Ye Ping followed Daoist Tai Hua into the Qingyun Dao Sect.
Xu Luochen had already thought of the three conditions.
He looked at Ye Ping and spoke.
“Junior Brother, my first condition is simple. Get Jin Nation to issue an order that during the Jin Nation alchemist assessment, the candidate has to stay for ten hours, regardless of his behavior. Unless he chooses to withdraw willingly, no candidate is allowed to be expelled from the examination hall.”
“The second condition is also very simple. You just have to strictly investigate the examiners of the Jin Nation alchemist assessment and check if they have taken bribes or committed bribery. You are to also conduct a strict investigation on their characters and professional ethics, especially those in Qingzhou. You must repeatedly conduct thorough investigations.”
Xu Luochen was almost gritting his teeth when he said that.
During this trip to Baiyun Ancient City, he was destined to make a name for himself, but he didn’t expect to have been expelled from the examination hall by a few senseless examiners.
Although Xu Luochen could not tolerate it, he was not the type to cause trouble. Hence, he would not use his authority to condemn those examiners. However, he felt that he could still conduct a strict investigation.
‘If you have a clean background, you won’t have to be afraid of being investigated.’
The two conditions that Xu Luochen stated made Ye Ping bewildered.
He initially thought that Xu Luochen would raise some terrifying conditions but he didn’t expect it to be that.
Sensing Ye Ping’s slightly surprised gaze, Xu Luochen could not help but explain.
“Little Junior Brother, do you think that these two conditions are too ordinary?”
Xu Luochen sipped on some tea calmly.
Ye Ping did not answer, but his meaning was clear.
Xu Luochen immediately sighed and shook his head.
“Ye Ping, I made those two requests because of how I feel. Didn’t you ask me why I was in Baiyun Ancient City today?”
“I shall tell you, I came to Baiyun ancient city today because I wanted to see the new alchemists who passed the assessment.”
“I saw a young man at the examination venue who was very talented in alchemy, but his talent wasn’t recognized.”
“He used an extraordinary method to refine some pills, but unfortunately, he was expelled from the examination hall because of some prejudice.”
“Do you know what I saw when he was expelled from the examination hall?”
Xu Luochen spoke with a sullen expression.
“What did you see?”
Ye Ping was curious. ‘How talented is he to have been called an alchemy genius by Senior Brother Luochen?’
“I’ve seen the deadness and despair of the Dao of alchemy. The alchemist, who was expelled from the examination hall, was originally destined to take the entire Dao of alchemy by storm.”
“It won’t be an exaggeration to say that he might be the best alchemist of all time. However, when he was full of confidence, hope and expectation, he was expelled from the examination hall by those undiscerning people.”
“How can I not be disappointed?”
“His hopes of making great achievements in alchemy were gone just like that.”
The more Xu Luochen went on, the more upset he felt, and towards the end of the speech, he was even on the verge of tears.
On the other hand, Ye Ping was a little confused as he couldn’t quite understand what was going on.
“Ye Ping, remember, sometimes it’s not that you’re not good enough, but that you’ve met a group of undiscerning people.”
“For example, there’s a saying that prodigies are rare, and as examiners, they ought to respect every candidate regardless of alchemy, array formations, or refining pills.”
“Examiners should not abuse their authority for personal gain or change the rules at will. They have to follow the rules. If the stipulated duration is ten hours, it should be ten hours, not a single moment more.”
“If Jin Nation does not agree with me on this condition, I will not compromise on giving them the non-poisonous pill formula.”
Xu Luochen said with an extremely firm expression.
He felt the need to keep the examiners in line.
“Yes, Senior Brother, I understand. I will tell Elder Xu Chang about these two conditions. Senior Brother, what is your third condition?”
Ye Ping continued to ask.
He was curious as to what Xu Luochen’s third condition was.
When it was time to raise the third condition, Xu Luochen was a little guilty. He hesitated for a while before speaking up slowly.
“I want… 30,000 taels of gold.”
Xu Luochen was a little curious.
He actually wanted to say that he wanted 3,000 taels of gold, but after thinking about it, he thought that since Ye Ping’s painting could sell for tens of thousands of taels of gold, 30,000 taels of gold should not be too much.
