Chapter 1523 — Refusing the Trade
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Different eyes see different ends," Xiao Qing said lightly. "The ultimate aim of the ancient sects and the ancient families is to break through the Heaven Rank and step into the Heavenly Dao. The hidden families count it a great feat merely to produce a single Heaven Rank fighter; as for breaking through the Heaven Rank, that is a thing they dare not even dream of."
"So once one takes a Qi Gathering Pill, one can go no further than the Heaven Rank?" From Xiao Qing's words, Wei Zhao had begun to catch the flavor of it.
"If you had a great many Qi Gathering Pills, you could keep taking them until you reached the peak of the late Heaven Rank, and by some stroke of fortune you might break through it as well." Xiao Qing said, "But the Qi Gathering Pill is exceedingly difficult to refine. From what I know, even a rank-four alchemist may fail to succeed in nine furnaces out of ten, and the demands upon the alchemist's own attribute are severe. Thus every single Qi Gathering Pill is worth a city."
"Then... by that account, the Qi Gathering Pill has no true flaw at all? Unless... you mean that once one has taken it, one can no longer cultivate by oneself?" The thought struck Wei Zhao all at once.
"Clever." Xiao Qing said, "The energy held within a Qi Gathering Pill is too pure. Once the body absorbs such pure energy, it grows insensitive to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, unless one finds a place where that energy is especially rich. At the least, all those who have taken a Qi Gathering Pill before met with obstacles in natural cultivation after breaking through to the Heaven Rank, and were forced to keep using all manner of heavenly treasures to advance."
"Easy to go from frugal to lavish, hard to go from lavish to frugal?" Wei Zhao understood her meaning. So this was why the Qi Gathering Pill was called poison. Yet in the notes on alchemy left behind by Zhang Lifeng, no such thing had been mentioned? He was still somewhat puzzled: "I read in an ancient text that in former days the Qi Gathering Pill had no such flaws."
"Of course it had none then—the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was abundant in those days, and now it grows thinner year by year, until cultivation is harder than hard." Xiao Qing said, "Now you understand? If you mean to trade a Qi Gathering Pill for the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit, we can in no way agree. Beyond that, have you any other request?"
"Then... what would it take for you to give me the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit? I could buy it with money." Before the Ice Palace, Wei Zhao could only keep himself lowly and humble. If the Ice Palace would not trade, he could not force them to.
"I told you, the Fire Spirit Sacred Fruit is a treasure beyond price to the Ice Palace," Xiao Qing said. "Unless you have something of corresponding value to us, and I speak with the Palace Master—perhaps then we might barely consent."