Martial Peak

“What happened?” Yang Zhen asked as he looked at Cheng Bai Lian with disappointment, “At such an age, getting so excited about something after merely a glance, please have some self-respect!”

However, Cheng Bai Lian completely ignored Yang Zhen, his eyes spinning round and round, a look of pure shock and joy flashing across his face. He turned and stared at Yang Kai for a moment, and in the next moment, his figure flickered and directly appeared in front of him, grabbing his shoulders in a vice grip as if he feared that Yang Kai would run away, asking in a slightly trembling voice, “Little brat, this Spirit Array... you... where did you get it?”

Yang Kai’s brow furrowed, faintly becoming aware of something before replying, “Medicine King’s Valley, Hidden Cloud Peak!”

Cheng Bai Lian’s body shook at these words, his face frozen in place as if he’d just been struck by lightning, a moment later nodding over and over again, “I knew it, I knew it...”

Saying so, he re-focused his gaze on Yang Kai again, hastily asking, “What is your relationship with Grandmaster Xiao?”

“Nothing much, I just stayed on Hidden Cloud Peak for about two months,” Yang Kai slowly shook his head and said in a low-key manner.

Cheng Bai Lian’s look suddenly became frigid as he glared at Yang Kai, the coldness in his eyes gradually becoming piercing as he spoke in an icy tone, “So you stole this Spirit Array?”

Yang Kai shook his head lightly in reply, “Grandmaster Xiao taught it to me.”

Cheng Bai Lian couldn’t understand why this young man who claimed to have nothing to do with Grandmaster Xiao would be taught these two precious Spirit Arrays, but he soon smiled again, “Good good good! Alchemy techniques can’t be stolen, definitely not, but since the Grandmaster taught you, then it’s alright.”

He obviously thought that Yang Kai had reservations about admitting his relationship with Xiao Fu Sheng to the public.

Although the conversation between the two was only a few words, it had let the Elders of the Elder Hall recognize something.

These two Spirit Arrays that Yang Zhen couldn’t identify... seemed to have a big background!

“Does Senior recognize this Spirit Array?” Yang Kai asked curiously. If Cheng Bai Lian didn’t recognize this Spirit Array, he wouldn’t have reacted so strongly to it, but this was something Yang Kai had gained from the True Alchemic Way, how could Cheng Bai Lian also know it?

Hearing Yang Kai’s question, Yang Zhen and the other Elders turned their eyes to Cheng Bai Lian, who simply shook his head and smiled, a far-off look of nostalgia surfacing in his eyes.

“Damn it, tell us already!” Yang Zhen had reached his limit, loudly cursing as he demanded an explanation from Cheng Bai Lian.

At any other time, the Yang Family’s Chief Alchemist wouldn’t have remained silent for so long, but right now he seemed to be completely absorbed in his thoughts, only speaking again after an extended silence, “Thirty years ago, at Medicine King’s Valley’s Alchemy Summit, I had the privilege of studying this Spirit Array once, but at the time it was only a half completed product.”

Yang Kai’s brow twitched, suddenly understanding what had happened.

“For that time’s Alchemy Summit, many geniuses came forth competed against one another! This old master passed through many trials and defeated dozens of opponents, advancing all the way to the finals, but in the end, I myself was defeated at the hands of another, that man was Xiao Fu Sheng!” Cheng Bai Lian looked at Yang Kai with a smile, “Grandmaster Xiao is a genius, born for the Alchemic Way, losing to him was not shameful in the slightest!”

Yang Zhen folded his arms and snorted. As a cultivator of the Martial Dao, he naturally didn’t understand the Alchemic Way, nor did he understand about the admiration and mutual understanding between high level Alchemists.

“The best young Alchemists at that summit were given the privilege of visiting Pill Saint’s Peak to pay tribute to the Pill Saint’s Portrait and ponder the Alchemic Way.” Cheng Bai Lian said, immersing himself in his memories, “Xiao Fu Sheng and I mounted Pill Saint’s Peak together and it was there that we both saw the half completed version of this Spirit Array. This old master’s only regret was not being able to see its full form.”

