Chapter 22 Zhong Cai's Breakthrough
Having acquired enough resources, Zhong Cai excitedly pulled Wu Shaogan onto the carriage and headed back to the courtyard.
On the way, Zhong Cai discussed with him, "Should we go back to Kunyun City, or stay and play for a few more days?"
Wu Shaogan said, "It's up to you."
Zhong Cai thought for a moment and said, "Since we've finally come out, we might as well stay out a little longer. Anyway, I've already bought the array plate and contract talisman. I'll start by contracting a first-grade one and begin refining Qi-replenishing pills. If I'm lucky enough to get a top-grade one, we can go hunting in the mountains together! You can also try your hand at archery..." As he spoke, he turned his head and smiled, "Your body must be stiff from not moving for so long, right?"
Wu Shaogan listened patiently, nodding in agreement.
"Okay, you decide how long you stay."
"You'll definitely be fine."
"Perfect timing to stretch my muscles."
Before they knew it, the carriage arrived at the courtyard.
Xiang Lin jumped out of the car and opened the courtyard gate for the two of them.
Zhong Cai walked in while talking to Wu Shaogan.
Xiang Lin kept the door tightly shut and quietly waited.
Qiao Hong and Bi Cen, who were in charge of looking after the courtyard, also got up and brought over warm towels, tea, and snacks that they had prepared beforehand to help the two relax...
·
The cultivation room in the courtyard was small, only about two zhang square.
There were several large baskets full of medicinal herbs along the left wall.
Zhong Cai was refining elixirs not far away, completely absorbed in it.
On the right is a large table made of hardwood, which is covered with talisman materials.
Wu Shaogan stood at the table, holding a talisman brush, carefully drawing on the talisman paper.
About fifteen minutes later, a faint fragrance emanated from the alchemy furnace.
Zhong Cai stared intently at the leaping flame in the furnace, gently pulling with her left hand as if guiding something invisible. The flame swelled and shrank with this pull.
Suddenly, Zhong Cai whispered, "Stop!"
A series of crisp sounds suddenly emanated from the cavity of the main furnace, like countless beads bouncing.
At this moment, the fragrance became slightly stronger, and it seemed to contain a particularly clear and refreshing scent that was truly delightful.
Zhong Cai suddenly understood something and almost impatiently rushed to the alchemy furnace to look inside.
"One, two, three..." he exclaimed excitedly, jumping up and down. "Eleven pills! Ahhh! Old Wu! I only need one more to refine a full set of pills! I've reached the level of a top-tier alchemist!"
Wu Shaogan immediately stopped writing, got up and walked to the alchemy furnace, looking at the main furnace cavity.
Sure enough, there were many pills spinning there, round and very appealing.
Zhong Cai excitedly pointed to one of them and exclaimed, "Look at that one, isn't it a top-grade pill?!"
Wu Shaogan's gaze followed the direction Zhong Cai pointed.
The pill was perfectly round and snow-white, without any flaws. The fragrance it emitted was slightly strong yet incredibly refreshing. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if a stream of light was passing through it... Indeed, this was the sign of a top-grade pill!
Wu Shaogan picked out the pill with a hint of urgency, held it between his fingers, and handed it to Zhong Cai.
"I think so, what do you think?"
Zhong Cai stared at the pills, quickly trying to identify them.
A moment later, he broke into a big smile: "That's it!"
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Impressive! The reason we didn't get any top-quality items before was simply because we didn't have any wood or fire elements at our disposal."
Zhong Cai's eyes and brows were radiant.
Wu Shaogan laughed even more heartily.
Both of them were in high spirits because of the eleven pills that Zhong Cai had just produced, all of them were of superior quality except for one top-grade pill.
·
Seven days have passed since I returned from shopping.
On the first day, Zhong Cai used a contract talisman to contract the first-grade wood and fire. However, since he had not yet opened the secret treasure palace, the wood and fire could only be stored in the jade tube after he used it up. He then placed the jade tube in the altar like other wood and fire.
The feeling of contracting the wood and fire was wonderful, as if it were alive and connected to Zhong Cai's will. However, to manipulate the wood and fire, one needed to use the fire control incantation to guide it, and each incantation consumed a certain amount of profound energy.
Zhong Cai went through a process of familiarizing himself with the manipulation of wood and fire.
When he first started using wood and fire to refine pills, his success rate dropped to only 30%, and he could only refine a maximum of ten batches a day, producing only three or four pills.
Fortunately, wood and fire are very effective at removing impurities, and the worst pills produced are of medium quality.
