Chapter 286 - 268: The Catalyst for Speculation

Chapter 286: Chapter 268: The Catalyst for Speculation

"It’s been over half a year, Fellow Daoist. You’ve certainly made a name for yourself in the Righteous Alliance."

"I just came out of seclusion, and several old friends had already sent me messages, asking if I knew you, Fellow Daoist Chu. It left me quite bewildered..."

As soon as he entered the hall, a teasing voice, like that of an old friend, reached his ears.

Chu Mu’s thoughts churned, but he responded with a chuckle.

He was still quite fond of this Alchemy Master.

His ability to so quickly establish a foothold in Water Heaven Workshop, and even move forward with his Artifact Refining plans, was largely thanks to the series of exchange meets Ji Ming had organized.

Furthermore, strictly speaking, he owed the man a favor for acquiring that Alchemy Inheritance during the first exchange meet.

After all, Ji Ming’s goal at the time had been to find someone to refine his Magical Treasure Prototype, not to trade for Chu Mu’s Puppet.

But the deal went through anyway. Regardless of Ji Ming’s reasons, Chu Mu clearly owed him a favor.

After some pleasantries, Ji Ming finally revealed the true purpose of his invitation.

"I heard you’re looking for tomes on the Secret Skill of transplanting Demon Beast Bloodlines, Fellow Daoist?"

Ji Ming sipped his tea, a sharp glint flashing intermittently in his cloudy eyes.

"That’s right."

Chu Mu nodded and pointed to Wangcai, who was lying obediently beside his chair.

"This beast has been with me since my time in the secular world. It reached Tier One Perfection many years ago, but limited by its bloodline, it hasn’t improved an iota since..."

Chu Mu didn’t hide anything. After all, Wangcai’s presence by his side was no secret; it was common knowledge to anyone who paid him any attention.

"For this Black Mountain Wolf to have followed you, Fellow Daoist, from being a common dog to undergoing Transcendence and becoming a Demon, and for you to have gone to such lengths for it..."

"Such a blessed fate would be the envy of countless Cultivators!"

Ji Ming looked at Wangcai, his tone filled with admiration.

Chu Mu gently stroked Wangcai’s head, sighing as well. "Everyone has their own fortune, I suppose."

Then, Chu Mu looked at Ji Ming, hesitating slightly. "Fellow Daoist... do you have news about a tome for the Secret Skill of bloodline transplantation?"

Ji Ming smiled without a word and took a sip of his tea. A concubine at his side stepped forward and respectfully placed a Jade Scroll before Chu Mu.

Chu Mu’s gaze shifted. A moment later, his Divine Sense was already probing the Jade Scroll.

The Jade Scroll was clearly under a restriction, allowing him to see only a small portion of its contents.

The opening was titled "A Detailed Explanation of Demon Beast Bloodlines," and the next few pages were clearly visible.

A moment later, he withdrew his Divine Sense. He looked at the impassive Ji Ming before him. Though no words were spoken, his meaning was perfectly clear.

Ji Ming set down his teacup and spoke slowly, "Fellow Daoist, are you confident you can refine my Magical Treasure Prototype?"

The question gave Chu Mu pause. He glanced at the Jade Scroll on the table, deliberated for a moment, then shook his head. "Anything less than absolute certainty is no certainty at all."

Ji Ming’s eyes brightened. "So that means you *are* confident?"

Chu Mu remained silent. He had already made his meaning perfectly clear.

’Even though it’s just a Magical Treasure Prototype, the corresponding Spiritual Materials are far too valuable. In fact, if it weren’t for refining a Lifebound Treasure, the rarity of those materials would be more than enough to craft an even higher-tier treasure. They’re too precious... so precious that I simply can’t bear the consequences of failure.’

Seeing Chu Mu’s silence, Ji Ming finally understood and asked in a heavy tone, "Fellow Daoist, can you tell me what your chances of success are?"

Chu Mu was surprised, but this time he didn’t hide it, stating a slightly conservative success rate: "Around seventy percent."

"Seventy percent?"

Ji Ming asked in disbelief, "Is that true?"

Chu Mu nodded.

"If you’re already seventy percent confident, Fellow Daoist, then why...?"

Ji Ming asked instinctively, but he stopped mid-sentence as realization dawned. His voice trailed off, and he too fell silent.

After a long moment, Ji Ming clearly came to a decision. He looked at Chu Mu and said, "Fellow Daoist, if you help me refine this treasure, this Jade Scroll is yours as payment."

"If the refining is successful, I will also gift you an even more profound Alchemy Inheritance!"

Then, as if afraid Chu Mu might refuse, Ji Ming quickly added, "Rest assured, Fellow Daoist. If the refining fails, I will absolutely not trouble you over it."

Chu Mu was surprised by his decisiveness and finally couldn’t help but ask:

"With your status, Fellow Daoist, it shouldn’t be difficult to hire a Tier Three Refiner within the Righteous Alliance to refine this treasure for you, should it?"

Ji Ming waved his hand wearily. "But Fellow Daoist, do you have any idea how many rare Spiritual Materials in this formula are coveted even by Golden Core True Masters?"

"Besides, the effects of this treasure are just as coveted, and Golden Core True Masters also have their own junior kin..."

Ji Ming didn’t elaborate, stopping after that brief, emotional statement. But his meaning was perfectly clear.

Without a doubt, it was an insurmountable dilemma.

Ji Ming had no reason to be wary of Low Tier Refiners, but none of them had the skill to do the job.

High Tier Refiners could do it, but he, Ji Ming, would be a lamb to the slaughter. Whether they would actually refine the treasure for him or simply kill him to take the Spiritual Materials and its associated inheritance for themselves was anyone’s guess.

He clearly didn’t dare to take that gamble, which led to this meeting and his promise not to hold Chu Mu responsible for failure.

’However... there must be a deeper reason...’

Chu Mu looked at Ji Ming’s aged face, his gaze flickering.

’Cultivators might not be eternally youthful, but their Cultivation and Magical Power are enough to preserve their appearance. Even without physical training, their Spiritual Qi and Magical Power should prevent them from looking old. Unless... one chose to look that way, or their Qi and Blood had already begun to decay... In other words, his lifespan is running out!’