"Who is the Lord of the Prefecture?" Shennong asked curiously, noticing that another unfamiliar name had come out of his mouth.

"The ruler of Youdu, the Goddess Houtu."

Emperor Yan added, "She has been in charge of the order of the underworld for a long time, and she is one of the few gods who are willing to be close to the human race. Now, the You Clan, one of the five major clans, regards her as their supreme god. Her status in the hearts of the You Clan even surpasses that of Nuwa."

"This is also why the You Clan has never been very close to other human races."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qian suddenly realized who it was.

However, he always felt that Emperor Yan's expression when he mentioned the other party was strange, as if there was some story behind it.

"The power contained in the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' is beyond imagination, so even if we combine our strength, we cannot completely destroy it; it still retains half of its original state."

Emperor Yan sighed, "At that time, I was already exhausted and my Lord was also greatly weakened. I had no choice but to return to the Yan Clan, transform into a statue, and personally suppress the 'Hundred Herbs Classic' with my own essence. At the same time, I warned my descendants to completely seal the stone statue."

As he digested the amount of information, he was once again somewhat shocked.

It turns out that this statue is the real Emperor Yan. No wonder I always felt that it had a mysterious charm. Before sinking, I was amazed that this statue did not seem to be built by human hands.

"Emperor Yan... His sacrifices for the human race have deeply moved me."

Shen Qian sincerely expressed his admiration.

"Some things just have to be done by someone."

Emperor Yan waved his hand nonchalantly, "I have turned into a stone statue. Before my soul power completely dissipates, I can still see my descendants and neighbors. This is already a comfort."

“And the current Flame King…” Shen Qian couldn’t help but say.

“I know what Zhi’er wants to do, and I warned him in my dream, but after he forcibly broke the seal, he has been too deeply influenced by the ‘Hundred Herbs Classic’ and it is difficult for him to turn back.”

Emperor Yan may have already come to terms with it, his face showing neither sorrow nor joy. "Now that the 'Compendium of Herbs' is in your hands, I hope he can come to his senses. If not, I have a favor to ask of you."

"You really want the 'Compendium of Materia Medica' for me?" Shen Qian coughed. "That's so embarrassing. After all, it's the treasure of your Yan clan. How about I make a copy and take it with me?"

Of course, Shen Qian would never give up the "Compendium of Materia Medica" that he had obtained. As for making a copy, Shen Qian knew that this book could not be copied when he saw the true appearance of the "Compendium of Materia Medica".

Emperor Yan glanced at Shen Qian with a half-smile, but did not expose him. He simply shook his head slightly and said, "If the 'Compendium of Herbs' were to circulate in the world now, it would be a curse rather than a blessing. Only you can control it."

Having received Emperor Yan's permission, Shen Qian was freed from the shackles of his conscience.

"Thank you for your grace, Emperor Yan. You just said that if there is anything you need, please feel free to give your orders!" Shen Qian quickly thanked him.

"Jiang Zhi's third son, Jiang Ming, is intelligent and ambitious, and is a good choice to succeed him. If things change, I would appreciate your help."

As Emperor Yan spoke, he flicked his finger, and a handwritten letter wrapped in animal hide was sent into Shen Qian's hand. "After you leave, I would trouble you to give this to him personally."

Shen Qian solemnly accepted it, and roughly realized that this was Shennong's way of cleaning up the mess in advance, so he immediately agreed.

"As for the 'Compendium of Materia Medica,' although it has been worn down over a thousand years, and with the combined efforts of you and me just now, most of its evil intentions have been destroyed, it should still retain some self-awareness. You'd better find a way to completely erase it."

Shennong then gave further instructions.

Shen Qian nodded, then couldn't help but ask, "May I ask, Emperor Yan, why are you so confident in letting me control this 'Hundred Herbs Classic'?"

This question had actually been planted in Shen Qian's mind ever since Yan Di suddenly came to his aid at the last moment. Shen Qian even had a strange feeling, as if Yan Di had been waiting for him all along.

"A thousand years have passed, and today has finally come." If he remembered correctly, Emperor Yan said this as soon as he appeared, and it seemed to have a strong implication.

Even Shen Qian couldn't help but wonder, after a thousand years, could it be that, in the face of the current Yan King's various actions, the Yan Emperor really couldn't do anything except issue a lukewarm warning to enter the dream?

Even by modern standards, someone like Emperor Yan would be a top-tier king or nobleman, yet his mind is so shallow.

Shen Qian didn't quite believe it, but he didn't dare to voice his doubts.

"hehe."

Emperor Yan Shennong simply smiled mysteriously and began to speak in riddles, "There always has to be such a person."

Shen Qian inwardly grumbled that these big shots were acting all mysterious again, but he didn't press the matter. Instead, he took the opportunity to ask some practical questions: "Is it possible for a second 'Heavenly Destiny Alchemist' to appear in the world?"

"Are you asking if you can enter the 'True God Realm' if you repeat my 'Dao'?" Emperor Yan saw through Shen Qian's thoughts.

After pondering it for a moment, Shen Qian realized that the "True God Realm" mentioned by Emperor Yan was clearly another name for a king or noble.

Therefore, Shen Qian nodded, without concealing his true purpose.

"Yes." Emperor Yan nodded, but then shook his head. "But with your talent, are you really willing to do this?"

"What do you mean?" Shen Qian didn't quite understand for a moment.

"You may have heard of it, or even experienced it firsthand, that there is more than one path to follow. However, the path of alchemy has its own unique characteristics. It is different from the path of martial arts. Once you embark on this path, your physical structure will be greatly different. In short... you can no longer follow any other path."

As Yan Di patiently explained, Shen Qian raised an eyebrow.

This was something he hadn't expected.

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