Chapter 208 Five Years Later
Hua Liyuan lowered her head and looked at the gourd in her hand again, her eyes burning with desire.
The higher the cultivation level of a cultivator, the more difficult it is to prolong their life, and the rarer and more expensive the items for prolonging life are. If it is a life-prolonging pill, it must be made by an eighth-level alchemist, and there must be a pill formula and the pill must be produced at the right time. Moreover, the length of time that can prolong life varies depending on the quality.
For example, a Nirvana cultivator finally found some medicinal herbs and placed an order with an eighth-level alchemist. The eighth-level alchemist successfully refined the pill, but it was only of low grade.
It just so happens that low-grade pills can only extend life by a hundred years, while mid-grade and high-grade pills can extend life for even longer... However, this Nirvana cultivator cannot guarantee that he will be able to find another alchemist to refine such a pill in the future, so he can only take it for now. As a result, this Nirvana cultivator will no longer be able to take this kind of pill to extend his life in the future, and the effect of this pill will only be exerted to the minimum.
It was of the highest quality from the start, which maximized the medicinal effects of this decoction.
Right now, she has two portions in her hands!
That's indeed enough to exchange for three level-eight puppets.
Hua Liyuan now hopes that the puppet chosen by Master Sangdan is the one she made, so that she can take the two doses of medicine more legitimately.
·
Without further hesitation, Hua Liyuan said directly, "In that case, please come with me to the secret room to make your selections."
Seeing that Hua Liyuan was so decisive, Sang Yunchu and Jiang Chongguang were naturally very satisfied, so they quickly got up and followed Hua Liyuan.
The secret chamber can be reached directly through a teleportation array, but only Hua Liyuan knows its exact location. The interior space is very large; although it is called a secret chamber, it is more like a cave.
It is divided into many interconnected small holes, and in each small hole is a puppet with a terrifying aura.
They are all level eight, and each one is extremely exquisite.
At the same time, the quality of these puppets varied, with some being significantly more outstanding—for example, some were roughly at the early stage of Nirvana, while others were approaching the late stage of Nirvana.
Of course, this puppet cannot compare to a true Nirvana cultivator, but if we only consider its functions such as protecting cultivators, delaying attacks, and self-destructing to repel enemies, it is quite complete and can serve as a very good protective treasure.
Both Sang Yunchu and Jiang Chongguang paid a high price, so naturally they had to choose the best.
Jiang Chongguang readily agreed, "Junior Brother Sang, please go first."
Sang Yunchu didn't stand on ceremony with him and went straight to the small holes on the left.
Jiang Chongguang and he parted ways, heading towards the cave on the right.
Hua Liyuan glanced at both sides, then decided not to follow either of them, remaining where she was and waiting for them to choose.
·
About fifteen minutes later, Sang Yunchu and Jiang Chongguang returned.
Each of the two was followed by three puppets, which were being shown to Hua Liyuan.
Hua Liyuan glanced at it and her lips twitched slightly.
These two were indeed quite ruthless, selecting only those of relatively higher rank.
Sang Yunchu chose three statues that were comparable to those at the mid-stage of Nirvana—which made Hua Liyuan breathe a slight sigh of relief, as these three statues were also her masterpieces. This would eliminate any issues regarding the ownership of the medicinal soup.
Jiang Chongguang's selections were all similar, but the number of mid-stage Nirvana Realm masters was limited. Two of them were mid-stage Nirvana Realm masters, but there was one who was close to mid-stage Nirvana Realm. The two mid-stage masters were made by another level-eight puppeteer from Canglong, while the one who was close to mid-stage Nirvana Realm master belonged to Hua Liyuan.
The remaining three were all comparable to the early stage of Nirvana.
Such a puppet can also be described as a low-grade eighth-level puppet.
·
Sang Yunchu chuckled and said, "Instructor Hua is so generous. If I create another puppet of level eight or above in the future, I hope Instructor Hua will give me some pointers."
Jiang Chongguang said, "Me too, thank you for your trouble."
Hua Liyuan: "..."
