Chapter 33 The Legacy of Husband and Wife
Wu Shaogan leaned against the door of the training room with his arms crossed, smiled and gave Zhong Cai a thumbs up, saying, "Congratulations on your successful breakthrough, Cai—you're not so bad anymore."
Zhong Cai punched him irritably and said, "What are you trying to show off for, villain?"
Wu Shaogan deliberately wrinkled his nose at him and mouthed "villainous wife".
Zhong Cai ignored him.
The two played around and went into the yard together.
Wu Shaogan said, "By the way, A Cai, you're still practicing the 'Qi Absorption Technique,' didn't you inherit any cultivation methods?"
Zhong Cai said helplessly, "Indeed, there aren't any." He gestured, "They're all related to alchemy. I didn't notice at first, but later I realized there were no accompanying cultivation techniques."
Wu Shaogan frowned slightly.
Zhong Cai pressed his temples and laughed, "Don't act like an old man. Let's stick to our original plan."
·
After the two became friends, Wu Shaogan cared a lot about Zhong Cai, and while he was generous with his resources, he also inquired about his cultivation methods.
Although the Zhong family is a small family, it has been passed down for many years and has a solid foundation in martial arts techniques.
However, many cultivation techniques come with attributes or are suitable for a certain type of companion treasure.
For example, some cultivators have a constitution that leans towards the fire attribute, and the companion treasures they summon, whether they are mystical artifacts, precious treasures, or anything else, will also lean towards the fire attribute.
If his companion treasure does not come with any inheritance or the inheritance is incomplete, and he learns about his attributes from the companion treasure, he should choose a fire-attribute cultivation technique within his clan.
However, many cultivators are not talented enough to summon their companion treasures in a short period of time. Although some cultivators can roughly judge what their physique might be biased towards, they dare not make a choice easily.
For example, some cultivation techniques are sword techniques. Once a cultivator practices them, they can increase the power of their swordsmanship by several times or even double. However, if a cultivator covets its power and uses it to build a foundation, and after summoning a companion treasure, finds that they have obtained a sword—then they can only abandon the cultivation technique and start over.
Because when practicing sword techniques, the refined spiritual energy will contain some sword energy. If this energy is not completely removed, it will conflict with the newly cultivated spiritual energy when switching to a different technique. At best, the cultivator's meridians will be completely severed and need to be repaired; at worst, they will be crippled and paralyzed for a period of time.
Therefore, it is more reliable for cultivators to choose the three commonly used cultivation methods first.
It's not too late to change your cultivation method after you've summoned your companion treasure.
Zhong Cai was no exception.
Because of his memories of his past life, even though his adoptive father didn't care about his cultivation at all, and his stepmother didn't take the initiative to care about him, he was still able to compare things himself... and then choose the simplest option.
Indeed, although all three cultivation methods are relatively moderate and peaceful, it is best to maintain a calm mood when practicing the Natural Scripture, and to have a passionate ambition when practicing the Breath-Swallowing Method. Only the Breath-Gathering Technique, as the name suggests, simply involves absorbing the Qi of Heaven and Earth.
Whether you are irritable or depressed, practicing this method is like a slow and steady process, taking it one step at a time.
But precisely because of this, as long as the mindset is right, the cultivation speed of "Natural Scripture" and "Qi Swallowing Method" will be slightly faster than that of "Qi Absorption Technique".
·
Wu Shaogan still approves of Zhong Cai's choice; even if it's a little slower, it's definitely not going to go wrong.
As time went on, it seemed that Zhong Cai's aptitude had been basically determined to be at the lowest level.
Wu Shaogan made a deal with Zhong Cai: once Zhong Cai reached the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, he would use his own profound power to guide Zhong Cai, helping him to open up his Dao Palace and summon his companion treasures.
If Zhong Cai cannot find a suitable cultivation method at the Zhong family, Wu Shaogan will find a way to get him a better one.
·
Wu Shaogan pondered for a moment and said, "I've obtained quite a few cultivation techniques from the card draw, but none of them seem to be quite suitable for you." He paused, "Among those I got, there were some without attributes, but the cultivation ceiling is still a bit low."
Zhong Cai was taken aback: "You found it for me? All the family's wealth is with me, how come I didn't notice?"
Wu Shaogan coughed lightly and said, "It's in that box that holds the letters."
Zhong Cai immediately took out the box.
