Martial Peak
chapter-2730

Chapter 2730, Dare to Bet

Ji Ying was shocked to suddenly hear that Yang Kai was able to refine Emperor Grade Spirit Pills.

Very soon though, his face darkened again and he said with some displeasure, “I hope Palace Master Yang isn’t making a crass joke.”

How could Emperor Grade Spirit Pills be so easy to refine? Only an Emperor Alchemist was able to refine Emperor Grade Spirit Pills! If just anyone could become an Emperor Alchemist, then their status in the Star Boundary wouldn’t be so high.

Yang Kai clearly didn’t look old, so he could already be considered a heaven-defying genius to be able to raise his cultivation to the Emperor Realm. How could he have had any time to study the profound Alchemic Dao as well? That was how Ji Ying concluded that Yang Kai was purely speaking nonsense.

This was simply an insult to all Alchemists and a scorn to the Alchemic Dao!

Sure enough, this man had no regard for Alchemists. Though his unfilial disciple Li Xuan had flipped white and black, fabricating lies, it seemed he was not wrong on this point.

Ji Ying was so annoyed that he wanted to just flick his sleeves and leave, but he had misunderstood Yang Kai once before out of anger, so it would be extremely embarrassing to just get up and leave now.

However, the gloominess on his face was apparent to all.

“Grandmaster Ji doesn’t believe me?” Yang Kai looked at Ji Ying.

Ji Ying grunted.

[Don’t believe me then!] Yang Kai chuckled. He was a genuine Emperor Alchemist, and there was no need for him to prove himself to anyone. However, after thinking of something, he suddenly raised a brow and proposed, “Since Grandmaster Ji doesn’t believe me, do you dare to make a bet with me?”

“A bet?” Ji Ying frowned, “A bet on what?”

“A bet on whether this Palace Master is an Emperor Alchemist or not!” Yang Kai smiled.

Ji Ying’s frown deepened even further. He couldn’t help but feel a little suspicious of how confident Yang Kai was acting. Could he really be an Emperor Alchemist? If it was true, that would be quite astonishing.

Anyone who could become an Emperor Alchemist deserved his attention, and this did make Ji Ying somewhat curious. He now began wanting to know whether it was true or not.

“What are we betting with?”

“Let me think…” Yang Kai stroked his chin thoughtfully, looking left and right for a moment before clapping his hands and saying, “Right! My High Heaven Palace has just been founded and obviously, there are hundreds of things waiting to be done at times like these. Right now, we have a Chief Array Master, but we just so happen to be missing a Chief Alchemist. If Grandmaster Ji loses, how about becoming the Chief Alchemist of my High Heaven Palace?”

When Mi Qi and Li Jiao heard this, they were both shocked and shouted, “Grandmaster Ji, you must not trust him!”

“You can’t take the bet against him!”

High Heaven Palace was difficult enough to deal with as it was, but if Ji Ying really became their Chief Alchemist and they manage to build a relationship with Medicine Pill Valley, then no one would be able to stop High Heaven Palace in the Northern Territory in the future. Both their Full Sky Sect and Fire Dragon Palace could only bow down to High Heaven Palace in order to survive.

Neither Mi Qi nor Li Jiao wanted to see that happen.

Xi Lei glared at them, “Shut your mouths!”

Even though Mi Qi and Li Jiao both felt disgraced, they really didn’t dare to speak again.

Ji Ying was stunned, but then he laughed and said, “So, this is the plan that Palace Master Yang has in mind?”

Yang Kai chuckled, “So, does Grandmaster Ji dare to take the bet?”

Ji Ying responded, “This Ji’s bet is to become the Chief Alchemist of your High Heaven Palace. Then, may I ask what Palace Master Yang Kai’s bet is?”

Yang Kai answered readily, “If I am not an Emperor Alchemist, then Grandmaster Ji can ask for whatever he pleases! This Palace Master will have no complaints.”

Ji Ying’s face froze. Yang Kai’s words made him realize that he was not just talking nonsense, but really had something to back up his confidence, and that was undoubtedly his identity as an Emperor Alchemist.

[He’s really an Emperor Alchemist?]