As time went by, within two or three days, Zhong Cai had mastered the art of controlling wood and fire with ease, and his fire control technique was incredibly proficient. It was as if he was born to do this job, and he really didn't have many bottlenecks.
By the fifth day, Zhong Cai had fully recovered to his previous level of alchemy skills.
On the sixth day, Zhong Cai's alchemy skills improved again, and the success rate of pills reached more than 90%—only one out of twenty batches failed, and the vast majority of the pills produced were of superior quality.
Now, on this seventh day, he is as if divinely aided, not only succeeding in every batch, but also producing eight top-grade pills in each batch!
And the batch that has just been forged is the most outstanding one.
Zhong Cai broke through the bottleneck of the extraordinary alchemist and successfully advanced to the first-level top alchemist.
·
So far, a total of 116 mid-grade pills, 354 high-grade pills, and one top-grade pill have been refined.
The Dan Yun has been updated with 1,299 new strands.
A bumper harvest!
Zhong Cai, beaming with pride, shouted, "Old Wu! Aren't I the most talented alchemist in Kunyun City?!"
Wu Shaogan replied decisively: "Yes! Among all the surrounding cities combined, you are the most talented!"
Zhong Caiyi, smug and self-satisfied, put her hands on her hips and laughed loudly: "As expected of me!"
Wu Shaogan was very supportive and gave him a thumbs up: "You're truly amazing!"
—The two of them would have similar conversations almost every time they tested the pills.
The two of them chuckled to themselves for a while.
Zhong Cai happily told Wu Shaogan to put away the top-grade Qi-replenishing pills, and generously said, "From now on, I'll cover all your Qi-replenishing pills. You can live however you want!"
Wu Shaogan indeed put away the pills, feeling both joy and deep emotion.
When he was first crippled, how could he have imagined that he would be in this situation today?
All of this is because of Zhong Cai.
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but look at Zhong Cai again, a burning desire hidden deep in his eyes.
Zhong Cai didn't seem to notice anything amiss, and simply happily sorted through the medicinal herbs: "Same as always, I'll keep all the top-grade pills for you, let the Azure Sky Puppet sell the mid-grade and high-grade ones, and sell the low-grade ones to Wu..." He paused, "Wait a minute, I'm afraid my chances of refining mid-grade pills in the future are slim, so will I still be able to refine low-grade ones?"
Wu Shaogan blinked, his eyes regaining their clarity, but his expression remained somewhat strange.
Although what Ah Cai said was true, if other alchemists heard it, they would probably want to beat him up.
Zhong Cai was still grumbling, "We can't just waste medicinal herbs to refine low-grade medicines for the Wu family, that's too uneconomical. But if we sell mid-grade medicines, I won't be happy..."
Wu Shaogan was always pleased to be favored by Zhong Cai like this.
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "In the future, you will have to learn to refine other pills. Whenever you produce low-grade pills, keep them all and pick a few to use when the time is right." After saying this, he paused for a moment, "Your pill-making skills have improved too quickly. Don't sell all the mid-grade pills either; keep some. If you really can't produce any low-grade pills, taking two or three mid-grade ones to show off your talent is perfectly acceptable."
Then, he took out all the high-grade Qi-replenishing pills that he hadn't used before and handed them over to Zhong Cai to collect and sell.
A total of 604.
Zhong Cai pouted and said willfully, "I just don't want to sell mid-grade goods to the Wu family!"
Wu Shaogan said, "Then we won't sell it."
Seeing his buddy cooperating so well, Zhong Cai grinned again.
"Okay, I know you're right. It's better to keep a few just in case."
Wu Shaogan replied, "Don't worry about it. Nothing is more important than making you happy."
Zhong Cai felt strangely pleased, but she couldn't hold back any longer. She hooked her arm around Wu Shaogan's neck and pulled him down, shouting, "Hey! You're being so mushy!"
Wu Shaogan lowered his head and, with lightning speed, grabbed the man.
Then, he slowly ruffled Zhong Cai's hair and said leisurely, "I'm not only being cheesy, I'm also getting physical."
Zhong Cai shook her head back and forth, still angrily retorting.
"...Sooner or later, I'll drug you."
·
After the two of them had finished their playful banter, Wu Shaogan finally pulled Zhong Cai to the large table.
While Zhong Cai was refining elixirs, Wu Shaogan was also busy, producing many talismans.
Zhong Cai looked up and saw four neat stacks of talismans arranged on the table.
Wu Shaogan pointed them out to him one by one and explained, "This is a low-grade purification talisman, and in order are medium-grade, high-grade, and top-grade."