The top stack was full of letters. Zhong Cai hadn't looked at them closely before, but now he removed them... Sure enough, there were three thin booklets underneath the letters.
They are all third-tier cultivation techniques.
·
During his travels and resource gathering, Wu Shaogan paid special attention to resources related to martial arts techniques.
After he acquired them, he did give some to his family, but he also copied the best ones and hid them in this box.
He thought he would wait until Zhong Cai opened the palace before taking out a bunch of things for Zhong Cai to choose from, but things changed too quickly. Before long, Zhong Cai came to his side and even summoned the altar.
But this altar...
What kind of exercise is suitable?
Wu Shaogan has not obtained many cultivation techniques for the time being, and there is only one without any attributes. He should not make any mistakes when cultivating it.
·
Zhong Cai held the three booklets, feeling genuinely moved.
"Old Wu, I didn't expect you to be so dedicated! I thought you would slowly start planning after the blessing, but it turns out you told me and were already actively looking for it right away!"
Looking at Zhong Cai's happy face, Wu Shaogan felt a little uncomfortable, which was unusual for him.
"Alright, alright, stop being so dramatic." At this point, Wu Shaogan couldn't help but add, "What's our relationship? When I went to all that trouble to set up that alchemy furnace, it was only for my niece. Of course, what I give you has to be even better."
Zhong Cai smiled broadly and said without any politeness, "That's true. Compared to that Hong, you'll definitely treat me better."
Wu Shaogan: "Um...yes."
Then, he smiled.
The two looked at each other, both in good spirits, and continued to talk about business.
Zhong Cai flipped through the several martial arts techniques that Wu Shaogan had painstakingly found.
Honestly, they're both good.
Perhaps because it was already carefully selected, its quality is even better than the cultivation techniques he drew.
However, just as Wu Shaogan worried, their upper limit is low, and after cultivating them, one will need to find matching cultivation methods, which are no longer suitable for Zhong Cai now.
Zhong Cai said, "Let's just keep cultivating like this for now. We need to consume a lot of pills, so our cultivation speed won't be slow."
Wu Shaogan pondered for a moment, then lowered his voice and said, "I always felt that yours should come with a cultivation technique, but it's not just for now..." He only mouthed the words without making a sound, "...the level isn't high enough. It might be different after you upgrade."
Zhong Cai was stunned.
Well, Lao Wu's guess seems to make sense.
Wu Shaogan added, "There's still plenty of time. Even if we don't have it now, we might be able to find the time later. Besides, we have quite a bit of savings now, so we can buy it when we find a suitable one."
Zhong Cai agreed, "Let's do it this way. Anyway, I'm still a long way from the peak of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, so there's no rush."
At this moment, Bichen and Qiaohong brought lunch.
The two sat facing each other and started eating, each giving the other a bite of food.
It still tastes great.
·
After Zhong Cai successfully broke through, he continued to refine Soul Nourishing Pills every day.
The Azure Sky Puppet has been released again, this time not to collect other medicinal herbs in large quantities, but only to obtain the Soul Nourishing Grass.
Although a thousand plants had already been purchased, the medicinal material used in the alchemy was not the whole plant, but the juice of the plant.
The amount of juice extracted from different types of Soul-Nourishing Grass varies, perhaps because this grass is a bit delicate to grow. The quality is very ordinary, and only a little over 800 doses of medicine can be obtained from a whole thousand grasses.
Zhong Cai had wasted over a hundred portions of the Soul Nourishing Grass juice in the early stages of refining the pills. After refining for a period of time, only a little over a hundred portions of the Soul Nourishing Grass juice remained.
It's only enough for him to refine for seven or eight days.
As instructed by Zhong Cai, the Azure Sky Puppet would not only scavenge for such medicinal materials from the pharmacies under the Tianxing Trading Company, but would purchase them from various sources.
At the same time, it also brought all the Soul Nourishing Pills except for the top-grade ones, and after comparing prices from multiple vendors, it chose the most suitable place to sell them all.
The Soul-Nourishing Pill is difficult to refine, but it is very effective in nourishing the soul. Even if the soul is not injured, taking some will be very beneficial.
Naturally, it is more expensive than Yang Dan.
The purchase price for each Soul Nourishing Pill is as follows: 15 gold for low-grade, 20 gold for mid-grade, and 30 gold for high-grade.
The Azure Sky Puppet's trip went very smoothly.
