Chapter 77: (1): The Bet with the Little Medicine Boy
"Long Xuan." At this moment, the little medicine boy approached with a serious expression. Just as Long Xuan thought he was also going to ask for some of his barbecue, the boy leaned in and whispered, "Do you have any defective Spirit Gathering Pills?"
The little medicine boy looked at him earnestly. Through crazily consuming defective pills, he had already reached the peak of the Spirit Gathering stage, just one step away from the Marrow Cleansing Stage.
However, due to the current scarcity of spiritual energy in the world, all Gu cultivators could only rely on the power of pills to break through. He had no choice but to start preparing for the Spirit Gathering Pills.
Upon hearing this, Long Xuan gave him a surprised look. He wasn't stupid; he had already guessed that the little medicine boy planned to use the poison immunity of the Little Strong Gu to exploit the medicinal power of defective pills for a breakthrough.
One had to admit, the boy's idea was indeed ingenious and unique. It was a pretty good concept, almost as clever as Long Xuan himself.
Using the Little Strong Gu to consume defective pills was definitely a good idea. However, the medicinal power of defective pills was far inferior to that of complete pills.
Even if the little medicine boy wanted to exploit the power of defective Spirit Gathering Pills, the chances of successfully breaking through were extremely slim.
So Long Xuan leaned in closer and whispered, "I must say, my success rate in pill refining has always been 100%. Where do you expect me to get defective pills for you? You're making it hard for me."
The little medicine boy twitched his mouth and looked at him speechlessly.
Someone having a 100% success rate in pill refining? Would he die if he didn't brag? He had seen boastful people before, but this was the first time he had seen someone boasting to this extent. Was boasting tax-free in their village?It was like cows flying in the sky and him blowing hot air on the ground; the bragging was just too much.
Of course, the little medicine boy couldn't believe such a thing and just assumed Long Xuan was boasting.
"Alright! Just pretend I didn't say anything. When you bought my alchemy furnace, I already guessed you were an alchemist. And you just mentioned the Spirit Gathering Pill to Li Laodao, so I had reason to suspect you have some."
"How about this, let's make a bet. You give me three Spirit Gathering Pills, and I'll give you my share of the treasure from this expedition."
"None of us know what's in that cave mansion right now. If my share of the treasure is worth more than the three Spirit Gathering Pills, then you profit."
"If my share of the treasure is worth less than the three Spirit Gathering Pills, then I profit."
"Afterward, none of us can hold a grudge. Do you dare to bet?" the little medicine boy whispered to Long Xuan.
Long Xuan stroked his chin and gave him another surprised look. He was genuinely impressed by the little medicine boy at this moment.
This little medicine boy was indeed not just ordinarily smart. Not only could he observe from details that Long Xuan had Spirit Gathering Pills, but he also learned to use resources without spending anything himself.
However, Long Xuan was indeed a bit interested in this bet.
What was in that cave mansion was completely unknown to them. It could be very rich or very poor, and after splitting it into five parts, no one knew how much they would get.
Moreover, Li Laodao had discovered the cave mansion, and by the rules, he would take half of the treasures inside, and the most valuable item would also go to him.
As a result, the treasures left for the others would be even less, making it hard to say who would profit in the end.
But three Spirit Gathering Pills meant nothing to Long Xuan, whose pill refining success rate was 100%. He wouldn't mind losing them, so he was willing to accept the bet.
"Alright! I'll bet with you, but no one can go back on their word afterward."
Long Xuan quietly took out three Spirit Gathering Pills and handed them to the little medicine boy.
The little medicine boy was overjoyed and glanced around to ensure no one noticed before discreetly putting the pills into his storage bag.
At the same time, he gave Long Xuan a deep look, with a complicated expression in his eyes.
Through several observations, he could tell that Long Xuan was very suspicious by nature, extremely cautious in everything he did, and left no loose ends.
Yet, he actually handed over the Spirit Gathering Pills first without fear of being deceived.
Such a person would never trust anyone easily. His actions could only mean one thing: he was absolutely confident in winning the bet, so he didn't fear being cheated.
The little medicine boy's pupils contracted, and he became wary. He concluded that Long Xuan must have some powerful cards up his sleeve, and likely more than one, making him someone not to be provoked.
After resting well, the five of them set off again. However, they slowed their pace to accommodate Li Laodao.
The location Li Laodao mentioned was quite far, taking them more than twenty days to reach under his guidance, meaning a round trip would take two months.
Long Xuan could only hope there were good things inside; otherwise, spending so much time wouldn't be worth it. Wouldn't sleeping at home be better?
The cave mansion's location, according to Li Laodao, was in an underground world of lava terrain. There was lava everywhere, with occasional sparks flying out and emitting scorching heat. Even the rocks were black.
Li Laodao smiled and said, "Hehe! It was a coincidence. Last time during the beast tide, I was chased by a spirit beast and accidentally discovered this place. None of you would probably know where the cave mansion is."
The little medicine boy nodded and speculated, "This cave mansion is near the market, yet it hasn't been discovered for so many years. It must be very well hidden."
"Lava is a place humans dare not tread, so the cave mansion should be hidden in the lava, right? I can't think of a more concealed place."
"Oh?" Li Laodao gave him a surprised look and smiled, "You're smart. Although you're right, it's not entirely accurate."
"To be precise, the cave mansion is on a rock wall across the lava sea, with stone pillars forming a path winding towards the shore."
"But all the stone pillars are hidden by an illusion formation, making them invisible. If I hadn't fallen into the lava while being chased by the spirit beast and found myself unscathed, I wouldn't have discovered this cave mansion."
"The stone gate of the cave mansion is also hidden by an illusion formation. Last time, I found all the stone pillars and the stone gate by throwing stones."
"However, considering that the cave mansion's owner could set up such a sophisticated illusion formation, the killing formation inside must also be powerful."
"So, I didn't dare to go deeper and retreated to find some companions. Although it means sharing some treasures, it would be much safer."
"But the stone pillars are not in a straight line, and there are no reference points on the lava surface. I've already forgotten their positions, so we'll need to find them again."
At this moment, Li Dashan said, "Isn't it just throwing stones to find the way? It won't take much time. I'll find the way."
Di Xin glanced at him and said, "Don't be impulsive. It's not as simple as you think."
"This place seems like an ancient array. Haven't you considered why the cave mansion's owner would make the stone path winding instead of a straight line?"
"The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. For convenience, he should make the path home straight. Why make it so complicated, making things difficult for himself?"
"This..." Upon hearing this, Li Laodao was stunned.
........................................................................
Read ahead on >>> /SpiritStonetranslation
THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM