Chapter 227 - Refining the Supreme Pill

Bai Jie wasn't in a good mood.　　He couldn't stop thinking about what Chen Xia had said when refining the pills that day: "Exchange five hundred years of your lifespan for the success of the pill."　　Every time he thought of this sentence, Bai Jie couldn't calm down. He always felt that he had indeed lost some lifespan, especially since Chen Xia had refined two dao pills in one furnace.　　Bai Jie believed that it wasn't just five hundred years of lifespan deducted. The two dao pills together should cost a thousand years. With his strength at the Sea Overturning Realm, he had a lifespan of over ten thousand years. If he could stack up some elixirs that increased lifespan in the future, reaching a lifespan of twenty thousand years wouldn't be too difficult.　　But even a twenty-thousand-year lifespan couldn't withstand Chen Xia's deductions like this. Refining a top-grade dao pill once cost a thousand years of lifespan. If he did it a few more times, wouldn't he be sent to his grave directly?　　No, absolutely not.　　Bai Jie finally figured it out. The next day, he brought twenty thousand spirit stones as a gift to Chen Xia. He pleaded with Chen Xia not to deduct his lifespan when refining pills in the future, and his attitude was extremely respectful.　　"Father, I was wrong. Please forgive me. Don't use my lifespan when refining pills in the future, okay?"　　"Then whose should I use?" Chen Xia asked curiously.　　Bai Jie thought for a moment and replied, "Use those with a high realm. People with a high realm have a lot of lifespan. Or just use that old guy's. He doesn't have much time left anyway. Maybe we can even owe some, and that would be a gain."　　"You're quite good at calculating," Chen Xia chuckled. He put away the alchemy book in his hand and explained, "Just kidding. Don't take it to heart."　　"Ah?" Bai Jie was stunned. Then he frowned and asked hesitantly, "Really?"　　"Do you really think your five hundred years of lifespan can be worth two top-grade dao pills?" Chen Xia retorted.　　The two top-grade dao pills together were almost worth over two hundred thousand spirit stones. Qiong Qi, as a candidate for the Sea Overturning Realm Great Emperor, his life was only worth three hundred thousand spirit stones.　　Bai Jie's five hundred years of lifespan really wasn't worth two top-grade dao pills.　　After thinking it over carefully, he realized that this was indeed the case. He immediately laughed and replied,　　"I knew you wouldn't be so cruel to me, Father."　　Chen Xia was sitting in a rocking chair. He tilted his head and suddenly asked curiously, "Who is the most powerful alchemist in the Starry Sky Pill Sect?"　　"You," Bai Jie answered without hesitation.　　He had always been good at this in terms of his perspective.　　"Besides me?" Chen Xia continued to ask.　　Bai Jie thought for a while and replied, "The other alchemists are far inferior to you. The most powerful alchemist should be the Sect Master. However, the Sect Master is only at the level of a mid-grade dao alchemist."　　"There aren't any really powerful alchemists in the Starry Sky Pill Sect. Although it has the name of a pill sect, we take the low-end route, mainly relying on quantity."　　"The Sect Master also wants to enter the high-end market. After all, it would allow us to communicate with the top sects in the upper echelons, which means having more connections and opportunities."　　"But there are only a few dozen dao alchemists in the realm, and they are all supported by those major sects. The Starry Sky Pill Sect isn't qualified to keep a dao alchemist."　　Chen Xia nodded. He thought this was normal. After all, even in the former Heaven's Edge Sword Sea, there weren't many dao alchemists. Someone like Zhang Daoming, a mid-grade spiritual alchemist at the Mountain Moving Realm, could even get the title of a minor elder in the Heaven's Edge Sword Sea.　　This was enough to show the preciousness of alchemists.　　As for the grand masters of the Dao of Alchemy who could refine great pills, Chen Xia hadn't met any yet, but he had heard of them.　　Wang Yangzi, whom Zhang Daoming highly respected, was a grand master of the Dao of Alchemy and was also in the realm. Presumably, he should be an upper-level cultivator.　　