Chapter 355

355. Chapter 355: The God of Gambling Appears

Long Xuan nodded, suppressing his inner joy, and asked, "I wonder what grade your Blood Lotus is?"

"?" Cao Shuang said proudly.

Hearing this, Long Xuan's expression turned disappointed.

This grade is too low; though it can still be used to refine Blood Lotus Pills, the effects are significantly weaker.

Most crucially, if the main material's grade is too low, the pill's efficacy is bound to be far from heaven-defying, making it nearly impossible to attract a Thunder Tribulation.

That was what he cared about most.

A pill refined from a sixth-grade Blood Lotus would likely summon only a Heavenly Phenomenon, not a Heavenly Tribulation—this left him deeply disappointed.

"Hey! What's that expression for? This is a sixth-grade Spirit Medicine, a sixth-grade Spirit Medicine!"

"Do you even know what a sixth-grade Spirit Medicine means in this world? It's the highest-grade Spirit Medicine in this entire realm, and yet you're complaining."

Sensing his disappointed gaze, Cao Shuang immediately showed displeasure.

"Enough, let's proceed with the trade. Take the Ice-Fire Polar Pill, and—"

Long Xuan opened the barrier protecting the Ice-Fire Polar Pill and said.

Better than nothing; he could only make do with this Blood Lotus.

He assumed the Sunset Divine Flame's Fire Seed had been severely damaged, reducing the danger to him to near zero—this level of Blood Lotus Pill should be sufficient.

Seeing the barrier around the Blood Lotus Pill now open, Cao Shuang immediately focused all his attention, pulled out a red Medicine Box and tossed it toward Long Xuan, then eagerly picked up the Pill Bottle, poured out its contents, and inspected them publicly.

Soon his eyes narrowed with delight: "Indeed, it's the Ice-Fire Polar Pill—and the quality is exceptional, its efficacy increased by a third. I've never seen a pill of such fine appearance."

"Someone who can refine such a pill must have reached the pinnacle of Alchemy; few Alchemists of the same grade can match him."

Cao Shuang looked up at the shopkeeper with solemnity, a desire to cultivate goodwill rising in his heart.

Long Xuan took the red Medicine Box and immediately opened it to inspect the Spirit Medicine inside.

Inside was a blood-colored Lotus, brimming with immense Spiritual Power, but after centuries of decay—even though properly preserved—it now appeared slightly withered.

Long Xuan's face lit up with delight; he quickly closed the Medicine Box to prevent further loss of its potency.

Hearing Cao Shuang's words, he replied casually: "Pinnacle? That's overstated. I'm sure there are still many in this world whose Alchemy surpasses mine—I dare not underestimate the talents of the world."

Cao Shuang shook his head, looking at him seriously: "Brother Wei, don't be modest. I dare say, with your current Alchemy level, you'll win the championship at next year's Alchemy Competition."

"This isn't flattery—you truly have the ability. Remember, even Fourth Grade Alchemists struggle to refine the Ice-Fire Polar Pill. If you use it in the Alchemy Competition, you'll crush them all!"

Cao Shuang stared at him earnestly, not joking at all.

"Alchemy Competition? Is there one being held nearby?" Long Xuan asked curiously.

If the championship prize was tempting, he wouldn't mind taking it—his confidence in Alchemy was absolute; in any Alchemy Competition, the championship prize was as good as free—why not take it?

"Such a major event in the Alchemy Realm—even I, an outsider, know about it. How can you, a Third Rank Alchemy Master, not know?"

Hearing this, Cao Shuang widened his eyes in disbelief, staring at him.

"Forgive my ignorance—I've been in seclusion lately and have been cut off from outside news. I truly didn't know. Could you tell me the details?" Long Xuan said.

Cao Shuang nodded in understanding, not suspicious at all, and explained patiently: "Then let me inform you—your level skipping this Alchemy Competition would truly be a waste."

"This Alchemy Competition is the largest in the Western Regions' ten-thousand-year history, jointly hosted by the ten strongest Empires of the Western Regions."

"At that time, most Alchemists from across the Western Regions will gather."

"The Western Regions are vast—though Third Grade Alchemists are rare, when you gather all the Heavenly Prides from across the entire region, the number of Third Grade Alchemists will be countless."