Ji Ying was already convinced at this point, but was still a little shocked.

To have cultivated to the Emperor Realm at such a young age, where did he find the time to cultivate the Alchemic Dao? He himself was an Emperor Alchemist and knew all the hardships of walking on this Grand Dao. Naturally, Ji Ying could appreciate the rarity of an Emperor Alchemist.

After thinking seriously for a while, Ji Ying shook his head, “No. Palace Master Yang’s gambling method is not appropriate. This bet is far too unfavourable to this Ji.”

Whether Yang Kai was an Emperor Alchemist or not was a fact only he himself knew, so if Ji Yin really made this bet with him, then he would be too much of a fool. He would gain nothing by winning, and would be falling into a trap if he were to lose. Ji Ying wasn’t stupid to such an extent yet.

“Does Grandmaster Ji not dare to take the bet?” Yang Kai smiled.

Ji Ying shook his head, “There is no need to try and provoke this Ji. This Ji will not be fooled.”

The more Yang Kai tried to urge him on, the more he felt that Yang Kai was trying to trap him. If he lost, then he would have to become this High Heaven Palace’s Chief Alchemist. When that happened, how could he still live a free life?

Even though Alchemy was as simple to him as eating and drinking, he was still the Legacy Disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, so how could he become the hired Alchemist of another Sect? Not to mention how exhausting it would be to have to refine pills for such a large Sect.

Yang Kai scratched his chin, “In that case… Why don’t we change the bet itself?”

Ji Ying frowned, “What is Palace Master Yang planning now?” He instinctively felt that it must not be good.

Yang Kai said, “The stakes remain the same, but Grandmaster Ji and I will have an Alchemy competition, refining the same type of pill. We will compete to see who can refine the most Spirit Pills with the highest quality!”

Ji Ying was shocked and stared wide-eyed at him, “You… You want to compete with me in Alchemy?”

Did he hear that right? Someone actually wanted to challenge him, a disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, to an Alchemy match?

Both Mi Qi and Li Jiao had strange expressions on their faces as they observed Yang Kai seriously, checking to see whether this guy was touched in the head.

They could have bet on anything, but he actually wanted to gamble with Ji Ying on this. Wasn’t he just asking to lose?

“That’s right, let’s compete in the Alchemic Dao!” Yang Kai nodded lightly and said in provocation, “Grandmaster Ji wouldn’t lack the guts to accept even this, right?”

Ji Ying’s face darkened, “Palace Master Yang, this Ji can discipline his unfilial Disciple for confusing rights and wrongs, and this Ji admits his wrongs and has apologized to you, but seeing how Palace Master Yang can found a Sect, he can’t be such a narrow-minded person, can he? For you to repeatedly try and make things difficult for this Ji, are you intent on humiliating this Ji on this day?”

If Yang Kai’s bet with him on whether or not he was an Emperor Alchemist, it was still acceptable, but his current proposition to hold an Alchemy competition was clearly too foolish. Ji Ying felt that Yang Kai was deliberately trying to provoke him and give him trouble.

Yang Kai shook his head and said seriously, “Nonsense. I sincerely wish to be able to compete with Grandmaster Ji in the Alchemic Dao, and I also hope that Grandmaster Ji can become the Chief Alchemist of my High Heaven Palace once everything is settled!”

Ji Ying was furious to hear that response and snapped, “You think you can win against me?”

His earlier displeasure had completely turned into anger now. Yang Kai wasn’t just trying to make trouble for him, but was clearly insulting him. What made him think he could make him into the Chief Alchemist of High Heaven Palace? And that was all based on whether he won this competition or not.

He had been studying the Alchemic Dao from his Honoured Master for so many years. In fact, his Honoured Master was the one who taught him everything he knew. To humiliate him was no different from humiliating his Honoured Master! How could Ji Ying tolerate this? He had felt some guilt towards Yang Kai over what happened with Li Xuan, but now that guilt was gone, instead replaced with fury.

Yang Kai slowly got up and took a step forward, smiling, “Does Grandmaster Ji dare to bet with me or not?”

Ji Ying’s eyes were burning with rage. He was so angry that he didn’t even know what to say anymore.