So, they weren't satisfied with just six puppets and wanted more? These two really don't know how difficult it is to create puppets beyond their level!
—Oh, these two probably don't know that.
After all, one can refine pills beyond his level and produce top-quality ones, while the other can slaughter more than a dozen savage beasts beyond his level; both are geniuses among geniuses.
Top geniuses should leave ordinary craftsmen like her alone!
However, Hua Liyuan didn't voice her grievances. Instead, she gave a warm smile and said, "I hope you can help me with the alchemist's recipes and Instructor Jiang's hunting lists in the future."
Sang Yunchu smiled and said, "If we can reserve level eight puppets in advance on that day, then it won't be a problem."
Jiang Chongguang said, "Me too."
What else could Hua Liyuan say? Of course, she smiled and agreed, and decided to start working hard to create level eight puppets from now on!
She could only hope that while her two disciples still needed level eight puppets, she could make a few more... With the talent of those two juniors, if she didn't work hard enough, she might not even be able to keep up with their rate of improvement!
Then, Sang Yunchu and Jiang Chongguang each put away their three puppets and bid farewell to Hua Liyuan.
Hua Liyuan personally saw the two off, her feelings were complicated.
There was frustration and heartache, but... there was more joy.
Such transactions are actually always welcome.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, Hua Liyuan carried the gourd of medicinal soup and cautiously and naturally headed to the dean's secluded retreat.
She wanted to give the medicinal soup to the hospital director as a token of her respect.
As for what to do with the second dose of medicine... she gave it all to the dean anyway, leaving it to him to decide.
·
On Duobao Peak.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan looked at the level eight puppet in front of them and exchanged a glance.
Each person had two puppets in front of them, both very exquisite. They were different from the level eight puppets they had drawn from the altar, but their quality was not much inferior.
Strictly speaking, Puppet One, Puppet Two, and Puppet Three are all mid-grade level eight, only a hair's breadth away from high-grade level eight. The auras of these level eight puppets in front of us are slightly weaker, but they are still mid-grade level eight and are quite outstanding overall.
Currently, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan each have two puppets, each from their own master and their Daoist partner's master, and each has a different style, clearly made by two different level eight puppeteers.
The masters were really worried about their safety.
Moreover, the two masters were so considerate that each of them could have two puppets! In this way, one puppet would do the work, and the other would be responsible for leading them away, which was very thoughtful!
At the same time, acquiring two such high-level puppets from the academy would require a considerable amount of resources...
Zhong Cai said sincerely, "Old Wu, our lives have gained another layer of protection."
Wu Shaogan nodded: "Kui San can continue to be kept hidden. It can be used secretly when needed."
From then on, both of them could openly have an eighth-level puppet follow them, without having to hide their top combat power.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan happily accepted the puppet and personally went to thank their two masters. They also asked all their questions about alchemy and cultivation difficulties and received corresponding answers.
After that, the two continued to live their lives in an orderly manner.
Aside from occasionally visiting their masters, they basically remained in seclusion. Even when they needed to sell some pills, they would send puppets instead.
Zhong Cai has now refined all the remaining level four pills to the highest quality and is about to begin practicing level five pills.
Wu Shaogan had fully adjusted his state and, following his wife A Cai's instructions, was waiting for A Cai to refine the first kind of pill that could weaken the pain of soul fusion before he would take the Breaking Calamity Pill to further confirm whether the "point of fusion" was accurate.
Once the accuracy is confirmed, Wu Shaogan will immediately begin the breakthrough process, and at the moment the first wisp of primordial soul is successfully integrated, he will consume the fifth-grade supreme soul fusion pill refined by his family's A Cai!
Zhong Cai would rather his old Wu cultivate more slowly and steadily than let him suffer too much—in his view, old Wu had already suffered a lot and should be taken good care of.
Wu Shaogan certainly understood this sentiment and continued to improve himself.
·
Five years later.
In the spacious hall, a handsome young man sat in front of a pill furnace that was half his height, carefully controlling the flames. His fingers moved quickly through hand seals, his ears twitched, and his spiritual sense probed into the furnace to check the condensation of the pills inside.