Aside from the scattered, unnoticed items, the Azure Sky Puppet brazenly looted all the Soul-Nourishing Grass from the shop where Soul-Nourishing Pills were used to pave the way.
The merchants were shocked to receive thousands of Soul-Nourishing Pills of varying grades, and they also tried their best to procure more Soul-Nourishing Herbs...
·
Eight days later, in the cultivation room.
Zhong Cai had just used up all the Soul Nourishing Grass juice and produced 372 top-grade Soul Nourishing Pills and 1,356 high-grade pills.
The Azure Sky Puppet also happened to return.
At this moment, Zhong Cai sat in front of the alchemy furnace, resting his chin on his hand.
The Azure Sky Puppet sat opposite, reporting with a blank expression.
"In total, I traveled through eight level-five cities, three level-four cities, and twenty-nine large counties... The city where I bought the Soul-Nourishing Grass was... The county/town was... The merchant was..."
Wu Shaogan sat beside Zhong Cai, listening as he squeezed out the juice of the Soul-Nourishing Grass.
Having already consumed numerous top-grade Soul-Nourishing Pills, his soul was no longer easily affected by the herbal juices or the medicinal properties released during the refining process. Therefore, he continued to help Zhong Cai process the herbs. After all, Zhong Cai had gone to great lengths to restore his soul; what was a little repetitive work to him?
As Zhong Cai listened, she calculated the medicinal herbs she had obtained.
We obtained more than 30,000 Soul-Nourishing Grass plants, and their quality was roughly the same. We estimate that we can produce about 30,000 servings of Soul-Nourishing Grass juice.
His success rate is currently 90%, and he can produce two or three top-grade pills per batch. Assuming there is no improvement during the refining process, he can produce 27,000 batches and 50,000 to 60,000 top-grade Soul Nourishing Pills after more than four years of refining...
Thinking of this, Zhong Cai paused.
His friend will be fully recovered in another month or so!
Never mind, the amount of medicinal herbs is enough anyway.
The Azure Sky Puppet then said, "The various types of Soul Nourishing Pills sold yielded a total of fourteen Mystic Pearls and four thousand eight hundred and ninety gold coins."
Zhong Cai took the mustard seed bag it handed her, transferred its contents to the family's belongings, and asked, "Is there anything unusual about the trading company?"
The Azure Sky Puppet replied, "I was shocked, but I didn't make any further moves."
Zhong Cai smiled: "That's right, there's a reason why these businesses have been able to grow so big."
The Azure Sky Puppet continued its report: "After the transaction concluded, I stayed for a few days, and the Dragon Travel Trading Company began selling Soul Nourishing Pills. The price of mid-to-low-grade pills was five gold coins higher than the purchase price, and the price of high-grade pills was ten gold coins higher."
Zhong Cai hissed, "Damn, really damn it. We sold at a loss!"
Seeing Zhong Cai grinning, Wu Shaogan couldn't help but smile.
"What business doesn't want to make money? The acquisition price they offer is probably uniform; they can't offer any more."
Zhong Cai laughed and said, "That's true. No matter how difficult it is to refine, it's still only a first-grade pill. There aren't many cultivators whose souls are truly damaged. It's fine to eat nourishing things occasionally, but it's not worth spending too much money on them."
·
Huyue City, Longyou Street.
All the shops on the street belong to Longyou Trading Company.
There are usually a lot of people here, but there have been even more people these past two days.
Many cultivators were queuing in front of the shop; they were all cultivators at the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
A tall, thin guy who had just arrived was curious and came over to ask, "Hey bro, what are you all queuing for here for?"
One of the cultivators replied, "I'll buy a Soul Nourishing Pill."
Several cultivators queuing nearby knew that the pills were limited and that the opportunity to enter the shop was probably only once, so they didn't hesitate to ask for them:
"It is said that a few days ago, the Dragon Travel Merchant Guild managed to obtain more than a thousand high-grade Soul Nourishing Pills. In order to thank our city for its support over the years, they specially released all the pills within three days."
"The sale started yesterday. At first, it was sold at a fixed price, but it became too crowded and difficult to serve customers, so we simply started selling it separately through secret auctions."
"Yes, yes! They said they wanted to distribute them to more people in need, so twenty shops on this street are selling them on their behalf. Each shop gets fifty, and ten people participate in the closed auction each time. The starting price is the selling price, and the highest bidder among the ten people can buy one."