‘Huh?’
Ye Ping could understand his rationale for the first two conditions, but not the third.
‘30,000 taels of gold?’
‘What’s that? A random pill is worth at least more than 30,000 taels of gold, right?’
Ye Ping was a little dumbfounded. He was really confused about Xu Luochen’s third condition.
Seeing the expression on Ye Ping’s face, Xu Luochen felt even more guilty.
“Am I asking for too much?”
Xu Luochen was also very nervous. He even regretted his decision to raise that request.
In Xu Luochen’s eyes, even 3,000 taels or 300 taels of gold were a massive amount, let alone 30,000 taels of gold.
In the Qingyun Dao Sect, his monthly allowance was only two taels of silver. What was an amount of 30,000 taels of gold to him?
He could buy a large number of alchemy books and a superior-class pill furnace. He could also buy lots of medicinal herbs that would be enough for him to refine pills in peace.
“Senior Brother, are you sure you only want 30,000 taels of gold?”
Ye Ping snapped back to his senses. He couldn’t understand Xu Luochen’s mindset and couldn’t help but confirm again.
‘Can I ask for more?’
Xu Luochen dared not ask that question and could not help but mutter in his heart. However, Xu Luochen knew that he could not look too guilty.
Hence, he was calm and even seemed rather collected. He tried his best to imitate Su Changyu’s temperament as he gazed out the window before speaking up slowly.
“Little Junior Brother… do you still not understand?”
A voice sounded.
In the next moment, Ye Ping suddenly froze.
He suddenly understood what Xu Luochen’s third condition meant.
Xu Luochen’s request for 30,000 taels of gold was not made casually at random. Not to mention 30,000 taels of gold, the Jin Nation Academy would be willing to give Xu Luochen three million or even 30 million taels of gold.
However, why did Xu Luochen ask for only 30,000 taels of gold? Did he really lack those 30,000 taels of gold?
He did not. He just did not want to raise any other condition.
Just like what Xu Luochen had said previously, a true alchemist would see not just a pill formula but the entire world.
‘Does Senior Brother really lack 30,000 taels of gold?’
‘No, he doesn’t. It’s just for the sake of making a request.’
‘But why did he raise such a request? It was precisely because those were the rules. Nothing should be given for free and making a request in exchange was inevitable. Not making things difficult for Jin Nation was for the sake of the world.’
After figuring that out, Ye Ping couldn’t help but be astonished.
In the end, he stood up again and bowed to Xu Luochen.
He remained silent. It was a bow to the people in the world.
“Senior Brother, I understand.”
Ye Ping said while Xu Luochen slowly heaved a sigh of relief.
‘It’s great to have a sensible Junior Brother.’
Although Xu Luochen did not know what Ye Ping understood, it would be perfect as long as he did not continue to ask questions.
At this moment, someone suddenly spoke up.
The voice was extremely familiar to Ye Ping, causing both Xu Luochen and Ye Ping to shiver.
“Ye Ping, are you there?”
It was Xiao Muxue.
Ye Ping’s scalp turned numb.
Xu Luochen’s expression became even more sullen and he looked at Ye Ping. “Your eldest Senior Sister is looking for you, hurry up and go. Don’t tell her that I’m here.”
Xiao Muxue was the person with the sharpest tongue in Qingyun Dao Sect. Apart from Chen Lingrou who had never been taught a lesson by her, everyone else including Su Changyu often had their moods ruined by her.
A few days ago, he finally stopped feeling down. If he got scolded by her again, he would ascend.
“Second Senior Brother.”
Ye Ping’s expression was bitter.
Xu Luochen ignored Ye Ping, took out an alchemy book, and pretended not to listen.
“Little Junior Brother.”
In the next moment, Xiao Muxue spoke again. All of a sudden, Ye Ping had no choice but to bite the bullet and leave.
However, at this moment, Xu Luochen spoke up.
“By the way, Ye Ping, if the Jin Nation Academy is not willing to pay 30,000 taels of gold, you may ask for a pill furnace. I’ve been concentrating on alchemy lately, so I don’t want to go down the mountain.”
