"Master, you called for me." Luo Jiu was exceptionally respectful toward Yu Fan at this moment, as if he truly regarded Yu Fan as his master.
With a wave of his hand, Yu Fan closed the doors and windows.
Witnessing this skill, Luo Jiu knew in his heart that he had won his gamble. Emanating spiritual energy was a skill of the Qi Condensation 9th Layer, yet external rumors claimed Yu Fan was merely a good-for-nothing at the Qi Condensation 3rd Layer. He had truly struck gold this time—how wonderful! Though he didn't say it aloud, who knew how terrified he had been of losing the bet? Now that he had seized this opportunity, Luo Jiu seemed to see his own bright, glittering future.
The Qi Condensation 9th Layer was only a hair's breadth away from the Foundation Establishment Realm.
For Yu Fan to reach the Qi Condensation 9th Layer at such a young age—could such natural talent be described as anything less than genius? At least when he was Yu Fan's age, he was only at the Qi Condensation 5th Layer, and he hadn't broken through to the Qi Condensation 9th Layer until he was forty-one.
This Yu Fan was truly concealing his abilities, hiding his depth so thoroughly! He was simply acting like a pig to eat the tiger while pretending to be useless!
Yet Luo Jiu couldn't quite fathom why someone with such formidable strength would still play dumb. Could this kid have some peculiar fetish? Did he just enjoy being called a good-for-nothing, or was there some even deeper, unknown secret hidden away?
If he genuinely liked people cursing him as trash, how utterly base could someone be? Luo Jiu would rather believe the second reason: he simply couldn't expose his strength.
"I don't know what mindset led you to seek me out, but I am going to Bihai Academy very soon. I believe my purpose is clear to you, and I hope you can help my father properly support the Yu Family from now on. Can you do that?" Yu Fan stared at Luo Jiu and asked.
"I can, Master! Rest assured, Master's family is my family, and Master's father is my grandfather! These are all my bounden duties. I will gladly go through fire and water without hesitation, giving my all until my heart stops beating, dedicating myself entirely to the Yu Family!" Luo Jiu hurriedly replied.
*Damn it,* Yu Fan thought. *That flattery is smoother than oil, but take a look at yourself first! You look older than my dad, yet you're talking about being a grandson! My dad certainly doesn't want a grandson as old as you.*
Yu Fan produced five bottles of pills, controlling them with his mind until they floated before Luo Jiu.
Looking at the five medicine bottles in front of him, Luo Jiu opened the first one.
As an alchemist, although his rank wasn't high, he had studied the medical compendium. Through the familiar scent, he quickly identified this as the Foundation-Building Pill, and moreover, of the highest possible grade—the perfect grade.
Radiating a faint halo, it gave the impression of an immortal elixir, exuding a sacred aura that made it hard to believe this was merely a pill used in the Foundation Establishment Realm.
"This is a perfect-grade Foundation-Building Pill! And there are so many of them!" Luo Jiu's hand trembled slightly as he gripped the jade bottle. A single pill of this caliber could sell for a astronomical price, holding immense collectible value; he might not even be able to afford a single one in his entire lifetime. Many people lived out their lives without ever laying eyes on one even once.
Taking a quick glance, he found there were around thirty of them. He was utterly dumbfounded.
The effects of a perfect-grade Foundation-Building Pill were terrifyingly potent. Consuming it not only guaranteed a hundred-percent breakthrough by one rank, but it also possessed zero impurities, meaning it would inflict absolutely no negative side effects on the body.
It was the ultimate, lifelong pursuit of every alchemist.
"That's right, these are perfect-grade Foundation-Building Pills. They can help you cultivate all the way to the Golden Core Realm."
"Are these for me to cultivate with? Did I hear that right?" Luo Jiu felt as though he were walking in a dream. He pinched himself hard enough to feel pain, realizing this was no dream—it was real. So many perfect-grade Foundation-Building Pills were actually going to be his! He was truly blessed beyond measure.
Next came the second bottle, which he didn't quite recognize.
It was likewise of perfect grade, and the dazzling medicinal halo shimmered like a golden core under the blazing sun.
"What is this second bottle?"
"The second bottle contains Golden Spirit Pills, which are pills taken in the Golden Core Realm."
"The third bottle contains Nascent Soul Pills, for the Nascent Soul Realm."
"The fourth bottle contains Soul Formation Pills, taken in the Soul Formation Realm."
"The fifth bottle contains Deity Transformation Pills—as the name implies, medicine needed for the Deity Transformation Realm."
"These medicines are entirely sufficient to help you break through to the Deity Transformation Peak. To say nothing of the entire Qingshan City, even within a radius of a hundred thousand miles, there won't be a second person stronger than you." Faced with these pills, Yu Fan appeared completely relaxed and casual.
Once these five bottles of pills came out into the world, countless powerhouses and factions across the Cangling Continent would scramble for them like ducks to water.
Luo Jiu stared at the five medicine bottles before him.
It felt as though he had just won the jackpot in the lottery.
He had been too narrow-minded! He originally thought Yu Fan merely wanted to conceal his natural talent, but it turned out he was a supreme master in seclusion!
Was this Yu Fan really just an ordinary young patriarch of the Yu Family? Just how terrifying must his true strength be? These pills alone were enough to leave him shaken to his core.
"Alright, put the pills away. I have other things to give you."
As soon as Luo Jiu stowed the pills away, three more pills floated up in front of him.
"Master, what are these?" Luo Jiu couldn't help but swallow hard.
The three pills, carrying the same radiant halos, spoke of their heaven-defying quality. Anything produced by Yu Fan's hand was bound to be of perfect grade.
Alchemist pills were divided into six grades: inferior, lower, middle, upper, flawless, and perfect.
To be able to forge even sixth-grade pills into perfect grade meant Yu Fan himself was likely at least an eighth-grade, or perhaps even a ninth-grade alchemist.
Such a figure was as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns across the entire Cangling Continent.
"The first is the Marrow-Cleansing and Bone-Washing Pill. As an alchemist, you should know its function, shouldn't you?"
"I know, I know. This disciple knows it all too well."
"The second is the Golden Body Pill. Once consumed, your physical body achieves a lesser-accomplished golden body, which will help you resist heavenly tribulations in the future and also proves exceptionally useful in combat."
"The third pill is not a cultivation pill; it is a poison." Yu Fan said this and watched Luo Jiu's expression.
Luo Jiu shuddered all over, a chill surging straight up from the soles of his feet.
A poison! Could it be that today he only had the life to look at these treasures, but no life to enjoy them? Surely not! With so many good things here, was he truly destined not to live to enjoy them? How Heaven envied talented men!
"Master, what does this mean? I don't want to die! I want to live. I will never betray the Yu Family! Master, please give me a chance. I haven't done anything yet—please don't kill me."
Luo Jiu had wanted to run, but looking at all those pills, he already knew he couldn't escape. Yu Fan could turn him to ashes with a flick of a finger; how could he possibly run? Now, all he could do was use his utmost effort to demonstrate his loyalty.
"You don't need to be afraid. As long as you remain loyal, this poison won't harm you. It is called the Mother-Child Pill; as the name suggests, it is a pair of pills—if the mother pill is destroyed, the child pill perishes. This is the child pill. As long as you take the child pill and obey, rest assured, I will not treat you unfairly. I believe that after seeing these pills, you are well aware of my ability to help you become a powerhouse. If you disobey, then you will have no reason to keep living in this world."