A quarter of an hour later.
Feeling the strengthening aura radiating from Jiang Hao, Ye Canghai remained exhilarated, more convinced than ever that he hadn’t made the wrong bet.
However, this was no time to celebrate.
Their most pressing issue was figuring out how to withstand the Qi Family’s wrath.
The four of them took their seats in the courtyard to discuss countermeasures.
“With our current strength, it’s impossible to shake the Qi Family.
If we want to stand against them, I’m afraid we can only rely on external forces,” Ye Canghai spoke up first.
This was the only solution he could think of so far.
When the Patriarch of the Ye Family was young, he had befriended a peerless genius who had long since become a hegemon of another Earth Realm.
If they could gain that person’s support, temporarily protecting Jiang Hao and Ye Qingxian wouldn’t be a problem.
“Father, how long will you be gone on this trip?” Hearing that Ye Canghai was about to leave, Ye Tiannan’s eyes instantly filled with worry.
His words carried little weight within the Ye Family, and the entire Ye Mansion was already in a state of panic.
Without the old master here to hold the fort, Ye Tiannan feared he wouldn’t last long.
“Ten days at the shortest, half a month at the longest.
If I haven’t returned in half a month…” Ye Canghai trailed off.
If he didn’t return within half a month, it meant he had failed to bring reinforcements.
By then, what awaited them would be absolute annihilation.
Jiang Hao remained silent on the side, analyzing the pros and cons in his mind.
Ye Canghai was telling the truth; to fight against Qi Tianyang and the Qi Family, his current strength was far from enough.
Shortly after Ye Canghai finished speaking, Jiang Hao pondered for a moment before saying calmly, “Grandmaster Ye, if we truly must rely on external forces to fight the Qi Family, there’s no need to seek afar and neglect what lies close at hand.”
At these words, both Ye Canghai and Ye Tiannan couldn’t help but look at Jiang Hao.
“Hao’Er, do you perhaps have a better plan?”
Seeing all three of them looking at him, Jiang Hao decided not to hide anything anymore.
However, instead of directly answering Ye Canghai, he asked, “Grandmaster Ye, three years ago, Hao’Er heard that the old master of the Tang Family was approaching the end of his lifespan.
Without a Nine Revolutions Life Extension Pill to sustain him, he would only have five years left to live.
I wonder if Tang Xiao has found this elixir yet?”
Tang Xiao was the helmsman of the Tang Family, one of the top three cultivating families in the Earth Realm of Xingyue City.
“He hasn’t found it.
The Nine Revolutions Life Extension Pill is a Tier Two Ninth-grade Elixir.
It’s priceless and practically impossible to buy, so how could it be so easily obtained?
Hao’Er, when you mentioned not neglecting what lies close at hand, you aren’t referring to Tang Xiao, are you?” Ye Canghai pondered for a moment, slowly shaking his head as he let out a bitter smile.
“The Patriarch of the Tang Family is nearing the end of his lifespan and is in life-or-death seclusion.
They have been turning away all guests for three years now.
Getting him to lend a hand would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.”
It wasn’t that Ye Canghai hadn’t considered this option, but it was almost impossible to achieve.
Hearing this, Jiang Hao gave a mysterious smile and asked in return, “But what if we have a Nine Revolutions Life Extension Pill in our hands?”
BOOM!
These words sent a violent shock through the three of them.
Ye Qingxian’s beautiful eyes widened in astonishment.
“Little fool, you…
you have a Nine Revolutions Life Extension Pill?”
The Nine Revolutions Life Extension Pill was a Tier Two Ninth-grade Elixir!
The entire Eastern Domain might not even have one, so how could Jiang Hao possibly possess such a pill?
“I definitely don’t have it right now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have it within two years,” Jiang Hao said calmly.
The three of them looked at him with utterly bewildered expressions.
Seeing this, Jiang Hao said helplessly, “Uncle Ye, Grandmaster Ye, given how things are, there are some matters Hao’Er won’t hide from you anymore.”
With that said, Jiang Hao took a deep breath and slowly raised his hand, palm facing upwards.
Unsure of what was going on, the three subconsciously stared at his palm.
The next moment, catching them completely off guard.
PUFF!
A soft popping sound rang out.
In the center of Jiang Hao’s palm, a terrifying flame abruptly ignited out of thin air.
In an instant, the surrounding temperature skyrocketed.
The group felt wave after wave of scorching heat washing over their faces, nearly unbearable in its intensity.
The moment the flame spontaneously combusted, Ye Canghai and Ye Tiannan leapt to their feet.
The former’s eyes widened, brimming with sheer horror.
“T-This…
This is…
the Fire of Heaven and Earth?”
Staring at the intensely burning Fire of Heaven and Earth, Ye Canghai’s eyes looked as though they were about to split open, his face masked in utter disbelief.
Even Ye Qingxian was full of joy and surprise as she exclaimed, “Little fool, you…
you are an Alchemy Master?”
BOOM!
At her words, Ye Canghai and Ye Tiannan looked as if they had been struck by lightning, a storm of electricity surging in their eyes.
Though none of the three were Alchemy Masters, conjuring fire out of nothing meant he had undeniably drawn upon the Fire of Heaven and Earth.
On the Celestial Martial Continent, a Pill Master was a one-in-a-million existence.
It was said that among ten thousand Cultivators, not even one might become an Alchemy Master; the difficulty lay entirely in sensing the Fire of Heaven and Earth.
And the Fire of Heaven and Earth was one of the most authoritative hallmarks of an Alchemy Master.
