two True Persons, Qi Feng and Chi Yuan, turned pale.
Gu Yanqiu's face remained calm upon hearing this, but a hint of contempt crept into his eyes.
"Haha, if we're going to have a duel, why would my Spring and Autumn Alliance be afraid of the Xuanxiao Sect? Just agree!"
Just then, someone outside the palace gate suddenly burst into laughter and said something.
No sooner had he finished speaking than three figures flashed outside the main hall and entered.
Then, a thin, pale-faced old man dressed in a jade-white robe and exuding a rich fragrance of cinnabar strode into the main hall.
"Master Xu Chong!" someone exclaimed upon seeing the newcomer.
Qi Feng and Chi Yuan exchanged a glance, as if they had thought of something, and their faces lit up with joy. Chang Kong Zhenren stroked his long beard and smiled slightly.
When the other guest elders present saw the newcomer, they all stood up and greeted him respectfully, calling him "Master" repeatedly.
"The person who came was none other than Xu Chong, the renowned alchemy master of the Shattered Star Sea. It is said that he is one of the few alchemy masters in the Shattered Star Sea who can refine Golden Core pills. I did not expect that he had already joined the Spring and Autumn Alliance."
Zhao Sheng was greatly surprised to see this, but after scanning the area, his gaze fell on the two people who came in behind Xu Chong. They were a young man and a young woman.
The man was dressed in black, with a sallow complexion and ordinary appearance, but his eyes shone brightly, and he looked at everyone present with an arrogant expression.
The woman was about twenty years old, with a graceful figure and beautiful appearance, and she exuded the unique aura of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Zhao Sheng scrutinized the woman's appearance and suddenly realized that she bore a striking resemblance to the Immortal Changkong.
Alchemy master Xu Chong led two people into the main hall under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
When Gu Yanqiu saw Xu Chong appear, although a hint of surprise appeared on his face, there was no excessive astonishment. He simply smiled and said:
"Congratulations to Senior Changkong on gaining another great help. With Master Xu Chong joining the Spring and Autumn Alliance, I'm afraid they are quite confident about this duel."
Master Changkong's eyes flashed, and he chuckled, saying, "The envoy is joking. This duel is a last resort. If the Xuanxiao Sect is sensible enough to back down, I don't want to damage our harmony."
Gu Yanqiu smiled without speaking, a strange meaning appearing in his eyes.
At this moment, Xu Chong stepped forward and exchanged a few pleasantries with the three Golden Core cultivators of the Spring and Autumn Alliance and Gu Yanqiu. Then, pointing to the young man, he introduced him to everyone: "Let me introduce you all. This is my junior disciple, Ge Chen. A few years ago, while exchanging experiences with fellow alchemists at the Pill Cauldron Sect, I happened to see that he had some talent, so I took him as my disciple. As for Yao'er, I don't think I need to introduce her, do I?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Master Chiyuan teased, "Yao'er, the young lady of the Spring and Autumn Alliance, is very precious! Why didn't you greet your father and uncles when you saw them!"
Upon hearing this, the pretty woman playfully retorted, "Uncle Chi, you're making fun of me again!"
After saying this, she bowed gracefully to Master Changkong and said respectfully, "Daughter Chu Yao greets Father. It has been a long time since I last saw you, Father, you look much thinner."
"Yao'er, get up quickly! In the past ten years or so, you have traveled to the Central Continent with Master Xu Chong. Have you gained anything?" Master Changkong flicked his long sleeves, and a red light rolled out to help Chu Yao up. He then asked seriously.
"My daughter has naturally benefited greatly..."
Just as the father and daughter were talking, Zhao Sheng showed a very interested expression.
As a living person, he heard the name of the Dan Ding Sect once again. Recalling his past life, he couldn't help but sigh at the fleeting nature of time and the impermanence of life.
Then, he suddenly developed a great interest in the alchemy master Xu Chongsheng. He wanted to learn alchemy, and this man was the best candidate.
From that moment on, Zhao Sheng set his sights on Xu Chong, secretly plotting how to learn the true essence of alchemy from him.
A moment later, Xu Chong and his two disciples, Chu Yao and Ge Chen, took their seats. The atmosphere in the hall had become warm and cheerful because of the addition of the alchemy master.
Gu Yanqiu was very interested in Xu Chong, and during their casual conversation, he subtly hinted at recruiting him several times.
A master alchemist is extremely rare, even on Vermilion Bird Island, which is enough for Gu Yanqiu to lower himself to recruit him.
However, when faced with Gu Yanqiu's offer to recruit him, Xu Chong smiled and spoke politely, but showed no sign of being tempted.
Gu Yanqiu was rebuffed, and although he was secretly angry, he did not show any unusual expression on his face.