Zhong Cai exclaimed, "Wow! Old Wu! You actually made a top-grade talisman so quickly? That's amazing!"
Wu Shaogan was immediately brimming with pride, but he quickly coughed lightly and confessed somewhat embarrassedly, "My situation is different from most talisman masters. They have to train from low to high levels, but I have fallen from a higher realm."
"In terms of power control, I have a superior perspective, which is why I was able to create a top-grade level one talisman so quickly. If I were still in the Enlightenment Realm and tried to create a level three talisman directly, it would be much more difficult..."
In this way, Wu Shaogan explained some basic knowledge about talisman making to Zhong Cai.
·
A talisman chart consists of runes and talisman diagrams.
A talisman master creates talismans by infusing esoteric energy into a talisman brush, which then blends with talisman ink to draw the design onto talisman paper. Simultaneously, the esoteric energy, talisman ink, and talisman paper resonate with each other within the wondrous rhythm contained in the design, ultimately forming a talisman.
The first challenge in successfully drawing this is the distribution of the mysterious energy and the ink in the talisman.
If the input of mystic energy and the density of the talisman ink are not precise enough, it is easy to fail due to broken lines. Even if it can be drawn with difficulty, the grade of the talisman will not be high.
The second challenge is understanding the diagrams.
It's not just about memorizing; you also need to be able to perceive and even comprehend how each rune and symbol is drawn to better fit the rhythm of the talisman. The better it fits, the better the talisman's quality.
Those with weak talent for talisman making cannot perceive the rhythm of talismans when observing talisman diagrams. They also find it difficult to judge how much profound energy, how much talisman ink, and what kind of brushstrokes are needed for each stroke. They can only rely on years of painstaking effort to draw the diagrams, but in the end, the energy distribution may be uneven and the brushstrokes may lack spirituality. Most of the talismans they can create are only of low grade.
Wu Shaogan had a good talent for talismans and a good comprehension. In addition, he had cultivated a very precise control over his profound energy, his own body and power in his early cultivation. So after memorizing the talisman diagrams, he did not encounter many difficulties when he tried to draw them. He only ruined a few in the early stages, and then successfully made low-grade cleansing talismans.
Within two days, medium-grade and high-grade products appeared.
Two or three days later, the top-grade Cleansing Talisman was successfully drawn.
·
Zhong Cai counted the talismans with a "swish swish swish" sound.
"Eighteen low-grade purification talismans, sixty-five mid-grade, two hundred and twenty high-grade, and one hundred and ninety-eight top-grade!" His eyes shone brightly, as he praised again, "Old Wu! You're really amazing!! No matter the reason, you're just too amazing!"
Wu Shaogan knew he had some talent, but compared to Zhong Cai's talent in alchemy... he admitted he was probably still far inferior... However, he was very happy to be praised by Zhong Cai.
"All the top-grade purification talismans are yours." Wu Shaogan was finally able to be so generous. "You don't need to sell the others. Give the high-grade ones to Xiang Lin, and give the rest to the servants at home to do some chores."
Zhong Cai gave him a thumbs up: "That's the way to do it."
Then, he happily put the best stack into his mustard bag.
The cleaning abilities of purification talismans vary depending on their quality; the higher the grade, the more thorough the cleaning. Top-grade purification talismans not only remove impurities from the alchemy furnace but also eliminate residual odors, making them ideal for cleaning alchemy furnaces.
Wu Shaogan smiled slightly: "Tell me when you're done using it."
Zhong Cai replied bluntly, "Of course, do I need to remind you?"
Wu Shaogan was in a great mood.
·
Having made their decision, the two of them didn't go back to the Wu family home. Instead, they renewed their lease on the courtyard and continued to live in Fengyun City.
As early as late at night on the day the auction ended, the Azure Sky Puppet concealed itself and followed Zhong Cai's aura to reunite with the two of them—Zhong Cai had already bound it to her with blood.
The thousands of gold coins and large sums of Xuanzhu obtained from the sale and auction of the elixirs naturally ended up in Zhong Cai's hands.
Zhong Cai specially set aside a mustard seed bag to store the mysterious pearl, and then placed the mustard seed bag into his altar, only then feeling that everything was in perfect order.
Afterwards, Zhong Cai gave the remainder of the three hundred Xuanzhu to the Azure Sky Puppet and made a long list, instructing it to purchase medicinal herbs in several cities—most of which were first- or second-level pill formulas, in tens of thousands of doses.
The Azure Sky Puppet naturally complied, spending several days traveling around.
