Chapter 687 688: Three Incenses Miasma

To be honest, this was the first time Ye Xuan had ever seen such an anxious expression on Xiao Wuji's face. Though curious about what trouble the Xiao family's elders had encountered, he didn't make any immediate promises. Instead, he asked calmly, "I wonder what has brought Patriarch Xiao here in such a rush? What happened to your elders?"

Xiao Wuji composed himself slightly, then suddenly raised his hand and held it out in front of Ye Xuan. He asked directly, "Young Master Ye, have you ever seen this?"

Su Xiuyi and the others looked at Xiao Wuji's hand with curiosity, only to see that his palm was completely empty. There was nothing there at all.

However, a sharp glint suddenly flashed in Ye Xuan's eyes. "Patriarch Xiao, you've been poisoned?"

An expression of sheer joy immediately spread across Xiao Wuji's face. He asked in thrilled surprise, "Young Master Ye, can you tell what kind of poison I've been afflicted with?"

Su Xiuyi and the others were stunned and bewildered. 'Does Patriarch Xiao Wuji show any signs of being poisoned? We can't see a thing.'

But Ye Xuan said calmly, "What's so hard to see? Patriarch Xiao, although your palm looks no different from an ordinary person's, your qi and blood are stagnant, and your Profound energy isn't reaching certain areas. If I'm not mistaken, you've been afflicted by some kind of miasma poison."

The wild joy on Xiao Wuji's face intensified. He asked nervously, "Young Master Ye, can you neutralize this miasma poison?"

Ye Xuan replied calmly, "There are countless types of miasma poison in this world. While I can tell you've been poisoned by one, I haven't yet analyzed the specific type. As for whether I can cure it, that depends on what kind of miasma it is."

"Yes, I was being presumptuous. I implore Young Master Ye to diagnose me. As long as you can cure this miasma poison, the Xiao family will reward you handsomely," Xiao Wuji said with a serious expression.

"Hold out your hand. I need to examine it."

Ye Xuan said calmly. To be honest, he was quite curious himself.

After all, while there were many miasma poisons in the world, those that could affect a Tier Eight Third Layer Martial Emperor like Xiao Wuji were exceedingly rare.

But the moment Ye Xuan's Profound Sense permeated Xiao Wuji's palm, he was startled and exclaimed, "The Three Incenses Miasma?"

"Young Master Ye, you know the name of this poison?" A hint of joy appeared on Xiao Wuji's face.

Ye Xuan didn't answer, asking instead, "Patriarch Xiao, where exactly did you get infected with this Three Incenses Miasma?"

The Three Incenses Miasma was a particularly peculiar category of miasma poison. Its toxicity was terrifying, so it could easily be classified as a rare and potent poison. No wonder it was able to infect Xiao Wuji.

The reason Ye Xuan was so surprised was because the conditions required for the Three Incenses Miasma to form were extremely harsh. Furthermore, wherever this poison was found, there were usually rare treasures nearby.

At this, Xiao Wuji's expression immediately became awkward.

He had contracted this Three Incenses Miasma a few days ago while exploring a mysterious place.

At the time, he and several elders of the Xiao family had all been afflicted. He had relied on his powerful cultivation to suppress the poison in his palm, but the other elders weren't so lucky. One of them died on the spot, while the others fell into a coma.

That mysterious place was a secret. If word got out, it would likely cause a massive uproar.

Ye Xuan understood at once. He said calmly, "If it's inconvenient for you to say, Patriarch Xiao, that's fine. The formation of this Three Incenses Miasma is very unique. While dispelling it is a bit troublesome, it's not impossible. How about this: you wait a moment while I concoct a Pill for you. It will make the poison disappear."

With that, Ye Xuan paid no mind to Xiao Wuji's reaction and quickly entered a nearby alchemy room. In less than an hour, he emerged again, this time holding a porcelain bottle.

"Patriarch Xiao, inside here is the pill that can cure the Three Incenses Miasma." Ye Xuan wasted no words and flicked a pill into Xiao Wuji's hand.

The pill wasn't large, only about the size of his little finger, and it emitted a faint, foul stench. Xiao Wuji didn't mind and swallowed it directly. A moment later, a look of shock appeared on his face.

He discovered that the miasma poison he had forced into his palm was slowly disappearing under the pill's medicinal effect. In just a few moments, the poison that had plagued him for days had vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.

BOOM!

Xiao Wuji immediately circulated his Profound energy. In the palm where his qi and blood had been blocked and his Profound energy couldn't reach, pure Profound energy now flowed freely. The feeling of stagnation was completely gone.

'It's already cured?'

A look of utter shock appeared on Xiao Wuji's face.

After being poisoned by the Three Incenses Miasma, he had sought out countless Alchemists. He had consulted every Seventh Grade Alchemist in the Celestial Capital Prefecture, but not a single one had been able to cure the poison.

Even the president of the Celestial Capital Prefecture's Alchemist Association, Master Tianci, who was at the Peak of Seventh Grade, had been helpless. That was why he had so anxiously sought out Ye Xuan, hoping to find out if he could cure it. But now that Ye Xuan had actually done it, he was still completely stunned.

From the diagnosis to the completion of the treatment, the whole process had taken only an hour! Ye Xuan had effortlessly cured a poison that he himself hadn't been able to neutralize after trying for days with all his might. This terrifying efficiency left Xiao Wuji utterly shaken.