“Also, Junior Brother, if you are free, you may try simplifying the non-poisonous pill formula and make some edits before handing it to the Jin Nation Academy.”
Xu Luochen was still worried that 30,000 taels of gold might be a little too much and that the Jin Nation Academy might not agree to it. After all, Xu Luochen was aware that just because Ye Ping could refine a non-poisonous pill, it didn’t mean that everyone else could too.
He didn’t mind letting others know that he had exchanged a useless pill formula for 30,000 taels of gold.
However, it would be a serious matter if it implicated the Jin Nation Academy.
As for the matter of modifying the pill formula, Xu Luochen’s rationale was simple. After all, Ye Ping could refine the non-poisonous pill. Hence, if he was the one to modify it, it might result in some wonderful effects.
“Alright.”
Ye Ping nodded. Now, the matter of the pill formula was no longer major. The more serious issue was Xiao Muxue.
He walked out of Xu Luochen’s room.
Indeed, he saw a stunningly gorgeous woman, Xiao Muxue.
No matter how many times he had seen her, he would still be stunned by her ravishing beauty.
Xiao Muxue looked just like a fairy who had descended on the mortal world. Her indifference and beauty were unforgettable.
However, she was actually an enthusiastic person deep down. Ye Ping was truly at a loss for words to describe her.
Most importantly, Xiao Muxue was well-endowed.
‘Who can take this?’
“Ye Ping, what are you looking at?”
In the next moment, Xiao Muxue spoke up. Her voice, which was completely different from her aura, contained a hint of seduction and also a hint of nonchalance.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Ye Ping’s body stiffened. He did not blush and simply felt extremely awkward.
Perhaps because she was too beautiful, Ye Ping forgot that she was a peerless expert. Otherwise, he would never dare to gawk at her.
“Greetings, Eldest Senior Sister.”
Ye Ping lowered his head and bowed at Xiao Muxue respectfully.
However, in the next moment, her faint bodily scent wafted into his nose. Ye Ping knew that Xiao Muxue had already walked over.
“Tell me, were you peeking?”
Xiao Muxue was very straightforward, seemingly not intending to let Ye Ping off the hook as she simply asked that question.
“Eldest Senior Sister, what are you saying? I don’t understand.”
Ye Ping bit the bullet and answered. He could only feign ignorance now. He couldn’t possibly comment about her fair expression.
That would be courting death.
“Tsk, indeed, he went astray and learned to feign ignorance after going down the mountain.”
Xiao Muxue did not get angry and simply chuckled, her laughter full of seduction.
Ye Ping cried.
He really couldn’t stand it any longer.
He did not say anything and continued feigning ignorance.
Xiao Muxue did not continue probing either.
She asked slowly, “Ye Ping, look up.”
Ye Ping couldn’t help but mutter to himself.
However, at this moment, he felt a headache because Xiao Muxue flicked her finger against his forehead.
“You’ve really been led astray.”
Ye Ping was suddenly shocked.
‘You can hear my thoughts?’
‘Must you be so exaggerated?’
‘Eldest Senior Sister, please, let me off.’
Ye Ping had thought about it before. Yet, Xiao Muxue could already hear him.
However, he did not dare to speak and had no choice but to raise his head and look at Xiao Muxue with an awkward but not impolite smile.
To be honest, if it was any other woman, Ye Ping would have been enticed, but the woman in front of him was his Senior Sister.
The consequence of teasing her would not be light. It would be considered incest and horrid ethics.
Hence, Ye Ping felt nothing but respect for Xiao Muxue. Of course, he admired her too.
Which man could control himself in the face of such a ravishing beauty?
They looked at each other.
There was some joy in Xiao Muxue’s beautiful eyes.
Ye Ping couldn’t help but continue looking at her figure.
“Do I look good? Do you want to come to my room?”
At this point, Xiao Muxue was smiling.
“Eldest Senior Sister, what’s the matter? Get straight to the point, I can’t stand it any longer.”
Ye Ping looked away. He regretted not practicing abstinence. He wasn’t lustful, but rather, Xiao Muxue was just too gorgeous.