The tall, thin cultivator couldn't help but ask, "What's the price?"
The others laughed and said, "They're all top-grade pills, forty gold coins each."
The tall, thin cultivator immediately bared his teeth: This is fucking ridiculously expensive!
Despite thinking this way, the cultivator quickly joined the queue.
It's expensive, but these days even mid-grade pills are rare, let alone top-grade ones.
Longyou Trading Company is quite capable, managing to acquire so much, but who knows if they'll have it again in the future? We've finally got a chance to buy it directly; if we miss this opportunity, we might never have another chance.
·
The cultivators were very grateful for the "generosity" of the Dragon Travel Trading Company, so even those who failed in the secret bidding would take advantage of the gold they brought to buy other suitable resources.
The cultivators at the Heavenly Guidance Realm have low cultivation levels and often limited savings, but they have a large number of followers! If each person buys a little, it will bring the Dragon Travel Trading Company's business to its highest peak ever!
Before this, although Longyou Trading Company had a strong background, there were still many large trading companies in Huyue City, which together could always overpower them.
Longyou Trading Company can only enjoy a few days of glory when it holds an auction.
·
The top floor of the business building.
The beautiful woman smiled and asked, "Have the other Soul Nourishing Pills been distributed?"
Behind her, several stewards reported:
"It's all allocated."
“Any level 5 city can have fifty of them.”
"One hundred level four cities, three hundred level three cities."
The beautiful woman said smugly, "Let's see what my second brother has to say now! He mocked me for not having any business acumen, but look what happened! I directly received several thousand high-grade pills! There are quite a few alchemists in our Brahma Star City, but not many can store up so many high-grade pills, right?"
"The other branches also just listen to me, and business has been pretty good lately. No matter how hard the local businesses try, they can't stop customers from coming to our branches!"
The managers immediately offered their compliments:
"What Fourth Miss says is true!"
"Miss is very farsighted!"
"I will obey Miss's orders!"
The beautiful woman continued, "By the way, I remember there are a few people with good aptitude in Huyue City, right? Keep an eye on them. The one with the Heavenly Rank is the strongest. Although he no longer needs Level One Pills, they are still high-quality pills. Send him ten of them. As for the others with the Earthly Rank, send them three to five pills according to their strength."
"It's just that this place is small. If they have the opportunity to join a major sect, their progress will be faster. Let's cast a wide net and make good connections with them. When they are stronger and acquire some good things through their experiences, they will be more willing to send them to us."
The managers naturally agreed immediately.
The beautiful woman waved her hand gently, swaying her waist gracefully as she returned to her residence behind the trading company.
As soon as I entered, several burly young men immediately came to greet me, each one more muscular and with more rugged features than the last.
The beautiful woman smiled sweetly, nestled in the arms of the most handsome man, and then reached out her slender fingers to gently caress the chest of another man who had come close.
Ah! Doing business is so tiring... She needs to release some stress.
The beautiful woman sighed softly in enjoyment, her eyes filled with seductive allure.
If we're talking about the best thing about being transported to this world, besides living a long life, it's naturally being able to indulge in handsome men.
So what if the handsome man isn't quite good-looking? She's fickle anyway.
It's all about constantly changing and finding something new, so everyone can take what they need!
As for the plot and the main characters...
The protagonist is just a little kid; she'll deal with him when he grows up. She can't be bothered with him now.
·
With enough medicinal herbs, Zhong Cai put away the Azure Sky Puppet and diligently began refining pills.
The next day was the time for the family competitions, and Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan brought Xiang Lin and the others to join in the fun.
The small town is open to everyone in the town.
The competition was held in the spacious arena in the center of town, with an array separating the fighting space and many stone seats surrounding it.
Except for the east side, which is the territory of many Canbi families, the other three sides are open to the townspeople—anyone who wants to come can come. If there aren't enough stone seats, you can stand; you can also bring your own stool.
·
The group arrived early and found seats on the south side.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan sat side by side, surrounded by a noisy environment.
Zhong Cai exclaimed, "There are so many people!"
Wu Shaogan leaned closer to listen and laughed, "Indeed, there are many."
The entire town has hundreds of thousands of people, and at least a hundred thousand have come here.
Zhong Cai: "This annual competition looks like a major event in Qianqiao Town."
Wu Shaogan chimed in, "That should be it."
·
The competition has been held for many years and doesn't need much introduction.
