Chen Rui knew that the two masters had kind intentions. This Tetenis obviously could be trusted, then only Skye and Xingxing revealed the trio-specialized master and other secrets. Their purpose was to let him get the inheritance from this quasi-grand master so that his alchemy could take a step forward.
Chen Rui thought for a while and said to Tetenis, “Master, I can learn from you, but I do have the reasons for not being able to leave the Dark Moon…”
“Wait until you have listened to my choices for you, then you make the decision.” Tetenis looked serious, “You have 2 choices. Firstly, in the next few days, I can teach you knowledge including pharmaceutics and mechanics. Due to the limited time, I can only teach for 1 year at most. How much you can learn depends on your understanding. Secondly, you can accept a special inheritance imprint. As long as I die, you will directly get all the knowledge. This inheritance will allow you to see the road ahead in advance and avoid detours, but there is also a drawback. The experience of the predecessors is likely to form a certain fixed framework that will restrict your future development. Therefore, the most important thing is to transform them into knowledge that you can control. I must remind you that if you choose the second option, I will not only pass on my knowledge and memory, but a kind of destiny… It will let you face very terrifying opponents in the future, or you will also walk a path similar to mine… You must consider carefully.”
Chen Rui heard that there seemed to be some hidden matters in between, and he asked, “Master… please forgive me. Before making a choice and calling you my ‘teacher’, I want to know what kind of destiny I will encounter if I choose the second one. Also, the current state of master does not seem to be the time when the lifespan is exhausted. Why do you say that there is only one year left?
Tetenis sighed, “Even if you don’t ask me this question, I will tell you. My life will be lost to someone else in the gambling agreement a year later! Once you choose the second way to accept the inheritance imprint, you will also become a party in a certain contract to continue this gambling game.”
This answer was far beyond Chen Rui’s expectations. He asked, “What is the gambling game?”
Tetenis sighed, “It’s an alchemist’s 10,000 years gambling game. It involves secrets from more than 9,000 years ago. The content is a comprehensive test of mechanic skills and pharmaceutics. The opponent is the enemy of my lineage. Although the second method allows you to get all the inheritance without omission, you also have to bear greater responsibilities and risks. The gambling game is held once every 100 years with life as the bet. The loser immediately dies and the winner gets 100 years of life. My teacher lost his life in the hands of the opponent, and now I can’t escape this misfortune… If you accept my inheritance, including my guidance this year, the total is 101 years. During this period, you must use all methods to digest and absorb the inherited knowledge. You have to break through my original level by turning it into your own use. Only if you reach the real grand master level that it is possible to compete with the other party.”
Chen Rui was really shocked this time. There is such a gambling game! With Tetenis’ proficiency in mechanics in all fields plus the standard of pharmaceutics quasi-grand master, he is still undoubtedly going to be defeated! The phrase “Only if you reach the real grand master level that it is possible to compete with the other party” shows that the other party is… a grand master level all-round mechanic and potioneer!
There is actually such a character in the Demon Realm! And the person has always been unknown!
The so-called trio-specialized genius master was not worth mentioning in front of the real grand master. Even Chen Rui, who had experienced the mental transformation at the Mountain Seckred back then, was a little depressed at this time, but he was not discouraged. There was an opportunity to go further now. However, he must make a choice.
“Master, do you mean that if you participate in the gambling game 1 year later, you will definitely lose?”
“I know my state very well. Let alone 1 year, even 10 years, I still can’t break through to the grand master realm. After 1 year, the winning rate of the gambling game is zero, and there is only one dead end. So I want to find an apprentice to pass on my knowledge. No matter which one you choose, you need to devote yourself to learning. That is why I suggested you leave the Dark Moon.”
Chen Rui finally understood, “Master, what is the origin of the other party? What is with the gambling agreement?”
Tetenis was silent for a moment. He stared into Chen Rui’s eyes, “Call me teacher.”
Chen Rui understood that this deeper secret must be learned through the relationship between teacher and apprentice. To be able to have such a quasi-grand master teacher was definitely an opportunity that all alchemists dreamed of. Even if he did not choose that dangerous inheritance, he could also benefit a lot by just choosing the first one and getting the teachings of Tetenis.
Judging from Tetenis’s ardent eyes, being his inheritor could also fulfill the old man’s biggest and last wish.
“Teacher.” Chen Rui made up his mind and made a grand salutation to Tetenis.
Tetenis seemed relieved as he nodded, “Very good! I will tell you the whole story first. The choice is all up to you.”
The matter dated back 9,000 years ago when the Demon Realm had 2 grand masters. One was the pharmaceutical grand master, Rosenberg, and the mechanics grand master, Lolo.
Rosenberg was a dark elf with many apprentices. Lolo was a dark goblin. In addition to the amazing grand master trio-specialized mechanic skills, he was also proficient in ancient runes, but he had never accepted any apprentices in his life.
