Zhou Yang nodded proudly and asked back, “How about it?”
Su Dekuai observed carefully for a long time before saying, “Senior Brother Zhou really is a genius, actually able to condense pill patterns onto a Level 2 elixir.”
He then explained to Li Shangyan, “Elixirs are divided from Level 1 to Level 9. The higher the level, the stronger the effect. Level 9 elixirs can even be effective on quasi-Immortals at the Tribulation Transcendence stage.”
“And each level of elixir is further divided into ordinary and pill-pattern grades. An elixir with pill patterns is several tens of percent stronger than one without.”
“Of course, refining elixirs with pill patterns is also very difficult. It reflects an alchemist’s skill.”
“If an ordinary Three Flower Jade Dew Pill can cure more than eighty percent of illnesses, then one with pill patterns can cure more than ninety-five percent.”
Hearing this, Li Shangyan immediately became interested and said, “Senior Brother Zhou, I’ll take these elixirs!”
Zhou Yang was stunned. “I have ten elixirs here, worth forty low-grade Spirit Stones. You want all of them?”
Li Shangyan nodded and said, “As long as the elixirs really are as effective as Senior Brother Su says, then what is forty low-grade Spirit Stones? I’ll take them!”
Zhou Yang was overjoyed!
Although he was an alchemist, he was only a Level 2 alchemist, and alchemy also required quite a lot of medicinal herbs as material costs.
More importantly, cultivators rarely get sick, so the demand for Three Flower Jade Dew Pills was not high. That meant he was not exactly wealthy.
Closing a deal for forty low-grade Spirit Stones at once not only recovered his capital, but also earned him quite a bit.
Just then, a voice with a duck-like rasp rang out: “Haha! Senior Brother, don’t let him fool you. How could an outer disciple like him possibly come up with forty low-grade Spirit Stones?”
Everyone turned to look and saw several disciples wearing Golden Sword Peak Daoist robes standing there.
The speaker was one of the outer disciples. Li Shangyan looked closely and realized it was an acquaintance… Yu Hua!
He had not had a chance to deal with him before, and now this bastard still dared to jump in front of him. Li Shangyan wanted to see what he was up to.
Zhou Yang frowned and said displeasedly, “Who are you? Why are you interfering in my business?”
Yu Hua said, “Senior Brother, don’t be fooled by this Li Shangyan. He’s just an outer disciple; how could he possibly produce forty Spirit Stones?”
Zhou Yang glanced at his clothes and said, “An outer disciple like you is teaching me how to do things?”
Yu Hua said with grievance, “Senior Brother, don’t be ungrateful. I know the swindler standing in front of you.”
Standing in front of Yu Hua was a disciple dressed in inner sect clothing. Seeing how everyone was gathered around him, it was clear that he had a considerable background.
When he saw that the person he had brought was actually arguing with an inner disciple from Divine Pill Peak, he could not help frowning and asked sharply, “You there, what is going on?”
Yu Hua immediately became submissive and, after bowing and scraping to the leader while whispering a few words, that man looked at Li Shangyan with a hint of amusement at the corner of his mouth.
He said to Zhou Yang, “Heh, I am Zhao Kun, an inner disciple of Golden Sword Peak! This junior brother from Divine Pill Peak must have already heard what this junior brother beside me said, right?”
“He was only kindly reminding you not to be deceived by some mediocre talent’s tricks.”
Hearing the name Zhao Kun, Zhou Yang and Su Dekuai’s expressions changed slightly.
“What’s wrong? Who is this Zhao Kun?” Li Shangyan quietly asked Su Dekuai.
Su Dekuai said warily, “He is one of the top three inner disciples of Golden Sword Peak. They say his talent is very good, and he has a strong chance of being promoted to a core disciple of Golden Sword Peak.”
Li Shangyan was somewhat puzzled. He had never met Zhao Kun before, yet after hearing Yu Hua’s words, this guy had already developed some hostility toward him. There had to be more to it.
At that moment, Zhou Yang asked, “So it’s Senior Brother Zhao. May I ask what you mean by mediocre talent?”
Zhao Kun stood there calmly, his chin slightly raised as he indicated Li Shangyan.
“What do you mean?” Zhou Yang asked.
Zhao Kun chuckled. “I heard that a few days ago, when the Sect was recruiting outer disciples, an unprecedented genius appeared.”
“This person possesses all Five Elements. Although I don’t know what method he used to reach the Qi Refining stage and pass the Sect test, it seems our six peaks did not take him in.”