After a short while, the vigorous young man swiftly finished his cultivation!
Then, he carefully opened the furnace lid and took out a handful of pills.
The masculine young man immediately broke into a smile: "Uncle Zhong! This time I've got top-grade pills! Two of them!"
Then, a clear voice rang out from the side: "You're satisfied with just two pills? At this rate, let's see when you'll ever climb to the top of the third-level pill ranking?"
The young man's expression immediately fell, and he instinctively turned his head to look to his right—
A little further away, in another adjacent hall, two figures were rapidly clashing, engaging in close combat.
The battle is still undecided, and both sides are constantly improving their combat skills through practice. However, upon closer observation, it can be seen that the incredibly handsome young man wielding a strong bow and using close-combat archery techniques has been consistently in the lead!
·
The young man sighed silently to himself.
Because he encountered many problems with alchemy as his skills improved, he had to take time to come and ask Uncle Zhong for advice. Occasionally, if he stayed too long, his senior brother would come to find him. Later, perhaps because his uncle needed an opponent after reaching the Fusion Realm, his uncle started sparring with his senior brother. Uncle Zhong also became more patient with him, allowing him to refine pills in person and giving him guidance.
Sigh, my senior brother has never won.
Even though my uncle wasn't very familiar with the battles of the Fusion Realm at first, he was initially at a disadvantage, but he was able to improve himself through continuous battles and wear down his senior brother until they reached a draw.
After his uncle fully adapted to the Fusion Realm, he quickly gained the upper hand in the battle and won after a prolonged fight.
And the duration of this "lasting" period is getting shorter and shorter.
Although the senior brother made very rapid progress, his uncle was too abnormal, which led to this result.
Fortunately, the senior brother seemed to have already accepted his uncle's fighting talent and was not discouraged by it... Moreover, the senior brother became more and more courageous in battle and was also willing to be forced to bring out more potential by his uncle.
·
This vigorous young man was none other than Wu Dongxiao.
Wu Dongxiao turned his gaze back to his senior brother—his senior brother was currently engaged in a crucial battle and clearly couldn't pay attention to him.
Unable to find any comfort, Wu Dongxiao could only silently look to his left.
Sitting here is a handsome and lively alchemist who looks like a young man. He has a bright temperament and gives people a very approachable feeling.
Even though she had just reprimanded him, she still looked warm and friendly.
Wu Dongxiao lowered his head and said honestly, "Uncle Zhong, I will work harder."
·
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow as she looked at the big kid who was cowering around.
Although he had jokingly mentioned to Old Wu that he didn't know how high the boy's talent for alchemy would be... in the end, less than half a year later, the boy successfully became a first-level alchemist.
After that, Zhong Cai devoted some time to giving guidance.
The protagonist did not disappoint. In the following years, his alchemy skills improved by leaps and bounds, and he was able to produce top-quality pills frequently.
Zhong Cai was delighted to see the hunt and began to give more detailed instructions.
Of course, this absolutely cannot affect his time with Lao Wu—fortunately, the boy's talent is indeed outstanding; he understands things very quickly, so Zhong Cai didn't have to spend too much effort on him.
As for Zhong Cai himself, his progress in alchemy was even faster.
·
After refining the fourth-grade pills to Zhong Cai's satisfaction, he began to try making fifth-grade pills, and as expected, it went smoothly.
He devoted a lot of effort to the books given to him by Dan Shenmu, which deepened his understanding of alchemy and broadened his knowledge.
This also accelerated Zhong Cai's progress.
Thus, within just one month, Zhong Cai had successfully refined a level-five pill.
Don't be fooled by the fact that this time seems long; Zhong Cai is only a cultivator in the Suspended Illumination Realm, and he is refining fifth-level pills beyond his level. Even at the fastest speed, each batch takes a full four hours!
As a result, given Zhong Cai's personality, he would only try it twice a day at most—and on many days, he would only carefully ponder and slowly refine it once.
Once the pill is successfully produced, it becomes very important to continue refining and improving its quality.