"Hmm, what an exhilarating Alchemy gathering—how many Monsters will appear, how many Heaven-defying Pills will be born?"

"The spectacle of ten thousand Third Grade Alchemists refining pills at once will be recorded in history."

"Such a breathtaking spectacle—even I, an outsider, must go and witness it. Who knows, I might gain valuable insight."

Cao Shuang's eyes gleamed with excitement—he wasn't joking; he genuinely planned to travel far and wide just to see the spectacle.

Thus, this grand Alchemy Gathering would attract not only Alchemists but also countless people like Cao Shuang who loved to watch the show.

The scale of this Alchemy Gathering surprised Long Xuan slightly.

A competition spanning the entire Western Regions covered one-fifth of the entire Gu World—how many Alchemists would come to compete? Long Xuan whistled.

"Do you know what the championship prize is?" Long Xuan asked again.

He decided to hear the championship prize first before deciding whether to enter.

Cao Shuang smiled: "The competition will be held in the capital of the Heavenly Phoenix Empire—Phoenix City. I don't know what the championship prize is, but the rewards are extremely rich: the top thirty competitors will be awarded by the Heaven Phoenix Imperial Family the Nation-Protecting Treasure—Enlightenment Dao Tea."

"Hmm, what exactly is Enlightenment Dao Tea? I'm sure you, a Third Rank Alchemy Master, understand it better than I do."

Cao Shuang smiled at him.

Hearing this, Long Xuan's spirit instantly lifted, a flash of greed crossing his eyes.

How could he not know what Enlightenment Dao Tea was?

Among the Ten Great Divine Trees are the World Tree, the Sky-Mending Tree, and the Dao-Understanding Tea Tree—its exact ranking he'd forgotten.

The effect of Enlightenment Dao Tea is simple: drink one sip, and you immediately attain enlightenment.

Some, after one sip, created Cultivation Methods; others, after one sip, created Gu Formulas; still others, after one sip, created Pill Formulas.

The effect varies by person—the higher one's enlightenment, the richer one's experience, the more books one has read, the more terrifying what they create after drinking it will be.

Though one Dao-Understanding Tea Tree can produce many Enlightenment Dao Tea Leaves, each person can drink only once every fifty years—drinking more damages the mind.

If not for this limit, the most enlightened person in the Heavenly Phoenix Empire could drink it daily, and the empire's Heaven-defying legacies would already be boundless.

Faced with such a terrifying Divine Tree, how could Long Xuan not be tempted? His Heaven-Devouring World Toad desperately needed a treasure of this caliber.

Correct—he wasn't just after the Enlightenment Dao Tea; he was already plotting to steal the entire Dao-Understanding Tea Tree, silently and unseen.

"The Dao-Understanding Tea Tree is a Divine Tree—a Spirit Medicine beyond Twelve-Rank. Would the Heaven Phoenix Imperial Family really risk giving away such a Heaven-defying treasure as a prize? Are they mad?" Long Xuan said in disbelief.

"Heh, if they didn't offer a treasure of this level, how could they possibly draw every Heavenly Pride Alchemist from across the Western Regions?" Cao Shuang laughed.

"But don't think the Heaven Phoenix Imperial Family is making a losing deal."

"The rule for this Alchemy Grand Gathering is that contestants must be under fifty years of age, and two-thirds of the Pills refined during the competition must go to the organizers."

"The number of Alchemists coming to compete in this Alchemy Grand Gathering will far exceed your imagination; since everyone will refine the most valuable Spirit Pills on the arena floor, just how many rare Spirit Pills will the organizers get for free?"

"The value of the Pills is actually secondary; the Ten Great Empires will use this opportunity to recruit a vast sea of talented Alchemists, which constitutes wealth of incalculable value—this is the ultimate purpose of this Alchemy Grand Gathering."

"The competition prizes are jointly provided by the Ten Great Empires; the Heavenly Phoenix Empire merely contributed prizes worth one-tenth of the total."

"Moreover, do not mistakenly think that the Imperial Family of the Heavenly Phoenix Empire values Enlightenment Dao Tea highly; while Enlightenment Dao Tea is a priceless treasure in the eyes of every clan, the Feng Clan is the sole exception."