Looking at the flame in his hand, Jiang Hao murmured to himself, “Although I cannot refine a Nine Revolutions Life Extension Pill right now, once my attainments in the Alchemy Dao improve over time, it will certainly be a walk in the park.
“If we use this as a condition to negotiate with Tang Xiao, the Tang Family might very well intervene in this matter.”
As long as he could meet Tang Xiao, he was confident he could persuade him.
This confidence stemmed from his own immeasurable talent in the Alchemy Dao.
Jiang Hao’s aptitude for alchemy was truly terrifying.
Hearing Jiang Hao’s words, Ye Qingxian finally revealed her first smile since this ordeal began.
Her face flushed with joy, she cried out, “So, does this mean the Ye Family is saved?
Grandfather, Father, the Ye Family is saved!”
Watching the ecstatic Ye Qingxian, Ye Canghai and Ye Tiannan were just as thrilled, despite their lingering shock.
“Hao’Er, exactly how many secrets do you still have that this old man doesn’t know about?” Ye Canghai’s breathing grew heavy, waves of wild joy washing over him.
In just two short days, Jiang Hao had brought one surprise after another to the Ye Family.
Whether it was a Saint Tier Martial Soul or being an Alchemy Master, both were terrifying attributes that others could only dream of.
In a trance, Ye Canghai could almost envision the Ye Family rising to the heavens and achieving boundless glory.
However, how to make Tang Xiao emerge from his life-or-death seclusion remained a problem.
Jiang Hao, however, already had a countermeasure.
Looking across the entire Earth Realm of Xingyue City, the only person capable of drawing Tang Xiao out of seclusion was likely Bai Wufeng, the Pavilion Master of the Divine Pill Pavilion.
If he could refine an elixir that would send shockwaves through the Divine Pill Pavilion, then none of this was impossible.
It all boiled down to one word: benefits.
After listening to Jiang Hao’s plan, Ye Qingxian looked surprised.
“Little fool, you…
you want to practice Alchemy?”
Jiang Hao smiled without a word.
From seemingly nowhere, he pulled out an incredibly crude Pill Furnace along with dozens of medicinal herbs.
“Rise!”
Following Jiang Hao’s soft shout.
PUFF!
Suddenly, a terrifying flame sprang into existence, instantly engulfing the entire Pill Furnace.
At the same time, Jiang Hao’s hands moved with blinding speed.
He expertly manipulated the Fire of Heaven and Earth while continuously tossing in herbs.
Ye Canghai and the other two watched with utter disbelief in their eyes.
But just as the three were reeling in astonishment, a highly inappropriate voice rang out from outside the courtyard.
“Tiannan, why didn’t you tell me that this fool is no longer foolish?”
Hearing this, Ye Canghai and the others turned toward the source of the voice, only to see two figures approaching from outside.
It was none other than Ye Tiannan’s wife, Liu Ruyue, and his son, Ye Xiaotian.
“Ruyue?
Xiaotian?” Sensing trouble, Ye Tiannan immediately asked, “When did you get here?”
Liu Ruyue glared at him with furious eyes.
“We arrived just when Father said he was leaving Xingyue City to fetch reinforcements!
I heard your entire conversation just now.
Tiannan, how could you hide such a massive matter from the two of us?”
After saying that, Liu Ruyue turned to Ye Canghai.
“Father, Tiannan is being foolish, but are you confused as well?
How can you believe the words of this piece of trash?
“Do you honestly believe he can single-handedly stand against the entire Qi Family?”
Hearing Liu Ruyue’s words, Ye Tiannan frowned deeply.
He knew better than anyone that ever since the Martial Soul awakening ceremony three years ago, this mother and son had harbored deep prejudices against Jiang Hao.
This was especially true for his son, Ye Xiaotian, who had long despised his prospective brother-in-law to the very bone.
Sure enough, just as Liu Ruyue finished speaking, Ye Xiaotian pointed at Jiang Hao with a look of pure disdain.
“Father, he’s just a retarded piece of trash who couldn’t even awaken his Martial Soul three years ago.
You don’t honestly believe this loser can refine some earth-shattering elixir, do you?”
“Enough!”
As soon as Ye Xiaotian finished, Ye Canghai couldn’t help but roar, glaring fiercely at Liu Ruyue and Ye Xiaotian.
“You two had better keep your mouths shut about everything you’ve seen and heard today!
If you leak even a single word, don’t blame me for disregarding family ties!”
Hearing his roar, Liu Ruyue and Ye Xiaotian immediately trembled in fear, instinctively shrinking their necks.
Ye Tiannan might not be able to control this mother and son, but Ye Canghai could definitely keep them in line.
Naturally, Liu Ruyue and Ye Xiaotian’s harsh words had also reached Jiang Hao’s ears.
However, he paid them no mind, remaining entirely focused on refining the elixir.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, dawn was fast approaching.
Right as the first hints of white appeared on the horizon…
“Open!”
With a light shout from Jiang Hao, the lid of the medicinal pot flew off.
Suddenly, waves of a rich pill fragrance wafted through the air.
“It’s done?” Jiang Hao was instantly overjoyed.
Succeeding on his very first attempt at Alchemy gave him a massive boost in confidence.
Ye Canghai impatiently stepped forward and peered into the bottom of the pot.
There were no longer any traces of raw herbs inside; instead, three snow-white Spirit Pills lay quietly at the bottom.
“They’re actually elixirs?” Ye Canghai exclaimed in shock, subconsciously taking one out to examine it closely.
At once, a jolt ran through everyone present.
Ye Xiaotian, in particular, looked thoroughly flabbergasted.
“Mother, that piece of trash actually managed to refine an elixir?”