It changed into a blue robe, wore a hood and mask, and concealed its aura, looking like an ordinary rogue cultivator who didn't want to reveal its identity. Furthermore, its purchase of numerous medicinal herbs in various locations naturally aroused no suspicion.
Seven or eight days later, the Azure Sky Puppet quietly returned and handed over a large quantity of medicinal herbs to Zhong Cai.
It still had more than two hundred Xuanzhu left to use, but it kept them and was ready to run errands at any time.
The only regret is that Tianxing Trading Company doesn't have any Udumbara Flower Mist in stock, so they can only try their luck in larger cities later.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan continue to lead low-key yet fulfilling lives.
When refining first-grade pills, excluding the time spent processing some medicinal materials and cleaning the furnace, only considering the process after the furnace is opened, a maximum of four batches of pills can be produced in one hour.
After becoming familiar with wood and fire, Zhong Cai quickly reached this level.
He continued to open the furnace twenty times a day, compressing the seven hours of alchemy into five. He used the extra two hours to figure out the methods for refining new pills.
Wu Shaogan divided the time into two parts.
Every night, they would process the medicinal herbs that Zhong Cai would need for the next day, and during the day, they would use them to draw purification talismans.
He only drew purification talismans.
Gradually, Wu Shaogan's skill in drawing purification talismans became more and more stable, and all the talismans he made were of the highest quality.
Zhong Cai's alchemy process thus became "luxurious"—after each batch was finished, he would clean it directly with talismans, making him a master at saving time.
Of course, Zhong Cai's alchemy skills also became increasingly advanced.
It is unknown from which day it began, but in the refining of the three types of pills, namely the Head Protection Pill, the Yang Extreme Pill, and the Qi Replenishing Pill, Zhong Cai could produce twelve pills in each batch as long as the pills were successfully produced, including at least one top-grade pill.
When assessing the abilities of a first-level alchemist, this level is classified as the highest tier—the Grand Alchemist level.
Having formed a contract with Wood and Fire, Zhong Cai seemed to have broken free of some kind of shackles, rising from a top-tier alchemist to a grand alchemist in just a few days.
Even more remarkably, the yield rate of the Head Protection Pill and the Yang Extreme Pill reached 90%, and the Qi Replenishing Pill could be refined with a 100% success rate!
Meanwhile, during this period, Zhong Cai refined a considerable number of the three types of pills. Later, he only produced pills of two qualities: superior and top-grade. The newly added pill essence reached 10,085 strands.
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan sat facing each other in the cultivation room.
Wu Shaogan's expression was very serious, and upon closer inspection, one could see the worry in his eyes.
Zhong Cai chuckled and said, "Old Wu, why are you looking so long-faced? I just want to break through, not have a baby."
Wu Shaogan choked—just what kind of twisted thought process does Ah Cai have?
The veins on his forehead throbbed as he said irritably, "If you really have a baby, I'll have to congratulate you."
Zhong Cai laughed heartily: "When I give birth, shouldn't we share the joy? The baby's father?"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
Although it was a complicated situation, the heavy atmosphere was dispelled.
Seeing Wu Shaogan's expression gradually turn blank, Zhong Cai quickly punched him and said, "Don't worry, I used a top-grade Yang-Yang Pill to break through this time, I definitely won't blow my brain." He gestured with his hands, "Don't forget, top-grade means 100% defense! 100%!"
Wu Shaogan let out a soft breath: "You're right." He emphasized, as if reaffirming his belief, "Absolutely."
Zhong Cai knew he was concerned about her, so she hugged him tightly again and stopped being playful.
"Old Wu, I will be careful."
Wu Shaogan nodded and hummed in agreement.
"I'll be waiting for you outside the door."
·
Wu Shaogan was indeed too worried and made a mess of things. He was too nervous because Zhong Cai was going to try to break through from the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm to the fifth level.
Despite Zhong Cai's thorough preparations, including several days of mental adjustment after refining the top-grade Yang-Yang Pill, Wu Shaogan was still somewhat apprehensive and unsettled.
Wu Shaogan's mindset has been so stable because Zhong Cai has been by his side for the past few months. But if it were Zhong Cai... he can't imagine a future without her.
Therefore, Wu Shaogan could only tell himself again and again:
It has full defense.
100%.
·
Zhong Cai sat cross-legged alone in the cultivation room.
The altar turned into a speck of dust, landing in Zhong Cai's hair, constantly absorbing the energy of heaven and earth, and guiding it into Zhong Cai's body in strands.
Zhong Cai held a top-grade Yang-Yang Pill in his mouth, letting its medicinal power spread out, turning into streams of heat that quickly gathered on his head, enveloping all the skull bones and forming an indestructible membrane.
