Chapter 2751 — The Trial Map

Kang Jinglong felt utterly humiliated. He might as well not have summoned Kang Jingming at all. What kind of Eighth Elder of the Xuan Dan Sect was this? Before Wei Zhao, he was worse than a mere underling! A moment ago, when Kang Jingming had pressured Wei Zhao into handing over the pill formula, Kang Jinglong had actually felt a thrill of satisfaction, as though he himself had become the protagonist of some wish-fulfillment novel. But in the blink of an eye, he had been reduced to a pathetic supporting character.

The discomfort gnawed at him. He wished he could turn and walk away—the shame, the sheer shame of it! He had meant to put on airs, and instead Wei Zhao had frightened him into this state!

"Heh." Wei Zhao smiled. "Then tell me—what can you offer me in exchange?"

"Me? Well... what do you want? Anything the Xuan Dan Sect has, we can trade with you," Kang Jingming said after a moment's thought.

"Oh, then I'll name my price: one third-grade medicinal cauldron, one Qi Gathering Pill, and one Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill." Wei Zhao had not gone too far—and yet these three items already amounted to an outrageous demand.

After all, the final prize for those who successfully passed the Xuan Dan Sect's trials was a single third-grade pill. Wei Zhao was asking for two at once—the Xuan Dan Sect would likely never agree! After all, he was not negotiating with the brainless Kang Jingming, but with the Xuan Dan Sect itself.

Wei Zhao could sense it: the Xuan Dan Sect's young sect master, Tian Canbian, was surely a shrewd man. It was fine for Wei Zhao to make demands, but if he went too far, the other side would certainly refuse. And the very reason they had chosen to trade with him was likely that they did not wish to simply seize what they wanted by force.

Wei Zhao reasoned coolly that the Xuan Dan Sect could not possibly be refraining from robbing him out of fear. More likely, they simply did not want the trouble, and so had chosen to trade. That was why Wei Zhao had named his terms—mostly just to scare Kang Jingming.

Kang Jingming was already cowed by Wei Zhao, and Wei Zhao's ultimate aim was merely to get Kang Jingming to agree to something within his power. As for everything else, it was not Kang Jingming's to decide.

Sure enough, Kang Jingming's expression shifted slightly, and he forced a smile. "This... isn't this a bit much?"

"Too much? Then go cure her yourself," Wei Zhao said, gesturing toward Wang Xinyan.

"All right, all right, let me go ask." Helpless, Kang Jingming could only take his phone, retreat once more into the neighboring room, and dial Tian Canbian's number.

Xiaotaohong answered again, and the call was transferred through her to Tian Canbian. After a while, Kang Jingming returned to the office of the leader surnamed Bai and said to Wei Zhao with some trepidation, "Leader Wei Zhao... I've asked the young sect master. But he says we can agree to at most one of your conditions—one third-grade pill. A third-grade medicinal cauldron is absolutely out of the question. Third-grade pills are not so easily refined, and even for that single pill, we can only give you an IOU. You'll need to supply the materials yourself. Whether it's the Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill or the Qi Gathering Pill, for the time being our patriarchs cannot undertake the refining. We must wait until half a year later, when the furnace can be opened for pill refining..."

Although Xuanzhen Patriarch and Kang Jingming could also restore their stamina and true qi through precious natural treasures, the cost was far too great. Naturally, Tian Canbian could not agree to such a thing for Wei Zhao's sake.

Wei Zhao frowned. Tian Canbian would be difficult to deal with—he had anticipated that much. But that he would be this difficult, Wei Zhao had not expected. This man was neither rash nor hot-headed; even in wanting the pill formula, he would keep the costs under control.

"No stock on hand? Then where did the Qi Gathering Pill you took come from?" Wei Zhao asked with a frown.

"That was from our old reserves. If we still had any, I wouldn't be merely a mid-stage Heaven-ranked expert. The Xuan Dan Sect and... mm, and the young sect master both set great store by the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Transforming Pill. They seem to have some use for it, so in order to raise my success rate and the quality of the pills, they spared no expense to boost my strength. If there were any more Qi Gathering Pills, they would certainly have kept giving them to me, to keep raising my level!" Kang Jingming answered honestly. Before Wei Zhao, he no longer dared play any tricks—though he nearly let something slip and gave away the matter of Xuanzhen Patriarch!

Xuanzhen Patriarch's identity was kept strictly secret. If Kang Jingming let it out, the consequences would be severe. The outside world did not know that the Xuan Dan Sect had any connection to Xuanzhen Patriarch.

"Oh?" Wei Zhao nodded. It seemed this Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Transforming Pill really was important to the Xuan Dan Sect—otherwise they would never have let Kang Jingming consume so many experience pills. "Then aren't you a third-grade alchemist now? Can't you keep refining them?"

"No. I've just refined the Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Transforming Pill, so I can't refine anything else," Kang Jingming said truthfully. "And even if I could, the success rate for refining a pill I've never made before wouldn't be high. If you can accept the failures and keep supplying me with materials, I'd be willing to give it a try for you."

"Then forget it." Wei Zhao did not trust Kang Jingming's skill. It seemed the Xuan Dan Sect was not so easily fooled. "One pill is far too little—and it's only a future promise at that. I don't want to agree."

"All right, then I'll go consult the young sect master again." Kang Jingming was nothing but a mouthpiece, with no mind of his own. He turned and left the room once more to call Tian Canbian.

About five minutes later, Kang Jingming returned to the office of the leader surnamed Bai and said to Wei Zhao with a bitter expression, "The young sect master says: at most one pill—the Qi Gathering Pill. In half a year, you supply the materials, and success is guaranteed. As for the Ice Heart Jade Bone Pill, you supply the materials, and success is not guaranteed!"

"Not guaranteed?" Wei Zhao frowned.

"Yes. The young sect master says this is the greatest sincerity the Xuan Dan Sect can offer. This is how we have done all our exchanges over the years. If you don't agree, then so be it—the Xuan Dan Sect will research the pill formula ourselves. After all, we wanted the formula this time only so we could refine more pills to sell. The Marrow-Cleansing Bone-Transforming Pill that we need, I can refine myself. They are not set on having it at any cost." Kang Jingming relayed Tian Canbian's words to Wei Zhao. "But since you raised doubts, to show the sincerity of the Xuan Dan Sect, we are prepared to gift you a map."

"What map?" Wei Zhao asked.

"A map of the location of the Xuan Dan Sect's trials. If you or a friend of yours takes part in the Xuan Dan Sect's trials, this map will let you easily avoid the danger zones, or use it to rendezvous with your teammates!" Kang Jingming explained. "You know as well as I do that the Xuan Dan Sect's trials use a teleportation formation to send the participants into the trial grounds, but the landing spots are random. With a map, you and your teammates can meet at an agreed location and distinguish yourselves in the trials! And if you pass the Xuan Dan Sect's trials, you'll still receive a third-grade pill—isn't that the same result as before? Think it over?"