Chapter 3213
Translator: Silavin & Tia
Translation Checker: PewPewLazerGun
Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
Pill Veins were the best proof of an Alchemist's skills. Unfortunately, it was something that could only happen by chance. If Pill Veins appeared on a Spirit Pill during the process of refinement, then both the medicinal efficacies and the value of that Spirit Pill would at least double. That was because the medicinal efficacies of a Spirit Pill that formed Pill Veins would not fade away no matter how much time passed as long as the pill was stored properly. The patterns on the surface of the Spirit Pill were akin to the meridians in a Human's body that locked in the medicinal efficacies and prevented them from waning.
It was even more remarkable if Pill Clouds appeared. Pill Clouds not only had the same preservative and enhancement effects as Pill Veins, but they could also actively absorb World Energy to nourish the Spirit Pill. The longer such a pill was stored, the more powerful its medicinal efficacies became. Hence, the medicinal efficacies contained in the Spirit Pill that formed Pill Clouds would be terrifying if it was stored for thousands or tens of thousands of years.
Pill Veins were already considered rare coincidences, so what more needed to be said about Pill Clouds? Pill Clouds were an absolute rarity. Whenever Ji Ying refined Spirit Pills, he might occasionally produce a Spirit Pill with Pill Veins, but a Spirit Pill with Pill Clouds… he had never produced one before.
On the other hand, his Fourth Senior Sister had once had a stroke of good fortune and managed to refine a Spirit Pill with Pill Clouds. However, it was only an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill. She was already an Emperor Alchemist at the time, so refining an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill was as simple as breathing for her. Still, she received the praise of their Honoured Master for that achievement and had kept that special Spirit Pill hidden like a precious treasure till this day. It would probably become a family heirloom and be passed on from generation to generation.
Xia Ning Chang had refined an Origin King Grade Spirit Pill, which was her limit. After all, she was only an Origin King Rank Alchemist. Producing seven pills in itself was an amazing outcome, but she also produced two pills among them that had Pill Veins.
Ji Ying was thoroughly shocked by the results. One could have been passed off as luck, but two? Can two be produced by pure luck? Wasn't that a bit too much for a mere coincidence?
He carefully confirmed that he was not mistaken. Both definitely had formed Pill Veins.
The medicinal efficacies of both Spirit Pills with Pill Veins were more than twice as potent as the other five. Such results were even rarer than producing nine pills all at once.
Ji Ying also realized that the reason why she only produced seven pills was that she did not fully understand the Pill Condensing Technique, the last step in the refinement. After all, it was the first time she was using it. If she had more time for her to completely comprehend the new Pill Condensing Technique, how could she not produce a full nine pills?
Taking a deep breath, Ji Ying put down the two Pill Veined Spirit Pills and looked at the remaining five with an amazed expression. When she had condensed the perfect medicinal liquid, he had expected that the quality of the Spirit Pills would be quite good, and in fact aside from those two Spirit Pills with Pill Veins, the remaining five were also of the best quality. It felt as though she was only one step away from producing Pill Veins in all the pills.
[Madam Yang doesn't just have great aptitude; she is a genius among geniuses! I'm afraid she is far more talented than Yang Kai!] Recalling her various Alchemic performances just now, Ji Ying suddenly lifted his head and glanced at her blankly as an incredible idea flashed through his head, "Madam Yang… Do you possess the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body?"
When Ji Ying pointed out the truth, Xia Ning Chang nodded lightly in response while Yang Kai laughed out loud, "Brother Ji, you sure have sharp eyes!"
"No wonder. No wonder…" Ji Ying smiled bitterly. No wonder she was able to refine in the air with such precision and excellence without the need for an Alchemy Furnace or flame attribute energy. It was because she had the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body! [How embarrassing; I can't believe I thought she was trying to show off in front of me. I finally know the whole story now. Why would somebody with the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body need a furnace or flames? Her very being is the best pill furnace there is and her Saint Qi is superior to any kind of fire!]
