Chapter 162: A High-Stakes Gamble

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"

Chu Danqing's expression changed drastically, spiritual energy surging wildly as he struck out once more, attempting to work a miraculous recovery.

However, Xiao Chenyu's life force continued to ebb away. It was already beyond saving.

"Holy Lord, I am sorry, I have done my utmost!"

Chu Danqing finally took a step back and let out a deep sigh.

He had exhausted every skill at his disposal, yet there was not the slightest sign of improvement.

He could not cure Xiao Chenyu's poison.

Fortunately, he had not made any rash promises beforehand; otherwise, he would surely have been torn to shreds by the Profound Yellow Holy Lord right now.

"Chenyu!"

Chu Danqing's words made the Profound Yellow Holy Lord's face as dark as the bottom of a pot, his whole body trembling as if his very spirit and soul had been sucked out of him.

He circulated his saintly power, attempting to sustain his daughter's remaining life force.

Yet no matter how he exerted himself, Xiao Chenyu's life force continued to leak away without the slightest sign of slowing down.

This situation filled the Profound Yellow Holy Lord with despair.

"Lacking in genuine skill, yet you dare to spout nonsense here. Now that disaster has struck, you shirk responsibility."

"Chu Danqing, as a Pill Emperor, you are even worse than a dog!"

At that moment, Yao Wuchen suddenly spoke up, his voice carrying a cold sneer.

An uproar ensued among the crowd.

Shocked gazes instantly converged upon Yao Wuchen.

No one had expected that at a time like this, Yao Wuchen would still dare to mock Chu Danqing.

The Profound Yellow Holy Lord was heartbroken; at this moment, whoever spoke was simply adding fuel to the fire.

Had Yao Wuchen grown tired of living?

"Yao Wuchen, you discarded piece of trash who was expelled from the sect, what qualifications do you have to match wits with me?"

"Since you dare to pipe up, it means you have some confidence. In that case, let me witness your brilliant medical skills!"

Chu Danqing shouted in fury.

Yet deep within his heart, he was overwhelmed with joy.

Having failed to heal Xiao Chenyu, he had been dreading that the Profound Yellow Holy Lord might vent his anger upon him.

He never expected Yao Wuchen to leap forward of his own accord.

Since you are seeking your own death, I certainly won't stop you!

"Exactly! At least my master had a ten percent chance of success, while you probably don't even have half a percent!"

"A former Holy Son, now nothing more than trash, what qualifications do you have to bark at my master here?"

"If you have the ability, show it. If not, get lost and crawl away!"

Tang Yuanming sycophantically chimed in, cooperating with his master to employ a goad.

Jun Wushuang glanced at him.

Instantly, Tang Yuanming's voice dropped, and he shrank his head back.

"Chu Danqing, since you wish to witness it, I will broaden your horizons!"

Yao Wuchen sneered, full of confidence.

"Wait!"

Chu Danqing suddenly spoke.

"Yao Wuchen, it's fine if you try to fool me, but the Holy Maiden is the Holy Lord's precious flesh and blood. If you seek a moment of bravado and cause the Holy Maiden to perish, no one will be able to protect you."

"Since you are so confident, how about we make a wager?"

"If you can cure the Holy Maiden, I will kneel before you in public, kowtow, and admit my mistake."

"But if you fail to cure her, I want you to kneel and be my dog!"

Chu Danqing intended to deal with Yao Wuchen to the death.

At this moment, he wanted to use a wager to enrage Yao Wuchen.

Not only would this allow him to shed the responsibility of failing to cure the Holy Maiden, but it would also suppress Yao Wuchen and avenge the grudges of the past.

Killing two birds with one stone!

"The stakes are too small. I want your storage ring as well!"

Yao Wuchen stared at Chu Danqing, raising the stakes.

Chu Danqing's heart skipped a beat.

The storage ring held the greater part of his net worth. If he handed that over, he would instantly be thrown back to square one.

Moreover, seeing Yao Wuchen so confident, could he truly have a method?