After the members of several families simply stated that "the competition will be divided into three stages, just like in previous years," the competition began immediately.
The three stages are: the first to fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, the fifth to sixth level, and the seventh to ninth level.
These correspond to the unrelated cards, the first level, and the second level during the cultivation of the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
Once they reach the tenth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, they can be considered to be among the upper echelons of the town. There aren't many of them, and they value face more among themselves.
Even if there were to be a competition, it would only be in private.
·
Zhong Cai took out a bag of pastries, grabbed a few and handed them to Wu Shaogan, saying cheerfully, "Come on, Lao Wu. Let's eat and watch!"
Wu Shaogan chuckled, but immediately accepted it.
While eating snacks, the two began to chatter on about the two cultivators who were fighting in the arena.
·
This is a battle between a boy and a girl.
The boy was from the Huang family, and the girl was from the Liu family; both were cultivators at the third level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
As soon as the two entered the arena, they each raised their longswords and attacked each other!
The longswords clashed with a series of clanging sounds as the two men dodged and weaved with the agility of swallows.
Both of them were ruthless in their attacks, their faces filled with a strong desire to win.
·
After watching for a while, Zhong Cai commented, "Miss Liu's swordsmanship is a bit faster."
Wu Shaogan agreed: "Young Master Huang's movements are indeed more skillful, but Miss Liu is only slightly inferior. And although Miss Liu's attacks are not fierce, they are very sustained. In the end, Miss Liu should have the upper hand."
Zhong Cai said, "I think so too." Then, a little puzzled, "But do they have a grudge against each other? It seems like they're fighting to the death."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "It's not that we have a grudge. Look around and listen carefully."
Zhong Cai Na was puzzled, and sure enough, he pricked up his ears and looked around.
Then, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
·
"Huang Tao! You're no good, you're going to lose to your wife!"
"You little brat, you never take your sword practice seriously, hahaha!"
"Well done, Liu girl! You've added another genius to our Liu family!"
"Young Master Huang! Defeat Miss Liu!"
"Miss Liu is about to defeat Young Master Huang! Ha!"
Many children from both large and small families stood up and cheered for the two.
As Huang Gongzi's swordplay slowed down, while Miss Liu fought with increasing ferocity, many people became frustrated.
But another group of people were extremely excited.
·
Zhong Cai then realized that the two young people were actually engaged.
There are many inter-family marriages, but not all of them are just marriages.
These two were in love with each other.
·
While training in the mountains, Huang Tao and Liu Xia'er encountered the same resource and quickly started fighting. However, a savage beast guarding the resource suddenly appeared, forcing them to fight together before their own kind came to their aid.
The two met under unusual circumstances, and after several chance collaborations, they developed feelings for each other.
If they were independent cultivators, they could simply get married. But since they each belong to a family, they need to clearly define their resources and determine their final affiliation. Therefore, one of them must join the other's family.
Huang Tao and Liu Xia'er both possessed top-grade Yellow-rank aptitude, making them minor geniuses in their respective families. However, their aptitudes weren't enough to determine the rise and fall of their families, so neither family hindered them.
However, both of them were very competitive. Huang Tao was unwilling to marry into the family, and Liu Xia'er was also unwilling to get married.
At the same time, they were unwilling to separate.
After some debate, the two made a decision.
In this small competition, they started by saying that if Huang Tao won, he would get married, and if Liu Xia'er won, she would find a husband.
For this battle, the young men and women hadn't seen each other for a month or so, spending their time training intensively within their families.
The battle has finally come to a conclusion!
·
The Heavenly Guidance Third Layer has limited profound energy, and after the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Huang Tao was defeated.
Liu Xia'er was panting, but said proudly, "In two months, I'll come and take you home!"
Huang Tao was truly defeated. He collapsed on the field, exhaled a few breaths, and said helplessly, "Fine, I'll wait for you to come and pick me up then."
Liu Xia'er put her hands on her hips triumphantly and then reached out to pull Huang Tao up.
The two of them, supporting each other intimately, went to sit down on Liu's property.
The Huang and Liu families lived on adjacent territories, and upon seeing the two men, they all began to mock Huang Tao.
At this moment, Liu Xia'er and Huang Tao were no longer at odds with each other, and they joined forces to shush him back.
·
Zhong Cai witnessed the entire scene and found it very interesting.
"I wonder what their wedding will be like? Maybe I should go and join in the fun?"