Once the energy of heaven and earth enters the body, it transforms into profound energy. Zhong Cai manipulates this profound energy and brings it to his head.
The skull is composed of twenty-three bones.
Let's start with the mandible...
·
The Heavenly Guidance Realm has a total of twelve levels.
The first three layers temper the skin and flesh, the next three layers temper the bones, the seventh to ninth layers temper the blood, and the last three layers open up the meridians.
There are three fatal hurdles in this process: the fifth level is to temper the skull (exploding the brain), the seventh level is to temper the blood (exploding the heart), and the twelfth level is to open the Ren and Du meridians (exploding all the meridians in the body).
To break through this barrier, relying solely on oneself will almost certainly result in death; one must take precious medicines or elixirs to have a better chance of survival.
Even so, more than 50% of the people die at these checkpoints.
In order to increase their chances of success, cultivators often spend a lot of time on these hurdles.
·
Zhong Cai closed his eyes tightly, and his profound energy slowly seeped into his jawbone.
After the slight pain subsided, my bones felt a little itchy.
This means the tempering process has already begun.
As more and more primordial energy is injected into the bones, the itching sensation becomes increasingly intense.
Zhong Cai had experienced a similar sensation when tempering his limbs and bones, so he had prepared thoroughly. However, he still underestimated the impact of this itching on himself. His entire brain felt numb, buzzing uncomfortably, several times more intense than the numbness and itching he experienced when tempering his limbs and bones. He desperately wanted to shake his head frantically to escape this pain.
For this reason, Zhong Cai encountered a mishap when manipulating Xuan Qi.
A wisp of profound energy suddenly turned a corner and rushed into his brain.
Zhong Cai quickly regained control, narrowly avoiding a collision. The Xuan Qi only slightly touched the protective membrane, and the impact was not significant—the defense easily blocked it, just like gently touching the surface of water with a finger, barely creating any ripples.
The defense is indeed very strong, and even if the defense didn't exist, it shouldn't cause any damage to the brain.
However, Zhong Cai still broke out in a cold sweat.
No wonder cultivators with such control over profound energy are prone to brain damage; it turns out the difference lies in the difficulty of tempering.
Even a master alchemist as skilled as Zhong Cai, who had a precise grasp of wood and fire, could not avoid "slipping his hand," let alone other cultivators who did not have his experience.
Zhong Cai immediately became more vigilant and did not rely on her defense to really go all out in her tempering. It was never too much to be cautious. It was better to go slower than to explode.
The tingling and itching in her jawbone persisted. Zhong Cai refined it little by little, gradually deepening the sensation, slowly spreading it to the surrounding skull, and then extending upwards...
·
This tempering process lasted for three whole days.
Zhong Cai finally managed to roughly temper the entire skull, and only then did the medicinal power of the Yang Yang Pill dissipate.
He has now successfully broken through to the fifth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
From then on, his daily cultivation consisted of refining his skull. When he introduced the profound energy into the bones, it would no longer run rampant, but would always follow the path it had already "traveled," and his brain would no longer be in danger.
The refining process will be slower, but taking Qi-boosting pills can speed it up.
Once the skull refining is complete, Zhong Cai can begin refining the remaining bones, which will be the sixth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm.
·
For as long as Zhong Cai had been cultivating, Wu Shaogan had been sitting cross-legged at the door waiting for her.
When the door to the training room opened, Wu Shaogan immediately stood up and turned towards the doorway.
A cheerful figure jumped out and pounced on Wu Shaogan, giving him a fierce hug.
"Old Wu! I've broken through!"
A loud, cheerful voice exploded in Wu Shaogan's ears, making his eardrums buzz.
Wu Shaogan's anxiety naturally dissipated.
All that remained was heartfelt joy, which made him unable to resist returning the hug fiercely, everything unspoken...
"Ugh!" Zhong Cai suddenly made a sound as if she had been choked, then coughed loudly, "Old Wu, why are you using so much force? Let go, let go! You're going to kill me!"
Wu Shaogan: "..."
·
After a period of chaos, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan finally found a quiet place to sit down.
Bichen and his group had prepared food in advance, and the table was full of food.
However, the servants did not come over to disturb them and quickly withdrew.
Zhong Cai quickly picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily.
Seeing that his complexion was rosy, Wu Shaogan could tell that things had been going well, and he was truly relieved.
While eating, Zhong Cai mumbled, "Breakthrough is a happy event. Maybe we'll get lucky and go back to our room later to try for a ten-pull."
Wu Shaogan picked out a few dishes for him and asked with a smile, "The red one?"