Yet he had already spoken the words, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he was now riding a tiger and unable to dismount.

Besides, he simply refused to believe that Yao Wuchen possessed the ability to heal Xiao Chenyu.

After all, the poison afflicting Xiao Chenyu was extremely rare, and she was already past the point of no return—even immortals would struggle to save her.

"Fine! Then we'll wager our storage rings!"

Ultimately, Chu Danqing gritted his teeth and accepted Yao Wuchen's increased stake.

The conversation between Yao Wuchen and Chu Danqing reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

Everyone here was a witness.

Without further ado, Yao Wuchen stepped forward in large strides.

"Holy Lord, although this poison is difficult to resolve, it is not entirely without a solution."

"It's just that this method is somewhat unusual, and requires the Holy Lord to make the final decision personally."

Yao Wuchen faced the Profound Yellow Holy Lord directly.

"As long as my daughter can be cured, any method is acceptable!"

The Profound Yellow Holy Lord's eyes lit up, as if he had grasped a straw in a drowning sea.

Though he did not believe Yao Wuchen would have any remarkable solutions, after all, he was a former Holy Son.

What if he really did possess some obscure remedy!

"I have no intention of offending the Holy Maiden, but this method requires the Holy Maiden to shed her garments, enter the medicinal cauldron, and allow my disciple to purge the poison and resolve the affliction for her!"

Yao Wuchen wore a solemn expression, though inwardly he had no bottom line of assurance.

For this method was something Jun Wushuang had told him.

Leaving aside the Profound Yellow Holy Lord, even he himself dared not believe it easily.

If not for knowing Jun Wushuang's profound capabilities, he would never have dared to be so insane.

"What? You want to strip my sister's clothes off, and have her enter the medicinal cauldron together with your disciple?"

"A scholar may be killed, but not humiliated! Even if my sister dies, she must depart with her purity intact, and absolutely must not be defiled by some bumpkin."

"I think you don't want to save people at all, but rather want to take advantage of my sister!"

Yao Wuchen's words made Xiao Luoyan instantly explode with rage.

She cared nothing for any Pill King.

What was most important to a woman?

Her purity!

And while this method might not be dual cultivation, a lone man and a lone woman, naked together inside a cauldron, was equivalent to bathing together in a pool of mandarin ducks.

This was something no pure maiden could ever accept.

Furthermore, Xiao Chenyu was not only the biological daughter of the Profound Yellow Holy Lord, but also the Holy Maiden.

She was the very first to object to this method.

"Indeed! I thought it was some brilliant method, yet it turns out to be taking advantage of someone's vulnerability to defile the Holy Maiden's purity. Truly disgraceful!"

"He used to be the Holy Son, and I thought he actually had a good solution. To think it's such a filthy scheme—a human face with a beast's heart, worse than an animal!"

"If such a method worked, that would be one thing, but I have never heard of any such method curing poison. He is simply lying!"

The other alchemists grew indignant one by one, deeming Yao Wuchen's words utter nonsense.

Chu Danqing and Tang Yuanming sneered repeatedly, folding their arms and watching from the sidelines with an expression waiting for him to make a fool of himself.

Yet despite having no certainty inside, Yao Wuchen maintained an air of absolute confidence.

"Holy Lord, the Holy Maiden is already beyond help, and having been mistreated by that quack Chu Danqing, she now has less than an hour to live. I hope the Holy Lord will decide quickly."

Yao Wuchen was wagering his reputation and his life on a wild gamble alongside Jun Wushuang.

The Profound Yellow Holy Lord's expression turned alternately green and pale.

Purity versus life!

To any woman, both of these were of utmost importance.

Yet at this moment, life was clearly the more critical.

The Profound Yellow Holy Lord ground his teeth hard and made his decision.

"Very well, I agree. But if it has no effect, the two of you master and disciple need not leave!"

The Profound Yellow Holy Lord's eyes were bloodshot, as if he were ready to devour someone alive!