Wu Shaogan chuckled and said, "You're really in high spirits."
Zhong Cai raised her eyebrows: "Anyway, it's a relaxed place, and I find everything interesting."
Wu Shaogan thought about it and agreed that it made sense.
In Kunyun City, Fengyun City, and other places, apart from when they played together as children, they either kept their relationship a secret, had worries in their hearts, or encountered some other troubles.
It wasn't until they arrived in this small town, where there was almost nothing that could threaten them, that everything seemed to quiet down.
Zhong Cai let out a breath: "We haven't felt this relaxed in a long time."
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "That's true."
For some reason, when he thought about the young couple from earlier, he found it interesting.
·
For Zhong Cai, the small competitions in town weren't really that interesting; the main thing was to soak up the atmosphere.
The children of each family took to the arena to spar, fighting fiercely. However, their moves were not particularly skillful, and Zhong Cai could easily see through them. Even when he was at the fourth level, if he were to fight them, he would probably defeat them all with a single blow.
Needless to say, Wu Shaogan considered these battles completely harmless.
Apart from the engaged couple vying for family status and occupying the entire venue, the remaining rounds consisted of ten groups working together, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser being eliminated.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan saw an acquaintance, Wu Yousong, who was selling the courtyard.
Wu Yousong has recently become so diligent in his studies that not only has his strength reached the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, but his slightly chubby figure has also become thinner, making him very agile when fighting others.
Zhong Cai narrowed her eyes: "It seems he used some strange method."
Wu Shaogan, with his rich experience, recognized it immediately and said, "Blood Burning Technique."
Zhong Cai was a little curious: "Burning blood to increase strength?"
Wu Shaogan nodded and said, "It should only be limited to the Heavenly Guidance Realm, and the improvement each time is not much, maybe 20% or 30%, so the aftereffects are not significant. After this small competition, we can make up for it."
Zhong Cai chuckled: "Even if it's only 20% or 30%, it can still make up for the instability in his realm after breaking through to the fourth level. It seems he's aware of his limitations... Where do you think he got this secret technique from?"
Wu Shaogan's gaze fell on a middle-aged man from the Wu family and he said, "It might be a fragmented inheritance from his father."
Zhong Cai followed Wu Shaogan's gaze.
The middle-aged man bore a resemblance to Wu Yousong and had a blood-red whip hanging from his body.
Zhong Cai raised an eyebrow: "Burning Blood Whip?"
Wu Shaogan said, "Most of these blood-burning companion treasures come with a few blood-burning techniques. Judging from the quality of his whip, it's probably only of medium-grade Yellow rank. The techniques it brings are probably only usable up to the fourth or fifth level."
Zhong Cai understood.
The two watched Xiao Bi chatting idly.
Wu Yousong's courtyard was well worth the price; he wielded his battle axe with great force, displaying impressive attack power. As a result, he swept through the competition and successfully entered the top ten.
In the subsequent head-to-head competition, Wu Yousong gritted his teeth and used his blood twice more, finally narrowly defeating his opponent and advancing to the top three.
However, no matter how hard he tries, there is always a limit. The top two are indeed stronger and more experienced than him, so Wu Yousong can only come in third place.
Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened when choosing the reward.
The first place winner chose three Bone Tempering Pills, while the second place winner chose the essence blood of a savage beast from a first-tier, eighth-stage cultivator, which suited his physique.
Wu Yousong was finally able to select the precious antidote.
At that moment, he completely disregarded his pale face and was almost moved to tears of joy.
·
Zhong Cai said to Wu Shaogan, "This guy is so weak he won't be able to get out of bed for at least three months."
Wu Shaogan glanced at Wu Yousong's expression and nodded, saying, "Burning blood five times in a short period of time is too much."
Zhong Cai sighed, "He reached his limit the fourth time, and he shouldn't have burned his blood the fifth time. Now his essence and blood are damaged. Even if he can move again in three months, if his essence and blood can't be replenished, he will be in more danger than other cultivators during the transition from the sixth to the seventh level..."
The two were just chatting casually when a slightly anxious voice rang out from the side.
"Excuse me, sir..."
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan looked to the right together.
On the stone seat over there sat a young man dressed in a yellow shirt. Although his appearance was ordinary, his eyes were clear and his temperament was gentle.
The young man looked anxious, but he still spoke politely.
"I wonder if what you two said just now is true, and if there is any way to make amends? I am ignorant and would appreciate your guidance."