Zhong Cai said, "It's the most cost-effective option right now..."
·
Inside the main house.
Wu Shaogan took the handful of Xuan Pearls handed over by Zhong Cai, put them into the grooves of the isolation array plate, and then quickly input a stream of Xuan power.
In an instant, the array was activated, completely enveloping the entire courtyard.
Zhong Cai smiled and released the altar.
So the crimson altar filled all the open space.
The two walked up together and came to the front of the pit.
A vast expanse of bright, colorful clouds floated and drifted, appearing incredibly magnificent.
It was a full ten thousand strands of cinnabar fragrance.
Zhong Cai, beaming with excitement, directed the sacrifice, issuing the order: "Use 10,000 Dan Yun to perform a ten-hit combo in the Crimson Flame Pool!"
The flames in the crater tumbled and turned into a red flame.
A large amount of cinnabar energy poured down, spewing out ten crimson seals.
Zhong Cai took off all the red envelopes and stuffed them all into Wu Shaogan's hands.
Wu Shaogan was taken aback.
Zhong Cai said seriously, "Old Wu, you're in charge of everything today."
Wu Shaogan understood his intention, nodded, and prepared to start.
But Zhong Cai grabbed his arm.
Wu Shaogan looked at him, somewhat puzzled.
Zhong Cai became even more serious and instructed, "Don't forget, you must keep chanting 'Open the Soul Marrow and Spiritual Heart,' you absolutely cannot stop."
Wu Shaogan: "...Okay."
Zhong Cai then let go of her hand.
Wu Shaogan followed Zhong Cai's example from last time and used his profound power to open all the seals at once!
The scene was no different from last time. Under the watchful eyes of Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan, ten envelopes shot out and lined up in mid-air.
Zhong Cai immediately started babbling on.
"Soul essence and spirit heart! We need soul essence and spirit heart! One is not too few, ten is not too many! We just want soul essence and spirit heart!" He urged his buddy, "Old Wu, hurry up and recite it! Express our expectations!"
Wu Shaogan immediately moved his lips slightly, silently making the mouth shape.
Zhong Cai, however, was not satisfied and emphasized, "Speak louder! Show sincerity! Hurry up!"
"Should I make a sound?" Wu Shaogan suddenly felt a little embarrassed, and his ears also felt slightly hot.
But seeing how shameless Zhong Cai was and how hard she was working for him, he eventually raised his voice.
"...Soul, essence, spirit, and heart."
"Out of the soul, marrow, and spirit."
As he spoke, Wu Shaogan calmed down, and his sentences became clearer as he continued to mutter.
And the seals in mid-air were opened one after another amidst the two's eager anticipation.
·
The five red seals shook, and after the large cloud of smoke dissipated, five low-grade mystic stones appeared in unison.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance.
Well... I wouldn't say my luck was bad.
Although mystic stones are a common resource, they are still very valuable.
The two then looked at the remaining five envelopes.
On one of the envelopes, a golden light swirled around.
A thin booklet appeared.
It is the third-tier martial art, "Overlord Blade Technique".
On two more envelopes, golden light spun twice in succession.
A level four Explosive Flame Talisman can only be used once, but it still has considerable destructive power against cultivators in the Suspended Illumination Realm.
One Grade 4 superior Soul-Tethering Pill can completely heal the primordial soul injuries of cultivators at the Enlightenment and Suspended Illumination stages, and is also somewhat useful for the damaged primordial souls of cultivators at the Fusion and Palace Building stages.
Then another envelope appeared, its golden light swirling three times.
The resource that was found was a string of communication jade pendants—consisting of one main pendant and eight sub-pendants, belonging to the combined type of level five mystical artifacts.
The main pendant allows the user to communicate with any cultivator who carries a secondary pendant.
The last one is the guaranteed minimum, which will unleash a large amount of golden light.
A sixth-grade rare medicinal herb, Jade Glass Fragrance, is the main ingredient of Jade Glass Elixir.
·
Zhong Cai sighed as she gathered the resources.
Wu Shaogan helped quietly.
Zhong Cai glanced at Wu Shaogan and sighed again.
Wu Shaogan admitted his mistake, saying, "I was too quiet at the beginning and didn't pay enough attention."
Zhong Cai: "..." There's no need to be so emotional.
Actually, Wu Shaogan was quite lucky this time, as he mostly got high-level resources, but it was a pity that he didn't get the ones he wanted.
But they both understood that there was no such thing as a free lunch. They had just learned of the existence of such a rare treasure, and now they could get their hands on it immediately with a ten-pull.
