C23 The Brown Scorpion King Poison Again!
Everyone present was left slack-jawed.
What did he just say?
Foundation Building Pill?
Two of them?!
And he's looking to sell one?
"Hold up, Mr. Pao! We'll top any offer. Don't sell to Immortal Sword!"
"Mr. Pao, my bad. Please, come back. We'd sell our honor just to buy a Foundation Building Pill from you!"
"Where's Mr. Pao?"
Immortal Sword Shui Jing glanced at the grayed-out friend icon and confidently announced, "He's logged off."
Those not affiliated with Immortal Sword erupted into howls of despair.
Except, of course, for the members of the Shadow Club.
The duo from Shadow Club had exhausted their chances and came up empty-handed. Worse, they'd been demoted from the pinnacle of the Qi Refining Stage to the tenth grade. Clearly, they'd run afoul of a formidable boss or trap that had wiped them out.
Hearing that Jian Yipao was in possession of two Foundation Building Pills, their expressions turned sour.
Within the Shadow Club, aside from Shadow Pear and Wang Yipao, who were on good terms, everyone else saw him as an adversary.
Shadow Blade and Shadow Rain, in particular, never missed an opportunity to mock and provoke Wang Yipao.
"Enough from you lot of scoundrels! Moments ago, you were all set to gang up on Mr. Pao, and now you're eyeing his Foundation Building Pills? In your dreams!" Immortal Sword Jiulong declared with a steely righteousness.
Even he had started referring to him as Mr. Pao.
But what could he do? The man had two Foundation Building Pills.
A little loss of dignity was a small price to pay.
After all, how can one aspire to greatness if they're afraid to sacrifice their scruples?
"Ouyang Jue, you bastard!"
"A pretty boy and a queer to boot."
"An ass that's as tiny as it is foul."
"Die-hard sis-con!"
Immortal Sword Jiulong exploded, "How many times do I have to say it? I'm not a sis-con; I'm a decent guy, damn it!"
"Pah!"
The crowd unleashed a verbal barrage.
But Immortal Sword Jiulong just flicked his elegant hair, as if to say, "It's tough being this good-looking."
The next moment, he found himself banished to the White Lunar Palace by the "Nazi."
After emerging, he was no longer at the pinnacle of the Qi Refining Stage.
"Unbelievable! The White Lunar Palace is utterly shameless. Sending in a Golden Core Stage Boss? What chance do I stand?" Immortal Sword Jiulong was visibly upset.
Now, even if he got his hands on a Foundation Building Pill, it wouldn't be him using it first.
Especially since recovering from a drop to the fifth level of his cultivation technique would take ages.
The audacity of this secret realm was staggering.
"That's what you get for showing off," remarked a player whose cultivation level had taken a hit, with a hint of serenity.
Immortal Sword Jiulong, livid, declared his intent to battle it out.
The other party simply retorted, "Scared? As if!"
But then, with a mere chuckle from the artifact spirit, both challengers were rendered mute.
The onlookers egged them on, "Why stop now? Keep it going!"
Cowed, the pair insisted they hadn't heard a thing.
It was then that the artifact spirit spoke up again: "Three more to go. Next... let's have the one who kicked my tail."
Immortal Sword Shui Jing: ...
Immortal Sword Shui Jing entered and exited swiftly, without losing a level.
But how could she exit so quickly without any demotion?
"Sis, you okay?"
"Seems like nothing's wrong."
"So then..."
"I just opened a treasure chest inside and snagged a set of Supreme grade Foundation Stage gear."
"Oh, well, you're pretty lucky then. Hold on... You said a set, as in a complete set? Not just one piece, but a full six-piece set?"
Immortal Sword Shui Jing nodded in confirmation.
"Holy smokes!"
All those present were astounded. She was the real deal, a genuine game-changer.
She had the gear for future stages ready to go, and not just any gear, but Supreme grade.
At this point, the value of her reward likely surpassed that of two Foundation Building Pills.
"How come she gets the goods without facing any peril, oh graceful artifact spirit?"
Some lamented, on the verge of tears.
"Have I not mentioned it before? There are five portions of Immortal Destiny inside. Some are born under a lucky star, so much so that they might stumble upon an unparalleled Immortal Artifact just by ambling around. It's the same concept. She's fortunate, and thus she faced no danger and still claimed her Immortal Destiny," the artifact spirit elucidated with patience.
"There are only two spots left, and just one last Immortal Destiny remains within the mansion. Given that, you two might as well enter together," the artifact spirit declared, waving its hand dismissively.
In an instant, the last two individuals stepped into the mansion.
Less than thirty minutes passed before they emerged, one having dropped a level, while the other beamed with elation.
"God Jue, what treasure did you snag? Spill the beans," someone called out.
"I'm worried you'll start calling me 'grandpa' if I do," God Jue teased.
"Ha! As if! Unless you scored a Foundation Building Pill, why would anyone bother?"
"It's not the pill itself, but I did get my hands on the Foundation Building Pill's recipe."
A hush fell over the crowd.
"You got what?" Immortal Sword Jiulong's eyes bulged as he bellowed.
"I snagged the recipe for the Foundation Building Pill. Scared yet? Wahaha!" God Jue couldn't contain his glee.
"Grandpa!"
The previously boastful player's face flushed with embarrassment.
God Jue flipped him the bird, his contempt unmistakable. The guy had actually called him 'grandpa'—absolutely shameless.
"You're lacking an alchemist, and the Foundation Building Pill's recipe must be quite demanding," Dragon Monarch commented coolly.
His implication was clear: without an alchemist, they wouldn't profit from the recipe, at least not initially. The future, however, was anyone's guess.
God Jue smirked, "Isn't there one? That alchemy genius who got the boot from Divine Wind? I'll just hand him the recipe, and he'll be with us in no time."
"Eh, since when am I so cheap?" Wang Yipao chimed in, having just logged on after a call from Immortal Sword Shui Jing and catching God Jue's remark, his face the picture of calm.
God Jue fell silent.
"Mr. Pao, what are we to each other?"
"Look, Jue, if you're thinking of selling me that Foundation Building Pill recipe, I might just liquidate my assets to buy it. But joining the Gods? No chance. I've been burned by a team before. You think a wound like that heals overnight? If you really want to mend fences, why not gift me the recipe?"
"Mr. Pao, are you really nursing a wounded heart? Spouting such shameless remarks, and just moments ago, you were off to shoot a little film with the Overlord. Does that sound like someone who's hurting? Or have you simply cast off the chains of Divine Wind and embraced your true self?"
"Cut it out. That's just who Mr. Pao is. So, what's needed for the Foundation Building Pill recipe?"
To say Wang Yipao had no interest in the Foundation Building Pill recipe would be a blatant lie. If he could master it on the fly, he could turn a hefty profit with that formula.
Then, he could start his own club or team—call the shots on his own terms.
God Jue generously shared the recipe.
Foundation Building Pill Recipe
Ingredients: Li Shan Grass, Ghost Heart Blood, Brown Scorpion King Venom...
Cultivation Requirement: Foundation Stage third grade
Alchemist Requirement: Foundation Stage Alchemist
Refinement Requirements: Third Grade Cauldron, Third Grade Pill Fire
"Seriously? Brown Scorpion King Venom again? Might as well shoot for the stars!"
Wang Yipao felt like he was on the brink of a meltdown at the sight of that third ingredient.