But as if he did not see this, Yang Kai continued, “If Grandmaster Ji doesn’t dare to take the bet, then forget it. Just pretend this Palace Master never said such a thing.”

“Why wouldn’t I dare!” Ji Ying slammed the table and jumped to his feet. Someone was challenging him to his face in his most prided of expertise, so how could Ji Ying endure this? If Yang Kai wanted to bet with him in a life-or-death battle, Ji Ying would endure the insult and refuse; after all, he rarely fought. However, now that the Alchemic Dao was involved, Ji Ying had to take this bet whether he wanted to or not. For the sake of his reputation, for the sake of Medicine Pill Valley’s reputation, and the reputation of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor! He needed to make sure that anyone who dared do something so outrageous would pay the price.

“Good!” Yang Kai clapped his hands joyfully.

“But the stakes must be changed!” Ji Ying coldly snorted.

“How do you want it changed?” Yang Kai raised a brow.

Ji Ying pointed a finger at Yang Kai, “If this Ji wins, then this Ji will have Palace Master Yang’s head.”

[If you dare bet with me in Alchemy, then let’s play for high stakes! We’ll see if you’re afraid now or not.]

No one would be indifferent when his or her life was involved, so Ji Ying thought that Yang Kai would panic after he asked for his head, but unexpectedly, Yang Kai nodded after only a brief thought, “Sure. Let’s go with what Grandmaster Ji says.”

“You…” Ji Ying was stunned as the flames of anger inside of him raged even hotter.

How many years had it been since he had been this angry? He did not actually want Yang Kai to die, he just wanted to scare him a bit. Who knew that this impudent man would actually accept the bet without even so much as a change to his face?

Was he really so confident that he could win? How could that be? Even as Emperor Alchemists, there would naturally be differences in their level of Alchemy techniques. The only Emperor Alchemists in this world who could defeat him in an Alchemy competition were his few Senior Brothers and Senior Sister.

“Outrageous!” Ji Ying had never met anyone as hateful as Yang Kai in his life. There should be a limit to how much one could mock him!

A face full of anger, Ji Ying shouted, “Palace Master Yang, do you want to change your wager as well? You can take this Ji’s life as well if you wish to.”

Yang Kai laughed, “The only thing I want is for Grandmaster Ji to become the Chief Alchemist of my High Heaven Palace. What would I need your life for?”

“Then that will depend on whether you have the ability!” Ji Ying flicked his sleeve in anger.

“Now that the stakes are set, let’s discuss what kind of Spirit Pill we should refine,” Yang Kai looked to Ji Ying.

“Palace Master Yang can decide. This Ji does not mind one way or the other.” There was extreme confidence backing his words, as if he did not care at all what sort of Spirit Pill Yang Kai wanted to refine.

But he did have such qualifications. After refining pills for so many years, what sort of Spirit Pill had he not refined before? Though he had not refined the Dragon Blood Pill before, it was only because he had never obtained a Dragon Blood Flower.

“Then… Let’s go with the Emperor Yuan Pill,” Yang Kai quickly gave his answer after thinking for a while.

Ji Ying looked up at Yang Kai and said solemnly, “Is Palace Master Yang sure that he wants to refine the Emperor Yuan Pill? Even though the Emperor Yuan Pill is one of the easiest Emperor Grade Spirit Pills to refine, it is also one of the Spirit Pills that is used to test one’s comprehension of the Alchemic Dao. Why not change it to a Dao Source Grade Spirit Pill instead?”

[This guy really is an Emperor Alchemist!]

Ji Ying was sure of that fact as soon as Yang Kai made that suggestion. Even though the Emperor Yuan Pill was one of the most common and easiest Emperor Grade Spirit Pills to refine, only an Emperor Alchemist was able to refine it. Moreover, it was one of the pills most commonly used to assess the level of skill of an Alchemist.

Just like in cooking, the simpler the dish, the easier it would be to see the skill of the chef that cooked it. The same reasoning applied to Alchemy. Even with the same ingredients, an average Emperor Alchemist may only be able to refine three or four Emperor Yuan Pills. However, Ji Ying was certain he could refine nine pills!