“After that, I came to the Yang Family while Xiao Fu Sheng entered Medicine King’s Valley, heh heh,” Cheng Bai Lian smiled as he spoke, “Over the past thirty years, I have corresponded with Grandmaster Xiao often and whenever I had free time, I would go to Medicine King’s Valley to study that half completed Spirit Array with him, trying complete it, but after three decades I still couldn’t succeed!”

“When the Ash-Grey Cloud Evil Land attacked Medicine King’s Valley and destroyed the Pill Saint’s Portrait, this old master thought that in this lifetime he would never have a chance to see this complete Spirit Array. Never did I expect... ha... haha... hahaha!” Cheng Bai Lian threw his head back as he stared up at the Heavens, a joyous yet somewhat bitter smile adorning his face, “Xiao Fu Sheng is indeed Xiao Fu Sheng, always one step ahead of this old master! Never did I expect that he had already completed this Spirit Array. This old master truly cannot compare to the world’s greatest Alchemist, his name is truly deserved!”

Yang Kai didn’t expect that the Spirit Array he had brought out actually involved these past events. Even characters like Xiao Fu Sheng were only able to obtain half of it from the Pill Saint’s Portrait, one could only imagine the infinite profoundness of the True Alchemic Way.

The appearance of this Spirit Array here had actually solved the thirty year old puzzle that had plagued two of this world’s best Alchemists.

Although there was some misunderstanding here, Yang Kai was not prepared to say anything, he had intended to push the credit for this Spirit Array onto Grandmaster Xiao from the beginning anyways.

“Yes yes you’ve said enough already, just tell us, are these two Spirit Arrays of any use?” Yang Zhen asked an impatiently.

“Nonsense!” Cheng Bai Lian snorted, “How could they be useless? This is a Spirit Array from the Pill Saint’s Portrait, a treasure left behind by the Pill Saint himself, of course it’s useful!”

“Then its value?” Yang Zhen asked anxiously.

“Immeasurable!” Cheng Bai Lian replied seriously.

All the Elders in the hall couldn’t help looking awkward. Yang Kai offering two of these Spirit Arrays to the Yang Family, the number of merits they were worth was huge, even Yang Zhen didn’t quite know how many he should reward Yang Kai with.

“I’ll take these Spirit Arrays back with them, this old master must study them well.” Cheng Bai Lian normally frowning face bloomed into smiles, holding the two jade slips in his hand as if they were the world’s most precious treasures.

“Good, take them with you, but remember not to let them leak out, you know the Yang Family’s rules.” Yang Zhen said solemnly.

Cheng Bai Lian rolled his eyes, “This old master has been in the Yang Family for thirty years now. How could I not understand the family’s rules?”

Yang Zhen just nodded slightly with a satisfied expression.

Cheng Bai Lian turned to look at Yang Kai, none of his previous disdain or contempt remaining on his face, politely asking, “Boy, what is your name?”

Yang Kai casually gave his name in response.

Cheng Bai Lian then patted his shoulder intimately, “Good good, this old master will remember you, when I have time I will invite you to my home to drink tea!”

After saying so, Cheng Bai waved his sleeves and strode out with great vigor.

Once again, all the Elders in the hall looked at each other in shock, some of them even wondering if they were dreaming.

Cheng Bai Lian had invited a junior to his home to drink tea...

Many of these old men had never been treated politely by the Yang Family’s Chief Alchemist, much less been invited to drink tea.

For the younger generation, even the generation above them, such an invitation was an extraordinary privilege, if it were to leak out it would surely create a stir.

A while after Cheng Bai Lian walked off, the group of old men secretly shook their heads, wondering just what kind of blessing Yang Kai had received. He could actually converse with characters like Xiao Fu Sheng and personally be taught two extraordinary Spirit Arrays by him.