Many alchemists would spend countless hours in such refinement, but the more Zhong Cai's level improved and the more he understood alchemy, the more his top talent was developed!
Even though each level increases the difficulty of refining pills by many times, for Zhong Cai, the difficulty of each level is about the same, or the difficulty increases only slightly... or sometimes, when inspiration strikes, the difficulty even seems to decrease.
It took Zhong Cai two days from refining the fifth-grade pill to polishing it to a full-strength pill.
Two batches a day, four batches in total, one batch was fried.
It took Zhong Cai five more days to refine the pill from level five to its highest quality.
Two batches a day, dozens in total, and two batches were fried.
The chances of successfully forming a pill are also increasing!
At this point, Zhong Cai could already be called a fifth-level Pill King!
He was only in his early thirties at the time, yet he achieved such great success!
However, Zhong Cai has not yet gone to take the badge assessment.
Firstly, he is too young, so it wouldn't hurt to suppress his true strength; secondly, he only knows how to refine one type of level-five pill. If he goes directly to the assessment, he can get the title of "Pill King", but it would be a bit embarrassing for a Pill King who only knows one type of level-five pill.
The two reasons seem somewhat contradictory when put together...
But Zhong Cai was too lazy to think about it anymore; she figured she'd just not go for the time being.
Then, Zhong Cai increased the production of this elixir—the Soul Fusion Pill—without hesitation.
·
The Soul Fusion Pill has the same name as the Level 3 Soul Fusion Pill, and its purpose is also to alleviate the pain of the primordial soul.
After consuming a level 5 Soul Fusion Pill, the degree to which pain can be reduced is 30%, 50%, 70%, and 100% depending on whether it is of low or high quality.
After each dose, the duration of the effects of the pills of different qualities is 20 days, 15 days, 10 days, and 5 days, respectively.
The lower the quality of the pill, the less pain it can reduce, but the longer it lasts.
·
Perhaps it was because Zhong Cai's desire to alleviate her master's pain was too strong that Zhong Cai's chances of succeeding in the elixir reached 90%!
Level 5 pills, with a 90% success rate!
This is an absolutely terrifying result!
In another ten days or half a month, Zhong Cai was able to maintain the top quality in every batch, while the middle and lower quality pills disappeared, and the number of top quality pills reached as many as one to three.
Zhong Cai was shocked by her own actions!
But soon, he became smug again.
He really is a genius at alchemy!
·
After accumulating enough Soul Fusion Pills to satisfy Zhong Cai, Wu Shaogan was finally able to take the Calamity Breaking Pill. He was also certain that he had indeed found the right "point" for the fusion of his primordial soul and his companion treasure.
Therefore, Wu Shaogan quickly began to integrate his primordial spirit into the ancient city, successfully becoming a cultivator in the early stage of fusion!
Although the city body and inner city buildings belonged to Wu Shaogan and Zhong Cai respectively, after they cultivated together, their companion treasures merged into a whole ancient city, essentially forming a unified whole.
Interestingly, after Wu Shaogan merged his primordial spirit into the city tower, Zhong Cai, despite still being at the mid-stage of the Suspended Illumination Realm—due to his immense accumulated power and the long time required to form the Xuan Power vortex—vaguely sensed where his primordial spirit would first be drawn when he merged it into the ancient city, and at what "point" of fusion it would be.
Although Zhong Cai did not personally experience the pain Wu Shaogan went through during his integration, she vaguely sensed it.
Now, Wu Shaogan could no longer hide whether his Yuan Soul state was good or bad—he even lost the right to take drugs.
Whenever Zhong Cai discovered that the Soul Fusion Pill that Wu Shaogan had previously taken was no longer effective, she would immediately give Wu Shaogan another one.
Unless Wu Shaogan takes the initiative to drink it first, he will immediately meet Zhong Cai's resentful gaze.
Can Wu Shaogan withstand that kind of gaze?
He couldn't take it.
Therefore, Wu Shaogan had no choice but to amplify his senses to ensure that he could cultivate comfortably at all times, without any pain, and only maintain a slight awareness of the degree of soul fusion...