Zhong Cai spread his arms and lay back on the stone seat, teasingly saying, "Muttering isn't entirely useless. That Soul-Tethering Pill is for treating the primordial spirit, it's just not quite the right treatment. If we do a few more draws, we'll eventually get a more accurate one."
Wu Shaogan fully supported his statement, his eyes smiling, and offered a new suggestion: "Next time, let's buy a soundproof array plate and shout at the top of our lungs; that will definitely increase our chances."
Zhong Cai turned her head and looked over. "Hey! That's going too far!"
Wu Shaogan sat next to him, looking down at him as well.
Then, they both laughed.
·
On the altar, there was also a cluster of colorful clouds.
Zhong Cai straightened up and murmured, "It seems there are still 1,784 Dan Yun left."
Wu Shaogan smiled and said, "That's the number."
Zhong Caixin gritted her teeth and said, "Let's do a ten-pull on both the Azure Flame Pool and the White Flame Pool!"
Wu Shaogan spread his arms and put his arm around Zhong Cai's shoulder.
Zhong Cai turned her head and bumped Wu Shaogan's head.
Everything is understood without words.
·
A ten-pull of Azure Flame Pool costs 1,000 Dan Yun, and the resources that can be drawn range from level two to level four.
After opening all ten together, the resources that appear are: four Mystic Pearls, Level 2 Refining Material Luminous Jade Stone, Level 2 Long Whip, Level 3 Common Medicine (10 Liters of Zhuozhuo Spring Water), Level 3 Wind Chasing Cicada Molt, Level 3 Low-Grade Meteor Hammer, and Level 4 Rare Medicine Snow-Transforming Eyebrow (guaranteed).
A ten-pull of the White Flame Pool costs 100 Dan Yun, and the resources that can be drawn range from level one to level three.
The resources obtained include: three golds, a first-grade low-level Qi-replenishing pill (20 pills in total), a first-grade high-level battle axe, a second-grade mid-level vermilion robe, a second-grade soundproof array plate, a complete fox pelt of a third-tier, first-stage savage beast - a gray-tailed savage fox, a third-tier, second-stage golden-patterned savage fish, and a third-grade rare medicine - red tobacco.
·
Both 10-pull attempts were initiated by Zhong Cai herself after she sacrificed herself.
After they finished opening the package, the two of them looked at each item one by one.
"They even have low-grade Qi-replenishing pills?" Zhong Cai picked up the pill bottle and looked at it. "It's only worth twenty silver coins. I might as well just give you one gold coin!"
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but chuckle and said, "This must be because your companion treasure is too thoughtful, preparing something convenient for you to hand over your responsibilities."
Zhong Cai's expression was indescribable. She casually put the bottle away and muttered, "If you're really considerate, you should let me draw the Soul Essence and Spiritual Heart."
Wu Shaogan helped Zhong Cai tidy up as usual, and then casually put away the three gold coins as pocket money.
Zhong Cai said regretfully, "My luck wasn't great, I'll try again next time." Then he quickly cheered up and said, "By the way, let's go hunting tomorrow! I just broke through, I need to get used to it."
Wu Shaogan readily agreed: "Then get a good rest tonight."
Zhong Cai laughed and said, "Alright!"
·
Outside Fengyun City, in the mountains.
Zhong Cai followed behind Wu Shaogan as they walked through the dense forest.
Xiang Lin followed at a distance, concealing himself among the dense canopy of the many giant trees, wary of any dangers around him.
Suddenly, a fishy gust of wind blew from the bushes to the side, as if something was rapidly approaching.
Wu Shaogan drew his bow and released an arrow. After a "whoosh" sound, the smell of blood immediately filled the air, and a heavy object fell to the ground at the same time, crushing many thorns.
Zhong Cai leaned over to take a look and immediately burst out laughing.
"Wow! If I'm not mistaken, this is a Blue-spotted Bull? What level of Tier 1 again?"
The bull was over ten feet tall and twenty feet long, a truly enormous creature. Its body was entirely black, with only numerous blue spots on its back, giving it a majestic appearance—but its neck had been severed by an arrow, blood gushing out. Its head, bearing two horns, drooped and swayed, connected to its neck only by a layer of hide.
They're completely dead.
Zhong Cai glanced at the pitiful state of the bull, clicked his tongue twice, and habitually went to deal with it—Old Wu, that guy, is still as violent as ever.
Wu Shaogan stood guard beside him, keeping an eye on the surroundings, and casually replied, "Peak of the first tier."
·
Cutting open and cleaning the bull... etc., it seems unnecessary to be so meticulous now?