He then turned to look at Yang Kai and whined at the injustice of it all, "Brother Yang, why did you hide this from me? I nearly made a fool of myself because of my ignorance!"
Yang Kai blinked innocently, "Seeing is believing. You might not believe what you hear. Brother Ji, what do you think of my wife?"
Ji Ying solemnly replied, "This Ji is inferior!"
It wasn't flattery; it was simply the truth. He suddenly recalled the records he once read in some ancient books. There were countless peculiar Special Constitutions in this world, and every one had its own uniqueness. However, for an Alchemist, the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was the most coveted. That was because that kind of physique was specifically made for Alchemy. For those with the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, practising Alchemy was akin to breathing, an innate ability they were born with.
It did not matter that he currently had higher Alchemy skills and rank than her. Once she grew, Ji Ying would be no match for her, even his four Senior Brothers and Sister under Wondrous Pill Great Emperor could not compare to her. With time, she might even be able to reach the height of his Honoured Master and truly become one with the Alchemic Dao.
Yang Kai was taken aback for a moment as he had not expected Xia Ning Chang to receive such a high evaluation from Ji Ying. A proud expression appeared on his face as he laughed heartily, "Brother Ji, you praise us too much! We still have much to learn from you."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "Does that mean I can take it that you are willing to take my wife as your disciple, Brother Ji?"
[With such a high evaluation, it shouldn't be difficult for Ji Ying to take Xia Ning Chang under his wing.]
Every famous Master would yearn to have talented disciples under them. Ji Ying was one of the most prestigious Emperor Alchemists in the Star Boundary. Just as the Wondrous Pill Great Emperor must pass on his mantle eventually, Ji Ying must have had similar thoughts too. Unfortunately, famous Masters were everywhere while talented disciples were rare. Xia Ning Chang was, without a double, an excellent choice.
Yang Kai originally thought that Ji Ying would agree to the proposal with great enthusiasm, but to his surprise, he saw Ji Ying frowning deeply and looking troubled so he asked suspiciously, "Brother Ji, are you still worried about the rules of Medicine Pill Valley?"
"No." Ji Ying waved his hand dismissively, "With such amazing aptitude combined with the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body, I'm sure Eldest Senior Brother will warmly welcome Madam Yang into Medicine Pill Valley."
"If that's the case, why do you have such a troubled expression, Brother Ji?" Yang Kai was bewildered. [I'm willing to go so far as to send Xia Ning Chang to Medicine Pill Valley to learn the Alchemic Dao for the sake of her future even though being apart is such a painful experience. So, why is he hesitating? Shouldn't he accept her while jumping for joy instead?]
Ji Ying did not answer for a long time while his expression fluctuated. After hesitating for quite a long time, he finally made up his mind and resolutely declared, "Brother Yang, I want to introduce Sister-In-Law to my Honoured Master."
"To Wondrous Pill Great Emperor?" Yang Kai was stunned, but a moment later, he exclaimed in shock, "Brother Ji, you don't mean…"
"I'm afraid only Honoured Master is qualified to teach Sister-In-Law." Ji Ying declared solemnly. If he was being honest, he really wanted to accept Xia Ning Chang as his Disciple and nurture her carefully. It would surely reflect well on him with a Disciple like her. Unfortunately, the Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was so rare and conveyed such advantages that he would not be able to teach her for long. It would be embarrassing as her Master if he was inferior to his Disciple soon after taking her in. Besides, taking her on as his Disciple would mess up the hierarchy in his relationship with Yang Kai.
That was why he said what he said. If he could make her a disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, then they would be Senior Brother and Junior Sister. That way, it would not be awkward to meet with Yang Kai in the future.
Yang Kai looked excited and exclaimed, "Brother Ji, I really can't thank you enough for your kindness…"
If Yang Kai was being honest, it wasn't as if he never thought about making Xia Ning Chang the disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor; however, Wondrous Pill Great Emperor was not somebody he could meet just because he wanted to, much less put up a request for him to become Xia Ning Chang's Master. It just so happened that Ji Ying was at High Heaven Palace, so he decided to approach Ji Ying instead. Who could have known that Ji Ying would voluntarily bring such a proposal up? It was truly something to rejoice about.
