"There is actually such a powerful sword technique in this world?" This was the only thought in the old man's mind at that moment.
Because, what he sensed from this sword technique was not its high level of power.
Rather, it is the most essential element contained within this sword technique.
This most essential thing, so mysterious and profound, was something the old man truly felt in this sword technique.
"Where did this monster come from?!" The old man took a deep breath, feeling a sense of fear, and no longer had any intention of being Xiao Tianci's enemy.
Because he was self-aware, he knew he couldn't block that sword strike.
"Sir, please forgive me." Xiao Tianci bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to the old man.
Then he left a bag of gold coins on the counter in front of him.
Judging from the prices on the books and maps, the gold coins he left behind were not only enough, but also a little extra.
Just as Xiao Tianci was about to turn and leave, the old man's weary voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Little one, I really underestimated you. Such swordsmanship is truly eye-opening, even for me. I'm afraid I'll never reach this level in my entire life."
Xiao Tianci turned to look at the old man who looked somewhat dejected and sighed.
He could actually understand how the old man felt.
After all, he had worked hard for most of his life, only to be surpassed by a junior.
Such a blow is considerable.
Xiao Tianci smiled wryly and said, "Old sir, I've already said that I have no intention of making enemies with you. It's just that the effect of this fragment is indeed somewhat special to me, so I had no choice but to resort to this last resort."
"Haha, I never imagined that after living in seclusion here for over twenty years, I would end up being made so pathetic by a junior. It's truly a pity."
The old man's voice held a hint of desolation, then he changed the subject, saying, "Is this fragment really that important to you, or to your friend?"
"Sir, you are joking. If it were unimportant, why would I go to such lengths?"
Xiao Tianci nodded slightly.
"Hehe." Upon seeing this, the old man suddenly laughed, but the laugh was somewhat eerie.
Xiao Tianci frowned slightly. Was the old man somewhat delirious from the shock?
No longer paying attention to the old man, Xiao Tianci turned to leave.
"Back in the desert, after painstakingly obtaining this map, I used my years of cartographic experience to perfectly divide it in two. One half is the one you're taking now, and as for the other..."
The old man chuckled.
Xiao Tianci paused, then turned to look at the old man again and said, "I have two kinds of pills here. I can exchange one of them for the other half of the fragment. You can choose one."
"Hehe, how can you be so sure I'll switch?" The old man laughed after hearing Xiao Tianci's words.
"If we weren't going to exchange them, you wouldn't have needed to reveal the other half of the information in the first place. You must have something in mind, otherwise, given your personality, you would have kept it to yourself," Xiao Tianci said bluntly.
Although he had only met the old man once, Xiao Tianci already had some understanding of his personality.
"This little fellow's mind is indeed extraordinary. I'm truly curious which powerful force you came from." The old man couldn't help but sigh when he saw Xiao Tianci's calm demeanor.
"Unfortunately, although it's rare to see Third-Tier Alchemist your age, I don't think I'll need any third-grade pills, therefore..."
Before the old man could finish speaking, Xiao Tianci interrupted him.
"My first elixir is called the Taiping Golden Pill, and my second elixir is called the Resurrection Pill."
Then, Xiao Tianci explained the effects of the two pills to the old man.
As Xiao Tianci spoke, the old man's eyes widened even further.
By the time Xiao Tianci finished speaking, the old man's eyes were wide open, clearly in a state of deep shock.
After a long silence, he slowly spoke, "This... this world, are there really such miraculous pills?"
"Of course, just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't exist." Xiao Tianci shrugged, then ran his finger across his Storage Ring.
Instantly, a small jade bottle appeared in Xiao Tianci's hand.
Xiao Tianci casually tossed the jade bottle to the old man. "Inside this jade bottle is a Taiping Golden Pill. If you want Resurrection Pill, you'll have to wait a while, because I haven't collected all the ingredients for Resurrection Pill yet."
Watching it trace a graceful arc in the air, the old man hurriedly caught it.
Xiao Tianci seemed to hear the old man muttering to himself.
"Such precious pills, and you don't even know how to be careful, just tossing them around like that?"
After receiving the pill, the old man carefully uncorked the bottle.
He glanced at the appearance of the Taiping Golden Pill Taiping Golden Pill, then smelled its aroma.
Instantly, a rather mysterious aura rushed into the old man's nostrils.
Just by smelling this aura, the old man felt as if his foundation had become more solid!
This discovery undoubtedly opened the old man's eyes wide.
This proves that Xiao Tianci was right!
"The value of this pill is truly far too great." After putting the stopper back on, the old man sighed and then said, "Name your price. I need this pill."
"If you want it, this pill is yours. Also, remember to give me the remaining fragment," Xiao Tianci said with a shrug.
He wasn't worried that the old man would break his promise after taking the pill. After all, as a former Dou Huang expert, he was certainly capable of keeping his word.
"No." The old man slowly shook his head and gave a wry smile, "Young man, I must say, both of the pills you mentioned are far too tempting. Whether it's the Taiping Golden Pill or the Resurrection Pill, I want them both!"
"Old sir, if you had listened to my conditions before, both pills would have been yours. But unfortunately, you chose to take action."
Xiao Tianci smiled, then said in an innocent tone, "As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Since you chose to take action, you now have to choose one of the two options."
The old man gave a bitter laugh, his voice filled with deep regret.
Clearly, at this moment, he was also questioning himself: why didn't he listen to Xiao Tianci properly and let him finish stating all his conditions?