Chapter 1096: Is It Worth It?
"What?!" Cheng He's eyes widened when he heard the azure-clad old man's words. The initial calmness had turned into shock. "Grade one... grade one alchemist, and he's not even thirty yet?"
"Are... Are you sure?!" Cheng He looked at the azure-clad old man intently.
"I'm sure." The azure-clad old man nodded. "I've seen him once during the Alchemist Competition together with the other alchemists."
"He revealed his grade one alchemist identity by displaying his grade one Pill Fire at that time and joined the Lu Clan," the azure-clad old man said affirmatively.
'He's not even thirty!'
'A grade one alchemist!' Cheng He narrowed his eyes. 'Since he's a grade one alchemist, it's unlikely he's a demon! But if he's a human, how did he become a grade one alchemist at such a young age?'
'Furthermore, he managed to refine grade one pills with 90% purity!' The more Cheng He thought about it, the more skeptical he became.
It was too shocking for a human less than thirty years of age to become a grade one alchemist.
Moreover, this grade one alchemist could refine grade one pills with 90% purity. That was unbelievable.
'Even the No.1 Alchemist on Cloud Continent known to the public, the Guild Master of the Alchemist Guild's Supreme Main Guild can only refine grade one pills with 80% purity at the most. Moreover, it depends on luck as well.'
'That Guild Master became a grade one alchemist when he was not even forty years old and was known as the top genius among alchemists! However, he only managed to refine grade one pills with 80% purity after he was 100 years old.'
'Even if that alchemist who joined Lu Clan is more talented than the Guild Master since he became a grade one alchemist before turning thirty, it's quite impossible for him to refine pills with more than 90% purity.' Cheng He's thoughts were spinning.
Finally, he came to a conclusion.
'He must have some unique medicine refinement technique... Even if that's not the case, he must be hiding some great secrets! Otherwise, it's impossible for a kid like him to refine pills with such high purity.' A hint of greed appeared in Cheng He's eyes.
Cheng He's expression returned to normal, and he said to the azure-clad old man, "You may return."
"Yes." The azure-clad old man dared not delay and left after he responded.
After the azure-clad old man left, greed flashed through Cheng He's eyes once again as he looked at the grade one Life Recovery Pill with 91% Purity in his hand.
He immediately flew out of the top of the tower.
"Follow me to Northern Mountain's Lu Clan," Cheng He spoke to the air.
'Whoosh!'
As soon as Cheng He was done speaking, an azure silhouette appeared out of thin air with a rumble.
It was the azure-clad middle-aged man who blocked the azure-clad old man's way earlier.
"Let's go!" Cheng He took the lead and flew away. He vanished in a blink of an eye.
The azure-clad middle-aged man moved and soon caught up to Cheng He. He flew behind him like his shadow.
...
On a platform in a spacious side hall in the Northern Mountain's Lu Clan.
A purple-clad young man and a middle-aged man sat with their legs crossed on the platform.
The middle-aged man eyes were closed. The purple-clad young man looked at another middle-aged man and nodded to him. "Clan Leader, let's begin."
"Hmm." The middle-aged man nodded and lifted his arm. Mist surrounded the platform, shrouding both the middle-aged man and the purple-clad young man in a blink of an eye.
If there was an Inscription Master here, he would be able to tell the platform shrouded in mist was the Profound Assimilation Formation.
The Profound Assimilation Formation was an Inscription Formation that refined a massive number of Concept Fragments into Concept Energy and helped with boosting one's Concepts at lightning speed.
The Profound Assimilation Formation would consume a ridiculous number of Concept Fragments each time it was activated. It was impossible for a person to handle the consumption without a certain level of ability.
'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!'
...
As the mist rose, the middle-aged man who was standing outside lifted his arm once again as Concept Fragments shot out from his hand one after another and merged with the Profound Assimilation Formation.
Upon closer inspection, one would see there were only four types of Concept Fragments the middle-aged man was tossing into the formation.
They were the Wind Concept Fragments sparkling in green energy, Earth Concept Fragments with a khaki glow, Thunder Concept Fragments rumbling in purple energy, and Sword Concept Fragments with sword-shaped energy.
'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!'
...
Concept Fragments shot out of the middle-aged man's hand as though he was getting rid of trash. In a blink of an eye, he had tossed out 1,000 fragments into the formation.
The middle-aged man looked calm, it did not seem like he was unwilling at all.
"Is it worth it?" An ancient suddenly sounded as the middle-aged man was tossing close to 2,000 Concept Fragments into the formation.
Soon after, a skinny old man with white hair appeared next to the middle-aged man.