·
Later, Zhong Cai spent at least a year working on the Soul Fusion Pill.
The duration of the effects of each Soul Fusion Pill was traditionally used to temporarily relieve pain for cultivators, ensuring that they would not be affected by pain when practicing secret techniques, cultivation methods, or other actions.
Just like some fifth-level alchemists in the Fusion Realm, they also experience intense pain, which affects their alchemy. Therefore, before practicing important pills, they will take Soul Fusion Pills or similar pills for defense.
The effects of the drug lasted for a very short time.
Even the twenty days of a low-grade elixir are still quite short.
Therefore, countless cultivators simply cannot afford pills. Even if they have a lot of Xuan Pearls, they will not spend them all on pills. Moreover, even if they wanted to take pills, they would have to give up because no alchemist could provide so many.
However, Wu Shaogan does not have this problem.
With Zhong Cai's alchemy skills, he would never let his old man Wu lack pills!
Naturally, Wu Shaogan's soul fusion process was very easy.
Just like a weak patient who needs to nourish his body at any time, he takes his medicine regularly—one pill every five days without fail.
Zhong Cai was satisfied.
Wu Shaogan was very happy to receive such care from his wife, Acai.
The couple enjoyed a more comfortable life together.
·
Not long after, Xuan Bing began sparring with Wu Shaogan.
Both of them are highly skilled, so each sparring session naturally lasts a long time.
During this period, Zhong Cai gave Wu Dongxiao a lot of guidance.
Wu Dongxiao is indeed very clever, as expected of the protagonist.
Zhong Cai gradually understood why her master was always so kind and loving towards her.
Even Zhong Cai himself used to treat his son as nothing more than a cheap nephew, someone he would occasionally look after. But now? He actually felt a bit of affection for his son, thinking that he was a cheap nephew who could be taught a lesson.
The affection deepened a little, so the teaching became a little stricter.
The protagonist, Dazaizi, did not disappoint him. Even though he kept pushing Dazaizi, who was always overwhelmed, he persevered and maintained his pace of progress.
After thinking it over, Zhong Cai realized it made sense.
As for the main characters, it's perfectly normal for them to cultivate both magic and martial arts, alchemy and martial arts, or spiritual martial arts...
The protagonist in the story was already quite skilled in alchemy when he was learning on his own, so it's normal for his alchemy skills to skyrocket now that he has a famous teacher like Zhong Cai to guide him!
Therefore, when Zhong Cai watched Wu Dongxiao advance from level one to level two and then to level three with unstoppable momentum, she remained calm and even felt quite good.
Moreover, Zhong Cai had very high requirements for Wu Dongxiao at every level.
At least they are all benchmarked against his own.
For each grade of pill, Wu Dongxiao must master no fewer than thirty types, and each type of pill must be refined to the highest quality, with a success rate of no less than 80%.
Wu Dongxiao complained bitterly, but still complied.
He himself understood very well that such teaching was extremely rare. Uncle Zhong was willing to show him such kindness, how could he dare to let him down? He had to do everything in his power to help!
Besides, Wu Dongxiao himself was well aware that if he had even the slightest thought of slacking off and angered Uncle Zhong...
He's finished.
My uncle definitely won't let him off the hook! He'll definitely kick him into the martial arts arena for a "sparring match"!
In reality, it's about beating him up.
When Wu Dongxiao wasn't slacking off, if his progress was even slightly slow... he would get beaten up.
At times like these, his senior brother would really like to help him persuade him, but unfortunately, when his uncle wanted to beat him up, his senior brother's persuasion was useless. Only when Uncle Zhong spoke up could his uncle stop.
But Uncle beat him up to avenge Uncle Zhong!
Given Uncle Zhong's personality, it's already a favor that he didn't cheer him on from the sidelines.
so……
Every time his uncle beat him up, Uncle Zhong would just stand by, smile without saying a word, and take out a recording stone to record him.
If he made a mistake while refining pills afterward, Uncle Zhong would project the video and let him watch it repeatedly.
It was extremely embarrassing!
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