The two masters were located south and north respectively. One was the pharmaceutics grand master and the other was the mechanic grand master. There seemed to be no intersection, but no one knew that these 2 grand masters actually had a friendship that went through life and death. Lolo was seriously injured in his early years, and Rosenberg tried his best to save Lolo, but Lolo was still left with incurable side effects.
In his later years, Lolo found Rosenberg when he realized that he had a short amount of time remaining to live. Rosenberg was also in his twilight years and was trying to determine the final inheritor. In this case, the two grand masters worked together to create an Inheritance Crystal that encompassed both of their life learnings.
After Lolo finished creating the Inheritance Crystal, his injuries relapsed and he died due to energy exhaustion. Rosenberg’s vitality was also severely injured. Soon after, a batch of apprentices with excellent qualifications were selected for an assessment competition to determine the inheritor.
In the end, an apprentice named Dawor won. However, at this time, the elder apprentice, Saman, who failed in the competition suddenly made a move. He used a trick to severely injure Dawor and Rosenberg, seize the Inheritance Crystal, and tried to kill the two.
Rosenberg was originally injured severely, and now he was even more seriously injured and dying, but after all, he was a grand master and one of the crystal makers. He immediately activated a special contract in the Inheritance Crystal to divide the inheritance imprint into half which went to Dawor and Saman respectively. This made both of them the inheritor of the crystal at the same time.
The inheritance obtained by the two was incomplete. Due to the contract, they could only use the rule to defeat the other to completely get rid of the contract and obtain all the inheritance. If they killed each other by other means, they would not get the complete inheritance and even suffer a terrifying recoil.
Therefore, Saman could not kill Dawor or even let others do it, otherwise he would not be able to obtain a complete inheritance. This kind of imprint was very wonderful whereby they could pass on from generation to generation using the method of inheritance within the contract period of 10,000 years.
Not only that, Rosenberg, who hated Saman, the traitor, did not hesitate to sacrifice his life as a medium to cast a curse that disabled Saman’s imprint from being passed on. This meant that if Saman failed once, he would truly die.
However, the fact was that Saman had some mysterious encounters which rendered him to actually miraculously remain undefeated and lived to the present. After so many years, he had truly reached the grand master level. In the last competition, he also produced a full set of eternal potions. His achievements even surpassed Rosenberg back then. Putting together a complete inheritance imprint had little meaning to him. In a sense, this gambling game could be a way to extend his life.
Chen Rui was secretly shocked. It turns out that there is such a secret. The opponent is actually an old monster who has lived for nearly 10,000 years. After thinking about it, he asked, “How much is the remaining time for this 10,000-year inheritance contract?”
“If you accept the inheritance, then your 100 years is the final deadline.” Tetenis sighed, “To be honest, Saman’s strength is already higher than that of Rosenberg. Unless a miracle occurs, otherwise even if you break through to the grand master level, the chance of winning is also quite small. So I give you two choices. Even if you choose the first one, it doesn’t matter. As long as Saman wins the final victory, he will be able to get rid of the various restrictions of the contract to openly appear in the Demon Realm. With his dual-grand master identity, he will surely be protected by the strongest force. By then, it will be impossible to kill him for revenge by other methods.”
“Teacher, I think I will choose the first way.” Chen Rui considered for a while and made a decision. “My goal is to learn mechanic skills from teacher. As for pharmaceutics… I hope I can learn from teacher with a potion master friend. Uh, I can ask him to be your apprentice too.”
Chen Rui was talking about Aldas. At present, Aldas’ strength had reached the senior master level. With the guidance of this quasi-grand master, it was highly probable to take the next step. Just in case, Chen Rui did not intend to reveal the black potions in his hand for the time being. He intended to take a look first while studying with Tetenis for a period of time
This choice was expected by Tetenis. Although it is a bit regrettable, it is understandable. Who wants to bet against the strong grand master who has lived for 10,000 years? The old man thought for awhile. Anyway, I only have one year of life left. Aguile seems to be only specializing in mechanic skills, so the knowledge of pharmaceutics should be passed on to the other potion master. If he is a good friend of my apprentice, I should not have to worry about his character.
“Alright, then our learning will start now…”
“Wait a minute, teacher, it’s getting late now. I have to go to the palace to inform the potion master, then I have some matters to report to Princess Royal Highness. Let’s just start tomorrow. I will bring that friend to do the formalities of being an apprentice.”
“Report? Those boring political affairs again!” The old man said in dissatisfaction, “Don’t you know that skills have to be specialized? Don’t waste your talent!”
“Teacher, don’t worry, I know what to do. My talent and ability may be beyond your imagination… Don’t be too surprised by then.”
“Surprised my ass. You can get lost now.” The old man scoffed and didn’t bother about him. Chen Rui smiled and left.
Hmmm, Chen Rui seemed to already have the set of Eternal potions long ago right?
