Having worked as a service staff member at the Refining Master Guild for several years, Lu Yao had not only become acquainted with many influential figures but had also developed a sharp and discerning eye. She immediately gave Li Yunxiao a high evaluation, but she was still taken aback by the help he would request next.
"I'm looking for Yang Di. Is he here?" Li Yunxiao's gaze continued to wander across the hall as he asked nonchalantly.
"Y-Yang Di, Lord?!"
Lu Yao almost bit her tongue. She studied the young man in front of her for a while. Although she found his request absurd, his calm and indifferent demeanor made her feel that he was indeed sincere.
This left her somewhat at a loss. Cautiously, she asked, "Are you referring to the former president, Lord Yang Di?"
Li Yunxiao frowned slightly, disappointment flickering in his eyes. "Former president? So, he's not here anymore?"
A look of reverence immediately appeared in Lu Yao's eyes, her hands folding in front of her chest, her cheeks slightly flushed, filled with admiration. "Lord Yang Di broke through to the Fourth-tier Sovereign-level Refining Master twenty years ago and was transferred to the Guild's headquarters."
"Twenty years ago?"
Li Yunxiao quickly calculated in his mind—it was five years before his incident, so he must have left long ago. Without Yang Di's help, it would be much harder to unblock the hidden meridians in his body.
This current body was only fifteen years old, and he had already missed the best time for cultivation. Any further delay would make it impossible for him to return to the peak power of Gu Feiyang, let alone make any further progress.
In his past life, Gu Feiyang was regarded as a genius in both martial arts and refining! Not only was he a Ninth-tier Emperor-level Refining Master and one of the Seven Elders of the Refining Master Guild, but his martial arts achievements also stood at the pinnacle of the Nine Heavens, receiving the title "Breaking Army" from the Holy Domain. He was one of the top ten martial artists in the Tianwu realm.
"I have a list of medicinal ingredients. Can you help me find them? I need ten of each."
Li Yunxiao quickly took out a pen and paper, writing down a list of materials. With Yang Di absent, he had to find a way to fix his body's hidden injuries on his own. The path of martial cultivation allowed no time to waste!
Lu Yao looked at the list in surprise. Then, she burst into laughter. "Young master, are you sure these ingredients are correct? I've been with the Refining Master Guild for three or four years, and I've never heard of any of these things."
Lu Yao's words immediately made Li Yunxiao uneasy. He was trying to create a concoction to cleanse his meridians, and to do so, he had replaced some rare ingredients with alternatives. But now, he feared the result might disappoint him.
"What are you doing, Lu Yao?"
A man in a black robe walked over, his robe typical for a Refining Master, and a curved badge with a blood-red mark was pinned to his shoulder, gleaming brightly.
Everyone who saw the black-robed man immediately stopped what they were doing and showed respect. The black-robed man remained calm, walking with composure.
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the people's gazes were drawn more to the badge on his shoulder than to the man himself. It was a look of awe and envy. As for the black-robed man, no one seemed particularly interested in him.
Li Yunxiao narrowed his eyes and smiled faintly. This was the emblem of a First-tier Scholar-level Refining Master, a symbol of one's identity. With this badge, one would receive the highest treatment across the entire Tianwu continent.
The ranks of Refining Masters were similar to martial artists, with nine levels, each corresponding to a title. This man, Jia Rong, was a First-tier Scholar-level Refining Master.
In his past life, Gu Feiyang had been a peerless genius who mastered both martial arts and refining, attaining Emperor-level in both fields!
Lu Yao turned around, her gaze falling on the blood-red badge on Jia Rong's shoulder. She immediately straightened up and respectfully said, "Lord Jia Rong, this young man has given me a list of materials to help him gather."
Jia Rong took the list and glanced at it. His brows furrowed slightly, and without a second thought, he crumpled it into a ball and tossed it behind his head. He looked at Lu Yao and said, "What nonsense is this? Lord Liang needs you. Go now."
Lu Yao was startled when she heard that Lord Liang was calling for her. She quickly became anxious and said, "I'll go right away!"
Without another word, she hurried off, but deep inside, she felt a strange sense of relief. Even Lord Jia Rong didn't recognize the materials on the list, so it seemed this boy really was just messing around. How foolish of her to have spent so much time with him.
Li Yunxiao's face darkened. The formula he had written was a priceless treasure in his past life, worth a fortune. Yet, a mere First-tier Refining Master had casually discarded it as trash. He coldly asked, "Is your name Jia Rong?"
Jia Rong paused for a moment, a flash of anger crossing his face. How dare a mere child address him so directly? Even the nobles and officials in the capital would address him respectfully as "Lord."
"You've just recently become a First-tier Refining Master, haven't you?" Li Yunxiao lightly placed his left hand on his chest, his right hand tapping his nose.
"Hmph, which little brat are you?" Jia Rong sneered, "I became a First-tier Refining Master five days ago. Everyone knows that."