The skinny old man wore a loose robe. He was handsome with white eyebrows and white beard. He resembled a saint more than an ordinary person.
"Former Clan Leader." The middle-aged man stopped whatever he was doing when he heard the old man's voice.
When the old man appeared, he bowed at the old man respectfully without further delay.
The middle-aged man was the Clan Leader of the Northern Mountain's Lu Clan. The two men in the Profound Assimilation Formation were obviously Duan Ling Tian and Xiong Quan.
"It's worth it." Lu Rui nodded solemnly after he greeted the old man.
He knew the reason why the old man asked such a question.
The close to 2,000 Concept Fragments he had tossed into the formation were almost all of the four types of Concept Fragments that Lu Clan had in store. No matter how well-off the Lu Clan was, it would still more or less affect the clan.
At the very least, it would affect all the talented Lu Clan's disciples who had comprehended the four Concepts since they would not be able to enter the Profound Assimilation Formation to boost their Concepts in the near future.
What he had done would limit the Lu Clan's disciples' growth to a certain level.
That was the price he had to pay.
However, he thought it was worth it.
"Hmm?" The old man's gleamed like stars in the sky. He proceeded to ask, "I assume you're so certain of your decision because he's not just a grade one alchemist who's able to refine grade one pills with more than 90% purity?"
The old man had a teasing look on his face when he looked at Lu Rui.
Lu Rui could not help but force a smile when he saw the way the old man looked at him.
He knew the Former Clan Leader must have figured something out. Otherwise, he would not have asked such a question.
The old man was the clan's former Clan Leader, Lu Qiu.
Compared to Lu Rui's stunning medicine refinement talent, Lu Qiu earned himself the position back then with his domineering martial ability.
Although Lu Qiu was not an alchemist, his talent in the Martial Dao was terrifying.
Even now, nobody in the Lu Clan knew how powerful this Former Clan Leader who willingly gave up his position was.
However, everybody knew that the three Lu Clan's Guardian Elders who were Martial Monarch powerhouses might not be able to defeat the Former Clan Leader even if all three of them worked together.
This Former Clan Leader was the real guardian angel of the Lu Clan!
"Former Clan Leader, please don't put me in a difficult position... I've taken the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation oath before Elder Duan. I'll be killed by the thunder penalty if I tell you something I'm not supposed to," Lu Rui said helplessly.
Although he was the current Clan Leader of Lu Clan, he was nothing compared to the old man standing before him position wise.
The old man standing before him had one-of-a-kind power. The current Clan Leader would even be dismissed immediately should the old man wished for it.
"Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation?" Lu Qiu raised his white eyebrows. "Somebody took the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation oath earlier for no reason, causing nine claps of thunder to rumble and wake me up from my sweet dream... So that brat was you!"
Brat!
Perhaps the Former Clan Leader, Lu Qiu, was the only one who dared to call the current Clan Leader, Lu Rui, a brat in the entire Lu Clan.
However, Lu Rui was not mad. Instead, he looked apologetic. "I didn't know you were resting, Former Clan Leader..."
"Alright, let's not talk about things that don't matter," Lu Qiu interrupted and waved a hand dismissively. His eyes gleamed as he said, "Of course you can't tell me what it is since you took the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation oath... But it shouldn't be a problem if you give me some hints here and there." A sly smile appeared on Lu Qiu's face when he spoke.
Lu Rui shook his head and said, "Former Clan Leader, you can't say that... If you figure out Elder Duan's real identity from my hint, I'll be killed by the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation's thunder penalty!"
"Real identity?" The smile on Lu Qiu's face widened.
Lu Rui forced a smile on his face when he realized he had said too much.
Previously, the Former Clan Leader did not know Lu Rui took extra care of Elder Duan because of his real identity.
"Seems like our Elder Duan isn't someone simple... Let me think about it." Lu Qiu began to rack his brain as he muttered, "A grade one alchemist who's not even thirty years old and can refine grade one pills with more than 90% purity..."
"Also, you're extremely respectful to him... His real identity's undoubtedly admirable even to a brat like you." Lu Qiu continued to mull over it with a frown on his face.
Lu Rui's lips twitched when he heard Lu Qiu's mutterings.
He did not expect the Former Clan Leader would come so close to the truth with the limited information he was given.
"A grade one alchemist who refines grade one pills with more than 90% purity... Became a grade one alchemist before turning thirty. Moreover, his ability's pretty decent since he managed to kill an Eighth Level Void Transformation martial artist..." Lu Qiu continued to mutter to himself as he pondered.
It was obvious he knew everything that Duan Ling Tian had done since he joined the Lu Clan.