He chuckled and turned to Master Changkong, saying, "Since the Spring and Autumn Alliance has Master Xu Chong's assistance, it seems the duel is already well underway. I will now return to report and, while I'm at it, go to the Xuanxiao Sect to set the date for the duel."
"In that case, farewell, Special Envoy! Fellow Daoist Qifeng, please see the guest out on my behalf." Master Changkong nodded, but did not try to keep him any longer, and instructed Old Daoist Qifeng beside him.
Although Master Qifeng was the vice leader of the Spring and Autumn Alliance, he showed no reluctance at this moment. He immediately agreed and personally escorted Gu Yanqiu out of the main hall.
When Elder Qifeng returned to the main hall, True Man Changkong's gaze slowly swept across the hall. Seeing the respectful expressions of everyone, he smiled slightly and spoke kindly, "Alright, that's enough for today. Everyone, go back and attend to your own matters. The matter of the duel will be announced to everyone after I have discussed it with the two vice alliance leaders. You may leave now!"
"Yes, sir, as you command, I shall take my leave now!" The people in the hall rose and bowed in unison before taking their leave.
After Zhao Sheng and the others rose to take their leave, in the blink of an eye, only Master Changkong, the two vice alliance leaders, Xu Chong, and his two disciples remained in the main hall.
"Yao'er, you and your senior brother should go and rest first," Master Changkong said to Chu Yao after a moment's thought.
Chu Yao softly replied "Yes," but a flash of dissatisfaction crossed Ge Chen's arrogant eyes. He hesitated to speak, but his junior sister pulled him out of the hall.
In the blink of an eye, only Master Changkong, Daoist Qifeng, Master Chiyuan, and Xu Chong remained in the main hall.
The four discussed some secrets of the alliance in the main hall. It was clear that Xu Chong had a very close relationship with the Spring and Autumn Alliance, and he did not hide any of the alliance's secrets from him.
Strangely, the four of them did not mention a word about the bet with the Xuanxiao Sect.
After more than half an hour, when everything had been discussed and Qi Feng, Chi Yuan, and Xu Chong were about to take their leave, Master Changkong suddenly mentioned something casually:
"By the way, we need to thoroughly investigate the leak of the Seven Star Reef spiritual vein. Fellow Daoist Qifeng, I'll leave this matter to you!"
"Yes, Alliance Leader!" Old Daoist Qi Feng narrowed his eyes, then cupped his hands in acknowledgment.
Upon hearing this, Master Chiyuan was taken aback, but said nothing and silently withdrew.
Once he was the only one left in the main hall, the smile on Master Changkong's face slowly faded, and he slammed his right hand heavily on the jade chair.
The next instant, the jade chair silently shattered into a pile of dust.
...
After leaving the main hall, Zhao Sheng politely declined Meng Quyi, Zhao Guanxi and others' invitation to get together, but agreed that he would personally visit each of their caves in the next few days.
After bidding farewell to everyone, Zhao Sheng rode his flying sword, transforming it into a sword rainbow, and headed straight for Xia Guang Island, a branch island of Jiu Zhen Island.
Danhuo Workshop on Xiaguang Island
As soon as Zhao Sheng landed on the street of Danhuofang, he immediately smelled an unusually strong fragrance of pills and medicine.
Danhuofang is the main market on Jiuzhen Island that deals in alchemy and the sale of spiritual herbs. It has the most alchemists and the largest flow of people.
The streets of the market were lined with various medicine shops and alchemy stores, and the streets were bustling with people. Every now and then, you could see an alchemist in a robe being surrounded by a group of rogue cultivators as he walked through the streets, with flattery ringing out in the air.
This shows that on Jiuzhen Island, alchemists hold an exceptionally high status, and the supply and demand relationship is severely imbalanced.
As evening approached, Zhao Sheng walked out of the market with a slightly disappointed expression.
It turned out that he had wandered around the Danhuofang market, visiting all the pill shops and buying a lot of spiritual herbs and seeds. However, he couldn't find a single alchemy furnace that caught his eye, let alone any spiritual fire.
After repeated inquiries, he learned that the sale of spiritual fire, pill formulas, and alchemy furnaces was mostly monopolized by the Alchemist Association, and the Pill Fire Market only allowed the trading of ordinary pill formulas and alchemy furnaces of average quality.
As for the Heavenly Spirit Fire, it is the exclusive property of the Alchemist Association and is extremely rare to appear in shops in the market.
The Alchemy Association enjoys a very high reputation and has a huge potential influence on Jiuzhen Island. Without exception, all the alchemists on the island have joined the Alchemy Association.
Its external headquarters is located at the foot of Sunset Peak on Xiaguang Island.
Having left the market, Zhao Sheng had already made up his mind. Without saying a word, he released his flying sword, transforming into a sword rainbow, and flew towards Sunset Peak.
A few minutes later, a streak of sword light flew rapidly from afar. When it approached a mountain peak emitting white smoke, the sword light turned and fell swiftly down.