Zhong Cai blinked: "And you are?"
The young man in yellow realized his mistake and said apologetically, "My name is Huang Qing. My apologies. May I ask how you two are addressed?"
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "My surname is Zhong, and his surname is Wu."
Huang Qing suppressed his eagerness and quickly cupped his hands in greeting: "Brother Zhong, Brother Wu."
Zhong Cai then asked, "Does Wu Yousong have a past relationship with you?"
Huang Qing shook his head slightly: "I have some connection with his older brother, Wu Youbai."
·
It turns out that Wu Youbo once saved Huang Qing when she was in danger, and the two later became friends.
However, this time when Wu Youbai was poisoned, Huang Qing, although the son of the Huang family head, was unable to obtain the antidote.
Not long ago, the Huang family's hunting team returned and collected a precious medicine with detoxifying properties.
Huang Qing originally wanted to buy this rare herb, but before he could even speak, his family had already included it in this year's competition rewards—and since the word had already been spoken, how could he possibly take it back?
There's no other way; the only way to obtain this precious medicine is to win the small competition.
Huang Qing himself was at the fifth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, and the reward wasn't this, so he spread the news.
Upon learning this, Wu Yousong decided to try his best to win it over.
When Wu Yousong wanted to buy the rare medicine for breakthrough, Huang Qing secretly subsidized him with some money to ease Wu Yousong's burden.
Afterwards, Wu Yousong indeed qualified to compete for the rare antidote. Huang Qing should have breathed a sigh of relief, but now he heard that Wu Yousong would suffer from a chronic illness as a result, which would affect his future cultivation.
Even if Wu Youbo is cured, he will regret implicating his younger brother.
Huang Qing meant well, but ended up sacrificing her brother's future for her brother's, so she naturally felt guilty.
·
Zhong Cai was speechless.
This Huang Qing guy is way too quick to blame himself. He's done so much for his friend, what's there to feel guilty about? It was the Wu family's decision; he was just an accomplice at best.
Huang Qing, his brows still furrowed with worry, said again, "If Brother Zhong has any solutions, please don't hesitate to share them." Then, as if realizing he shouldn't expect answers so easily, he added, "I know of a secret place, which I originally planned to explore with a friend. But it seems we can't go now. Perhaps I should tell you both..."
Zhong Cai was a little puzzled: "Since it's a secret place, and you can't go there, why didn't you report it to the family?"
Huang Qing pursed his lips, a faint blush crossing his face, and said quickly, "I'm afraid no one in the family can meet the requirements... but you two are suitable." He immediately added, "Please rest assured, this is not a scheme. It's just that the strength of those who go cannot exceed the Heavenly Guidance Realm, and their age cannot exceed thirty years old... that's why it wasn't reported."
Zhong Cai: "..."
It still feels a bit vague.
However, Zhong Cai was too lazy to investigate further. The other party was already willing to pay the price, and all they asked were a few questions.
Zhong Cai said, "The best method is naturally to use blood-replenishing pills. Given his condition, taking three or four pills should be enough."
Huang Qing said helplessly, "There is indeed an alchemist here who can refine blood-replenishing pills, but the pills are already booked for several years from now, so I'm afraid it won't work."
Concern leads to confusion; he hadn't even thought of it just now. A deficiency in essence and blood naturally requires replenishment, and a blood-replenishing pill should be the right remedy.
However... elixirs are rare.
Zhong Cai: "Blood-replenishing pills are very common, just go to the county town to buy them."
Huang Qing was taken aback; that made sense.
But just in case, he tentatively asked, "I wonder if there are any other ways? So we can make more preparations."
Seeing that he knew such a simple method as the Blood Replenishing Pill, and didn't show any regret for revealing the secret, Zhong Cai felt that this person was not bad, so she told him everything.
"Given your situation, there are two other ways that are easiest to accomplish. One is to hunt first-tier, fifth-stage savage beasts in the mountains, which must have the same attributes as Wu Yousong. Then, Wu Yousong can refine the essence and blood of these savage beasts to replenish his own essence and blood."
"Another method is to collect white snail roots and green blood flowers, crush them, and cook them with chicken blood to make a medicinal soup. Drink three bowls every morning, noon and night for a month, and it can also solve the problem."
Huang listened intently, sometimes enlightened, sometimes puzzled.
"The uses of this white snail root and the blood-red flower are..."
