"I only managed to gather six portions. Some of the materials are far too rare—I practically combed through the entire Alchemist Guild but could only collect six portions!"
"Six portions? Fine, hand them over."
With the Five-Colored Sky Stone in hand, he was nearly 100% certain he could break through his meridians. His mood instantly lifted, and he pointed to Han Bo and Chen Zhen, still lying on the ground. "Treat the two of them first."
Jia Rong handed over a storage pouch but then his face darkened in anger. "What do you take me for? Someone at your beck and call?"
Li Yunxiao stared coldly at him. "If you're unhappy, then leave!"
Jia Rong was so furious that his scalp tingled. As someone of considerable status, he couldn't believe he was being ordered around by a mere child. But under the current circumstances, he had no choice but to endure—his life and future were at stake. Reluctantly, he knelt to check the two men's injuries and pulled out two pale yellow pills from his ring, placing them into their mouths.
"Done. Now, tell me the antidote! I've fulfilled all your demands. Don't think you can order me around any further!"
Li Yunxiao's eyes narrowed with an innocent look on his face. "You know, countless people cry and beg to follow my orders. I bet you'll be begging to listen to me in a moment."
Jia Rong's expression twisted with rage. "You're planning to go back on your word!"
Li Yunxiao sneered. "Do you think I, Li Yunxiao, would stoop to deceiving a mere rank-one alchemist?" With a wave of his hand, a piece of paper sliced through the air and flew toward Jia Rong.
Jia Rong caught the paper between his fingers, his face growing grim. The strength behind the throw was stronger than he had expected. He glanced at the content on the paper, and his expression suddenly turned ecstatic. Hastily, he tucked it away. Although his knowledge couldn't fully verify its authenticity, it was enough for him to believe that Li Yunxiao wasn't lying.
"I'll take this. We're even now!" Jia Rong turned to leave. This boy was too enigmatic, and he couldn't see through him at all. Initially, he'd thought of avenging the humiliation he'd suffered earlier, but a faint sense of dread made him feel it was better to cut his losses. His life and future were far more important.
"This formula can neutralize the poison from the Yin Wind Stone and Bloodflame Orchid without leaving any side effects," Li Yunxiao said leisurely. "But tell me, haven't you noticed your soul power has been deteriorating every time you attempt alchemy during this period? Doesn't it feel like you're regressing?"
Jia Rong froze in place.
"Heh. Alchemists recover their soul power ten times slower than martial artists regenerate their energy. And once it deteriorates, recovering it is a hundred times harder than normal cultivation. Although the time you've been poisoned isn't long, given your talent, it'll take you at least 20 or 30 years to return to your previous level. Advancing to a rank-one alchemist after that? That's a pipe dream. Even if luck is on your side, maybe in 50 years."
Jia Rong's face turned ashen. He was well aware of these facts. The high status of alchemists was due to the difficulty of cultivating soul power. Regression in soul power was almost irreversible. He was already far from becoming a rank-one alchemist. If he had to wait another 50 years, he might never achieve it in his lifetime.
"What are you trying to say?"
"Heh, nothing much. I just happen to know a method that could make you a true rank-one alchemist within 50 days."
"Fifty days?!"
Jia Rong felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Impossible! You're lying!" Even without the regression of his soul power, becoming a rank-one alchemist in 50 days was out of the question. That was why he had taken the risk of using the Yin Wind Stone.
Li Yunxiao's face darkened, his voice cold and mocking. "What makes you think you're worth lying to?"
Jia Rong froze, unable to move. He was deeply skeptical, but the allure of becoming an alchemist was too great to resist. He softened his tone. "I'm sorry. I was just too shocked. Are you really confident I can restore my soul power in 50 days?"
Li Yunxiao shook his index finger and snorted. "Not restore. You will become a true rank-one alchemist. Frankly, I could make it happen in five days, but you're not worth such effort."
Jia Rong swallowed hard. "What do you want me to do?"
Li Yunxiao's gaze turned icy. "Be my servant."
"Impossible!"
Jia Rong's pupils constricted, his face pale with fury. "You're just a kid, and you want an alchemist as your servant? Ridiculous!"
Li Yunxiao sat silently in his chair, his natural aura radiating. His eyes glinted with disdain as he said coldly, "If I weren't currently limited in strength, do you think you'd even qualify to be my servant? As it stands, you're only worth serving me for 50 days. After that, you can leave."
Jia Rong's mind went blank, his entire being trembling at Li Yunxiao's words. The boy's disdainful gaze wasn't feigned—it was real. It made him feel as if being unqualified to serve was a universal truth.
What on earth is happening? Who is this boy? A lunatic? But a lunatic couldn't possibly have seen through my condition and provided a solution at a glance.
Li Yunxiao's voice echoed. "Do you feel it's beneath you to serve me?"
Of course! Jia Rong cursed inwardly, but his thoughts were interrupted as Li Yunxiao's eyes glinted with a strange golden light. In an instant, Jia Rong felt a crushing pressure emanating from his very soul. It was a primal fear, an innate reverence for divinity.
"Thud!"
Jia Rong collapsed to his knees, drenched in cold sweat. He dared not even lift his head under the suffocating soul pressure.
"What is happening? How does a mere boy possess such terrifying soul power? Who is he?"
Jia Rong's mind spiraled into chaos. The fear etched in his soul left him utterly paralyzed. He felt as if Li Yunxiao's mere thought could obliterate his existence.
"You have three breaths. Will you submit or not?"
Submit or not?
If I submit, I may rise to unimaginable heights.
If I refuse, I might regret it forever.
"I... I submit!" Jia Rong gritted his teeth and mustered all his strength to utter the words. As soon as he spoke, a strange relief washed over him, leaving him completely drained.
Li Yunxiao's lips curled into a faint smile. "Good. You'll come to realize today's decision was the luckiest of your life. Since you've pledged yourself to me, I won't treat you poorly." With a flick of his finger, a formula shot out. "Follow these instructions. If you don't advance to rank-one alchemist within five days, it means your talent is worthless, and you're unworthy of serving me. Don't bother showing your face again."
Jia Rong's hands trembled as he caught the formula. His eyes scanned the content, and he screamed in shock. "Soul Refining Art!"
Li Yunxiao snorted lightly. "It's just a basic soul refining technique, but it's enough for you to recover and advance within five days."
Jia Rong's entire body trembled as he reverently stored the formula in a jade box and placed it in his storage ring. Bowing deeply to Li Yunxiao, he retreated.
In his heart, he marveled at the fortuitous opportunity. "This Cloud Young Master… Who is he really?"
Jia Rong hurried out, his heart racing with excitement. Holding the Soul Refining Art, he felt as though he was floating on air. Although it was the most basic version of the Soul Refining Technique, its value in the alchemist world was undeniably priceless. As he rushed toward the Alchemist Guild, he couldn't help but think:
"What kind of person is this Young Master Yunxiao? That was clearly the legendary Soul Capturing Technique. He actually mastered such a secret technique!"
Being an alchemist himself, Jia Rong quickly regained his composure and realized what that terrifying soul pressure he had felt earlier was. Otherwise, a normal child would never have such overwhelming soul power.
"Also, the Soul Refining Art—such a valuable technique, and he gave it to me so easily. Even the royal family wouldn't be so generous. No matter what, even if I serve him for a few years, it's worth it!"