“Elder Zhen,” Yang Kai called out, “The validity of my offering has been proven, can I exchange for two Blood Warriors now?”

Yang Zhen rolled his eyes and muttered, “Good! But this old master must first remind you, depending on the strength of the Blood Warrior, the merits you’ll need to exchange for their services are different.”

“Then... what kind of Blood Warrior can I receive with my current merits?”

“Ah... er...” Yang Zhen lightly coughed, “Among the masters from the Blood Warrior Hall, you can choose any of them, including the Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master!”

“Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master?” Yang Kai asked in amazement.

“Yes, those two both stand at the very apex of the Immortal Ascension Boundary!” Yang Zhen nodded, “If you have the two of them to guard you, no one should be able to get close to you in this Inheritance War.”

It seemed like the number of merits Yang Kai had earned all at once was too great so Yang Zhen wanted him to quickly consume them. Thus Yang Zhen spared no effort to promote the idea of Yang Kai recruiting the Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master.

Unfortunately for him, Yang Kai just slowly shook his head, “I don’t want them.”

“Yang Zhen secretly sighed to himself before nodding, “If you don’t want them, who do you want?”

“Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu!” Yang Kai reported the names of the two Blood Warriors who had been tasked with protecting his Fourth Brother Yang Xin Wu.

The looks on the faces of all the old men in the hall suddenly became weird, some of them staring at Yang Kai strangely, others with amazement.

Qu Gao Yi and Ying Jiu were originally the two best Blood Warriors in the Blood Warrior Hall in terms of aptitude, all the Elders naturally had heard their names and also had great expectations for them, but because of the incident with Yang Xin Wu and the punishment the family had given them as a result, these two Blood Warriors’ status had fallen significantly.

The Elders were quite sorry about the two warrior’s experiences but the rules of Yang Family were absolute, so they had to punish them. They had thought that for this time’s Inheritance War no one would dare to elect them, but they hadn’t expected that the youngest Yang Kai would actually take the initiative to choose them.

Even if Yang Kai had said he wanted the Blood Warrior Hall’s Hall Master and Deputy Hall Master the Elders wouldn’t have shown as much shock as they were currently.

Not pick the two most powerful Blood Warriors when given the choice, but instead choosing two nearly bedridden warriors instead, this Yang Kai was either an idiot, or... he was scheming something!

Yang Zhen looked at Yang Kai, thinking deeply for a moment before quick asking, “Those two have been heavily injured, are you sure you want them?”

“Yes!”

“Interesting!” Yang Zhen grinned, “Your appetite is quite big!”

In that brief moment, Yang Zhen seemed to have seen through all of Yang Kai’s thoughts and intentions, so Yang Kai simply shrugged his shoulders indifferently.

(Silavin: WTF are you talking about?)

“Since you want, then I will give them to you!” Yang Zhen snorted, “I want to see just what kind of storm you can kick up by using those two for this Inheritance War! I hope you aren’t picking up a stone just to smash your own foot! Haha, don’t regret it later.”

“Of course, Elder Zhen doesn’t need to bother himself with my business.”

Yang Zhen smiled deviously, immediately taking out a parchment and stamping it with the Elder Hall’s seal before throwing it to Yang Kai.

Yang Kai took the parchment, glanced at it carefully before nodding with satisfaction, cupping his fists politely, “Many thanks Elder Zhen!”

“Good, after choosing those two Blood Warriors, you still have a lot of merits left! What else do you want to exchange for?” Yang Zhen raised his brow and asked, “For the Inheritance War, you can never do too much preparation.”

“How many merits do I have left?” Yang Kai asked curiously.

“A lot,” Yang Zhen said offhandedly, not disclosing a specific figures. It was quite possible he also didn’t know just how many merits Yang Kai’s contribution warranted.

“In that case I’ll exchange all of them for Alchemy and Artifact Refining materials, at least Heaven Grade Low-Rank, preferably Mysterious Grade.”