The scroll fell into Shen Qian's hands, and as the light subsided, it transformed into an ancient book made of sheepskin.

The edges bear the marks of time, and much of the content is missing, but just holding it in your hand, you can almost feel the profound charm that belongs to the ancient times.

Shen Qian's gaze had returned to normal. He stared at the two ancient seal characters "Hundred Herbs" on the title page, but he still vaguely sensed a trace of eeriness in them.

She shook herself to clear her mind, banished the feeling, and then looked up at the man who still stood between heaven and earth.

Thunder still crackled all around, but his figure was no longer illusory; he was calmly watching Shen Qian.

"Emperor Yan!"

Having just received help from the other party, Shen Qian knew that this was Shennong himself. He bowed respectfully, feeling a surge of emotion.

This was a figure from Chinese mythology, yet for the first time, he was standing alive before him.

"This space can still hold for a while, let's take a walk together."

Shennong extended an invitation to Shenqian.

Shen Qian already had a lot of questions, so he immediately agreed.

The two walked side by side in this world where cracks were beginning to appear.

"Emperor Yan, you... cough cough..."

Seeing that the other party had not spoken for a long time, Shen Qian could only ask hesitantly.

Are you asking if I'm still alive?

Shennong seemed to know what Shen Qian was thinking and smiled.

"Well, I heard from Gao Zhe that you have already perished, so..." Seeing that Shennong himself did not seem to care, Shen Qian no longer concealed himself.

"Once you reach the level of a god, you can always leave many traces in the world if you want to."

Shennong shook his head. Although he did not answer Shenqian's question directly, Shenqian seemed to have understood something.

"...Is it because of this 'Compendium of Materia Medica'?"

Shen Qian glanced at the scroll in his hand.

"The Hundred Herbs Classic is the culmination of my life's work, and it has become a guiding light for countless alchemists since then, but alas..."

Shennong's expression showed a moment of melancholy. "When I realized it was starting to get out of control, it was already too late."

Why did the "Compendium of Materia Medica" go out of control?

Even though he had personally experienced the evil of that consciousness, Shen Qian was still somewhat puzzled.

It's just a book!

Even if it is Shennong's masterpiece and the pioneering work of alchemy, how can a book cause a rebellion?

"I was too greedy."

Shennong shook his head and sighed, "After becoming the world's only 'Heavenly Mandate Alchemist,' I once thought that was enough. Indeed, many races began to accept my human race, and even the gods sought my help."

"So I thought, if I were more capable, could I fight for more for the human race?"

"In the eyes of others, I am high and mighty, but I know myself that I have not yet reached the end of the alchemy path."

"I searched high and low, spending countless hours exploring, constantly incorporating new insights, and trying every possible and impossible method of alchemy..."

"As time went by, the Hundred Herbs Classic became more and more voluminous. In the darkness, that ultimate but also incredibly terrifying path finally began to take shape. Only then did I realize that the price to covet the ultimate secrets of alchemy was so heavy."

Emperor Yan paused abruptly at this point.

Shen Qian, who was filled with curiosity, waited for a long time but received no further information. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "What is the ultimate mystery?"

It must be said that Shen Qian was still somewhat shocked.

Not only before Shennong, but throughout history, no one has ever reached the level of Emperor Yan Shennong in the art of alchemy.

But Shen Qian never expected that Shennong, who had already reached the pinnacle, still did not give up and continued to move forward.

His original intention was simply to protect humanity.

This kind of communication is entirely at the conscious level, and Shen Qian can feel the other person's sincerity.

Compared to that, my desperate attempt to obtain the "Compendium of Materia Medica" for the sake of achieving kingship ahead of time seems rather vulgar.

Even with his thick skin, he felt somewhat embarrassed at this moment.

However, if it weren't for such a broad mind and vision, how could Shennong have been so brilliantly engraved in the history of humankind?

Shen Qian hadn't expected that the title of "Heavenly Mandate Grand Alchemist" wasn't the end of the alchemy path, which was quite different from what was said in many ancient texts.

Emperor Yan remained silent, as if out of some kind of concern. He did not answer Shen Qian's question directly, but instead gazed at the shattered sky in the distance. After a while, he asked a meaningful question.

"Are only herbs the ones that can be refined?"

Are only herbs the only things that can be refined?

Shen Qian frowned, repeating the same sentence to himself.

At first I felt lost, but gradually, I felt like I had grasped something, but it wasn't very clear.

Emperor Yan did not dwell on this topic for long. He continued walking forward and began to recount what happened later.

"But when I became aware of it, the Hundred Herbs Classic had already developed its own consciousness, and regardless of my own wishes, it had begun to strive to go deeper into that path."

Shennong sighed, "So when I felt that everything was beyond saving, I did something."

A sudden thought struck Shen Qian, and he blurted out, "Did you destroy the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' yourself?"

“That’s right.” Shennong nodded. “I was worried that my power was no longer enough, so I asked the Lord of the Underworld for help. At the place where the Yellow Springs flowed backward, I used the power of the Netherworld to tear up the ‘Classic of Herbs’.”

Shen Qian was shocked. It was rumored that the incomplete "Compendium of Materia Medica" was destroyed by Emperor Yan himself. No one could believe it.

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