Chapter 4942 — The Earth-Solidifying Pill

Zhuang Yifan was secretly delighted at these words. He had come shamelessly pestering Wei Zhao for the sake of alchemy, of course—only he could not simply blurt out his request the moment he arrived, and so he had hemmed and hawed and talked in circles, hoping first to do Wei Zhao a favor, so that when he asked for a pill to be refined, it would all seem perfectly natural.

"Quite right—this matter really is rather presumptuous of me. I have been rude," Zhuang Yifan said, nodding hurriedly.

"Oh? Then may I ask what pill Chairman Zhuang wishes to have refined?" Wei Zhao pressed.

Whatever the man wanted refined was unquestionably a Xuan-rank pill. His own identity as a Xuan-rank first-grade alchemist was nothing but a bluff he had improvised on the spot, yet he genuinely wanted to use this chance to try his hand. After all, refining seventh-grade pills was effortless and joyous for him now; who knew, perhaps he might succeed with a Xuan-rank pill as well? And then he would be a true Xuan-rank alchemist in earnest!

"Well…" Zhuang Yifan glanced at the others, clearly reluctant to let these irrelevant outsiders know of the matter.

"Dean Liu, it is not often you visit our Morning Star Academy's treasure ship. Why not let me show you around?" Li Ren promptly suggested, taking the hint.

"Very well, then I shall trouble you, Master Li." Liu Ziqi gave a slight nod, her expression oddly complicated.

Now that it was plain Wei Zhao was in no danger, her feelings were in truth rather strange. Morning Proud and Morning Star were mortal enemies, after all—what sense did it make for a vice dean of Morning Proud Academy to come aboard her rival's ship?

Earlier her mind had been wholly occupied with how to plead for Wei Zhao, and with Huo Yudie urging her on at every turn, she had simply never considered the matter from that angle. Now that it suddenly dawned on her, she felt thoroughly ill at ease. But since she had come, withdrawing now would only look petty, and so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and see it through.

Li Ren departed with Liu Ziqi, and Huo Yudie, Wang Xinyan, and Huang Xiaotao tactfully followed them out. In the reception hall, only Wei Zhao and Zhuang Yifan remained.

"Chairman Zhuang, there are no outsiders now. If there is a pill you wish me to refine, you may speak plainly," Wei Zhao said at once, while secretly wondering what could possibly be so unspeakable about mere alchemy that the man had to clear the room first.

"Master Lin, the pill I wish to entrust to you is a Xuan-rank first-grade Earth-Solidifying Pill," Zhuang Yifan finally said.

"Earth-Solidifying Pill? What sort of pill is that?" Wei Zhao was taken aback. Though he often leafed through alchemy texts in his spare time between bouts of cultivation, his knowledge was essentially confined to Yellow-rank pills, and of Xuan-rank pills he knew almost nothing at all.

"Master Lin does not know the Earth-Solidifying Pill?" Zhuang Yifan was more astonished than Wei Zhao, and a trace of doubt immediately stirred in his heart. A Xuan-rank first-grade alchemist who did not know a Xuan-rank first-grade pill—could this fellow be a fraud?

But the moment the thought arose, he suppressed it. Judging by the Nourishing Xuan Pill in Ni Caiyue's hands from East Flower Academy, there was no question that this Wei Zhao could casually refine Yellow-rank seventh-grade pills; his status as a Xuan-rank first-grade alchemist ought to be trustworthy.

"Forgive my ignorance—I truly have never heard of it," Wei Zhao said, shaking his head with perfect composure and not the slightest trace of guilt.

This only made Zhuang Yifan more certain: the man was no fraud after all. Who ever said a Xuan-rank alchemist must know every Xuan-rank pill? Each craft has its specialty; even alchemists do not refine just any pill at will—they have their strengths and their weaknesses.

"In truth, it is no wonder Master Lin has not heard of it. The Earth-Solidifying Pill is indeed exceedingly rare—after all, in ordinary circumstances it is quite useless, and even the merchant guilds of the Xuan-rank seas do not stock it. Had I not been injured this time, I would never have paid it any mind either," Zhuang Yifan said with an understanding nod.

"Hmm? Chairman Zhuang is injured?" Wei Zhao was startled again.

"Indeed. To be frank with you, I am an expert of the Earth-Opening Stage—and of its late phase," Zhuang Yifan admitted.

Wei Zhao's eyelid twitched faintly at this. Though he had long suspected as much, hearing it confirmed from the man's own lips was still somewhat staggering. Who would have thought this one was actually an expert of the late Earth-Opening Stage!

But if his strength was so formidable, how had he come to be injured? Could there be someone even mightier than he in these Yellow-rank seas?

Seeing the doubt all over Wei Zhao's face, Zhuang Yifan shook his head with a bitter smile. "My injury did not come from fighting anyone. I was impatient and forcibly attempted to break through to the peak of the late phase, and the attempt failed and backlashed upon me. Though outwardly no wound shows, it has in fact undermined the very foundation of my strength, leaving my power unstable. That is why I need an Earth-Solidifying Pill—a pill made specifically for consolidating the strength of the Earth-Opening Stage."

"I see," Wei Zhao said, nodding in sudden understanding. Then he asked, "So Chairman Zhuang went out of his way to invite Zang Zili here precisely for this? Is that woman also a Xuan-rank first-grade alchemist?"

"Indeed. She is the only Xuan-rank alchemist known throughout the Yellow-rank seas, and even she advanced only recently. Under normal circumstances, no Xuan-rank alchemist is to be found here at all—they are all in the Xuan-rank seas," Zhuang Yifan confirmed.

"Fine, then let me see the materials and the pill formula. I will give it a try—there should be no problem," Wei Zhao said at once.

"Good. The formula is on my person; the materials are at the Alliance branch. I will fetch them now." Zhuang Yifan nodded, then with a flicker of movement vanished from before Wei Zhao. In less than a moment he reappeared as if out of thin air, a medium-sized wooden chest now in his hands, filled with all manner of precious spirit herbs.

Wei Zhao clicked his tongue in secret admiration. As befitted a great figure of the late Earth-Opening Stage—that speed was simply unmatched.

"This is the formula for the Earth-Solidifying Pill. As for the materials, I have gathered three sets. Do you suppose it can be done?" Zhuang Yifan asked, gazing at Wei Zhao with eager eyes.

Small wonder he was so anxious—the matter had been gnawing at him bitterly. This was not like pills used to break through to a new realm, where a little sooner or later made no great difference. But in Zhuang Yifan's present condition, if it dragged on too long, disaster was very likely to follow—perhaps even the tragedy of his strength declining.

And even if he could steady his realm again afterward, he would surely be broken beyond recovery, never to advance another inch, his whole life finished.

"Let me have a look first," Wei Zhao said, making no grand promises. Taking the formula, he began studying it on the spot. This was the first time he had ever examined a Xuan-rank first-grade pill in detail, and what essential difference lay between Xuan-rank and Yellow-rank pills would directly determine whether he could refine a Xuan-rank pill at all.