Chapter 478 487: Make a Bet

'After careful thought, I'm certain of it. Even the people from the Holy Land couldn't possibly possess Soul Fire. After all, Zhang Xinlan, Elder Qing, and the other Elder are from Shen Li Palace. Their status is leagues above those people.'

'So, they might have another method for refining the Soul-Locking Pill, but it definitely has nothing to do with Soul Skills or Soul Fire.'

After carefully considering everything Yang Wuji had said, Ye Tian suddenly smiled and spoke, "Congratulations, Instructor Yang. It seems the secrets of the Celestial Dragon Garden are no longer far from your grasp."

However, Yang Wuji showed no reaction upon hearing this, offering a bitter smile instead. "The secrets of the Celestial Dragon Garden? I've actually given up on them. Three days ago, I might have still held on to a sliver of hope, but ever since those people successfully refined the Soul-Locking Pill, I've abandoned it completely!

There's an insurmountable gap between us. Their origins are mysterious, their Cultivation Techniques are powerful, and the Combat Skills they practice are a level higher than those at our Imperial City Academy. I'm afraid that even without the Soul-Locking Pill, I would be no match for them.

The only reason I've persisted this long is because of my tenacity and unwillingness to admit defeat. Before I tried refining the Soul-Locking Pill, I was successful in everything I did, never encountering any setbacks. So, the moment the Soul-Locking Pill halted my progress, I knew I had to succeed in refining it. Otherwise, it would create an inner demon, and my Cultivation Realm would stagnate forever!"

Seeing Yang Wuji's dejected expression after he had said so much, Ye Tian now had a much better understanding of the kind of person he was.

He possessed prodigious talent but was born to the fate of a commoner. It was hard to imagine that Yang Wuji's parents were simple farmers from the countryside. Before he was even twenty, without a single person to guide him, he had relied solely on his innate talent and relentless effort. He cultivated his way from his village to the town, from a small city to a large one, and finally made it to the Imperial City Academy, becoming an almost omnipotent, prodigal instructor.

For this, Ye Tian felt nothing but admiration.

"Heh, what's there to be dejected about? Before you met me, you might not have had a shred of a chance. But now that I'm here, that might not be the case!"

A sharp glint flickered in Ye Tian's eyes. 'Whether it's the Ouyang Clan or the people from the Holy Land, I have to face them and settle this grudge. If I want a smooth path to the Holy Land, I must clear away every single obstacle!'

Yang Wuji didn't even look up at Ye Tian. He took a few deep breaths and finally said, "Forget it. You don't have to console me. I know you might have some special method to make my failed Soul-Locking Pills actually work, but what's the use? The second chance to enter the Celestial Dragon Garden is almost here. It opens in just over ten days. This time, they have new allies, and I'm still all alone..."

Ye Tian gave Yang Wuji a surprised look and immediately said, "Instructor Yang, you're wrong about that. Now that you've shared your secret with me, I can enter the Celestial Dragon Garden with you. Besides, I have a trustworthy companion whose strength is even greater than mine. As long as the three of us enter the Celestial Dragon Garden together, I believe getting into the Dragon's Nest won't be that difficult."

Seeing Ye Tian's confident expression, Yang Wuji could only feel that he was joking.

'Setting aside the question of what Realm or strength Ye Tian and his so-called companion possess, the idea of them transforming from new students into instructors in just over ten days is simply impossible!'

'Never mind anyone else; even a jack-of-all-trades genius like himself had taken nearly a year to master all the courses. How could Ye Tian possibly do it in a little over ten days? Even if he focused on just one subject, it would be impossible!'

"Alright, stop joking with me. The real reason I told you so much is that I'm curious. How did you turn a Wasted Pill into a real Soul-Locking Pill? As for everything else, I really don't want to know."

Yang Wuji said, waving his hand dismissively, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Seeing this, Ye Tian had nothing more to say on the matter and simply explained, "Actually, your Elixir wasn't a Wasted Pill, just an unfinished product. It was missing the final step: Pill Fire refinement!"

Yang Wuji heard this and immediately retorted, "That can't be right. I can control my Pill Fire with great precision. I definitely completed the refinement step!"

As he spoke, Yang Wuji rubbed his hands together, and a flame condensed from Spiritual Power rose from his palm. This was a skill only an Alchemist could master; an ordinary person could not do it.

But upon seeing this, Ye Tian just shook his head. "It's not enough. Not even close. A flame of this level can, at best, support you in refining a Fourth Grade Elixir. Its temperature is nowhere near high enough to refine an Advanced Level Elixir.

You also know that while the Soul-Locking Pill is an unranked Elixir, its refining difficulty is definitely at or above that of a Fifth Grade Elixir. So, if you use an ordinary Pill Fire condensed from Spiritual Power to refine it, you'll only end up with a half-finished product!"

At Ye Tian's words, realization dawned on Yang Wuji. He said at once, "I see! You mean I must possess the Beast Fire of a Mutated Demon Beast, or even a Heaven and Earth Anomalous Fire, to successfully refine a Soul-Locking Pill? Because both of those flames are special fires with terrifyingly high temperatures."

"That's right."

Ye Tian nodded. 'According to my deductions, the people from the Holy Land must be using this method to refine the Soul-Locking Pill. If they possess a Demon Beast Spirit Fire or a Heaven and Earth Anomalous Fire, I'll need to be extra cautious when I face them in the future.'

"It seems you have Beast Fire within your body, then?"

Yang Wuji asked excitedly. The reason he didn't ask if it was a Heaven and Earth Anomalous Fire was because the Energy of such a flame was too terrifying. If one were to appear, it could incinerate a minor world.

Since Yang Wuji was known as a prodigy, he had undoubtedly read countless books and was familiar with many ancient records. Places where Heaven and Earth Anomalous Fires existed were uninhabitable for humans. Furthermore, no human had ever been able to absorb or control a Heaven and Earth Anomalous Fire. In fact, just seeing one and surviving was a difficult feat.

Demon Beast Spirit Fire, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as terrifying. As long as a Fire Attribute Demon Beast's level wasn't too much higher than one's own before it died, if it mutated upon death, it would leave behind a Demon Beast Spirit Fire seed. Such a seed could be fused into one's own body and refined into a Pill Fire for use in Alchemy.

Of course, this was a technique only Alchemists could master. An ordinary person lacked the talent, and a rash attempt at fusion would end with them being burned to ashes.

"You could say that."

Ye Tian could only give a vague answer to Yang Wuji's question. Soul Fire was simply too high-level; for now, it was his trump card and hidden ace. He wouldn't speak of it to anyone he didn't absolutely trust.

"If that's the case, can you help me refine a real Soul-Locking Pill?"

Yang Wuji stared at Ye Tian with excitement. Because Ye Tian had previously just eaten the Elixir and used his Soul Fire to continue refining its medicinal effects inside his body, Yang Wuji had never actually seen what a completed Soul-Locking Pill looked like. This had become a knot in his heart.

"Alright! That's actually very simple. But I'll only help you if you make a bet with me."

Ye Tian suddenly gave a mysterious smile, his gaze shifting to the ancient, fragmented map of the Celestial Dragon Garden on the table.