Zhong Cai replied, "These are all the main ingredients of the Blood-Replenishing Pill. Before they are refined into pills, their medicinal effects are not very high, but they are still useful if taken regularly."
Upon hearing this, Huang Qing sincerely thanked Zhong Cai and quickly took out a roll of blueprints and handed it over.
"This is the address of the secret location, and the route I drew myself. It's in the nearby mountains. Please accept it."
Zhong Cai casually accepted it and said, "Thank you very much."
He then continued watching the game without speaking to Huang Qing again.
Huang Qing then quietly left.
After everyone left, Zhong Cai said to Wu Shaogan, "Old Wu, I don't think Huang Qing meant any harm, but isn't his so-called secret place a bit strange?"
Wu Shaogan remained silent, but he also felt something was off.
“There should be many Heavenly Guidance Realm cultivators under the age of thirty. How could the Huang family members not meet the requirements?” He frowned and said, “That’s really untrue.”
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and then suggested, "Shall we go or not?"
Wu Shaogan hesitated: "You want to go?"
Zhong Cai whispered, "His appearance makes me a little curious."
Wu Shaogan wasn't particularly curious, but since Zhong Cai had said so, he wouldn't refuse.
"Let's take Qingkong with us and see how things go. If Huang Qing was able to escape unscathed, you and I should be fine too."
·
With new and interesting things to do, Zhong Cai lost interest in the remaining competitions.
After all, no matter how they fought, Zhong Cai saw nothing but flaws. As for what he could learn from watching the game... he really didn't learn anything.
Seeing his lack of interest, Wu Shaogan simply said, "Why don't we go now?"
Zhong Cai's eyes lit up immediately: "Great!"
Next, Xiang Lin accompanied them, while Bi Cen and Qiao Hong were free to do as they pleased.
Bichen and Qiaohong exchanged a glance and decided to continue watching—for them, the competition was quite exciting.
Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan out of the town, took a map, and headed up the mountain together.
·
With a map to guide you, the secret locations are easy to find.
At the bottom of a valley in one of the surrounding hills, there is a cave.
The cave is a secret place.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan stood in front of the cave, looking at the stone tablet in front of them, their expressions somewhat strange.
·
The stone tablet is inscribed with a description of the secret place.
The cave was once the residence of a cultivator at the Palace-Opening Realm and his Daoist partner, and it is now their burial place.
The two left behind some legacies, including cultivation resources suitable for cultivators of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, as well as second-tier inheritances.
A second-grade low-level illusion array was set up at the entrance of the cave to test the sincere feelings of a couple for each other.
The formation can only accommodate cultivators at the Heavenly Guidance Realm at most, and two people must enter at the same time. Since the couple were both male, it also requires that only one male person enter the formation. Furthermore, since the owners of the cave fell in love at the age of thirty, the couples entering the formation must also be no older than thirty.
If anyone who does not meet these requirements enters the cave, the formation will immediately collapse, destroying everything inside, including the remains of the cave master and his wife, and turning to ashes.
·
So why did Huang Qing say that it was unnecessary to report to the family?
Because now, the men in the Huang family under the age of thirty are either married, like women, or are too young to understand love at all.
Although it seems possible to wait for the child to grow up, the lifespan of the level two formation is almost up.
The formation will collapse naturally within a year at most.
In such a short time, even a child won't grow up, let alone find a true love.
Huang Qing and Wu Youbo actually had a somewhat ambiguous relationship.
After unexpectedly discovering the secret place, he planned to invite Wu Youbo along, so as to take this opportunity to confirm their feelings for each other.
However, Wu Youbo was unexpectedly poisoned, and even after being detoxified, he needed to recuperate and there was simply no time for him to come over.
The Huang family's inheritance already has a second tier, so Huang Qing doesn't really need this inheritance.
He wasn't particularly heartbroken to send it away.
·
After reading the inscription on the stone tablet, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan recalled the words Huang Qing had spoken to them when passing on his knowledge, and fell silent for a moment.
Therefore, in Huang Qing's eyes, the two of them met the criteria.
·
Meanwhile, Huang Qing went to the pharmacy to buy white snail root and blood-red flower.
Neither of the two medicinal herbs is expensive, and he can afford to take them for a month.
Although it's a pity I couldn't go to the secret place with my beloved, perhaps passing on the legacy to that loving couple is more in line with the wishes of the cave's elders...
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