Zhong Cai casually put the bull into his mustard seed bag and said to Wu Shaogan, "Let's go, let's continue hunting."
Wu Shaogan walked with him, in a good mood, and said, "Which direction should we go? You decide."
Zhong Cai waved his hand: "East! We always go east before."
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "Alright, then let's head east."
·
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan crouched in the dense branches, looking down at the savage tiger in front of them.
Wu Shaogan had a bow drawn across his arm, but his expression was relaxed.
He did not immediately lock onto the tiger with his aura; otherwise, he would have released some killing intent, and the tiger would have sensed the threat and easily escaped its prey.
Zhong Cai said almost in a whisper, "This one is close to the second tier, right? Shoot it down, then immediately take its blood to refine Tiger Blood Pills."
Wu Shaogan responded in kind: "Don't worry."
Because the conversation was quiet and the tiger was far away, it wouldn't alert the tiger unless the speaker intended to kill.
The tiger was also eyeing its prey, a deer grazing by the lake, much weaker than the tiger. But the deer was agile, and the tiger, too, hoped to strike decisively and have a good meal.
Wu Shaogan narrowed his eyes slightly, his solemn expression conveying a powerful aura, making him strikingly handsome.
Even after watching him for so many years, Zhong Cai still couldn't help but curse in his mind: He's fucking handsome!
Meanwhile, he waited excitedly for the blood sample to be taken—that's how much he trusted his buddy!
Wu Shaogan did not disappoint Zhong Cai. In the instant the tiger leaped up and pounced to bite off the deer's neck, he drew back his bow and fired an arrow, which instantly struck the tiger's neck.
The arrow was incredibly powerful, just like the one that had killed the bull earlier. Accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, it also broke the tiger's neck.
The tiger's head rolled off, blood splattered, and the massive tiger body swayed unsteadily...
Zhong Cai's eyes widened: "Ahhh! So much blood wasted!"
With that, he leaped down and ran swiftly toward the tiger's corpse.
Wu Shaogan quickly jumped down as well.
He was faster than Zhong Cai, and after catching up, he picked him up and carried him to the location of the Savage Tiger even faster.
Zhong Cai was put down, and she was already carrying a large bucket in her hand.
Wu Shaogan quickly moved to the other side of the tiger, grabbed its skin, and lifted it up with the front half of its body facing down.
At this moment, Zhong Cai had already tacitly aimed the bucket at the neck.
As the tiger lay dying, its blood boiled, and suddenly, its blood gushed into the bucket.
One bucket after another, until about three buckets were full, the blood in his neck gradually dried up.
Next, Zhong Cai covered the bucket, put it in a mustard bag, then used a sharp knife to cut open the tiger's belly, took out the tiger's heart, and put it in a box to store it properly.
After that, he put the entire tiger body away again.
Zhong Cai straightened her back, patted Wu Shaogan's chest, and instructed, "Don't be so cruel next time, be gentle."
Wu Shaogan gave a soft snort.
·
The hunt went very smoothly, it felt like going back to a few years ago.
Zhong Cai would always complain that Wu Shaogan was "brutal".
Wu Shaogan still prefers to "cut off the neck with one arrow" every time—after all, it's convenient, quick, and less likely to be counterattacked.
However, Zhong Cai was just joking. In reality, whenever a beast's head rolled out, he would always pick up the fastest one.
The two then dealt with another leopard.
Zhong Cai said with great enthusiasm, "There are quite a few pills made from tigers and leopards. Although the ones we got today are all first-grade, we can still refine Tiger and Leopard Meridian Opening Pills. Cultivators above the tenth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm can increase the speed of opening their meridians by taking this stuff, so it must have a great market."
Wu Shao readily agreed, "Then let's take this opportunity to hunt down a few more tigers and leopards to gather enough of the main medicine."
Zhong Cai disagreed, saying instead, "We don't need them right now, so there's no rush. I've decided to refine the Soul Nourishing Pill first, then the Jade Complexion Pill, and in between, we'll try a few kinds of Beast Blood Pills—those we just hunted can all be used."
Wu Shaogan replied without hesitation: "It's up to you."
·
The two did not venture deep into the mountains and forests, and although they had to be aware of the dangers around them, they were still quite at ease.
Zhong Cai would mutter to himself from time to time: he wanted to stretch his muscles and bones, but the savage beasts he encountered were all several levels stronger than him, so he could only let his buddy hunt them.
Just as Zhong Cai was muttering to himself for the eighteenth time, a blurry figure darted towards him.
Zhong Cai raised the meteor hammer.
"Bang!"
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