Bai Yaozong had weathered many storms and witnessed countless deaths, but at this moment, he felt a chill crawl up his spine. This small seaside city actually harbored a Martial King!
For a martial artist, reaching the Grandmaster realm was exceedingly difficult; a province might only have a handful of Grandmasters. Above them stood the Divine Realm Martial King, possessing spiritual senses, whose terrifying power far surpassed that of a Grandmaster!
Bai Yaozong immediately dropped his defensive stance and bowed deeply, respectfully saying, "Bai Yaozong pays respects to Martial King Ye!"
Ye Tian asked coldly, "You're not fighting anymore?"
Bai Yaozong gave a wry smile, "I dare not contend with a Martial King." It was a joke; a Martial King didn't need to physically fight to kill. A mere wisp of their spiritual sense could turn someone into an idiot!
Upon learning that Ye Tian was a Martial King, Ma Xingkong was plunged into despair. He slumped to the ground weakly and said, "Martial King Ye, I admit defeat!"
Bai Yaozong felt a pang of sympathy and bowed again, "Martial King Ye, you should show mercy for my sake. Please grant him another chance to mend his ways." Sudancn.com
Ye Tian wasn't intent on killing the man. He said coldly, "Then I shall grant you, Bai Jiu, this favor. Ma Xingkong, I will dictate a prescription. Memorize it and quickly send someone to fetch the herbs. Take it twice a day, for seven consecutive days, and you may live. However, your cultivation will be lost."
Hearing that his cultivation would be gone, Ma Xingkong was filled with despair. He had painstakingly cultivated the Iron Sand Palm for forty years, his power refined and pure. He truly did not wish to lose his martial arts like this.
He suddenly knelt on the ground, "Divine Doctor Ye, can you spare my cultivation? Your great kindness, Ma Xingkong will never forget!"
Ye Tian stated coldly, "Mistakes come with a price. Do you think I would save you?"
Bai Yaozong reminded him, "Ma Xingkong, you invited me here, wasn't it to show me something?"
Ma Xingkong slapped his forehead, "Right, right."
He beckoned, and a subordinate handed him a white jade box. Opening it, he revealed a red fruit, the size of a walnut, emitting an astonishing fragrance.
Ma Xingkong held the box with both hands and said to Ye Tian, "Martial King Ye, this was found by one of my disciples in the mountains. I don't know what it is, but smelling its pure fragrance, I know it's no ordinary item."
Bai Yaozong moved closer to examine it and asked curiously, "Is this a wild fruit?"
Ma Xingkong replied, "Because I didn't recognize it, I brought it for Master Bai Jiu to examine and identify."
The moment Ye Tian saw the red fruit, his heart gave a violent jolt. He knew exactly what it was – a Vermilion Fruit!
Vermilion Fruits typically grew in remote, inaccessible places and were considered spiritual herbs, invaluable. With it, one could refine elixirs!
Ye Tian's inherited knowledge included the art of alchemy, but unfortunately, he lacked a cauldron.
He remained outwardly calm and said, "It's merely a fruit containing potent poison."
Vermilion Fruits were indeed highly toxic; consuming them directly would be fatal.
Ma Xingkong felt extremely awkward, as one of his disciples, overcome by greed, had eaten one and died on the spot.
He said, "Although it's poisonous, it shouldn't be an ordinary thing."
Ye Tian inquired, "How many of these poisonous fruits do you have?"
Ma Xingkong dared not conceal anything, stating, "My disciple picked eight. One was eaten, so there are seven remaining."
Ye Tian gave a soft "Hmm," and said, "This fruit can be used in medicine to treat difficult and complicated illnesses."
Ma Xingkong's eyes lit up, "I am willing to give all the remaining fruits to Martial King Ye! I beg Martial King Ye to spare my cultivation!"
Ye Tian considered for a moment, "Very well. Seeing your sincere remorse, I can save you."
Ma Xingkong was overjoyed and repeatedly kowtowed to Ye Tian.
Bai Yaozong smiled, "Martial King Ye is magnanimous; we are all impressed."
Ye Tian called Ma Xingkong into the adjacent room, treated him with acupuncture, and then rewrote the prescription, saying, "Take this twice a day. After three days, you will recover completely."