Chapter 1287: A Bet and a Battle
There was no need to explain anything or say anything else. No one in attendance was a fool, they knew full well what was going on here.
An utter rout.
The Luminous King felt like he was a prancing jester on display for everyone’s amus.e.m.e.nt. He had no idea what to do as he’d never run into something like this since making a name for himself.
Unbidden, he looked toward the Alchemist King again.
The Alchemist King wore a dark expression and didn’t reveal any overt emotional fluctuations. He silently stared at Lu Yun in front of him, a strange flame slowly kindling in his eyes.
“Immortal King, dare you match skills with me?” He suddenly took a step forward.
“Match skills?” Lu Yun blinked, then looked at him up and down before responding with interest, “What kind of skills?”
“You and I are both supplemental kings, so naturally, we will battle with supplemental skills,” replied the Alchemist King. “You excel in the field as you’ve perfected the recipe for the Eight Treasures Return Pill, expunging all drawbacks from it. You can be hailed as the greatest there is in refining medicine.
“But my t.i.tle as the Alchemist King is bestowed by the Hongmeng Tower itself, so I do not accept this outcome! You and I shall see how our skills in refining pills measure up to each other!”
This was his last defense—he would openly defeat Lu Yun in a fair battle before the eyes of the public, letting them all know that the Immortal King was inferior to the Alchemist King. The Immortal PaG.o.da would naturally close up shop after that, or be a.s.similated by the Supplemental Dao Alliance.
The little fox walked up to feed a pill to Chen Zhong, then used an illusory art of the heart to soothe his mind. The crowd took in all of this as well.
“Sure.” Lu Yun nodded. “Since the Alchemist King wishes to offer some personal instruction, this junior will naturally not decline.”
“Good!” The Alchemist King’s eyes gleamed. He was fully confident of being able to beat Lu Yun as long as the boy dared accept his challenge.
Lu Yun was less than a year into his supplemental kinghood, so how strong could he possibly be? In the Alchemist King’s eyes, all that made the Immortal King powerful was his grasp of the order of time. The boy’s own skills were commonplace and mediocre.
The Alchemist King had conducted an extensive investigation into the Immortal PaG.o.da and discovered that the various pills and medicines it sold likely originated from one person. Though their level wasn’t low, with some king level pills to be found, their quality wasn’t high.
They paled far in comparison to something refined by the Alchemist King and could at most be compared to the work of a pill master about to ascend to supplemental kinghood.
This was in line with the Immortal King’s status as a supplemental king not a year into his position!
In addition, the other treasures for sale at the Immortal PaG.o.da weren"t of high quality either and looked to be the product of a supplemental grandmaster. Their refinement methods were so similar that they were indicative of originating from one person as well.
Therefore, the Alchemist King was certain that there were no other supplemental kings within the Immortal PaG.o.da other than the Immortal King and Intrance King. Everything they sold came from the hands of the Immortal King!
Though the Immortal King was experienced in all trades, he was a master of none. Neither this nor that in anything, all he could do was rely on his command of time for his accomplishments!
The Alchemist King didn’t fear someone like this at all.
“You’re the senior, so how do you say we should match our skills?” Lu Yun asked with a chuckle.
“A battle between supplemental kings is not one mired in so many rules and taboos. Refine what you’re most adept in—regardless of level. The one with the higher quality product is the victor. What say you to that?” The Alchemist King smiled back. “The various kings present will be the judges of this match.”
“That will do.” Lu Yun nodded. “Then I chose to refine an improved Eight Treasures Return Pill for everyone’s perusal.”
He looked at the Prehistoric King, who inclined his head along with his cohorts. Nothing was more convincing than Lu Yun refining that pill again on the spot.
“Which of us shall go first?” Lu Yun asked.
“Let us commence together, lest others say I bullied you.”
Clunk!
The Alchemist King brought out a vermilion pill cauldron and placed it in front of the Immortal PaG.o.da. Three hundred meters tall, heat waves roiled off of it and dyed everything within fifty kilometers a bright red.
Starting with surprise, many kings swiftly retreated and jointly raised a large boundary to seal off the area. When supplemental kings refined pills, they did so with great fanfare. The truths of Hongmeng great daos defined each of their gestures and it was easy for others to be caught up in it.
The various heavyweights of Mult.i.tude City showed themselves at this time—the Fineheart and Finepure Kings of Sublime Pavilion, the Elysium King of Elysium Atelier, and the master of the fourth den of crystal consumption, the Ingenium King of the Ingenium Gazebo. They were here to witness the battle.
The Human King of the Colosseum was in attendance as well, but he remained hidden off to the side rather than appear out in the open. Of the other two sixth step kings in his faction, one was dead and the other captured. He didn’t have the face to be seen in public.
Apart from those on the scene, there were other powerhouses within Mult.i.tude City, but they were mostly chasing after Jin Naluo and weren’t home.
“That’s just as well.” Lu Yun nodded, agreeing to the Alchemist King’s proposal.
No matter who went first or second, the winning side would be under suspicion of enjoying an unfair advantage. If the first contestant refined a successful cauldron of pills, that would levy psychological pressure on the second. The one to go second could learn from the process of the first or refine a pill specifically designed to counter their opponent.
Having the two start at the same time was a fairer arrangement.
Lu Yun waved a hand and rapidly gathered Hongmeng qi, forming it into a cauldron three hundred meters tall. It emanated an indistinct purple glow and nurtured a purple flame within.
“A forge of earth and sky?” sneered the Alchemist King. “This forge is the peak accomplishment of treasure refinement. You use another supplemental dao in refining pills?”
Within the Hongmeng, the ultimate peak of the equipment, pill, formation, and talisman daos were nothing much to be proud of. Anyone who set foot into the ranks of supplemental grandmasters would be at those heights.
“This junior has just arrived and so lacks a useful cauldron. I have to use the achievements of equipment dao to refine pills,” Lu Yun chuckled.
“What a pity that I am a pure pill master and know not of equipment dao. I can’t match you in this regard.” The Alchemist King shook his head.
“Let’s begin.” Lu Yun was tired of the posturing.
“Hold!” interrupted the Luminous King. “Isn’t it boring for two supplemental kings to compete without a forfeit?”
“I almost forgot without the Luminous King’s reminder.” The Alchemist King smiled. “How about this, if you win, I’ll give you this cauldron that is named Truefire World. But if you lose, I don’t want anything other than for you and the Intrance King to join the Supplemental Dao Alliance.”
Lu Yun raised his eyebrows. The Alchemist King was making it seem like the young king would make out like a bandit no matter what. Win or lose, he stood to reap great benefits.
Join the Supplemental Dao Alliance? Countless supplemental masters of the Hongmeng vied for a position in the alliance, but the threshold of entry was set too high.
And if Lu Yun really did join them, he’d be so thoroughly devoured that not even bones would remain of him.