Yang Kai hurriedly turned to Xia Ning Chang and said, "Little Senior Sister, quickly thank Brother Ji."
Xia Ning Chang had just arrived in the Star Boundary, so she had no idea who Wondrous Pill Great Emperor was. Even so, she understood that he must be an extraordinary existence from Yang Kai's reaction; thus, she hurriedly paid her thanks but Ji Ying lifted his hand to stop her, "Wait, wait!"
Yang Kai solemnly said, "Brother Ji is so kind, how can I express our gratitude with just a simple word of thanks!? Brother Ji, please don't refuse."
Ji Ying smiled bitterly, "I'm not refusing, It's just… I don't have much confidence in this matter. Please don't blame me if this doesn't succeed."
"Not much confidence?" Yang Kai was surprised, "Why do you say that?"
Ji Ying replied, "It's like this… Honoured Master has accepted five disciples so far, and I am his youngest disciple, as well as his last disciple! Back when Honoured Master took me under his wing, he once mentioned that he would never take in another disciple again."
After hearing that explanation, Yang Kai understood why Ji Ying had such a troubled expression. Ji Ying had the intention to introduce Xia Ning Chang to Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, but the issue was that the old man had already declared he would not take in another disciple. The words of a Great Emperor held enormous weight, so how could he break them so easily?
The only hope was for Xia Ning Chang to have enough aptitude and prospects that Wondrous Pill Great Emperor would willingly go against his own word to accept her. Nevertheless, her Sacred Spirit Medicine Body was undoubtedly her greatest trump card. Otherwise, Ji Ying would never take the initiative to mention something like this. As a disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, it was impossible for him to discredit his Honoured Master. It was just that he couldn't bear to leave such a precious pearl lying in the dust.
"So that's how it is!" Yang Kai exclaimed.
Ji Ying continued, "I can only promise to try my best. As to whether it will work…"
Yang Kai hurriedly said, "Brother Ji, please allow my wife and I to offer our thanks for your kindness in advance. It doesn't matter whether this matter is successful or not, we will forever be grateful to you."
Ji Ying smiled, "If you don't have any objections then I will leave for Medicine Pill Valley immediately."
"This matter is not that urgent…" Yang Kai said without actually meaning it.
Ji Ying replied, "You may not be anxious about it, but I am!"
After saying that, he stood up and walked outside with long strides.
"Do you need my wife to go with you?" Yang Kai asked.
"Not yet. I will try to feel out Honoured Master's attitude first. If it seems possible, then it won't be too late to bring Sister-In-Law to the valley." The point was that he had no confidence in this matter. If his Honoured Master refused to even meet Xia Ning Chang, then it would be very humiliating for her.
Thus, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang saw him off outside the great hall.
"I hope everything goes smoothly." Ji Ying muttered before shooting straight into the sky. He instantly disappeared from view, seemingly to be in a great rush and not willing to delay in the slightest.
Looking in the direction Ji Ying had left, Yang Kai clenched his fists lightly and exclaimed excitedly, "If this works out, then you will have a powerful backer in the future, Little Senior Sister!"
If she could become the disciple of Wondrous Pill Great Emperor, then nobody would ever dare to provoke her again regardless of where she went in the Star Boundary. The weight behind Wondrous Pill Great Emperor's current five disciples was so terrifying that nobody would dare to challenge them.
"Junior Brother, who is… Wondrous Pill Great Emperor?" Xia Ning Chang asked softly.
Yang Kai smiled, "I haven't had the time to explain this to you in detail. Hmm… Let's call Su Yan, Luo'er, and Xue'er. It's a good chance to tell you all about the current situation in the Star Boundary.
Reaching out to grab her waist, he flew towards the Main Peak where he lived. His hands were naturally a little naughty since he was in a good mood, causing Xia Ning Chang to blush furiously as she bit her thin lips with an expression of shame.
