Eternal Cultivation of Alchemy

"Please tell me what it is that the Dragon Emperor requests of someone like me who only just became a ruler," Alex said.

Long Jianyu bowed and spoke, "His Majesty has heard of your achievements in the field of Alchemy. So, he wishes to set up a small trip for your alchemists where they can exchange knowledge with our own Alchemists."

"Oh," Alex gave a surprised look. He hadn\'t expected such a request. "Does his Majesty really wish for our Alchemists to visit the Eastern Continent? From what I know, the Alchemy in the Eastern Continent is much better than ours."

"Ahem, that might have been the case in the past, your Majesty," Long Jianyu quickly spoke. "However, after you have started spreading your knowledge, the Southern Continent\'s Alchemy knowledge has improved a lot as well. I dare say it is now comparable to the Alchemy in the Eastern Continent."

Alex raised an eyebrow and nodded. "So, this trip. Do you have any specifics regarding it?" he asked.

"Uh, yes," Long Jianyu quickly spoke. "We hope to bring at least 10 different Saint Alchemists and 40 different True Alchemists on this journey. The exchange itself will probably last for 10 years, so it will be a long trip."

"10 years," Alex spoke. "That\'s quite long. Surely you don\'t expect them to waste their precious time like this. What do our Alchemists get from this?"

"We are prepared to provide a vast amount of treasure and resources. We promise to give them the best of treatments and will fulfill any of their needs for the time they remain in the Eastern Continent," the man quickly said.

Alex thought for a bit. The exchange itself wasn\'t that bad an idea, but he needed these alchemists right now. He couldn\'t afford to let go of them since the royal army desperately needed many pills themselves.

"There\'s one more thing," Long Jianyu spoke up. "His Majesty hopes that you, King Alex, can make it into the trip as well."

Alex showed no expression for the moment, but his heart beat fast. There it was, the invitation to the Eastern Continent, just as he had hoped for. He was ready to accept the request, but he had to think a bit more.

A few elders came to him to discuss a few things, and Alex took the time to thoroughly think it all through.

Finally, he came to a conclusion.

"I\'m sorry," he said. "Unfortunately, we require the alchemists right now more than we can afford to let them go. They have only started learning from me too, so I need to keep them here with me."

"Oh," Long Jianyu said with a disappointed look. "Could I maybe ask your Majesty to reconsider?"

"There\'s nothing to reconsider. As you most likely know, I took up this crown merely 3 years ago. I still have many things to do on this continent, and many things to learn. Just like me, my Alchemists have still space to improve a lot as well. They cannot afford to leave right now as their learning is in the most important phase."

Long Jinayu waited for Alex to continue, but Alex didn\'t say anything. "I see," he said. "That\'s a shame then. I will relay this information to his Majesty."

"How about 10 years later?" Alex suddenly asked.

"I beg your pardon, your Majesty?" Long Jianyu said.

"10 years. Could you perhaps wait 10 years so I can teach my Alchemists to become even better? At the same time, I should finally be free to leave as I wish as well. Would that be alright with his Majesty?" Alex asked.

Long Jianyu gave a small smile. "While I cannot presume what his Majesty\'s answer will be, I do believe he will accept it," he said. "I shall return and relay these messages right away."

"You may do so," Alex said.

The group got ready to leave.

"However," Alex spoke, making the soldiers stop in their path. They quickly turned around towards Alex.

"Is something wrong, your Majesty?" Long Jianyu asked.

"No, nothing is wrong," Alex said. "Since you are already here, I was hoping you could give me some answer instead."

"Answers, your Majesty?" Long Jianyu asked. "What sort of answers?"

"For example, What are you doing here?" Alex asked.

"Here? As in the palace?" Long Jianyu asked, looking confused as he had just explained everything.

"No, the Southern Continent," Alex said.

"We came to deliver the message, your Majesty," Long Jianyu quickly said.

"Is that so?" Alex asked. "Did your Emperor request this from you a decade ago when your soldiers came to the Southern Continent too? Woah, the Dragon Emperor must be a fantastic seer to have seen so far into the future."

Long Jianyu\'s face twitched a bit and he tried to hide it with a smile. "Of course not, your Majesty. We had our reasons for coming here before," he said.

"What reasons?" Alex asked.

"Umm… they are quite private reasons, your Majesty. I hope you won—"

"Are you saying you won\'t tell me what you\'re doing on my own land?" Alex asked. His face held a small smile, but within that smile hid an intent that only Long Jianyu could feel.

Long Jianyu was strong, and as such didn\'t feel much fear from Alex at all. However, Alex was a king and he couldn\'t fight a king. If he did, the Phoenix would most likely come and kill him.

"Not only did the soldiers from another continent come here, but they also won\'t even tell us what they are here for. I must say I do not feel safe in such a situation. I must ask for an answer immediately, lest you force me to feed you a Truthseeking pill for my own safety," Alex said.

The elders around him stood up and all looked toward the man in the center. Long Jianyu might have been strong, but he couldn\'t possibly fight 10 Saint Transformation realm cultivators at once.

He needed to de-escalate the situation somehow.

"I will answer, your Majesty," he quickly said. "We were here looking for some people who ran away."

Alex\'s eyes widened. "Runaways?" he asked. "May I know who?"

"I\'m sorry, but I cannot tell you who we are looking for," the man said. "The individuals\' identities are quite confidential to the empire. Please understand."

"Alright," Alex said. "Did you find them?"

"No, we did not, your Majesty," Long Jianyu said. "In fact, we might have been wrong about their arrival here. They may have instead gone to the Northern Continent."

"I see," Alex said. "Will you be searching for them still?"

"No, we are done searching. We\'ve spent the last decade searching, so there is no point anymore," the man said.

Alex nodded. "In that case, you may leave."

Long Jianyu and the rest bowed one last time and greeted them all farewell as they left the throne room.