Ye Ping was not bragging, but in the Shang Dynasty, she would be considered a gorgeous consort.
“You can’t stand this already? I really have to teach you the art of abstinence. Otherwise, you’ll get into trouble sooner or later.”
Xiao Muxue said seriously.
Ye Ping was speechless.
He felt that if he could resist the temptation of Xiao Muxue, even a fairy wouldn’t be able to seduce him.
“Enough, I’ll stop joking with you. I’m here to see you for a serious matter.”
Xiao Muxue stopped looking sultry and said seriously.
“Ye Ping, do you remember the cultivation method I taught you?”
Xiao Muxue was there to talk to him about that.
Seeing that Xiao Muxue was finally serious, Ye Ping also acted normally again. “I naturally remember.”
“Okay, come with me.”
Xiao Muxue told Ye Ping to follow her.
Soon, the two arrived at the rear cliff of Qingyun Dao Sect.
“Sit down.”
When they arrived at the rear cliff, Xiao Muxue told Ye Ping to sit down cross-legged.
Ye Ping sat down on the ground without hesitation.
“What I taught you is very likely the strongest technique in this world.”
“The most special thing about it is that it adapts to every single person.”
“Ye Ping, sit down and let me check your body properly,” Xiao Muxue said.
However, the examination made Ye Ping feel strange.
But Ye Ping did not think much about it. He closed his eyes, let go of everything, and let Xiao Muxue check his body, knowing that she would not mess around.
He inhaled sharply.
However, in the next moment, Ye Ping couldn’t help but shudder.
“Calm down.”
Before Ye Ping could say anything, her stern voice sounded, making him calm down.
At the rear cliff of Qingyun Dao Sect.
Xiao Muxue’s face was full of seriousness as she pointed at Ye Ping.
“Blood and Qi Furnace?”
In an instant, Xiao Muxue perceived how powerful Ye Ping’s physique was.
Her eyes were full of surprise.
If a twenty-two-year-old cultivator could condense the Blood and Qi Furnace, Xiao Muxue would only consider it a small success.
However, Xiao Muxue knew that Ye Ping had cultivated for less than half a year.
That was the thing that shocked her the most.
The best age for physique cultivation was twelve years old, when one’s Qi and blood was most vigorous, and the period of physique growth spurt.
Hence, when practicing martial arts, one had to do it at a young age. The older they got, the greater the restrictions.
Ye Ping began cultivating at the age of twenty-two. It wasn’t considered the best period of cultivation at all.
However, even so, Ye Ping managed to condense the Blood and Qi Furnace within half a year. How could it not shock her?
“Your physique is like a dragon. If you weren’t human, I would have thought that you’re a descendant of the True Dragon.”
Soon, as Xiao Muxue kept examining, the look of surprise in her eyes grew more and more intense.
It was as if there was a dormant True Dragon hiding in Ye Ping’s body. It was full of fervor and energy. It was not as simple as condensing the Blood and Qi Furnace. A single punch would probably kill a perfected Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.
However, soon, the astonishment in Xiao Muxue’s eyes became even more intense.
“36 spirit veins, Foundation Establishment Green Lotus?”
Xiao Muxue was stunned as she could sense that there seemed to be an ocean of infinite and rich spiritual energy.
Normal cultivators would have ten spirit veins that were like ten small water streams.
The spirit veins of geniuses would be like small rivers.
The spirit veins of peerless geniuses would be like huge rivers.
The spirit veins of ultimate elites were like an ocean.
On the other hand, Ye Ping’s spirit veins were like 36 vast oceans.
It was a symbol of Major Perfection.
Xiao Muxue was obviously astonished.
After a long while, Xiao Muxue stopped examining and simply looked at Ye Ping with shock in her eyes.
It was as if she had seen a monster.
“It seems that Xuan Jizi is right. There will be a supreme genius who appears in this world once every 10,000 years. I didn’t expect to run into it.”
“Tsk, tsk, it seems it won’t be hard to become an immortal.”
Xiao Muxue muttered to herself.
However, soon, her expression changed slightly. Immediately afterwards, she flicked Ye Ping on his head.
It was simple what she meant. Ye Ping was letting his imagination run wild again.