"Do not forget what the Feng Clan's strongest Unique Gu Formula is; it is the infamous Evil Phoenix True Eye, a terrifying existence capable of replicating ten thousand laws."

"What kind of inheritance does the Feng Clan not possess? The Feng Clan truly lacks nothing in terms of inheritances comprehended through drinking Enlightenment Dao Tea, so the tea's effect on them is limited."

"To be precise, the Feng Clan also regards Enlightenment Dao Tea as a treasure, only they do not value it nearly as much as external clans do; therefore, they are willing to put up large quantities of Enlightenment Dao Tea as rewards."

Hearing Cao Shuang's explanation, Long Xuan suddenly understood.

He had come to accept Cao Shuang's explanation, for he still vividly remembered that pile of classics he had discovered in the Western Earth Long Clan Library Tower.

Relying on the Complete Version Evil Dragon Emperor Eye to decipher ten thousand laws, the Long Clan ancestors had actually recorded the methods to decipher all laws under heaven on paper, permanently storing them to pass down to future generations.

Since the Long Clan ancestors could do such a thing, how could the Feng Clan ancestors not have done the same?

Relying on the Complete Version Evil Phoenix True Eye to replicate all inheritances under heaven back then, might the Feng Clan not have also recorded all laws under heaven on paper for permanent transmission?

Long Xuan felt this was highly probable; if so, what inheritance did the Feng Clan not possess?

The effect Enlightenment Dao Tea had on them was truly negligible, so it was entirely possible for them to offer such precious Enlightenment Dao Tea as rewards.

Just as Long Xuan was lost in thought, Cao Shuang smiled again and said, "There is one more interesting matter I forgot to tell you, also concerning this Alchemy Grand Gathering."

"Generally, wherever there are Ruins or competitions, the competing powers will establish wagers, and this time is no exception."

"It is just that this wager is somewhat large."

"The Feng Clan and the Long Clan are bound by World-Enmity; as the Long Clan Alliance grows stronger day by day, the Heavenly Phoenix Empire has also organized a Feng Alliance to counter it."

"These two clans, bound by World-Enmity, are actually using this Alchemy Grand Gathering to wager their Clan Luck; the method is that whichever clan's Alchemists achieve the highest ranking in this Alchemy Grand Gathering may plunder half of the other's Clan Luck."

"Tsk tsk..."

"The Huiyue Empire and the Yan Ting Empire have also wagered half of their respective Clan Luck against each other, with exactly the same rules; they are actually playing this big, simply insane."

Hearing this news, Long Xuan's pupils immediately contracted, his expression changing instantly as he completely lost his composure.

The Feng Alliance and the Long Clan Alliance were actually wagering half their Clan Luck, making his heart panic and his mind chaotic, unable to resist the urge to curse loudly.

Who knew whether losing half their Clan Luck if the Long Clan lost the wager would affect him? Strictly speaking, he was also a member of the Long Clan Alliance.

If the Long Clan Alliance lost half their Clan Luck, would his own luck consequently decline? He could not be certain at all.

Cold sweat streamed down Long Xuan.

This wager already posed a fatal threat to him; how could he not panic?

Long Xuan took a deep breath and murmured in disbelief, "How is this possible? Can something like Clan Luck actually be put up for a wager?"

Suddenly, he thought of something; his eyes widened abruptly, and his face instantly turned exceedingly ugly.

There was a power capable of wagering Clan Luck; he thought of that God of Gamblers from the Sky Island Ruins.

Who knew which damn person had released the God of Gamblers; now, he could appear anywhere.

The Puppet Army in this God of Gamblers' hands numbered at least ten million, and they were all high-grade Puppets; once he emerges, chaos will inevitably engulf the world.

This God of Gamblers is simply a calamity! He had a premonition that this was only the beginning; next, the God of Gamblers would inevitably stir up even greater turmoil.

Since that is the case, he truly must attend this Alchemy Grand Gathering; he could not rest easy leaving things to that group of Long Clan Alchemists, nor dare he entrust his Fate to their hands.

He must take first place in this Alchemy Grand Gathering; Long Xuan slowly clenched his fists. (End of Chapter)