Chapter 598: Dragon-Transformation Pool

The intensity of Mist Rain Tower’s resistance left even this well-traveled Artifact Master in awe. The war between the Three Sects had swept up countless lives. Regardless of who won, it would take a century, if not more, for things to recover.

His observation had nothing to do with personal interests; it was merely a heartfelt lament.

However, Yu Qian hadn’t forgotten his purpose. After being ushered into the central command tent of Jinyun Valley, he retrieved seven Jade Boxes from his Storage Ring. He opened them to reveal that each contained an eyeball, all varying in color and form:

“Stacking numbers to maximize power is certainly one approach.”

“But eyeballs can reject one another, just like in Alchemy—not all spiritual herbs can be fused. I’ve collected these seven eyes over many years. We’ll have to experiment to see how many of them can be combined with your Fierce Eyes.”

“What are the odds?”

Chen Che examined the eyeballs with curiosity.

When Yu Qian arrived, all the other Cultivators in the camp had been asked to leave. Only a few Golden Core experts and several trusted Foundation Establishment Cultivators remained to attend them.

The others also examined the eyes with great interest.

The eyeballs, largely similar yet with minor differences, were sourced from various Demon Beasts. The largest was the size of a millstone, the smallest as big as a fist. Each had been preserved by a special method, and they still pulsed with spiritual energy to the touch, as if they were alive.

Staring at them for too long even created the illusion of meeting the gaze of the original Demon Beast.

In addition to these, there was the other eye from the Jinghai Fierce Beast.

Chen Che opened the last Jade Box to find an eyeball lying within, one that was pure gold in color, as if forged from the metal itself. Upon closer inspection, a vibrant, colorful world seemed to reside within its pupil. Gazing at it for more than a moment felt like one’s very consciousness could be drawn inside.

“What is this eye from?”

“This was my payment, more than 120 years ago, for Forging a Feather Sword for a wealthy Golden Core family. The eye came from a giant eagle, and as it happens, that eagle’s specialty was its Divine Sense.”

“It took us three full years to hunt it down, with nine Golden Core cultivators mobilized for the task. In the end, the eagle’s Divine Sense shattered one of their seas of consciousness, leaving him in a vegetative state.”

“The family had to pay a hefty compensation in Spirit Stones for that.”

Seeing Chen Che’s somewhat careless handling of the eyeball, he quickly snatched the golden eye back. “As for the odds of success,” he said, “I won’t know until I try. If we’re lucky, all seven can be put to use. If we’re not, then none of them will work.”

As he spoke, Yu Qian carefully blew away some nonexistent dust from the eye before gently placing it back in the Jade Box.

“It’s no less remarkable than your own Fierce Eyes. I could never decide what kind of Magical Artifact to forge it into. I guess it’s your lucky day.”

Chen Che’s mind raced for a moment. He cupped his hands in a fist and smiled. “I won’t let Elder Yu help for nothing. For each eye we successfully use, I will provide an item of equivalent value. And regardless of the outcome, I will compensate you for your time, Elder Yu.”

“If I were the kind of man who only cared about money, I wouldn’t have rushed all the way here to help. Just ask Zhao Shifeng. Countless people beg me for my Forging services, and I ignore most of them.”

Yu Qian rolled his eyes.

Zhao Shifeng, who was examining one of the eyeballs, looked up when he was mentioned and nodded awkwardly.

“That’s true.”

“Among the wandering Casting Masters, Elder Yu is known for being one of the most eccentric. He rarely bothers with anyone who seeks his Artifact Casting services if he doesn’t take a liking to them. My own father approached him and was rejected twice.”

Meng Qianxun, Meng Changtu, Chen Xi, and Lu Yuntian had all achieved Core Formation relatively recently and had never heard of Yu Qian. They were quite astonished to hear this, not expecting the scruffy old man to be so renowned.

Xiao Chan, however, nodded in understanding. He had heard rumors about the man during his time with the Primordial Sect.

“I… I…”

Chen Che was momentarily flustered. He had assumed the master was helping because of Jinyun Valley’s rich resources and out of consideration for Yu Yunko; he never imagined it was because of him personally.

“Enough with the pleasantries. Bring me the Fierce Eyes. I’m going to test whether these eyeballs are compatible with one another. But I’ll warn you now, don’t get your hopes up. Even if this works, the enhancement will be limited.”

Yu Qian waved his hand dismissively.

‘He was a member of the Yu Family and had grown up hearing tales of his great ancestor. Furthermore, his branch of the family had founded the Star-Picking Sect. It was only natural that he held himself in high regard; very few people had ever earned his esteem.’

‘Chen Che, however, was one of them. Dealing with the boy was refreshing. He was straightforward, without any hidden schemes or ulterior motives. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have stayed in Jinyun Valley.’

“Why is the enhancement limited?”

Zhao Shifeng asked.

“No matter how many ants you gather, they’re still just ants. They’ll never become an elephant.”

Yu Qian shot Zhao Shifeng a look one might give an idiot. “If you could infinitely enhance a Magical Artifact just by cobbling a few eyeballs together, what would be the point of High Tier Casting Masters? Or High Tier Alchemists, for that matter?”

“Go ask your Valley Master how vast the difference is between each Tier of pills.”

Realizing he had asked a foolish question, Zhao Shifeng promptly shut his mouth.

“He’s right. Alchemy is an exacting science. Tier One is Tier One, and Tier Three is Tier Three. My batch of Fierce Beast Pills, for example… because they couldn’t be fused into a Tier Four Elixir, they broke down into a cauldron full of Tier Three Top Grade Elixirs.”

“While I don’t know much about Artifact Casting, I imagine the principle is the same…”

With a smile, Chen Che tipped his Thunder Jade Gourd and poured out four more eyeballs.

“I have four more here. They belonged to two Demon Beasts owned by Wen Chaocan, the current Hall Master of the Azure Dragon Hall. One is from a Demon Python, the other from a Profound Turtle. There should have been a pair of eyes from a Clawed Flood Dragon as well, but unfortunately, it was devoured by its own sibling.”