Zhao Sheng dispersed the sword light and stood at the foot of Sunset Peak.
The shape of Mount Xia was quite peculiar. From a distance, it looked like a huge, bright red chimney. The top of the mountain was a sunken valley, and at its deepest point was a steaming volcanic lake. Caves were carved into the surrounding mountain walls, and alchemists dressed in red robes could be seen coming and going.
At the foot of the mountain stood a large cluster of buildings, with several palaces of varying sizes towering in the middle. The most magnificent of them all had the three large characters "Dan Shi Hui" painted in gold lacquer on the main hall.
After briefly surveying the complex of buildings in front of him, Zhao Sheng strode toward the Cauldron Hall.
After showing his guest advisor token to the guards at the entrance, he was able to enter the main hall of the furnace smoothly.
As soon as Zhao Sheng stepped inside, a young man in white robes with a three-eared alchemy furnace tattooed on his chest came to greet him.
"Greetings, fellow Daoist. Are you here to buy a pill furnace, or do you have one to sell?" the white-robed youth asked respectfully.
"Yes, I'd like to buy a suitable alchemy furnace, preferably of good quality. A spirit-grade alchemy furnace would be ideal," Zhao Sheng said casually.
Upon hearing this, the young man in white robes' eyes lit up, and his expression became even more respectful. He quickly said, "Senior, please come with me. Master Jin Ming is on duty right now, and he must have a pill-refining furnace that will satisfy you."
"lead the way!"
After Zhao Sheng responded, he followed the young man in white robes through the main hall, down a corridor, and into a side hall.
Upon entering the side hall, one sees a short, stout old man with a bald head and beard, holding a cauldron covered in green rust in his hands. He holds it up to his eyes and carefully examines the inscriptions on the surface of the cauldron.
Zhao Sheng glanced at the other person and knew that this was the so-called Master Jin Ming.
The young man in white robes leaned forward and whispered a few words to the old man.
The short, stout old man put down his alchemy furnace, turned to look at Zhao Sheng, and suddenly burst into laughter: "So, a customer has come to our door! Fellow Daoist, please come over quickly. I may not have much else, but I have the most high-quality alchemy furnaces. I guarantee you'll come with high spirits and leave satisfied!"
Zhao Sheng smiled slightly, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and sat down opposite the old man.
As soon as he sat down, the short, stout old man asked impatiently, "I wonder what level of alchemy furnace you would like to buy?"
Zhao Sheng calmly asked, "Does Your Excellency possess a spirit-grade alchemy furnace?"
"Hmm?! This...this is difficult!" The short, stout old man gasped, rubbing his hands together with a troubled expression.
"Could it be that you don't have one? Surely a great alchemist like you wouldn't be without even a spiritual artifact alchemy furnace!" Zhao Sheng raised an eyebrow, deliberately adding a hint of provocation to his tone.
Master Jinming nearly jumped up upon hearing this, exclaiming, "How is that possible? Let alone one, we could produce ten or eight, but..."
"But what is it? Fellow Daoist, please speak frankly."
After Zhao Sheng finished speaking, he released his Foundation Establishment Realm aura and took out his Guest Elder Token, pushing it in front of the short, fat old man.
Master Jinming sensed Zhao Sheng's Foundation Establishment aura and saw the token. He immediately relaxed and said with a smile, "So you are a senior guest of the Spring and Autumn Alliance. That's good. We are all family now. There's no need to mention some of the rules."
Without being asked, the short, stout old man immediately explained to Zhao Sheng.
It turns out that alchemy furnaces are a special type of magical artifact, and the difficulty of refining them is much greater than that of magical artifacts of the same level. Spiritual artifact-grade alchemy furnaces are even more difficult to refine.
Even with the strength of the Alchemist Association, the number of spirit weapon alchemy furnaces available for trading on a daily basis would not exceed twenty.
To prevent the loss of spiritual alchemy furnaces, the alchemists secretly set a rule not to sell them to "outsiders" unless the outsider can offer a treasure that entices the guild.
The Spring and Autumn Alliance is the overlord of Jiuzhen Island, and the Alchemist Association is also under its protection, so the Foundation Establishment guests in the alliance are not considered outsiders.
Even so, the trade of spirit-grade alchemy furnaces must follow the rules of barter and must never be conducted using spirit stones.
To put it bluntly, alchemists are so rich that they look down on mere spirit stones, except for top-grade and rare spirit stones, of course.
After listening to the short, stout old man's explanation, Zhao Sheng remained silent, feeling somewhat troubled.
After much deliberation, he realized that he didn't have many things to trade, and the most suitable item was "The Essential Explanation of Alchemy: One Hundred Elixir Formulas" by Canhezi.
Should we really exchange this alchemy manual for an alchemy furnace?
He was undecided for a moment.