Li Yunxiao's tone became more meaningful as he said, "Are you sure you're really a First-tier Refining Master?"
Jia Rong's body stiffened, and his eyes widened in shock. He growled, "What do you mean by that?"
Li Yunxiao glanced at Jia Rong's right hand exposed outside his black robe, a hint of a smile forming on his face as he began to explain.
"Your five fingers have a dark gray tint, and they are beginning to peel. This clearly indicates that you've recently come into contact with Yin Windstone. And there's a faint scent of Blood Flame Orchid emanating from you. You must have used it to neutralize the aftereffects of the Yin Windstone. Though the Yin Windstone has strong fusion properties, it also brings with it severe side effects. Ordinary Refining Masters would never dare to use it."
"From the extent of the damage to your fingers and the Blood Flame Orchid, I'd say it happened within the past seven days. Furthermore, there's a slight fishy smell on you—this is the distinct odor of Tiger Sulfur Stone. So, it's clear that you've been handling a large amount of Tiger Sulfur Stone lately. Your Refining Master exam must have been focused on forging a Xuanyuan Weapon using Tiger Sulfur Stone as the primary material."
Jia Rong's entire body froze. Cold sweat poured down his forehead as he suddenly exploded in rage. "Nonsense!" He turned and swiped his sleeves, storming off.
Li Yunxiao smiled faintly, sighing, "Ah, if Yin Windstone were really that effective, anyone could be a Refining Master. Besides, the side effects of the Blood Flame Orchid are no less than those of Yin Windstone. You must feel quite comfortable at noon, don't you? The pressure on your Mei Chong, Tian Zhu, and Da Shu acupoints must be excruciating, right?"
Jia Rong's body immediately spasmed as if he had been electrocuted. His feet felt as though they had been filled with tons of cement, and he couldn't move a single step.
Li Yunxiao shook his head, his expression full of pity. "What a waste of a talented Refining Master. If you want to save your life, you'll have to amputate your right hand and destroy your dantian."
Jia Rong's body trembled violently. "You... don't talk nonsense!"
Li Yunxiao shrugged helplessly and turned to leave. "Well, never mind. I was going to teach you how to resolve it."
"You have a way to resolve it?!"
Jia Rong, like a person struck by lightning, jumped up in a panic and rushed over to grab Li Yunxiao. His voice cracked as he cried out, "Please, tell me how!"
For days, Jia Rong had been suffering from the pain that Li Yunxiao had described. He had used the forbidden Yin Windstone to advance to the position of a Refining Master, only to experience the terrifying side effects that began that very night. His right hand gradually lost sensation, and in desperation, he turned to countless texts, but couldn't find a solution. He had only found a mention in an ancient book about using Blood Flame Orchid to neutralize the poison of the Yin Windstone.
But after using the Blood Flame Orchid, the poison only slightly eased, while his right hand continued to wither, and the Blood Flame Orchid's toxin began to take effect. His acupoints at noon burned with unbearable pain! If this continued, his dantian would be destroyed, and his cultivation would be completely ruined!
To lose his dantian would be bad enough for a martial artist, but losing his right hand meant the end of his refining path. He couldn't accept it! Especially after reaching the esteemed position of First-tier Refining Master, with the respect and admiration he now received from others. He couldn't afford to lose everything.
"Please, tell me the way to resolve it!" Jia Rong clung to Li Yunxiao's shoulders, shaking with desperation, almost on the verge of tears.
At this moment, many people in the hall were watching the scene unfold. Though they couldn't hear the conversation from afar, Jia Rong's exaggerated behavior and his crying expression had drawn the attention of the crowd, who began speculating about the identity of the young man.
Li Yunxiao spread his hands, feigning surprise. "Huh, where's my material list? Did anyone see my list?"
Jia Rong was stunned for a moment, then turned around. Seeing the crumpled list he had discarded, he immediately understood what Li Yunxiao meant. He hurriedly said, "It's over there. Please wait, I'll pick it up!"
Ignoring the curious gazes from the crowd, Jia Rong rushed over to pick up the paper. As he did, murmurs of surprise filled the air, causing his face to turn bright red with embarrassment. He wished he could sink into the ground.
"First, get the method to resolve this issue. As for the humiliation, I'll definitely repay it later!"
Jia Rong gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with hatred, but he maintained a calm expression and carefully unfolded the list, handing it back to Li Yunxiao.
Li Yunxiao casually placed the list to his face, blew his nose, and then crumpled it again before tossing it aside. "I need ten of each material on this list. Once you have them all, come find me at Jialan Academy. My name is Li Yunxiao."
"You!..."
Jia Rong glared at the crumpled list and the snot-covered paper lying on the floor. His stomach churned, and he trembled with anger.
Li Yunxiao's eyes narrowed as he sneered. "Face isn't something others give you; it's something you lose on your own."