No wonder Zhen Hu was so obsequious to Chen Xia. An alchemist who could refine half a great pill was one of the few in the entire realm.　　If you made the calculations, Chen Xia was indeed Zhen Hu's "big daddy" in a sense.　　Moreover, Zhen Hu had to worry about this "big daddy" being poached by other sects. In the realm, people didn't shy away from poaching. They would offer a price right in front of you.　　There were even quasi-sage powerful beings who would come directly to snatch people. Whether you were willing or not, they would take you away first. By the time you got there, you would be willing.　　Zhen Hu was worried about this too. Fortunately, the top quasi-sage powerhouses these days didn't like to show up much. Cultivators at the Heaven Mending Realm lacked influence. Unless it was the top existences at the twelfth level of the Heaven Mending Realm, Zhen Hu really wasn't afraid.　　He, Zhen Hu, had been in the middle echelons for so long and had quite a few connections. He also knew some super-powerful beings above the fifth level of the Heaven Mending Realm.　　If he really couldn't beat them in the end, he could just surrender. Anyway, he only needed Chen Xia to refine one great pill to secure a spot for the Starry Sky Pill Sect in the Heaven Mending Realm.　　This was Zhen Hu's plan. In fact, it wasn't really a plan. After all, how could one plot against their own "big daddy"? At most, it was just a little thought.　　Bai Jie took the opportunity to say it out. He cupped his hands, his expression serious, and said respectfully, "The Starry Sky Pill Sect requests that you, sir, refine one great pill."　　Chen Xia shook his head. "I can't guarantee the success rate of refining a great pill. But I can refine half a great pill."　　Although there was only a one-character difference, a great pill was much more precious than half a great pill. The price was directly doubled, and so was the difficulty.　　Bai Jie quickly replied, "Regardless of whether it's successful or not, you don't need to take responsibility, sir. And if it's successful, you can keep the great pill. You just need to pay for the medicinal herbs."　　This was quite a good deal.　　Chen Xia nodded, thinking it was reasonable. Then he asked, "What kind of great pill do you plan to refine?"　　"Naturally, it's a relatively simple low-grade great pill. But when we say it's simple, it's only in comparison to other great pills. So, only someone like you, sir, can succeed in refining it."　　Bai Jie answered quickly, not forgetting to flatter a bit to show his broad perspective.　　"When will I refine it?" Chen Xia asked again.　　"Exactly three hundred years from now, at the Ten Thousand Sects Gathering in the middle echelons of the realm. There will be a pill competition section. The sect that successfully refines a great pill can use it to secure a spot in the Heaven Mending Realm and will also receive an award."　　Bai Jie replied again. After a moment of hesitation, he added in a low voice,　　"At that time, if you show your prowess, sir, maybe the top sects in the upper echelons will invite you to join them."　　"Again?" Chen Xia frowned. He had been "invited" to join the Heaven's Edge Sword Sea by the Fishing Old Man back then.　　"If you're not willing, you can find some other excuses to decline. But never show that you're unwilling. Otherwise, the top cultivators at the twelfth level of the Heaven Mending Realm might come in person."　　Bai Jie whispered. Then he scurried over to Chen Xia's side, and his obsequious demeanor returned. He smiled and said,　　"As long as you show a willingness to consider, with your alchemy skills, probably no sect will make you unhappy. Even if you go to the top sects in the upper echelons, you'll enjoy top-notch treatment."　　Chen Xia touched his cheek and frowned. "Isn't that still living under someone else's roof?"　　"There's no way around it. After all, on the path of cultivation, what really matters is combat power. No matter how well you do in other aspects, it's just adding luster to that."　　Bai Jie shook his head and persuaded, his tone sounding helpless.　　Just like when Chen Xia hit him with two crutches back then, Bai Jie could only kneel down and call him "big brother."