Zhou Yang was also stunned by this, then reacted and said, “All Five Elements? The Sect would still want someone like that?”
“Uh… you can’t be talking about Junior Brother Li, can you?”
Zhao Kun laughed. “Exactly! Even a mediocre talent like that managed to enter the Sect. Truly a misfortune for the Sect!”
“So this mediocre talent says he wants to produce forty low-grade Spirit Stones to buy your elixirs? You have to be careful!”
“Be careful not to get scammed! After all, in the Cultivation world, there are all kinds of people, especially those lacking resources. They will stop at nothing.”
Zhou Yang looked at Su Dekuai and asked, “Junior Brother Su, what is going on?”
Although Su Dekuai was somewhat wary of Zhao Kun, questioning Li Shangyan was the same as questioning him, so he could not help but flare up as well.
Su Dekuai sneered, “Senior Brother Zhao really is quite bold and imposing, daring to question the Sect Leader’s decision!”
“To those who know you, you’re just an inner disciple of Golden Sword Peak!”
“To those who don’t, they’d think you’re a core disciple of Ziyang Peak.”
“Oh, no, even a core disciple of Ziyang Peak wouldn’t dare question the Sect Leader’s decision.”
“Tsk tsk, so Senior Brother Zhao, what exactly is your status? Why are you so ridiculously arrogant?”
Zhao Kun flew into a rage at those words, stepped forward, and demanded, “Fatty, what are you talking about? What does this have to do with the Sect Leader?”
Su Dekuai had completely thrown caution to the wind by then and sneered, “Junior Brother Li is indeed a Five Elements Perfectionist, but he is the first outer disciple of Ziyang Peak personally appointed by the Sect Leader!”
“By questioning whether he is qualified to be a Sect disciple, you are questioning the Sect Leader’s judgment and decision!”
“Tsk tsk, even your own Golden Sword Peak’s Peak Master would not dare question that, yet you do!”
Zhao Kun’s expression changed slightly, and he said in disbelief, “Fatty, stop talking nonsense! Ziyang Peak has never taken in outer disciples!”
Su Dekuai grinned. “Then go ask the Sect Leader! I’m sure you have the courage to question him, so you must also have the guts to ask him! Go ahead, I’ll wait for good news.”
That instantly left Zhao Kun at a loss. He glared viciously at Yu Hua, then said, “Hmph! I’ll verify it later myself. Since this junior brother refuses to believe us, then suit yourself.”
After saying that, he was about to turn and leave.
However, at this point, Su Dekuai did not want to let him off so easily.
Su Dekuai grinned and said, “Oh, right. Junior Brother Li is Elder Ye’s disciple. I believe Elder Ye will be very interested to hear about her precious disciple’s encounter in Qingyuan Valley today, and she will likely be eager to have a talk with Peak Master Mo.”
Peak Master Mo was the Peak Master of Golden Sword Peak.
Golden Sword Peak mainly focused on sword cultivation, specializing in killing and combat, and it was responsible for the Sect’s punishments.
Peak Master Mo had a forceful personality, which also led Golden Sword Peak disciples to like putting on airs and showing off.
Many disciples within the Sect had rather strong opinions about people from Golden Sword Peak.
Zhao Kun suddenly turned back and said, “Fatty, what do you mean? Which Elder is Elder Ye?”
Su Dekuai grinned. “Which Elder in the Sect would dare go talk to Peak Master Mo? Naturally, the one from Purple Garden!”
Hearing that, Zhao Kun’s expression changed drastically.
This news shocked him even more than the Sect taking in a Five Elements Perfectionist.
That… demoness… actually took in a disciple?
Zhao Kun shouted, “Bullshit! How could Ye the demoness… how could Elder Ye possibly have a disciple?”
Su Dekuai let out a strange laugh. “Why don’t you go ask Elder Ye yourself?”
At this point, Li Shangyan pulled out something as well. He was also annoyed by this show-off who dared target him the moment he arrived.
What he took out was precisely the token that Ye Ziyuan had left for him.
Seeing the character “Ye” written on that token, Zhao Kun finally believed it.
His gloomy face forced out an ugly smile as he said, “Junior Brother, this is all a misunderstanding. It was all because some scheming busybody caused Senior Brother to misunderstand you.”
Li Shangyan said coldly, “I was originally doing business with Senior Brother Zhou. It had nothing to do with you. But you insisted on sticking your hand in and trying to ruin my business.”
“Now you want to settle it all with one word of ‘misunderstanding’? When I go back, I will properly report to Master in detail what your Golden Sword Peak people have done.”