Ye Xuan didn't care what Xiao Wuji was thinking at that moment. He asked directly, "Patriarch Xiao, how many of your family's elders were injured in total?"

Xiao Wuji snapped back to his senses and replied subconsciously, "Five."

Ye Xuan nodded. He took out five pills from the porcelain bottle but didn't hand them to Xiao Wuji. Instead, he said, "Patriarch Xiao, here are five Antitoxic Pills. You've seen their efficacy for yourself. Shouldn't we now discuss the matter of payment?"

Only then did Xiao Wuji realize that he hadn't offered payment yet. He said at once, "Young Master Ye, that was my oversight. Please, feel free to name your price."

"Mm," Ye Xuan nodded. "Patriarch Xiao and I are familiar with each other, so I feel bad asking for too much. How about this: Patriarch Xiao just needs to give me one Tier Nine material and five Tier Eight materials."

The moment Ye Xuan said this, Su Xiuyi and the others were all stunned. 'Isn't that price a bit too outrageous?'

"What?" Xiao Wuji was also stunned for a moment. 'And he calls that "feeling bad asking for too much"? One Tier Nine material and five Tier Eight materials... isn't that far too expensive?'

"Young Master Ye, isn't that price a bit…"

Xiao Wuji muttered.

Before Xiao Wuji could finish, Ye Xuan waved his hand and said in a heavy tone, "Patriarch Xiao, since I named this price, I'm naturally not trying to rip you off. Although it didn't take me much time to refine these Antitoxic Pills, I had to personally come out of my secluded cultivation to do so, and to diagnose you. The personal cost to me in all this was quite substantial…"

"If you think the price is too high, you are free not to buy them. You can also try to purchase them elsewhere. Though I have put in the labor, I still believe in fair trade. Even if you choose not to buy, Patriarch Xiao, I won't say a thing. At worst, I'll just take a small loss and these pills will all go to waste."

"As for the one you already took, I won't hold it against you. Consider it a gift."

Ye Xuan said, his tone turning somewhat cold.

'Actually, the cost of these few Antitoxic Pills isn't high—just one Tier Eight Spirit Medicine and a few Tier Seven Spirit Medicines. But that's not how business works.'

'The ones poisoned are all elders of the Xiao family. A single pill can save a life. For six lives, including Xiao Wuji's, is one Tier Nine material expensive? At least, I don't think so.'

'Besides, with the Xiao family's wealth, they can definitely afford a Tier Nine material. You set the price based on the customer. If it were any other family, I definitely wouldn't have set the price so high.'

Xiao Wuji couldn't help but give a bitter smile. How could he not understand Ye Xuan's meaning?

If this poison could be cured elsewhere, he wouldn't have come to Ye Xuan so many times.

"Fine, I agree."

Just as Ye Xuan had implied, compared to the lives of five of his family's elders, one Tier Nine material was not an unacceptable price.

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Wuji took out a fruit from his belongings with a pained expression. It was entirely blue, with a faint light shimmering inside. In addition to it, he presented five types of Tier Eight materials.

"A Tier Nine Emperor Wood Blue Fruit!"

Ye Xuan's eyes instantly lit up. He paid no attention to the five Tier Eight materials; his gaze was fixed solely on the all-blue fruit.

"The Xiao family is truly worthy of being one of the two great families of Celestial Capital Prefecture. You really do have a lot of good stuff."

Ye Xuan clicked his tongue in admiration. The Emperor Wood Blue Fruit was a fruit that contained an extremely powerful spatial energy.

What excited Ye Xuan was that the Emperor Blue Pill, refined from the Emperor Wood Blue Fruit, could enhance a Martial Emperor's cultivation. There was over a fifty percent chance it could allow a Martial Emperor at the Peak of Tier Eight Second Layer to instantly break through to the Tier Eight Third Layer.

Its efficacy was in no way inferior to the Emperor Origin Pill refined from an Emperor Essence Crystal.

"Heh, Patriarch Xiao is truly generous. Here are the five Antitoxic Pills. Please take them."

Ye Xuan accepted the Emperor Wood Blue Fruit and the other materials, handing over the Antitoxic Pills at the same time.

"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. But I must remind you, Patriarch Xiao, that the Antitoxic Pills need to be administered as soon as possible. If the Three Incenses Miasma toxin remains in the body for too long, it will affect a Martial Artist's Profound Sense. After a month, even if you wake them, they will be mindless."

Having obtained a Tier Nine Spirit Medicine, Ye Xuan was in an excellent mood.

Xiao Wuji held the Antitoxic Pills, his expression suddenly hesitant. His eyes flickered, as if he were fighting an internal battle.

Seeing that Ye Xuan was about to leave, a look of resolve flashed across his face, and he hurriedly said, "Young Master Ye, wait! I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

"What else is there, Patriarch Xiao?"

Ye Xuan asked, confused.

Xiao Wuji glanced at Su Xiuyi and the others, clearly feeling that there were too many ears present.

"Young Master Ye, in that case, we…"

Su Xiuyi and the others were sharp enough to understand. They were about to excuse themselves when Ye Xuan cut them off. "If there's something Patriarch Xiao feels is inconvenient to say, then let's just forget it."

'I have no interest in discussing anything with the Xiao family.'